en-US Sat, 26 Apr 2025 10:47:03 -0700 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg 232087448
Simone St. James, the New York Times bestselling author of The Sun Down Motel, returns with her scariest, most shocking novel yet in this pulse-pounding story about siblings who return to the house they fled 18 years before, called back by the ghost of their long-missing brother and his haunting request: Come home.

Strange things happen in Fell, New York. A mysterious drowning at the town’s roadside motel. The unexplained death of a young girl whose body is left by the railroad tracks. For the Esmie siblings—Violet, Vail, and Dodie—the final straw was the shocking disappearance of their little brother. It started as a normal game of hide-and-seek. The three closed their eyes and counted to ten while Ben went to hide. But this time, they never found their brother—he was gone and the ongoing search efforts turned up no clues.

As their parents grew increasingly distant, Violet, Vail, and Dodie were each haunted by visions and frightening events that made them leave town and never look back. Violet still sees dead people—spirits who remind her of Sister, the menacing presence that terrorized her for years.

And now after two decades running from their past, it’s time for a homecoming. Because Ben is back, and he’s ready to lead them to the answers they’ve longed for and long feared. If the ghosts of Fell don’t get to them first.

A Box Full of Darkness is another propulsive thriller from the author of The Broken Girls and The Book of Cold Cases, a surprising horror story from a writer who is “particularly gifted at doling out twists� (The New York Times).]]> Simone St. James Jonetta 0 0.0
author: Simone St. James
name: Jonetta
average rating: 0.0
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/26
shelves: to-read, audiobook, library-hopeful, nc-br-digital-library, mystery-suspense-thriller
review:

]]> 221154780
From the author of the multimillion-copy bestselling thriller The Perfect Marriage

Till death do us part. Yours. Not Mine.

It’s been eleven years since high-powered attorney Sarah Morgan defended her husband, Adam, against the charge of murdering his mistress. Sarah has long since moved on, starting a family with her new husband, Bob Miller, and changing careers. Her life is back to being exactly how she always wanted � or is it?

After discovering Bob engaged in a one-night stand, Sarah wastes no time filing for divorce. However, amid their ugly separation, new DNA evidence is uncovered in the case against Adam, forcing the police to reopen the investigation and putting Sarah right back in the spotlight. Everyone wants to know what really happened, most of all former deputy Marcus Hudson, who is hell-bent on finding the truth.

But when the woman Bob slept with is reported missing, he and Sarah start to fight dirty, and a high-stakes game of cat and mouse ensues. Filled with page-turning suspense and Jeneva Rose’s signature twists and turns, this book will have readers wondering: Can Bob and Sarah achieve the perfect divorce? Or will it be “’til death do us part�?]]> Jeneva Rose Jonetta 0 3.92 2025
author: Jeneva Rose
name: Jonetta
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/26
shelves: audiobook, mystery-suspense-thriller, nc-br-digital-library, currently-reading
review:

]]> 223346502
After the murder of her best friend, a librarian’s search for answers leads back to her own dark secrets in this sweeping novel about a woman transformed by war, family, vengeance, and love, from award-winning writer Allen Eskens.

Hana Babic is a quiet, middle-aged librarian in Minnesota who wants nothing more than to be left alone. But when a detective arrives with the news that her best friend has been murdered, Hana knows that something evil has come for her, a dark remnant of the past she and her friend had shared.

Thirty years before, Hana was someone else: Nura Divjak, a teenager growing up in the mountains of war-torn Bosnia—until Serbian soldiers arrived to slaughter her entire family before her eyes. The events of that day thrust Nura into the war, leading her to join a band of militia fighters, where she became not only a fierce warrior but a legend—the deadly Night Mora. But a shattering final act forced Nura to flee to the United States with a bounty on her head.

Now, someone is hunting Hana, and her friend has paid the price, leaving her eight-year-old grandson in Hana’s care. To protect the child without revealing her secret, Hana must again become the Night Mora—and hope she can find the killer before the past comes for them, too.]]> Allen Eskens Jonetta 5 3.93 2025
author: Allen Eskens
name: Jonetta
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/26
date added: 2025/04/26
shelves: audiobook, historical-mystery, library-hopeful, nc-br-digital-library, 3500-2022
review:

]]> 232072022
A dedicated journalist unearths a generations-old family secret—and a connection to a string of missing girls that hits way too close to home—in this gripping debut novel.

In the wake of her grandmother's passing, Sydney Singleton finds a hidden photograph of a little girl who looks more like Sydney than her own sister, or mother. She soon discovers the mystery girl in the photograph is her aunt, Carol, who was one of six local North Carolina Black girls to go missing in the 1960s. For the last several decades, not a soul has talked about Carol or what really happened to her. With her grandmother gone and Sydney looking to start a family of her own, she is determined to unravel the truth behind her long-lost aunt and the sinister silence surrounding her.

Unfortunately, this is familiar territory for Sydney. Several years prior, working the crime beat as a journalist on the case of another missing girl, her obsession eventually led to a psychotic break. And now, in the suffocating grip of fertility treatments and a marriage that's beginning to crumble, Sydney’s relentless pursuit might just lead her down the same path of destruction. As she delves deeper into Carol's fate, her own troubled past resurfaces, clawing its way to the surface with a vengeance. The web of secrets and lies entangling her family leaves Sydney questioning everything—her fixation on the missing girls, her future as a mom, and everyone she’s come to trust.

Delving into family, community, secrets, and motherhood, We Don’t Talk About Carol is a gripping and deeply emotional story about overcoming the rotten roots of your family tree—and what we’ll do for those we love.]]> Kristen L. Berry Jonetta 0 0.0
author: Kristen L. Berry
name: Jonetta
average rating: 0.0
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/26
shelves: to-read, audiobook, library-hopeful, mystery-suspense-thriller, nc-br-digital-library
review:

]]> 232071079
In this twisted psychological thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of the Reese’s Book Club Pick The Last Mrs. Parrish, a woman is tormented by nightmarish visions of her future—and then they start to come true.

Annabelle has everything she’s ever wanted. A devoted husband, two wonderful daughters, and a career she loves. She couldn’t be happier. So why is she suddenly plagued by disturbing dreams of a future where she hates her husband and her daughters� lives are at risk? At first, she chalks the dreams up to an overactive imagination. But when details from her dreams, details she couldn’t possibly have predicted, begin to materialize, she realizes these aren’t just dreams but rather premonitions of a terrifying future. They all point to a singular choice, an unknown moment that holds Annabelle’s life in the balance.

Then Annabelle has a dream that her daughter, Scarlett, is in immediate danger. Someone wants Scarlett dead and Annabelle has no idea who or why. Suddenly, every choice she makes is fraught with peril, with no inkling of which move could bring this terrifying vision to life. As her present life starts to collide with the future in her dreams, she wrestles with how much control she really has over her destiny and whether or not she can change what is meant to be.]]> Liv Constantine Jonetta 0 0.0 2025
author: Liv Constantine
name: Jonetta
average rating: 0.0
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/26
shelves: to-read, audiobook, library-hopeful, mystery-suspense-thriller, nc-br-digital-library
review:

]]> 230077737
A playboy football player. A shy librarian. When old friends reunite, opposites attract in a witty and lighthearted romance about taking chances and falling in love against the odds.

It’s an unwritten rule small-town librarians shall not commit spontaneous acts, for fear of mortal embarrassment. I’d certainly just proved it true, though hiring an escort was perfectly logical. How else should I overcome my fear of intimacy without risking heartbreak?

Unfortunately, what came next wasn’t so logical.

Instead of a dating coach, Griffin King showed up. Yes, that Griffin my childhood neighbor and now, to my dismay, an obscenely handsome pro football player. He’s not actually an escort, but how was I supposed to know that?

Avoiding him after the mix-up is impossible. The man is everywhere—put in time-out by his agent after a PR snafu. Griffin might be an outrageous flirt determined to torment me until I snap, but he’s also the perfect man to help me.

The lessons aren’t what I thought they’d be. Neither is Griffin. Every time we touch, every time he shows me a different side to myself—and to him—I can’t help but wonder if we’re about to break another the playboy and the good girl aren’t supposed to fall in love.]]> Karla Sorensen Jonetta 0 0.0
author: Karla Sorensen
name: Jonetta
average rating: 0.0
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/25
shelves: to-read, audiobook, contemporary-romance, publisher-review-request
review:

]]> 231999408
Two families vacationing at a secluded lake resort are at the center of a chilling crime and mysterious disappearance in this twisty, unputdownable thriller

A stunning discovery�
Courtney Gray's tranquil family vacation is shattered when she hears a blood-curdling scream from the lakeside cottage next door. There she finds the lifeless bodies of her brother and sister-in-law. Her teenage niece Reese is nowhere to be found, while her nephew Wyatt lies asleep upstairs, unharmed.

A shocking investigation�
As the police descend on the quiet resort town, disturbing secrets about Courtney’s family start to emerge. When she learns that the town has secrets of its own, it makes her wonder if Reese is another victim in a brutal crime or if she’s the killer.

A truth no one could have imagined �
As Courtney begins to unravel the terrible mystery, she realizes that everyone around her has something to hide. And the closer she gets to the truth, the harder it is to see…]]> Mary Kubica Jonetta 0 0.0 2026
author: Mary Kubica
name: Jonetta
average rating: 0.0
book published: 2026
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/25
shelves: to-read, audiobook, library-hopeful, mystery-suspense-thriller, nc-br-digital-library
review:

]]> 231995871
Ten years after a teenage girl’s disappearance, a bizarre confession breaks open the cold case in dangerous ways…and threatens to tear apart her small Wisconsin town all over again in the masterfully twisty new psychological suspense novel from the internationally bestselling author of Twenty Years Later.

For fans of Riley Sager, Anna Downes, Alex Finlay, Stacy Willingham, and Karin Slaughter.

Ten years ago, 17-year-old high school volleyball star Callie Jones vanished from her quiet Wisconsin lake community. Her body was never found, and the case went cold, but the echoes of Callie’s disappearance still linger.

On the tenth anniversary, Ethan Hall—a former renegade detective turned doctor—is tapped to re-open the case. Ethan left law enforcement to escape his demons. But when his old partner makes a death-bed request to get the case off his conscience, Ethan reluctantly agrees to re-examine the evidence.

Word soon spreads and everyone in the small town of Cherryview feels a rush of hope that answers will finally be found. No one is more invested than Lindsay Larkin, Callie’s high school best friend. Now a psychologist and the architect behind a wildly successful online counseling platform called The Anonymous Client, Lindsay has publicly and relentlessly pursued the truth about what happened to Callie.

Amid a sweltering heatwave, and just as Ethan’s investigation gains momentum, a new client signs in to Lindsay’s online portal and makes a devastating anonymous confession: “I killed Callie Jones, and I need your help to forgive myself.�

Lindsay’s business and reputation depend upon keeping her clients� privacy, so she funnels scant clues to Ethan hoping he’ll pick up the trail. But when Ethan’s investigation leads to another missing woman, he realizes there’s more to Callie’s disappearance than anyone imagined, including ties to his own dark past that some are willing to kill for . . .]]> Charlie Donlea Jonetta 0 0.0 2025
author: Charlie Donlea
name: Jonetta
average rating: 0.0
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/25
shelves: to-read, audiobook, mystery-suspense-thriller, publisher-review-hopeful
review:

]]> 60221569
A 2022 Audie Award Finalist

The instant #1 New York Times bestselling mystery and Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club pick that’s captivated more than a million readers about a woman searching for the truth about her husband’s disappearance…at any cost.

“A fast-moving, heartfelt thriller about the sacrifices we make for the people we love most.� �Real Simple

Before Owen Michaels disappears, he smuggles a note to his beloved wife of one year: Protect her. Despite her confusion and fear, Hannah Hall knows exactly to whom the note refers—Owen’s sixteen-year-old daughter, Bailey. Bailey, who lost her mother tragically as a child. Bailey, who wants absolutely nothing to do with her new stepmother.

As Hannah’s increasingly desperate calls to Owen go unanswered, as the FBI arrests Owen’s boss, as a US marshal and federal agents arrive at her Sausalito home unannounced, Hannah quickly realizes her husband isn’t who he said he was. And that Bailey just may hold the key to figuring out Owen’s true identity—and why he really disappeared.

Hannah and Bailey set out to discover the truth. But as they start putting together the pieces of Owen’s past, they soon realize they’re also building a new future—one neither of them could have anticipated.

With its breakneck pacing, dizzying plot twists, and evocative family drama, The Last Thing He Told Me is a riveting mystery, certain to shock you with its final, heartbreaking turn.]]> Laura Dave Jonetta 4 the setup�
Hannah Hall is a talented woodworker who met her husband Owen Michaels when she was living in New York. After they married, she joined him and his sixteen-year old daughter Bailey in Sausalito, living on their houseboat. Bailey’s mother died in an accident when she was a toddler but the teen isn’t keen on having a stepmother. One year later, Hannah gets a handwritten note from Owen, delivered rather strangely, saying simply, “Protect her.� She knows he’s referring to Bailey but beyond that she’s clueless. However, as the FBI and a mysterious US Marshal descend upon her after arresting Owen’s boss, things become clearer. As Hannah probes and tries to find Owen, the clues lead her to another town in another state and the recognition that Owen wasn’t who he claimed to be and Bailey unwittingly seems to hold the proverbial key.

the heart of the story�
There’s no lead up to anything unusual in Owen’s behavior before he disappeared so I was depending on Hannah to provide clues and insights to get my bearings. As she begins her search for him, Hannah revisits the past as she finds herself in curious situations, jogging her memory about snippets he shared with her about his past, beyond the fictional resume he created. It took me a bit to grasp that this was more than just an attempt to escape potential workplace fraud or embezzlement. When the US Marshal showed up, that shifted the story into new and puzzling directions. I loved how Hannah’s first instinct was to keep Bailey safe, despite the teen’s surly behavior towards her, sacrificing her own agenda for Owen’s beloved child. She made smart deductions and trusted those instincts to put Bailey first.

the narration�
I enjoyed the narrator’s performance, particularly the storytelling style, told without a lot of drama even when she could have exploited that at so many opportunities. It worked best for the story.

the bottom line�
This was so much more than what I thought this story would be, lacking predictability so much that I had no clue as to where it might lead almost to the moment it landed somewhere meaningful. Hannah was an interesting character, fairly laid back with a creative soul, which made her an ideal investigator. She didn’t rattle easily and was thoughtful not only in assembling clues but in handling the difficult Bailey. I enjoyed the journey, even though at times it could be maddening how reflections could be repetitive and delay revelations right before they were made. It affected the pacing but not enough to detract from my overall enjoyment. I also liked how Hannah and Bailey’s relationship evolved, both forced to trust one another when it wasn’t easy to do for either of them. The ending is complex and fit Hannah’s nature and mission to first protect Bailey. I was hanging on through the very last word! This lived up to the hype. 4.5 stars

Posted on

(Thanks to Simon & Schuster Audio for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)]]> 3.62 2021
author: Laura Dave
name: Jonetta
average rating: 3.62
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2023/02/14
date added: 2025/04/24
shelves: audiobook, mystery-suspense-thriller, publisher-review-request, group-read, 2023-audiobook-challenge, 2023-beat-the-backlist, 3500-2022
review:
the setup�
Hannah Hall is a talented woodworker who met her husband Owen Michaels when she was living in New York. After they married, she joined him and his sixteen-year old daughter Bailey in Sausalito, living on their houseboat. Bailey’s mother died in an accident when she was a toddler but the teen isn’t keen on having a stepmother. One year later, Hannah gets a handwritten note from Owen, delivered rather strangely, saying simply, “Protect her.� She knows he’s referring to Bailey but beyond that she’s clueless. However, as the FBI and a mysterious US Marshal descend upon her after arresting Owen’s boss, things become clearer. As Hannah probes and tries to find Owen, the clues lead her to another town in another state and the recognition that Owen wasn’t who he claimed to be and Bailey unwittingly seems to hold the proverbial key.

the heart of the story�
There’s no lead up to anything unusual in Owen’s behavior before he disappeared so I was depending on Hannah to provide clues and insights to get my bearings. As she begins her search for him, Hannah revisits the past as she finds herself in curious situations, jogging her memory about snippets he shared with her about his past, beyond the fictional resume he created. It took me a bit to grasp that this was more than just an attempt to escape potential workplace fraud or embezzlement. When the US Marshal showed up, that shifted the story into new and puzzling directions. I loved how Hannah’s first instinct was to keep Bailey safe, despite the teen’s surly behavior towards her, sacrificing her own agenda for Owen’s beloved child. She made smart deductions and trusted those instincts to put Bailey first.

the narration�
I enjoyed the narrator’s performance, particularly the storytelling style, told without a lot of drama even when she could have exploited that at so many opportunities. It worked best for the story.

the bottom line�
This was so much more than what I thought this story would be, lacking predictability so much that I had no clue as to where it might lead almost to the moment it landed somewhere meaningful. Hannah was an interesting character, fairly laid back with a creative soul, which made her an ideal investigator. She didn’t rattle easily and was thoughtful not only in assembling clues but in handling the difficult Bailey. I enjoyed the journey, even though at times it could be maddening how reflections could be repetitive and delay revelations right before they were made. It affected the pacing but not enough to detract from my overall enjoyment. I also liked how Hannah and Bailey’s relationship evolved, both forced to trust one another when it wasn’t easy to do for either of them. The ending is complex and fit Hannah’s nature and mission to first protect Bailey. I was hanging on through the very last word! This lived up to the hype. 4.5 stars

Posted on

(Thanks to Simon & Schuster Audio for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
]]> 231203708
One family. Four generations. A secret son. A devastating addiction. A Texas family is met with losses and surprises of inheritance, but they’re unable to shake the pull back toward each other in this big-hearted family saga perfect for readers of Mary Beth Keane and Claire Lombardo.

Ryan and Lillian Bright are deeply in love, recently married, and now parents to a baby girl, Georgette. But Lillian has a son she hasn’t told Ryan about, and Ryan has an alcohol addiction he hasn’t told Lillian about, so Georgette comes of age watching their marriage rise and fall.

When a shocking blow scatters their fragile trio, Georgette tries to distance herself from reminders of her parents. Years later, Lillian’s son comes searching for his birth family, so Georgette must return to her roots, unearth her family’s history, and decide whether she can open up to love for them—or herself—while there’s still time.

Told from three intimate points of view, The Bright Years is a tender, true-to-life novel that explores the impact of each generation in a family torn apart by tragedy but, over time, restored by the power of grace and love.]]> Sarah Damoff Jonetta 5 the setup�
Lillian Wright and Ryan Brighton meet in a library and before they know it, are deeply in love and marry. They want to combine their names but it sounds comical so they become the Bright family. They open his art gallery and she leaves her bank job to help manage the marketing. Later comes daughter Georgette who they call Jet and then things begin to unravel. Lillian shares a big secret with Ryan who later turns to alcohol, a legacy from his father he’d vowed to never repeat.

the heart of the story�
This is one of the most beautiful and heartbreaking stories I can remember reading in a long time. Both things are true at the same time, which makes it remarkable. The writing is exquisite as Lillian, Jet and Ryan share their life experiences against the backdrop of alcoholism. It’s tough to not resent the alcoholic and remember it’s a disease, not a choice between loved ones and the bottle. Lillian puts the first strokes on the canvas of the Bright family’s life, with all the “bright� times and dark ones, followed by Jet and Ryan.

the narration�
If any story needed multiple narrators it’s this one. Ferdelle Capistrano, Joy Osmanski & Lee Osorio graced these characters with terrific performances, especially Osmanski who gave Lillian a wistful quality that made her story powerful.

the bottom line�
First, don’t read the synopsis because it gives away too much. Next, it’s inexplicable that this is Damhoff’s debut novel because it reads like it was crafted with a seasoned hand. Lastly, it’s a raw look at the destructiveness of alcoholism, one I experienced with a beloved uncle who I never saw sober. I felt every high, low and things in between and was crying at the end, something rare for me. Treat yourself to the most powerful reading experience, elevated even more on audio.

Posted on

(Thanks to Simon & Schuster Audio and Libro.fm for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)]]> 5.00 2025
author: Sarah Damoff
name: Jonetta
average rating: 5.00
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/24
date added: 2025/04/24
shelves: audiobook, contemporary-fiction, historical-fiction, publisher-review-request, 3500-2022
review:
the setup�
Lillian Wright and Ryan Brighton meet in a library and before they know it, are deeply in love and marry. They want to combine their names but it sounds comical so they become the Bright family. They open his art gallery and she leaves her bank job to help manage the marketing. Later comes daughter Georgette who they call Jet and then things begin to unravel. Lillian shares a big secret with Ryan who later turns to alcohol, a legacy from his father he’d vowed to never repeat.

the heart of the story�
This is one of the most beautiful and heartbreaking stories I can remember reading in a long time. Both things are true at the same time, which makes it remarkable. The writing is exquisite as Lillian, Jet and Ryan share their life experiences against the backdrop of alcoholism. It’s tough to not resent the alcoholic and remember it’s a disease, not a choice between loved ones and the bottle. Lillian puts the first strokes on the canvas of the Bright family’s life, with all the “bright� times and dark ones, followed by Jet and Ryan.

the narration�
If any story needed multiple narrators it’s this one. Ferdelle Capistrano, Joy Osmanski & Lee Osorio graced these characters with terrific performances, especially Osmanski who gave Lillian a wistful quality that made her story powerful.

the bottom line�
First, don’t read the synopsis because it gives away too much. Next, it’s inexplicable that this is Damhoff’s debut novel because it reads like it was crafted with a seasoned hand. Lastly, it’s a raw look at the destructiveness of alcoholism, one I experienced with a beloved uncle who I never saw sober. I felt every high, low and things in between and was crying at the end, something rare for me. Treat yourself to the most powerful reading experience, elevated even more on audio.

Posted on

(Thanks to Simon & Schuster Audio and Libro.fm for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
]]> 218689177
Two writers compete for the chance to tell the larger-than-life story of a woman with more than a couple of plot twists up her sleeve in this dazzling and sweeping new novel from Emily Henry.

Alice Scott is an eternal optimist still dreaming of her big writing break. Hayden Anderson is a Pulitzer-prize winning human thundercloud. And they’re both on balmy Little Crescent Island for the same reason: To write the biography of a woman no one has seen in years—or at least to meet with the octogenarian who claims to be the Margaret Ives. Tragic heiress, former tabloid princess, and daughter of one of the most storied (and scandalous) families of the 20th Century.

When Margaret invites them both for a one-month trial period, after which she’ll choose the person who’ll tell her story, there are three things keeping Alice’s head in the game.

One: Alice genuinely likes people, which means people usually like Alice—and she has a whole month to win the legendary woman over.

Two: She’s ready for this job and the chance to impress her perennially unimpressed family with a Serious Publication.

Three: Hayden Anderson, who should have no reason to be concerned about losing this book, is glowering at her in a shaken-to-the core way that suggests he sees her as competition.

But the problem is, Margaret is only giving each of them pieces of her story. Pieces they can’t swap to put together because of an ironclad NDA and an inconvenient yearning pulsing between them every time they’re in the same room.

And it’s becoming abundantly clear that their story—just like the tale Margaret’s spinning—could be a mystery, tragedy, or love ballad…depending on who’s telling it.]]> Emily Henry Jonetta 5 the setup�
Alice Scott is an aspiring biographer currently working for a publication in Los Angeles. She’s landed the interview of a lifetime…Margaret Ives, heiress to the Ives media empire who was once known as the Tabloid Princess and hasn’t been seen in two decades. When Alice arrives at Margaret’s home in Little Crescent Island, she’s surprised to see her competition leaving. It’s Pulitzer Prize winning Hayden Anderson. But that’s not the biggest surprise. Margaret wants both of them to work with her for a month and then she’ll decide who will write her story.

the heart of the story�
I just adored Alice’s optimism and sunny approach to life. Even though she and Hayden were competing, Alice was still determined to make the taciturn (but gorgeous) man be her friend and of course she won that round. I really liked the composition of the book, transitioning between Alice’s time with Hayden and her sessions with Margaret. I was equally fascinated with Margaret’s rich and storied life, including the generation of Ives as they were a part of who she became. It was made even more compelling as Alice connected some of these stories with her own family experiences.

the narration�
I’m a big fan of Julia Whelan and she is the ideal choice to tell this kind of story. Whelan made a complicated history and complex story come alive so vividly.

the bottom line�
I love layers, especially in a romance so this was like book manna from heaven, equally invested in Alice and Hayden’s developing relationship and Margaret’s life story. There was always a sense that the woman was holding back and my instincts were right. I didn’t want it to end but richly rewarded when it did. This might just be my favorite of the Henry stories.

Posted on

(Thanks to Libro.fm and Penguin Audio for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)]]> 4.10 2025
author: Emily Henry
name: Jonetta
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/22
date added: 2025/04/22
shelves: audiobook, contemporary-romance, publisher-review-request, reese-witherspoon, 3500-2022
review:
the setup�
Alice Scott is an aspiring biographer currently working for a publication in Los Angeles. She’s landed the interview of a lifetime…Margaret Ives, heiress to the Ives media empire who was once known as the Tabloid Princess and hasn’t been seen in two decades. When Alice arrives at Margaret’s home in Little Crescent Island, she’s surprised to see her competition leaving. It’s Pulitzer Prize winning Hayden Anderson. But that’s not the biggest surprise. Margaret wants both of them to work with her for a month and then she’ll decide who will write her story.

the heart of the story�
I just adored Alice’s optimism and sunny approach to life. Even though she and Hayden were competing, Alice was still determined to make the taciturn (but gorgeous) man be her friend and of course she won that round. I really liked the composition of the book, transitioning between Alice’s time with Hayden and her sessions with Margaret. I was equally fascinated with Margaret’s rich and storied life, including the generation of Ives as they were a part of who she became. It was made even more compelling as Alice connected some of these stories with her own family experiences.

the narration�
I’m a big fan of Julia Whelan and she is the ideal choice to tell this kind of story. Whelan made a complicated history and complex story come alive so vividly.

the bottom line�
I love layers, especially in a romance so this was like book manna from heaven, equally invested in Alice and Hayden’s developing relationship and Margaret’s life story. There was always a sense that the woman was holding back and my instincts were right. I didn’t want it to end but richly rewarded when it did. This might just be my favorite of the Henry stories.

Posted on

(Thanks to Libro.fm and Penguin Audio for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
]]> 60295821
In the stark light of dawn, the young couple are laid out on their backs by the dying campfire, their hands clasped between them. Their eyes are open, but their hearts are cold....

When a park ranger stumbles across the bodies of Valerie and Tyler Yates by a creek in the small town of Denton, Detective Josie Quinn is first on the scene. Still reeling from the news that her abusive mother is dying, Josie suspects this is more than just accidental poisoning, and she’s right: Someone jammed a crudely carved pendant necklace down Valerie’s throat before she died.

Combing the area, Josie’s team discover a third sleeping bag indicating there could have been an extra guest around the fire that night. A lucky escape? A missing victim? Or a suspect on the run? Finding this person is the key to the entire investigation....

Trawling the couple’s photo albums for clues, Josie can’t imagine why anyone might want to harm these smiling, carefree young lovers. Until a face in one of the pictures stops her in her tracks and leads her to a farmhouse hidden deep within the forest - a special place where people go to escape, and to hide. There they meet a young girl with frightened eyes and bandaged wrists who knows more than she is saying. But the next day she’s found dead, choked with a matching necklace....

With her mother’s life hanging by a thread, Josie has an impossible decision to make. But first, she must find the meaning of the pendant and catch this twisted killer before another innocent life is taken. Is she already too late?]]> Lisa Regan Jonetta 0 3.62 2019
author: Lisa Regan
name: Jonetta
average rating: 3.62
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/22
shelves: to-read, audiobook, group-read, mystery-suspense-thriller
review:

]]> 230930537
The Office meets Six Feet Under meets About a Boy in this coming-of-middle-age tale about having a second chance to write your life’s story.

Bud Stanley is an obituary writer who is afraid to live. Yes, his wife recently left him for a “far more interesting� man. Yes, he goes on a particularly awful blind date with a woman who brings her ex. And yes, he has too many glasses of Scotch one night and proceeds to pen and publish his own obituary. The newspaper wants to fire him. But now the company’s system has him listed as dead. And the company can’t fire a dead person. The ensuing fallout forces him to realize that life may be actually worth living.

As Bud awaits his fate at work, his life hangs in the balance. Given another shot by his boss and encouraged by his best friend, Tim, a worldly and wise former art dealer, Bud starts to attend the wakes and funerals of strangers to learn how to live.

Thurber Prize-winner and NYTimes bestselling author John Kenney tells a funny, touching story about life and death, about the search for meaning, about finding and never letting go of the preciousness of life.]]> John Kenney Jonetta 0 4.50 2025
author: John Kenney
name: Jonetta
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/22
shelves: to-read, audiobook, contemporary-fiction, publisher-review-request
review:

]]> 223757328
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Calamity of Souls comes David Baldacci’s newest novel, set in London in 1944, about a bereaved book shop owner and two teenagers scarred by the second world war, and the healing and hope they find in one another.

Fourteen-year-old Charlie Matters is up to no good, but for a very good reason. Without parents, peerage, or merit, ducking school but barred from actual work, he steals what he needs, living day-to-day until he’s old enough to enlist to fight the Germans. After barely surviving the Blitz, Charlie knows there’s no telling when a falling bomb might end his life.

Fifteen-year-old Molly Wakefield has just returned to a nearly unrecognizable London. One of millions of people to have been evacuated to the countryside via “Operation Pied Piper,� Molly has been away from her parents—from her home—for nearly five years. Her return, however, is not the homecoming she’d hoped for as she’s confronted by a devastating reality: both her parents are gone.

Without guardians and stability, Charlie and Molly find an unexpected ally and protector in Ignatius Oliver, and solace at his book shop, The Book Keep, where A book a day keeps the bombs away. Mourning the recent loss of his wife, Ignatius forms a kinship with both children, and in each other—over the course of the greatest armed conflict the world had ever seen—they rediscover the spirit of family each has lost.

But Charlie’s escapades in the city have not gone unnoticed, and someone’s been following Molly since she returned to London. And Ignatius is still reeling from a secret Imogen long kept from him while she was alive—something so shocking it resulted in her death, and his life being turned upside down.

As bombs continue to bear down on the city, Charlie, Molly, and Ignatius learn that while the perils of war rage on, their coming together and trusting one another may be the only way for them to survive.]]> David Baldacci Jonetta 4 the setup�
It’s 1944 London, the height of Germany’s bombing campaign and the city is under siege. Charlie Matters is fourteen-years old and lives in the East End with his grandmother, his only remaining relative. Unknown to her, he spends his days stealing things they need to survive instead of going to school. Molly Wakefield is fifteen years old and was sent to the countryside five years ago as part of Operation Pied Piper where she learned nursing skills. She returns to her home in Chelsea to find both her parents gone and her nanny the only one in residence. Ignatius Oliver is the owner of a book shop called The Book Keep and is an air warden. It was his late wife’s store and the still grieving widower lives above it, continuing to try and manage it in her image. Circumstances have these three cross paths that will forever change their lives and shape their futures.

the heart of the story�
It’s said that war is the great equalizer and Ignatius, Molly and Charlie certainly represent that ideology well. Molly not only comes from affluence, she’s been shielded from the ravages of the war until now. Ignatius has a comfortable life even in the throes of the war. Charlie and his grandmother barely get by, going to bed hungry most nights. Molly grew up overnight and despite her sheltered life, she’s got a fighting spirit. Charlie may be a thief but it’s only for survival and he has a strong moral code. Ignatius finds solace in helping these teenagers, giving him a new breath of life and them safety and shelter.

the narration�
I love a full cast narration and the six performers powerfully bring this story to life. Ignatius, Molly and Charlie were vividly portrayed, as well as the other secondary characters. It was wonderful storytelling.

the bottom line�
I wasn’t prepared to experience the war so profoundly, what it’s like to anticipate the next air raid, the terrifying moments when the alarms go off and the run to shelter. It was serendipitous how Ignatius, Charlie and Molly meet and eventually seek shelter together. There are moments of peril for all of them outside of the bombing and their survival depends on them looking out for each other. I’m not sure any of them would have survived without having met each other. This story will haunt me for a long time.

(Thanks to Hachette Audio, Grand Central Publishing and Libro.fm for my complimentary copies. All opinions are my own.)]]> 3.89 2025
author: David Baldacci
name: Jonetta
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/20
date added: 2025/04/21
shelves: audiobook, historical-fiction, publisher-review-request, 3500-2022
review:
the setup�
It’s 1944 London, the height of Germany’s bombing campaign and the city is under siege. Charlie Matters is fourteen-years old and lives in the East End with his grandmother, his only remaining relative. Unknown to her, he spends his days stealing things they need to survive instead of going to school. Molly Wakefield is fifteen years old and was sent to the countryside five years ago as part of Operation Pied Piper where she learned nursing skills. She returns to her home in Chelsea to find both her parents gone and her nanny the only one in residence. Ignatius Oliver is the owner of a book shop called The Book Keep and is an air warden. It was his late wife’s store and the still grieving widower lives above it, continuing to try and manage it in her image. Circumstances have these three cross paths that will forever change their lives and shape their futures.

the heart of the story�
It’s said that war is the great equalizer and Ignatius, Molly and Charlie certainly represent that ideology well. Molly not only comes from affluence, she’s been shielded from the ravages of the war until now. Ignatius has a comfortable life even in the throes of the war. Charlie and his grandmother barely get by, going to bed hungry most nights. Molly grew up overnight and despite her sheltered life, she’s got a fighting spirit. Charlie may be a thief but it’s only for survival and he has a strong moral code. Ignatius finds solace in helping these teenagers, giving him a new breath of life and them safety and shelter.

the narration�
I love a full cast narration and the six performers powerfully bring this story to life. Ignatius, Molly and Charlie were vividly portrayed, as well as the other secondary characters. It was wonderful storytelling.

the bottom line�
I wasn’t prepared to experience the war so profoundly, what it’s like to anticipate the next air raid, the terrifying moments when the alarms go off and the run to shelter. It was serendipitous how Ignatius, Charlie and Molly meet and eventually seek shelter together. There are moments of peril for all of them outside of the bombing and their survival depends on them looking out for each other. I’m not sure any of them would have survived without having met each other. This story will haunt me for a long time.

(Thanks to Hachette Audio, Grand Central Publishing and Libro.fm for my complimentary copies. All opinions are my own.)
]]> 50159367
Round and round she goes, blonde pigtails flying, her high-pitched giggle catching on the wind. But as the ride slows to a stop, her seat is suddenly empty. Little Lucy is gone�

When seven-year-old Lucy Ross is snatched from the carousel in Denton city park, Detective Josie Quinn joins the frantic search. She’s the one who finds Lucy’s sparkly butterfly backpack abandoned by the ticket booth, a note with a devastating message stuffed inside: answer your phone, or your sweet little darling will die�

The next day, Lucy’s parents are filled with hope when they pick up a call which they think is from their babysitter � but instead it’s a chilling male voice on the line. Josie races to the babysitter’s small apartment only to find her lifeless body in a tangle of sheets on her bed.

Josie is faced with the most high-stakes case of her career as each new phone call from someone connected to the family ends with the shocking discovery of another body. This twisted killer wants revenge, and he won’t stop until the Ross family are in pieces�

Something is telling Josie that Lucy’s parents aren’t giving her the whole truth, but digging deeper into their lives will force her to confront a life-changing secret of her own. Does Josie have what it takes to crack this case? She has no choice if she’s going to bring Lucy home alive…]]> 10 Lisa Regan Jonetta 4 the setup�
Detective Josie Quinn is babysitting her friend Misty’s two-year old son Harris and they’re having fun in the park. Her attention is drawn to a seven-year old little girl named Lucy who is heading for a collision with Harris on the slides until Josie and the child’s mother, Amy Ross, intervene. Amy collects her and they go take a ride on the carousel. When the ride stops, Amy calls for Lucy and she’s vanished in plain sight. Josie assists along with father Colin but soon she realizes the need to call in reinforcements.

the heart of the story�
There is nothing worse than a child going missing. Lucy has a love a butterflies and even her backpack is shaped like one. She had it on the carousel and was wearing distinctive clothes but no one saw her leave. Josie, her team and the FBI worked round the clock to find her before it was too late. But it’s Amy who’s a consternation, clearly not opening up about something. And the kidnapper is focused on her…with deadly consequences to people in her orbit.

the narration�
Kate Handford is a skilled storyteller and she was particularly so here, bringing all the tension and suspense. Loved her performance.

the bottom line�
It was akin to peeling an onion trying to unravel the who and why of Amy’s life and figure out the same with Lucy’s kidnapper. There’s an anonymous narrator as well and who gave me some clues but not enough. This was a real puzzler and wracked my nerves as Lucy’s fate was in the balance. It helped that all law enforcement groups checked their egos at the door. Be prepared to be unsettled. 4.5 stars

Posted on ]]> 3.95 2019
author: Lisa Regan
name: Jonetta
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/16
date added: 2025/04/17
shelves: audiobook, group-read, mystery-suspense-thriller, 3500-2022
review:
the setup�
Detective Josie Quinn is babysitting her friend Misty’s two-year old son Harris and they’re having fun in the park. Her attention is drawn to a seven-year old little girl named Lucy who is heading for a collision with Harris on the slides until Josie and the child’s mother, Amy Ross, intervene. Amy collects her and they go take a ride on the carousel. When the ride stops, Amy calls for Lucy and she’s vanished in plain sight. Josie assists along with father Colin but soon she realizes the need to call in reinforcements.

the heart of the story�
There is nothing worse than a child going missing. Lucy has a love a butterflies and even her backpack is shaped like one. She had it on the carousel and was wearing distinctive clothes but no one saw her leave. Josie, her team and the FBI worked round the clock to find her before it was too late. But it’s Amy who’s a consternation, clearly not opening up about something. And the kidnapper is focused on her…with deadly consequences to people in her orbit.

the narration�
Kate Handford is a skilled storyteller and she was particularly so here, bringing all the tension and suspense. Loved her performance.

the bottom line�
It was akin to peeling an onion trying to unravel the who and why of Amy’s life and figure out the same with Lucy’s kidnapper. There’s an anonymous narrator as well and who gave me some clues but not enough. This was a real puzzler and wracked my nerves as Lucy’s fate was in the balance. It helped that all law enforcement groups checked their egos at the door. Be prepared to be unsettled. 4.5 stars

Posted on
]]> 231517810
Ten children, abducted in broad daylight—and buried alive.

Sage and her sister won’t make it home from school today. Neither will the other children on Bus 315. But that’s only the beginning of the nightmare.

New bus driver Jessa blames herself for what happened. She couldn’t protect the kids she was supposed to deliver to daycare, just like she couldn’t protect her own daughter three years ago. But this time, everything will be different. It has to be.

Trapped in a shipping container buried twenty feet underground, Jessa and the children do their best to stay calm. The kidnappers insist that if everyone behaves, they’ll be freed when the ransom is paid. But Sage isn’t sure they’ll last that long. Neither is Jessa. It’s dark and cramped, and with every passing minute it’s getting harder to breathe.

With time—and air—running thin, Jessa and the children must find a way to outsmart their captors, or face an unthinkable fate.

Such Quiet Girls was inspired by actual events.]]> Noelle W. Ihli Jonetta 0 0.0 2025
author: Noelle W. Ihli
name: Jonetta
average rating: 0.0
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/17
shelves: to-read, audiobook, mystery-suspense-thriller, publisher-review-request
review:

]]> 228060356
Four strangers are brought together to participate in an experimental treatment designed to heal broken hearts in this surprising and heartfelt debut novel from author Amelia Ireland.

In a perfectly ordinary building, four strangers who couldn't be more different meet for the first time. Their skepticism of this new kind of grief therapy—and the unnervingly perceptive group leader—means they're all wary, but as the weeks go by, they find themselves returning again and again, pulled to work toward healing, even if it means first facing the pain head-on.

A sharp-tongued lawyer who has no intention of letting down her walls, a fragile young woman looking for a place to belong, a musician at the top of his game who's one drink away from losing it all, and an interior designer facing the crumbling of her picture-perfect life—this unlikely group slowly opens up, not only to the possibility of a happier future but to friendship, change, and even romance.

When a shocking revelation reveals the real reason they were chosen for this group, it shakes the very foundation of what they thought they knew. What began as a journey designed to heal turns out to be a much greater test of friendship, strength, and love as they realize happiness is just outside the door...if they're brave enough to seek it.]]> Amelia Ireland Jonetta 0 4.50 2025
author: Amelia Ireland
name: Jonetta
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/16
shelves: to-read, audiobook, nc-br-digital-library, contemporary-fiction, magical-realism, library-hopeful
review:

]]> 229961057
A seemingly ordinary book group holds deadly secrets in this collection of connected stories from Karin Slaughter, Lee Child, B. A. Paris, and more of the world’s leading thriller writers.

Dr. Margaret Richter has it all. She’s rich, thanks to her best-selling self-help books. She has a beautiful home in Cape Cod overlooking the beach. And she has a monthly book club that everyone is dying to get invited to.

Literally.

Because behind the crystal wine glasses, the fine linens and the catered hors d'oeuvres lies a tangled web of secrets, of deceit, of murder. No member of the book club is innocent—and many are guilty.

And the person with the most to hide is Margaret Richter herself.

With an introduction by best-selling author Jennifer Weiner, The Twisted Women’s Book Club was created in partnership with International Thriller Writers. Special thanks to Joseph Finder, Gregg Hurwitz and Kimberley Howe.

Full cast of narration.]]> Karin Slaughter Jonetta 0 3.63
author: Karin Slaughter
name: Jonetta
average rating: 3.63
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/15
shelves: to-read, audiobook, audible-plus, mystery-suspense-thriller
review:

]]> 219465381
From the bestselling author of If Something Happens to Me, comes one of the year’s most anticipated thrillers.

In the glow of their children’s exciting first year of college at a small private school in Northern California, five families plan on a night of dinner and cocktails for the opening festivities of Parents Weekend. As the parents stay out way past their bedtimes, their kids—five residents of Campisi Hall—never show up at dinner.

At first, everyone thinks that they’re just being college students, irresponsibly forgetting about the gathering or skipping out to go to a party. But as the hours click by and another night falls with not so much as a text from the students, panic ensues. Soon, the campus police call in reinforcements. Search parties are formed. Reporters swarm the small enclave. Rumors swirl and questions arise.

Libby, Blane, Mark, Felix, and Stella—The Five, as the podcasters, bloggers, and TikTok sleuths call them—come from five very different families. What led them out on that fateful night? Could it be the sins of their mothers and fathers come to cause them peril or a threat to the friend group from within?

Told through multiple points of view in past and present—and marking the return of FBI Special Agent Sarah Keller from Every Last Fear and The Night Shift—Parents Weekend explores the weight of expectation, family dysfunction, and those exhilarating first days we all remember in the dorms when our friends become our family.]]> Alex Finlay Jonetta 0 3.38 2025
author: Alex Finlay
name: Jonetta
average rating: 3.38
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/14
shelves: to-read, audiobook, mystery-suspense-thriller, netgalley-audio-arc
review:

]]> 198827064
In a sizzling romance that sparkles with wit and depth, two wounded souls meet by chance in the desert and agree to get married, and their lives will never be the same.

On a normal day, Emmaline Darling isn’t a car thief. She’s just a simple girl who runs a bookstore and adores cats. But when she’s stranded in the desert and needs to get away from her dangerous ex-boyfriend, she picks her only option: swiping the keys to a famous football player’s Lamborghini and speeding away.

Football star Graham Harlan is in chaos. First he took a hit on the field that left him with a near-death experience, and now he’s promised his brother he’ll get married to secure the family inheritance. Trouble is he isn’t even seeing anyone.

Then a mystery woman steals his car. With his usual stubbornness, he tracks her all the way to Manhattan and gives her an ultimatum: marry me or I’ll press charges.

Her choice is obvious, only neither of them expect the sparks that ignite between them.

As the end of their arrangement looms, will Graham take a chance on love or let his darling walk away forever?]]> 10 Ilsa Madden-Mills Jonetta 4 the setup�
Emmaline (Emmy) Darling runs a bookstore and helps take care of her younger sister, brother and niece. But she’s now in a desperate situation in a seedy motel called the Iguana somewhere in the Arizona desert. She’s running from her abusive ex-boyfriend Kian and now is being threatened by an over amorous motel guest. When another man called “G� rounds the corner, she uses him as her “fake� boyfriend for escape. Later when she realizes Kian has tracked her, she grabs “G’s� car keys and flees, leaving him a note. Turns out that “G� is Graham Harlan, the most famous tight-end in the country who plays for the New York Pythons and won them the Super Bowl. And that car? A Lamborghini.

the heart of the story�
While Emmy left Graham a note where he could find his car, things got really complicated about that Lamborghini. She returns to New York fearing she’d be arrested any day. But when he contacts her, Graham has a whole new proposition. He needs to marry in order to get his portion of the inheritance left by his grandmother. There’s a whole backstory there, too. I loved the banter between these two and both had good hearts, wanting to do the best for their siblings. While their attraction is real, Emmy’s not ready to give her heart away again given her history and Graham’s been burned too. They vow to keep the marriage platonic until they divorce. Yeah, right.

the narration�
I’m a longtime fan of Sebastian York and he again proves why here. Savannah Peachwood was equally wonderful as she was the perfect Emmy. I loved everything about their performances.

the bottom line�
I was looking for a nice romance and got a really great story. There’s a lot of substance here and the fake marriage romance was unconventional in a lot of ways. The secondary characters weren’t just background but vital aspects of the story. This was a lovely surprise and reading experience.

Posted on ]]> 3.54
author: Ilsa Madden-Mills
name: Jonetta
average rating: 3.54
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/12
date added: 2025/04/14
shelves: audiobook, contemporary-romance, 3500-2022
review:
the setup�
Emmaline (Emmy) Darling runs a bookstore and helps take care of her younger sister, brother and niece. But she’s now in a desperate situation in a seedy motel called the Iguana somewhere in the Arizona desert. She’s running from her abusive ex-boyfriend Kian and now is being threatened by an over amorous motel guest. When another man called “G� rounds the corner, she uses him as her “fake� boyfriend for escape. Later when she realizes Kian has tracked her, she grabs “G’s� car keys and flees, leaving him a note. Turns out that “G� is Graham Harlan, the most famous tight-end in the country who plays for the New York Pythons and won them the Super Bowl. And that car? A Lamborghini.

the heart of the story�
While Emmy left Graham a note where he could find his car, things got really complicated about that Lamborghini. She returns to New York fearing she’d be arrested any day. But when he contacts her, Graham has a whole new proposition. He needs to marry in order to get his portion of the inheritance left by his grandmother. There’s a whole backstory there, too. I loved the banter between these two and both had good hearts, wanting to do the best for their siblings. While their attraction is real, Emmy’s not ready to give her heart away again given her history and Graham’s been burned too. They vow to keep the marriage platonic until they divorce. Yeah, right.

the narration�
I’m a longtime fan of Sebastian York and he again proves why here. Savannah Peachwood was equally wonderful as she was the perfect Emmy. I loved everything about their performances.

the bottom line�
I was looking for a nice romance and got a really great story. There’s a lot of substance here and the fake marriage romance was unconventional in a lot of ways. The secondary characters weren’t just background but vital aspects of the story. This was a lovely surprise and reading experience.

Posted on
]]> 231358101
The Locked Ward is the latest twisty thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author of Gone Tonight and House of Glass, Sarah Pekkanen.

Was it bitter, all-consuming jealousy? Pathological sibling rivalry? Pure insanity? Whatever the cause - and everyone has a theory- it was the Crime of the Decade when glamorous Georgia Cartwright, who was adopted as a newborn, killed the younger, biological daughter of her wealthy, Southern family.

Georgia is locked in a psychiatric institution where the most violent offenders are held while she awaits trial. The only words she whispers when her estranged twin sister Amanda visits are, "You've got to get me out of here. I didn't do it." Amanda doesn't trust Georgia, but she can't abandon her in a place so eerie and menacing it seems to exist in another dimension.

Is Georgia the victim of a powerful family so depraved that murder is the least of their crimes? Or is Amanda being led down a path of madness and into the web of a master manipulator?]]> Sarah Pekkanen Jonetta 0 0.0 2025
author: Sarah Pekkanen
name: Jonetta
average rating: 0.0
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/13
shelves: to-read, audiobook, library-hopeful, mystery-suspense-thriller, nc-br-digital-library
review:

]]> 231352007
A controversial wild horse round-up in the high desert of Nevada results in two murders and too many suspects for Sheriff Porter Beck to deal with.

A helicopter driving a controversial round-up of wild horses suddenly crashes and the pilot is found to have been shot. Then the person coordinating the round-up for the Bureau of Land Management is savagely murdered, buried up to her neck and then trampled to death by the very same wild horses. And there's no lack of suspects—with the wild horse advocacy group having sworn to protect the horse At Any Cost! Now the state and federal agencies are showing up looking for answers or at least a scapegoat.

Sheriff Porter Beck has had better days.

Porter Beck's new girlfriend, Detective Charlie Blue Horse, arrives to help with the investigation, which leads them to Canadian Lithium mining operation near the round-up area that sets off Beck's mental alarm bells. Brinley, Beck's sister, is leading a group of troubled kids in a wilderness program, when one of them, Rafa, bolts one night. When Brinley catches up to him, they're just outside the mine—in the wrong place, at the wrong time.

With his personal life in turmoil, too many suspects and too many secrets, the feds pushing for a quick resolution, and his impetuous (if skilled) sister in the mix, one wrong step could be deadly for Porter Beck.]]> Bruce Borgos Jonetta 0 0.0 2025
author: Bruce Borgos
name: Jonetta
average rating: 0.0
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/13
shelves: to-read, audiobook, mystery-suspense-thriller, publisher-review-hopeful
review:

]]> 13637152
Former academic Arthur Opp weighs 550 pounds and hasn't left his rambling Brooklyn home in a decade. Twenty milesaway, in Yonkers, seventeen-year-old Kel Keller navigates life as the poor kid in a rich school and pins his hopes on what seems like a promising sporting career-if he can untangle himself from his family drama. The link between this unlikely pair is Kel's mother, Charlene, a former student of Arthur's. After nearly two decades of silence, it is Charlene's unexpected phone call to Arthur - a plea for help-that jostles them into action.]]> Liz Moore Jonetta 0 3.67 2012
author: Liz Moore
name: Jonetta
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/13
shelves: to-read, audiobook, contemporary-fiction, nc-br-digital-library
review:

]]> 229474450
A crime writer. A cold case. Will she survive to tell the story?

Since the sudden and tragic death of her partner, bestselling crime author Serena Winters hasn’t written a word. With deadlines looming, she packs up her grief and escapes from New York City to a secluded clifftop house in small-town California, hoping the change of scenery will cure her writer’s block.

But as news of her arrival spreads, Serena finds herself facing strange accusations that she’s here to cash in on the house’s history. When she uncovers the chilling story of a young family who mysteriously vanished from the very same house thirty years earlier, she can’t help asking more questions�

Someone in the local community doesn’t want the past dug up, though. Someone willing to push Serena to the limits of her sanity to keep the truth buried. Caught in a spiraling campaign of intimidation, and harboring a dark secret of her own, Serena soon finds herself in the kind of danger she usually only writes about…]]> Lisa Gray Jonetta 0 0.0
author: Lisa Gray
name: Jonetta
average rating: 0.0
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/12
shelves: to-read, audiobook, mystery-suspense-thriller, publisher-review-request, netgalley-audio-arc
review:

]]> 223074598
An Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling series.

A killer fueled by revenge. A detective haunted by the past. They are headed for a high-stakes showdown in this bone-chilling new Tracy Crosswhite novel by New York Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni.

Detective Tracy Crosswhite isn’t one to lose her cool. Until her interrogation of the taunting and malicious Erik Schmidt, a suspect in two cold case killings. Schmidt also has unnerving ties to the monster who murdered Tracy’s sister, stirring memories of the crime that shaped Tracy’s life. After a critical mistake during a shooting exercise, Tracy breaks.

Haunted by nightmares and flashbacks, Tracy heads to her hometown of Cedar Grove to refocus. Just a peaceful getaway with her husband, her daughter, and their nanny at their weekend house. But Tracy’s sleepless nights are only beginning. A legal glitch has allowed Schmidt to go free. And Tracy has every reason to fear that he’s followed her.

Forced into a twisted game of cat and mouse, Tracy must draw on all her training, wits, and strength to defeat a master criminal before he takes away everyone Tracy loves.]]> Robert Dugoni Jonetta 0 0.0 2025
author: Robert Dugoni
name: Jonetta
average rating: 0.0
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/12
shelves: to-read, audiobook, mystery-suspense-thriller, publisher-review-hopeful
review:

]]> 227967656
No one was supposed to know. I've always been so careful. My Darlings, how did we get here?

Evil lurks behind the perfectly manicured lawns, ornate iron gates, and long winding driveways of affluent DC–but not for long.

Stay-at-home mom Eloise Williams is PTO president and a respected local philanthropist who sits on the boards of many distinguished charities. In addition to being a doting wife and mother, she is also a serial killer.

But Eloise isn’t the only lady of society playing a part. As the hidden lives of Eloise's inner circle are exposed, the body count rises. When an old friend returns, Eloise desperately clings to remain in control.

Money and power can only buy influence and safety for so long. Eventually, the curtains lift, exposing the chilling reality hiding in plain sight.]]> 11 Marie Still Jonetta 0 3.00 2024
author: Marie Still
name: Jonetta
average rating: 3.00
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/11
shelves: audiobook, mystery-suspense-thriller, audible-daily-deal
review:

]]> 219583446
Three women. Three smouldering secrets. Who will make it out alive?

It’s 5 November, and a woman awakens to a nightmare. Bound and gagged, she lies trapped in the heart of a towering bonfire. As the smoke thickens, panic sets in � she’s moments away from being engulfed in flames. How did it come to this?

Rewind eleven months: Margot, a faded TV star, and her long-suffering friend Anna watch as glamorous Liv and her flawless family move into their street. The three women soon fabricate the perfect pretence of friendship, but each harbours her own deadly secret � and newcomer Liv senses something is terribly wrong beneath the polished exteriors.

As cracks widen in the veneer of perfection and lies escalate out of control, tension ignites. Bonfire Night is approaching and someone is set to burn…But who will it be?]]> John Marrs Jonetta 4 the setup�
It begins with a November bonfire night where a woman wakes to find herself tied up and in the center of the bonfire. She doesn’t know how she got there but when her phone rings, she’s able to engage through the device in her ear. The voice on the other end, who she recognizes, answers her question of why…”You killed me first.� Now we go back to the preceding months and figure out how she got there.

the heart of the story�
Welcome to the neighborhood! There’s Margot, a former pop star whose fame fizzled in disgrace and who’s married to Nicu, a Romanian professional dancer. She’s rather loathsome but you can’t help but appreciate her snarky wit. Next is Anna, a jewelry maker married to Drew, a delivery man. She’s rather dull but seemingly talented and kind. Lastly is the sophisticated Liv who’s just moved into the neighborhood from London. She and her husband Brandon are raising twins and she’s opening a yoga studio. On the surface, these women seem pretty harmless and we get all three’s points of view. All have serious secrets, some even deadly. My neck got sore from the whiplash coming from the revelations surfacing around every corner! And who ends up in that bonfire?

the narration�
There’s a full cast (eight) led by Elizabeth Knowelden, Moira Quirk and Clare Corbett and they made this story zing! All made you believe their characters and gave outstanding performances.

the bottom line�
There’s a whiff of Wisteria Lane with a Big Little Lies vibe and all the crazy sauce that comes with it. It’s way over the top because it’s supposed to be and you’ll never get your balance. Nothing predictable here so just take the rollercoaster ride and hold on until the end. Loved it!

Posted on

(Thanks to Brilliance Audio and NetGalley for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)]]> 4.06 2025
author: John Marrs
name: Jonetta
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/10
date added: 2025/04/11
shelves: audiobook, mystery-suspense-thriller, publisher-review-request, 3500-2022
review:
the setup�
It begins with a November bonfire night where a woman wakes to find herself tied up and in the center of the bonfire. She doesn’t know how she got there but when her phone rings, she’s able to engage through the device in her ear. The voice on the other end, who she recognizes, answers her question of why…”You killed me first.� Now we go back to the preceding months and figure out how she got there.

the heart of the story�
Welcome to the neighborhood! There’s Margot, a former pop star whose fame fizzled in disgrace and who’s married to Nicu, a Romanian professional dancer. She’s rather loathsome but you can’t help but appreciate her snarky wit. Next is Anna, a jewelry maker married to Drew, a delivery man. She’s rather dull but seemingly talented and kind. Lastly is the sophisticated Liv who’s just moved into the neighborhood from London. She and her husband Brandon are raising twins and she’s opening a yoga studio. On the surface, these women seem pretty harmless and we get all three’s points of view. All have serious secrets, some even deadly. My neck got sore from the whiplash coming from the revelations surfacing around every corner! And who ends up in that bonfire?

the narration�
There’s a full cast (eight) led by Elizabeth Knowelden, Moira Quirk and Clare Corbett and they made this story zing! All made you believe their characters and gave outstanding performances.

the bottom line�
There’s a whiff of Wisteria Lane with a Big Little Lies vibe and all the crazy sauce that comes with it. It’s way over the top because it’s supposed to be and you’ll never get your balance. Nothing predictable here so just take the rollercoaster ride and hold on until the end. Loved it!

Posted on

(Thanks to Brilliance Audio and NetGalley for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
]]> 231174686
From critically acclaimed author Jon Bassoff, The Memory Ward is a haunting Russian doll of a novel about one man’s attempt to discover what’s real and what isn’t �

They say it’s always beautiful in Bethlam, Nevada. No place you’d rather live. The people are friendly, if a little nosy, and there’s no crime to speak of. Life is pretty perfect.

But postal worker Hank Davies has started to suspect something is off in this idyllic little town. And he’s certain of that when he realizes the letters he’s been delivering are just blank pages.

Hank isn’t the only one who’s noticed the oddities in Bethlam. One such person knocks on his window in the middle of the night, urging him to investigate his bedroom wall. When Hank pulls back the wallpaper, he discovers dozens of sheets of paper, full of a story that is either complete madness or unbelievable truth. As he begins looking beyond the veneer of his smiling neighbors and their white picket fences, Hank is drawn further and further into a disturbing new reality �

Told in Bassoff’s lyrical and evocative style, The Memory Ward is a disquieting page-turner that examines the nature of identity, trauma, and what it means to be human.]]> Jon Bassoff Jonetta 0 0.0 2025
author: Jon Bassoff
name: Jonetta
average rating: 0.0
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/08
shelves: to-read, audiobook, horror, mystery-suspense-thriller, netgalley-audio-arc
review:

]]> 228743048
A read-in-one-night suspense thriller narrated by a compulsive liar whose little white lies allow her to enter into the life and comfort of a wealthy married couple who are harboring much darker secrets themselves. For the millions of us still chasing those gone girls, this is perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, Lucy Foley, and Laura Dave.

Sloane Caraway is a liar.

Harmless lies, mostly, to make her self-proclaimed sad, little life a bit more interesting.

So when Sloane sees a young girl in tears at a park one afternoon, she can't help herself—she tells the girl's (very attractive) dad she's a nurse and helps him pull a bee stinger from the girl's foot.

With this lie, and chance encounter, Sloane becomes the nanny for the wealthy, and privileged Jay and Violet Lockhart. The perfect New York couple, with a brownstone, a daughter in private school, and summers on Block Island.

But maybe Sloane isn't the only one lying, and all that's picture-perfect harbors a much more dangerous truth. To say anything more is to spoil the most exciting, twisty, and bitingly smart suspense novel to come out in years.

The thing about lies is that they add up, form their own truth and a twisted prison of a world. And in Count My Lies, Sophie Stava spins a breakneck, unputdownable thriller about the secrets we keep, and the terrifying dangers that lurk just under the images we spend so much time trying to maintain.

Careful what you lie for.]]> Sophie Stava 1668121107 Jonetta 4 the setup�
Sloane Caraway is a nail technician living in Brooklyn with her mother. That’s her truth but most of what she shares about herself is a lie. She’s been doing it all her life, mostly to just make herself more interesting to people. During one of her lunch breaks in the park, she comes to the aid of Jay Lockhart and his four-year old daughter Harper who just suffered a bee sting. She declares she’s a nurse named Caitlin and removes the stinger. She’s seen them before and is attracted to Jay. He’s married and she later meets his wife Violet and soon has wrangled herself a job as Harper’s nanny.

the heart of the story�
Sloane’s really not a bad person, just a lonely woman who just wants to have friends in her life. When she meets Violet, the two women form a fast friendship that only strengthens when Sloane becomes a fixture in their home. The lies continue and I was just waiting for when it would all fall apart for Sloane and her past rises up. When she agrees to accompany them to Block Island for a summer vacation, things take a dramatic turn I didn’t see coming.

the narration�
I’m so glad that three narrators were used for Sloane, Violet and Jay’s points of view. Devon Sorvari, Emily Tremaine and Andrew Eiden wore their characters so well and were wonderful storytellers.

the bottom line�
You know at some point that lies will catch up with you but I was unprepared for the “how� when it happened here. That nice twisty turn had me riveted through the end as Sloane wasn’t the only one racking up the lies. I just sat back and counted, following along through to the unknown, hooked to the last word (or lie?).

Posted on

(Thanks to Simon & Schuster Audio and Libro.fm for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)]]> 3.66 2025
author: Sophie Stava
name: Jonetta
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/08
date added: 2025/04/08
shelves: audiobook, mystery-suspense-thriller, publisher-review-request, 3500-2022
review:
the setup�
Sloane Caraway is a nail technician living in Brooklyn with her mother. That’s her truth but most of what she shares about herself is a lie. She’s been doing it all her life, mostly to just make herself more interesting to people. During one of her lunch breaks in the park, she comes to the aid of Jay Lockhart and his four-year old daughter Harper who just suffered a bee sting. She declares she’s a nurse named Caitlin and removes the stinger. She’s seen them before and is attracted to Jay. He’s married and she later meets his wife Violet and soon has wrangled herself a job as Harper’s nanny.

the heart of the story�
Sloane’s really not a bad person, just a lonely woman who just wants to have friends in her life. When she meets Violet, the two women form a fast friendship that only strengthens when Sloane becomes a fixture in their home. The lies continue and I was just waiting for when it would all fall apart for Sloane and her past rises up. When she agrees to accompany them to Block Island for a summer vacation, things take a dramatic turn I didn’t see coming.

the narration�
I’m so glad that three narrators were used for Sloane, Violet and Jay’s points of view. Devon Sorvari, Emily Tremaine and Andrew Eiden wore their characters so well and were wonderful storytellers.

the bottom line�
You know at some point that lies will catch up with you but I was unprepared for the “how� when it happened here. That nice twisty turn had me riveted through the end as Sloane wasn’t the only one racking up the lies. I just sat back and counted, following along through to the unknown, hooked to the last word (or lie?).

Posted on

(Thanks to Simon & Schuster Audio and Libro.fm for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
]]> 221060856
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Just for the Summer comes a new playful yet deeply emotional contemporary romance.

There might be no such a thing as a perfect guy, but Xavier Rush comes disastrously close. A gorgeous veterinarian giving Greek god vibes—all while cuddling a tiny kitten? Immediately yes. That is until Xavier opens his mouth and proves that even sculpted gods can say the absolute wrong thing. Like, really wrong. Of course, there’s nothing Samantha loves more than proving an asshole wrong�

. . . unless, of course, he can admit he made a mistake. But after one incredible and seemingly endless date—possibly the best in living history—Samantha is forced to admit the truth, that her family is in crisis and any kind of relationship would be impossible. Samantha begs Xavier to forget her. To remember their night together as a perfect moment, as crushing as that may be.

Only no amount of distance or time is nearly enough to forget that something between them. And the only thing better than one single perfect memory is to make a life—and even a love—worth remembering.]]> Abby Jimenez Jonetta 5 the setup�
Samantha Diaz walks into Dr. Xavier Rush’s veterinary clinic with a stray kitten in her bosom. She needs her checked out and he’s the best. First impressions are great on both sides but when he diagnoses the kitten with a serious condition that’s expensive and risky to remedy, her opinion of him plummets when he recommends euthanasia. Things eventually turnaround and Xavier’s apology includes the most memorable (and long!) first date. However, Samantha must leave Minneapolis and return to her family home in Glendale, California to help provide care to her mother. Not believing a long distance romance could work, she asks Xavier to forget about her. As if.

the heart of the story�
That first date was epic and both Samantha and Xavier felt deep in their souls that the other was The One. He tried to forget her and stay away but it wouldn’t stick. I adored their connection and my heart ached as the obstacles of long distance relationships surfaced in so many mean ways. The other side of this story was the cruelty of dementia and the toll it takes on the families trying desperately to provide home care. It was authentically portrayed, heartbreakingly so.

the narration�
Oh my goodness were these two wonderful! I’m used to exceptional performances by Christine Lakin but Matt Lanter is new to me and immediately moved to favorite status. Do yourself a favor and listen to them tell this story in dual narration.

the bottom line�
This is outstanding on every level! Combining a truly beautiful romance with the trials of long distance dating and home care for a loved one suffering from a cruel mental disease takes extraordinary skill to pull it off. I felt…everything. I’m grateful for this story as it is close to home, giving me hope and light.

Posted on

(Thanks to Hachette Audio and Libro.fm for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)]]> 4.15 2025
author: Abby Jimenez
name: Jonetta
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/05
date added: 2025/04/06
shelves: audiobook, contemporary-romance, publisher-review-request, 3500-2022
review:
the setup�
Samantha Diaz walks into Dr. Xavier Rush’s veterinary clinic with a stray kitten in her bosom. She needs her checked out and he’s the best. First impressions are great on both sides but when he diagnoses the kitten with a serious condition that’s expensive and risky to remedy, her opinion of him plummets when he recommends euthanasia. Things eventually turnaround and Xavier’s apology includes the most memorable (and long!) first date. However, Samantha must leave Minneapolis and return to her family home in Glendale, California to help provide care to her mother. Not believing a long distance romance could work, she asks Xavier to forget about her. As if.

the heart of the story�
That first date was epic and both Samantha and Xavier felt deep in their souls that the other was The One. He tried to forget her and stay away but it wouldn’t stick. I adored their connection and my heart ached as the obstacles of long distance relationships surfaced in so many mean ways. The other side of this story was the cruelty of dementia and the toll it takes on the families trying desperately to provide home care. It was authentically portrayed, heartbreakingly so.

the narration�
Oh my goodness were these two wonderful! I’m used to exceptional performances by Christine Lakin but Matt Lanter is new to me and immediately moved to favorite status. Do yourself a favor and listen to them tell this story in dual narration.

the bottom line�
This is outstanding on every level! Combining a truly beautiful romance with the trials of long distance dating and home care for a loved one suffering from a cruel mental disease takes extraordinary skill to pull it off. I felt…everything. I’m grateful for this story as it is close to home, giving me hope and light.

Posted on

(Thanks to Hachette Audio and Libro.fm for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
]]> 228487679
Two murder investigations, decades apart, threaten to expose a cold case agent’s darkest secrets in a pulse-pounding thriller by the Edgar Award-nominated author of The Taken Ones

The bodies of three teenage girls are found in central Minnesota—each with her mouth fixed in a ghoulish grin, smiling at a deadly joke no one can hear. But authorities eventually close and forget the curious case, dubbed the Laughing Dead.

Decades later, cold case agent Evangeline “Van� Reed is called to the scene of a crime where the victim wears that same horror-movie smile. But this time someone seems to be sending a Van’s police ID has turned up at the scene, making her the prime suspect. It’s not that outlandish, considering her secrets—ones she’s never even told her partner, forensic scientist Harry Steinbeck.

As she feels others closing in, Van reopens the mystery of the Laughing Dead, hoping to find a connection to clear her name. But the search only gets darker. Because the more Van digs backward in time, the closer she comes to a terrible Everything she has spent her life trying to hide is returning to haunt her.]]> Jess Lourey Jonetta 0 0.0
author: Jess Lourey
name: Jonetta
average rating: 0.0
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/06
shelves: to-read, audiobook, mystery-suspense-thriller, publisher-review-hopeful
review:

]]> 220059852
A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK #1 LibraryReads Pick Indie Next Pick

A story of sisters separated by hundreds of years but bound together in more ways than they can imagine

2019: Lucy awakens in her ex-lover’s room in the middle of the night with her hands around his throat. Horrified, she flees to her sister’s house on the coast of New South Wales hoping Jess can help explain the vivid dreams that preceded the attack—but her sister is missing. As Lucy waits for her return, she starts to unearth strange rumours about Jess’s town—tales of numerous missing men, spread over decades. A baby abandoned in a sea-swept cave. Whispers of women’s voices on the waves. All the while, her dreams start to feel closer than ever.

1800: Mary and Eliza are torn from their loving home in Ireland and forced onto a convict ship heading for Australia. As the boat takes them farther and farther away from all they know, they begin to notice unexplainable changes in their bodies.

A breathtaking tale of female resilience, The Sirens is an extraordinary novel that captures the sheer power of sisterhood and the indefinable magic of the sea.]]> Emilia Hart 1250379067 Jonetta 0 3.77 2025
author: Emilia Hart
name: Jonetta
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves: to-read, audiobook, fantasy, historical-fiction, magical-realism, nc-br-digital-library, gma-book-club
review:

]]> 230848338
A taut and lyrical coming-of-age debut about a young American woman navigating class, lies, and love amid London’s jet-set elite.

I would arrive, blank like a sheet of notebook paper, and write myself new.

Anna first fell in love with London at her hometown library—its Jane Austen balls a far cry from her life of food stamps and hand-me-downs. But when she finally arrives after college, the real London is a moldy flat and the same paycheck-to-paycheck grind—that fairy-tale life still out of reach.

Then Anna meets the Wilders, who fly her to Saint-Tropez to tutor their teenage daughter. Swept up by the sphinxlike elder sister, Anna soon finds herself plunged into a heady whirlpool of parties and excess, a place where confidence is a birthright. There she meets two handsome young men—one who wants to whisk her into his world in a chauffeured car, the other who sees through Anna’s struggle to outrun her past. It’s like she’s stepped into the pages of a glittering new novel, but what will it cost her to play the part?

Sparkling with intelligence and insight, All That Life Can Afford peels back the glossy layers of class and privilege, exploring what it means to create a new life for yourself that still honors the one you’ve left behind.]]> Emily Everett Jonetta 0 3.58 2025
author: Emily Everett
name: Jonetta
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves: to-read, audiobook, contemporary-fiction, nc-br-digital-library, reese-witherspoon
review:

]]> 228212061
1956, Malibu, Something is not right on Paradise Circle.

With her name on the Hollywood blacklist and her life on hold, starlet Melanie Cole has little choice in company. There is her next-door neighbor, Elwood, but the screenwriter’s agoraphobia allows for just short chats through open windows. He’s her sole confidante, though, as she and her housekeeper, Eva, an immigrant from war-torn Europe, rarely make conversation.

Then one early morning Melanie and Eva spot Elwood’s sister-in-law and caretaker, June, digging in his beloved rose garden. After that they don’t see Elwood at all anymore. Where could a man who never leaves the house possibly have gone?

As they try to find out if something has happened to him, unexpected secrets are revealed among all three women, leading to an alliance that seems the only way for any of them to hold on to what they can still call their own. But it’s a fragile pact and one little spark could send it all up in smoke…]]> Susan Meissner Jonetta 0 3.73 2025
author: Susan Meissner
name: Jonetta
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves: to-read, audiobook, historical-fiction, mystery-suspense-thriller, nc-br-digital-library
review:

]]> 230456230
After the unexpected death of her father, college student Jane Sharp longs for a distraction from her grief. She becomes obsessed with true crime, befriending armchair detectives who teach her how to hunt killers from afar. In this morbid internet underground, Jane finds friendship, purpose, and even glory . . .

So when news of the shocking deaths of three college girls in Delphine, Idaho, takes the world by storm, and sleuths everywhere race to solve the crimes, Jane and her friends are determined to beat them. But the case turns out to be stranger than anyone expected. Details don't add up, the police are cagey, and there seems to be more media hype and internet theorizing than actual evidence. When Jane and her sleuths take a step closer, they find that every answer only begs more questions, and begin to suspect their killer may be smarter and more prolific than any they've faced before. Placing themselves in the center of the story starts to feel more and more like walking into a trap . . .

Told one year after the astounding events that concluded the case and left the world reeling, when Jane has finally decided to break her silence about what really happened, she tells the true story of the Delphine Massacres. And what she has to confess will shock even the most seasoned true crime fans . . .]]> Ashley Winstead Jonetta 0 3.43 2025
author: Ashley Winstead
name: Jonetta
average rating: 3.43
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves: to-read, audiobook, mystery-suspense-thriller, nc-br-digital-library
review:

]]> 57062743 A deeply moving and insightful collection of personal essays from #1 bestselling author John Green, adapted from his critically acclaimed podcast.


The Anthropocene is the current geological age, in which human activity has profoundly shaped the planet and its biodiversity. In this remarkable symphony of essays adapted and expanded from his groundbreaking podcast, John Green reviews different facets of the human-centered planet--from the QWERTY keyboard and Staphylococcus aureus to the Taco Bell breakfast menu--on a five-star scale.

Complex and rich with detail, the Anthropocene's reviews have been praised as "observations that double as exercises in memoiristic empathy." John Green's gift for storytelling shines throughout this artfully curated collection that includes both beloved essays and all-new pieces exclusive to the book.

Narrated by the author.]]> 10 John Green 0593408535 Jonetta 0 4.42 2021
author: John Green
name: Jonetta
average rating: 4.42
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/04
shelves: to-read, audiobook, essays, non-fiction, publisher-review-request
review:

]]> 228823986
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Greer Hendricks comes a chilling story about the hidden cost of perfection.

Anne is barely keeping it together. A frazzled ghostwriter and aspiring novelist, she juggles nine-year-old twins and a listless marriage from an overcrowded Manhattan apartment, spreading herself thinner each day. Just as Anne is about to give up on her dreams, she lands her biggest client Melody Wells.

Melody paints a picture of serenity and empowerment in the lavender haze of her visualization workshops—however, the one thing she can’t manifest are the pages her publisher is demanding for her new motivational book. Enter Anne.

As Melody invites Anne deeper into her magical world, Anne finds herself working impossibly long days and traveling far beyond her comfort zone.

When Melody passes along a lead on a spacious sublet complete with East River views, built-in closets, and three bedrooms, Anne can’t believe her luck. Melody seems to know just what her family needs. But as small, unsettling incidents begin to accumulate, Anne starts to wonder what price she’s willing to pay for the good life.]]> Greer Hendricks Jonetta 3 the setup�
Anne is a married mother of nine-year old twins living in a tiny Manhattan apartment. She’s a ghostwriter who has dreams of becoming a writer but with all her responsibilities it feels elusive. That is until she’s hired by Melody Wells to ghostwrite her new motivational book. Melody is a mist of serenity and pixie dust, sprinkling her wisdom and luring Anne further into her world, even facilitating her move into a spacious Upper East side sublet. Anne can’t believe her good fortune until weird things start to happen.

the heart of the story�
You know that saying about if it seems too good to be true it probably is. It starts early for Anne and she’s smart enough (more than I gave her credit for) to look under the mattresses. All the while trying to work on Melody’s book without a lot of substantive input from the woman.

the narration�
Karissa Vacker was excellent in her storytelling and voice distinctions, especially for Melody. I could visualize that pixie dust.

the bottom line�
I thought I knew where this story was going until I didn’t and was dealt a clever little ending. It’s subtle enough that I needed to rewind it and hear it again. It’s a short story that had me nervous but then made me smile.

Posted on

(Thanks to Brilliance Audio for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)]]> 2.97 2025
author: Greer Hendricks
name: Jonetta
average rating: 2.97
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/02
date added: 2025/04/04
shelves: audiobook, mystery-suspense-thriller, netgalley-audio-arc, short-stories, 3500-2022
review:
the setup�
Anne is a married mother of nine-year old twins living in a tiny Manhattan apartment. She’s a ghostwriter who has dreams of becoming a writer but with all her responsibilities it feels elusive. That is until she’s hired by Melody Wells to ghostwrite her new motivational book. Melody is a mist of serenity and pixie dust, sprinkling her wisdom and luring Anne further into her world, even facilitating her move into a spacious Upper East side sublet. Anne can’t believe her good fortune until weird things start to happen.

the heart of the story�
You know that saying about if it seems too good to be true it probably is. It starts early for Anne and she’s smart enough (more than I gave her credit for) to look under the mattresses. All the while trying to work on Melody’s book without a lot of substantive input from the woman.

the narration�
Karissa Vacker was excellent in her storytelling and voice distinctions, especially for Melody. I could visualize that pixie dust.

the bottom line�
I thought I knew where this story was going until I didn’t and was dealt a clever little ending. It’s subtle enough that I needed to rewind it and hear it again. It’s a short story that had me nervous but then made me smile.

Posted on

(Thanks to Brilliance Audio for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
]]> 57744154
The phone call that changed their lives forever�

Minutes after Vice President Nick Cappuano and Lt. Sam Holland get the call that President Nelson has been found dead in the residence on Thanksgiving, they’re still processing that Nick has been asked to come to the White House to take the oath of office.

As they go through the motions to ensure a peaceful transition of power, Sam has a million and one concerns about her husband, her family, the Nelson family, the country and the enormity of what Nick is about to take on. In the back of her mind is another major concern: What does this mean for my job? No other first lady in history has held a job outside the White House, but she’s determined to be the first, to blaze new trails for those who will follow her. However, in order to do that, she quickly realizes that compromises will have to be made to continue working as a Homicide detective.

Their lives become an immediate firestorm of meetings, requests for interviews, difficult questions from their children and a host of potential landmines to navigate as they make the transition from second family to first family. An unexpected issue with a diplomatic trip to Iran quickly thrusts Nick into the thick of his new responsibilities while Sam confronts a murder investigation that may have ties to a cold case from fifteen years ago.

As everything around them spins out of control, Sam and Nick take refuge with each other, relying on their unbreakable bond to see them through the storm.]]> 11 Marie Force Jonetta 4 the setup�
This story opens one minute after the end of the final book in the Fatal series…when Vice President Nick Cappuano receives the call that the President has died. In that one moment, everything changes for him and his wife, Metro Police Lieutenant Samantha (Sam) Holland. The Secret Service detail doubles, they’re hustled to the White House and plans for the swearing in are immediately underway. Sam worries about moving her family from the home they love and figuring out how she can continue her career and be First Lady. Not to mention, Nick’s facing his first crisis when a diplomatic trip to Iran turns to a potential hostage situation. Happy Thanksgiving.

the heart of the story�
I was happy that the focus was mostly on the transition from the family’s perspective. The first reactions of friends and extended family members, the deer-in-the-headlights existence as Sam and Nick must absorb tons of information requiring instant decisions all felt realistic. The cold case Sam had initiated and the domestic violence assault on one of her detectives was secondary but enough to satisfy the procedural aspects. I was fascinated by it all.

the narration�
Eva Kaminsky continues as the narrator and I couldn’t be happier. She also has rounded Sam’s edges some, a sign maybe of things to come.

the bottom line�
It felt right to have this first book in the spinoff be more about the initial couple of days in the transition because I wanted to know everything about that. I also learned a lot about the White House residence, how the family is served and other protocols. My interest in what comes next is certainly piqued as Sam has put her husband first more unselfishly than I’ve ever seen! I had a good time with the new First Family.

Posted on ]]> 4.25 2021
author: Marie Force
name: Jonetta
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/02
date added: 2025/04/02
shelves: audiobook, romantic-suspense, nc-br-digital-library, group-read, 3500-2022
review:
the setup�
This story opens one minute after the end of the final book in the Fatal series…when Vice President Nick Cappuano receives the call that the President has died. In that one moment, everything changes for him and his wife, Metro Police Lieutenant Samantha (Sam) Holland. The Secret Service detail doubles, they’re hustled to the White House and plans for the swearing in are immediately underway. Sam worries about moving her family from the home they love and figuring out how she can continue her career and be First Lady. Not to mention, Nick’s facing his first crisis when a diplomatic trip to Iran turns to a potential hostage situation. Happy Thanksgiving.

the heart of the story�
I was happy that the focus was mostly on the transition from the family’s perspective. The first reactions of friends and extended family members, the deer-in-the-headlights existence as Sam and Nick must absorb tons of information requiring instant decisions all felt realistic. The cold case Sam had initiated and the domestic violence assault on one of her detectives was secondary but enough to satisfy the procedural aspects. I was fascinated by it all.

the narration�
Eva Kaminsky continues as the narrator and I couldn’t be happier. She also has rounded Sam’s edges some, a sign maybe of things to come.

the bottom line�
It felt right to have this first book in the spinoff be more about the initial couple of days in the transition because I wanted to know everything about that. I also learned a lot about the White House residence, how the family is served and other protocols. My interest in what comes next is certainly piqued as Sam has put her husband first more unselfishly than I’ve ever seen! I had a good time with the new First Family.

Posted on
]]> 230387390
“A riveting wilderness suspense novel by a novelist at the height of her powers� (Jennifer Egan, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Candy House), Heartwood takes you on a gripping journey as a search and rescue team race against time when an experienced hiker mysteriously disappears on the Appalachian Trail in Maine.

In the heart of the Maine woods, an experienced Appalachian Trail hiker goes missing. She is forty-two-year-old Valerie Gillis, who has vanished 200 miles from her final destination. Alone in the wilderness, Valerie pours her thoughts into fractured, poetic letters to her mother as she battles the elements and struggles to keep hoping.

At the heart of the investigation is Beverly, the determined Maine State Game Warden tasked with finding Valerie, who leads the search on the ground. Meanwhile, Lena, a seventy-six-year-old birdwatcher in a Connecticut retirement community, becomes an unexpected armchair detective. Roving between these compelling narratives, a puzzle emerges, intensifying the frantic search, as Valerie’s disappearance may not be accidental.

Heartwood is a “gem of a thousand facets—suspenseful, transporting, tender, and ultimately soul-mending,� (Megan Majumdar, New York Times bestselling author of A Burning) that tells the story of a lost hiker’s odyssey and is a moving rendering of each character’s interior journey. The mystery inspires larger questions about the many ways in which we get lost, and how we are found. At its core, Heartwood is a redemptive novel, written with both enormous literary ambition and love.]]> Amity Gaige 1668111446 Jonetta 0 3.83 2025
author: Amity Gaige
name: Jonetta
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/01
shelves: to-read, audiobook, literary-fiction, mystery-suspense-thriller, jenna, publisher-review-request
review:

]]> 219421202
Grieving the loss of her best friend, a young woman’s life is turned upside down when she meets a grumpy stranger who swears he can help her live again, in this heartwarming, slow-burn romance by the author of Ready or Not

Lenny’s a bit of a mess at the moment. Her best friend, Lou, recently passed away after a battle with cancer, and her death has left Lenny feeling completely lost. She’s avoiding her concerned parents, the apartment she shared with Lou, and the list of things she’s supposed to do to help her live again. The only thing she can do is temporary babysitting gigs, and luckily, she just landed a great one, helping overworked, single mom Reese and her precocious daughter, Ainsley. It’s not perfect: Ainsley’s uncle, Miles, always seems to be around, and is kind of... a huge jerk. But if Lenny acts like she has it all together, maybe no one will notice she’s falling apart.

Miles sees right through her though. Turns out, he knows a lot about grief and, surprisingly, he offers her a proposition. He’ll help her complete everything on her “live again� list if she’ll help him connect with Ainsley and overcome his complicated relationship with Reese. Lenny doubts anything can fill the Lou has left behind, but she begins to spend more time with Miles, Lenny is surprised to discover that, sometimes, losing everything is only the first step to finding yourself, and love, again.]]> 11 Cara Bastone Jonetta 4 the setup�
Lenny Bellamy is reeling from the recent death of best friend Lou from ovarian cancer. Lou was her “person,� friends since kindergarten and her roommate. Now at twenty-seven years old, Lenny is bouncing from one short-term babysitting assignment to another and unable to go back to their apartment, preferring to spend nights on the Staten Island Ferry benches. She’s just accepted a new job from Reese Hollis, babysitting her precocious seven-year old Ainsley. But the job also comes with Reese’s thirty something brother Miles who has made it his mission to “oversee� things in Reese’s absence. The dynamics seem tense but little did Lenny know that this would be her life changing moment.

the heart of the story�
Lenny’s grief is palatable and profound. Losing someone who’s been with you for most of your life is excruciatingly painful and nothing prepares you for the grief afterward. She’s emotionally paralyzed and it is expressed so magnificently here in unconventional ways but if you’ve been there, it connects powerfully. Miles was a godsend as his quiet, reflective nature was the perfect contrast to Lenny’s shaky foundation, he having experienced similar trauma of his own. He makes her his mission and the process to move her through the stages was just heart warming.

the narration�
Alex Finke delivered an inspired performance and expertly managed a host of personalities. I’m an outlier here but I found her depiction of Lenny uneven, hearing her as manic more than grief stricken. However, the storytelling was excellent.

the bottom line�
Be prepared for a really slow burn but the story dictates that it be so. Everyone should have a Miles to help navigate the trauma of grief to get through to somewhere better. The romance between Lenny and Miles developed organically and slow, moving from wingman, to bestie to something more as she transitioned through her pain. This was not only a romance but a love story of two best friends torn apart by death and learning to live without. It’s incredibly raw and moving.

Posted on ]]> 4.26 2025
author: Cara Bastone
name: Jonetta
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/31
date added: 2025/04/01
shelves: audiobook, contemporary-romance, library-hopeful, nc-br-digital-library, 3500-2022
review:
the setup�
Lenny Bellamy is reeling from the recent death of best friend Lou from ovarian cancer. Lou was her “person,� friends since kindergarten and her roommate. Now at twenty-seven years old, Lenny is bouncing from one short-term babysitting assignment to another and unable to go back to their apartment, preferring to spend nights on the Staten Island Ferry benches. She’s just accepted a new job from Reese Hollis, babysitting her precocious seven-year old Ainsley. But the job also comes with Reese’s thirty something brother Miles who has made it his mission to “oversee� things in Reese’s absence. The dynamics seem tense but little did Lenny know that this would be her life changing moment.

the heart of the story�
Lenny’s grief is palatable and profound. Losing someone who’s been with you for most of your life is excruciatingly painful and nothing prepares you for the grief afterward. She’s emotionally paralyzed and it is expressed so magnificently here in unconventional ways but if you’ve been there, it connects powerfully. Miles was a godsend as his quiet, reflective nature was the perfect contrast to Lenny’s shaky foundation, he having experienced similar trauma of his own. He makes her his mission and the process to move her through the stages was just heart warming.

the narration�
Alex Finke delivered an inspired performance and expertly managed a host of personalities. I’m an outlier here but I found her depiction of Lenny uneven, hearing her as manic more than grief stricken. However, the storytelling was excellent.

the bottom line�
Be prepared for a really slow burn but the story dictates that it be so. Everyone should have a Miles to help navigate the trauma of grief to get through to somewhere better. The romance between Lenny and Miles developed organically and slow, moving from wingman, to bestie to something more as she transitioned through her pain. This was not only a romance but a love story of two best friends torn apart by death and learning to live without. It’s incredibly raw and moving.

Posted on
]]> 49567667
A dangerous truth revealed....

A prominent member of the DC community has been murdered, pulling Lieutenant Sam Holland into yet another high-stakes homicide investigation that has her trying to connect the dots between a dead woman and the friends and family who’d turned against her right before her untimely death.

When both the FBI and IRS show up at MPD headquarters with new information, the case takes a turn no one could’ve seen coming � not even Sam.

With numerous scandals still fresh within the department’s ranks, Sam finds herself being called into the US Attorney’s office, where she’s confronted with an interesting � and disturbing � request that will continue the department’s reckoning with the past well into the future.

All the while, Sam’s husband, Vice President Nick Cappuano, faces mounting pressure to declare his intention to run for president in the coming election, leaving the second couple feeling the strain at home � and on the job as the family endures the first holidays without their beloved patriarch, Skip Holland.

As always, when things become too hot to handle on the job, Sam and Nick turn to each other for solace in the storm.]]> 10 Marie Force Jonetta 4 2025 Update
Most of my comments still stand but this time around, Sam’s arrogance really grated on me, particularly how she treated persons of interest. Granted they were not always the nicest bunch but she needed to rise above it. My rating stands.

2021 Review
the setup�
The new case that Lieutenant Samantha (Sam) Holland and her homicide team of detectives are handed is the murder of a woman who is inarguably the most hated person in the region. The victim, Virginia (Ginny) McLeod, was recently indicted for duping hundreds of investors, mostly friends and family, out of roughly $20 million through an investment Ponzi scheme. That means the list of potential suspects is massive. Meanwhile, Vice President Nick Cappuano, Sam’s husband, is being pressured to make a decision regarding his potential candidacy in the upcoming presidential election.

the heart of the story�
One of the things I love about this series is the multiple plot lines in play in each story, many of them continuing arcs, which means it’s important to read the books in order. Detective Gonzales (Gonzo) is returning from a successful stint in rehab, hoping to return to his job without too much of a hit to his career. The shocking revelations regarding the shooting of Sam’s father years ago that implicated two well respected leaders within the police force have triggered an internal review that’s sure to expose more upsets. Sam is also launching a grief counseling group for families who have lost loved ones to murder. All of these are in process as the detectives do their job in solving Ginny McLeod’s murder. The investigation brings out a range of emotions regarding the need to seek justice for a reprehensible victim.

the narration�
I continue to be glad that I switched to the audio format early in the series. The narrator does a great job handling a host of characters but one of the highlights is the banter between Sam and her partner Freddie Cruz. It’s funny and the barbs can sometimes be sharp but you always feel their affection for one another.

the bottom line�
I enjoyed being back in this world. The case was interesting and even brought a bit of a surprise in its resolution. I didn’t know this would be the last book in the series but after the shocking ending, it all made sense. I’m also glad I waited until the first book in the new spinoff series was released so I can jump right in. This was a natural conclusion to a series I’ve enjoyed for so long.

Posted on ]]> 4.45 2020
author: Marie Force
name: Jonetta
average rating: 4.45
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/30
date added: 2025/03/30
shelves: audiobook, romantic-suspense, 150-comp, 2021-audiobook-challenge, 2021-beat-the-backlist-challenge, 2021-in-2021, 5000-2021, group-read, 3500-2022
review:
2025 Update
Most of my comments still stand but this time around, Sam’s arrogance really grated on me, particularly how she treated persons of interest. Granted they were not always the nicest bunch but she needed to rise above it. My rating stands.

2021 Review
the setup�
The new case that Lieutenant Samantha (Sam) Holland and her homicide team of detectives are handed is the murder of a woman who is inarguably the most hated person in the region. The victim, Virginia (Ginny) McLeod, was recently indicted for duping hundreds of investors, mostly friends and family, out of roughly $20 million through an investment Ponzi scheme. That means the list of potential suspects is massive. Meanwhile, Vice President Nick Cappuano, Sam’s husband, is being pressured to make a decision regarding his potential candidacy in the upcoming presidential election.

the heart of the story�
One of the things I love about this series is the multiple plot lines in play in each story, many of them continuing arcs, which means it’s important to read the books in order. Detective Gonzales (Gonzo) is returning from a successful stint in rehab, hoping to return to his job without too much of a hit to his career. The shocking revelations regarding the shooting of Sam’s father years ago that implicated two well respected leaders within the police force have triggered an internal review that’s sure to expose more upsets. Sam is also launching a grief counseling group for families who have lost loved ones to murder. All of these are in process as the detectives do their job in solving Ginny McLeod’s murder. The investigation brings out a range of emotions regarding the need to seek justice for a reprehensible victim.

the narration�
I continue to be glad that I switched to the audio format early in the series. The narrator does a great job handling a host of characters but one of the highlights is the banter between Sam and her partner Freddie Cruz. It’s funny and the barbs can sometimes be sharp but you always feel their affection for one another.

the bottom line�
I enjoyed being back in this world. The case was interesting and even brought a bit of a surprise in its resolution. I didn’t know this would be the last book in the series but after the shocking ending, it all made sense. I’m also glad I waited until the first book in the new spinoff series was released so I can jump right in. This was a natural conclusion to a series I’ve enjoyed for so long.

Posted on
]]> 230662026
In this sun-dappled mystery from New York Times bestselling author Allison Brennan, a risk-averse bibliophile gets in over her head when strange notes in a book draw her into a real-life investigation.

Mia Crawford is responsible to a fault. She has to be. Between her high-demand job and taking care of her grandmother and her cats, she has little time for anything else. What time she does have, she pours into reading. Mysteries, romances, thrillers…books filled with women who are far more impulsive than she would ever dream of being. Now, forced into taking a long-overdue vacation, she finds herself on a luxurious private island where she just might have a chance to reinvent herself—for a little while, anyway. She can explore the island. Flirt shamelessly with a cute bartender. Have a vacation fling. Live like a heroine in one of her favorite novels.

Or she can curl up with a good book on the beach. Turns out reinventing yourself is easier planned than done. But when gossipy notes written in the margins of an old book turn out to be clues to the disappearance of another guest, Mia finds herself diving headfirst into a dangerous adventure. With everyone at the resort hiding secrets of their own, she’ll have to solve this real-life mystery before she becomes the next target.Ěý±Ő±Ő> Allison Brennan Jonetta 0 0.0 2025
author: Allison Brennan
name: Jonetta
average rating: 0.0
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: to-read, audiobook, mystery-suspense-thriller, nc-br-digital-library, library-hopeful
review:

]]> 226289376 Both a love letter and a window into the rural places that have shaped many, In a Distant Valley sets the stage for a final act to play out across a deep winter in snowy Maine. 

For a while, Rose Douglas believed life had given her a break. She was enjoying a steady job at the local clinic in Dalton; her two young boys, Adam and Brandon, were doing well in school; and their little family had found an easy friendship with widower Nate Theroux and his daughter, Sophie. The possibility of something deeper even hung between her and Nate—until the day Tommy Merchant, her ex and the father of her sons, showed up without warning on her doorstep. While Rose knows all too well his erratic and abusive nature, he swears he’s clean, and ready to turn over a new leaf. 

Tommy isn’t the only one who’s found his way back to the town that defined him. Lost after a disastrous stint living down south with her father, Angela Muse has returned home to Dalton. There she runs into Greg Fortin, the friend who once saved her life when they were children and finally starts to believe there may be someone who understands her in a world that offers more questions than answers.  

But secrets are the lifeblood of a small town, and everyone in Dalton soon finds themselves part of a chain of events hurtling towards outcomes beyond their control, where more than one future will be decided. Brimming with compassion and heart, In a Distant Valley is the remarkable conclusion to the story readers have been following since Shannon Bowring’s debut novel, The Road to Dalton.Ěý±Ő±Ő> Shannon Bowring Jonetta 0 0.0 2025
author: Shannon Bowring
name: Jonetta
average rating: 0.0
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/28
shelves: to-read, audiobook, contemporary-fiction, publisher-review-hopeful
review:

]]> 230596495
"The missing boy is 10-year-old Alfie Risby, and to be perfectly honest with you, he's a little shit."

Florence Grimes, age thirty-one, always takes the easy way out. Single, broke and unfulfilled after the humiliating end to her girl-band career, she has only one reason to get out of bed each day: her ten-year-old son Dylan. But then Alfie Risby, her son’s bully and the heir to a vast frozen-food empire, mysteriously vanishes during a class trip, and Dylan becomes the prime suspect.

Florence, for once, is faced with a task she can’t quit: She’s got to find Alfie and clear her son’s name or risk losing Dylan forever—never mind that she has no useful skills (let alone investigative ones) and that all the other school moms hate her. Oh, and she has a reason to suspect Dylan might not be as innocent as she’d like to believe.]]> Sarah Harman Jonetta 0 2.90 2025
author: Sarah Harman
name: Jonetta
average rating: 2.90
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/28
shelves: to-read, audiobook, mystery-suspense-thriller, nc-br-digital-library
review:

]]> 230585164
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Alex Aster comes her adult debut novel Summer in the City—a swoony, fast-paced rom-com set in New York City in which a screenwriter and a sexy tech CEO go from lovers to enemies and back to lovers again�

Twenty-seven-year-old screenwriter Elle has the chance of a lifetime to write a big-budget movie set in New York City. The only problem? She’s had writer’s block for months, and her screenplay is due at the end of the summer. 

In a desperate attempt at inspiration, Elle ends up back in the city she swore she would never return to, in an apartment she could never afford (floor-to-ceiling windows, skyline views, and a new coffee shop to haunt included). It’s the perfect place to write her screenplay…until she realizes her new neighbor is tech “Billionaire Bachelor� Parker Warren, her stairwell hookup from two years ago. It’s been a lovers-to-enemies situation ever since. 

When seeing him again turns into a full night of hate-fueled writing, Elle realizes her enemy/twisted muse might just be the key to finishing her screenplay... if she can stand being around her polar opposite. She writes anonymously, and he’s on the cover of every business magazine. He frequents fancy red carpeted events, and she doesn’t like leaving her emotional support five block radius. 

One summer. One wall apart. He needs to fake a buzzy relationship during his company’s precarious acquisition. She needs to write a movie around a list of NYC locations. Both need a break from their unrelenting schedules, and a chance to rediscover the skyscraper glimmering, pizza crusted, sunlit charms of the city.  

Summers always end, and so will this agreement. It’s all pretend. Promise. 

Until it isn’t.]]> Alex Aster Jonetta 0 3.00 2025
author: Alex Aster
name: Jonetta
average rating: 3.00
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/28
shelves: to-read, audiobook, contemporary-romance, nc-br-digital-library
review:

]]> 224135182
For readers of Ann Patchett and Celeste Ng, Penitence is a poignant exploration of love and forgiveness. It’s a suspenseful, addictive audiobook filled with literary insight that compels listeners to consider whether the worst thing we’ve ever done is all that defines us.

When a shocking murder occurs in the home of Angie and David Sheehan, their lives are shattered. Desperate to defend their family, they turn to small-town lawyer Martine Dumont for help, but Martine isn’t just legal counsel—she’s also the mother of Angie’s first love, Julian, a now-successful New York City criminal defense attorney. As Julian and Angie confront their shared past and long-buried guilt from a tragic accident years ago, they must navigate their own culpability and the unresolved feelings between them.

Spanning decades, from the ski slopes of rural Colorado to the streets of pre-9/11 New York City and back again, Kristin Koval’s debut novel Penitence is an examination of the complexities of familial loyalty, the journey of redemption, and the profound experience of true forgiveness.]]> Kristin Koval Jonetta 4 the setup�
David Sheehan pounds on the door of Martine Dumont, a lawyer and former family friend of his wife Angie. He desperately needs her help to deal with the monstrous tragedy that’s just happened in his home. Their fourteen-year old son Nico is dead and their thirteen-year old daughter Nora called 911 and said she shot him. Martine agrees to help but doesn’t have the experience for a juvenile criminal case of this magnitude so she turns to her son Julian who is a successful criminal defense attorney. He’s also Angie’s first boyfriend and their former relationship is what created a wedge between the families. It’s beyond complicated.

the heart of the story�
I first believed this was going to be all about why Nora killed her brother. But it was just the catalyst that had everyone involved exploring their own pasts, the guilt associated with past transgressions, some small and some of great magnitude. Forgiveness can sometimes be elusive but when it’s your own child or someone very close to you, how do you get there? And is the why of the crime essential in the decision to forgive? How each moved on is insightful and enlightening.

the narration�
Thérèse Plummer gave an exceptional performance in managing the weight of so many significant characters, the emotional constructs and the storytelling.

the bottom line�
I’m pleased that the mystery took a backseat to the characterizations and complexities of not only the parents but all involved peripherally. The juvenile justice system is laid bare in all its bleakness and my hope is that it will change perspectives about juvenile offenders. There aren’t any clear solutions here but the ending was absolutely powerful. Such a surprise for a debut novel, so much that I’ll automatically read whatever comes next from this author. 4.5 stars

Posted on

(Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)]]> 3.59 2025
author: Kristin Koval
name: Jonetta
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/27
date added: 2025/03/27
shelves: audiobook, mystery-suspense-thriller, netgalley-audio-arc, 3500-2022
review:
the setup�
David Sheehan pounds on the door of Martine Dumont, a lawyer and former family friend of his wife Angie. He desperately needs her help to deal with the monstrous tragedy that’s just happened in his home. Their fourteen-year old son Nico is dead and their thirteen-year old daughter Nora called 911 and said she shot him. Martine agrees to help but doesn’t have the experience for a juvenile criminal case of this magnitude so she turns to her son Julian who is a successful criminal defense attorney. He’s also Angie’s first boyfriend and their former relationship is what created a wedge between the families. It’s beyond complicated.

the heart of the story�
I first believed this was going to be all about why Nora killed her brother. But it was just the catalyst that had everyone involved exploring their own pasts, the guilt associated with past transgressions, some small and some of great magnitude. Forgiveness can sometimes be elusive but when it’s your own child or someone very close to you, how do you get there? And is the why of the crime essential in the decision to forgive? How each moved on is insightful and enlightening.

the narration�
Thérèse Plummer gave an exceptional performance in managing the weight of so many significant characters, the emotional constructs and the storytelling.

the bottom line�
I’m pleased that the mystery took a backseat to the characterizations and complexities of not only the parents but all involved peripherally. The juvenile justice system is laid bare in all its bleakness and my hope is that it will change perspectives about juvenile offenders. There aren’t any clear solutions here but the ending was absolutely powerful. Such a surprise for a debut novel, so much that I’ll automatically read whatever comes next from this author. 4.5 stars

Posted on

(Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
]]> 230455911
In this gripping new installment of the Edgar Award winning series, Chief of Police Kate Burkholder investigates a brutal double murder that takes her into the dark underbelly of society and exposes the dangers of Amish lives gone wrong.

Summer has arrived with a vengeance in Painters Mill, and a macabre discovery by three Amish children brings the quiet to a grinding halt. Chief of Police Kate Burkholder arrives on scene to find the dismembered body of 21-year-old Samuel Eicher, a local Amish man who owned a successful landscaping business. What twisted individual murdered him in such a sadistic way?

The investigation has barely begun when, miles away, a second body is found, stuffed into a barrel and dumped in a ravine. The deceased is 21-year-old Aaron Shetler, Samuel Eicher’s best friend. What could these two young Amish men have done to deserve such violent ends?

With a heat wave bearing down, Kate learns quickly that, for reasons she doesn’t understand, no one is willing to talk about what happened to the men. Just as she begins to fear the case may be hopeless, a mystery woman comes forward and reveals that fun-loving Aaron and Samuel had recently befriended some very unsavory characters―individuals who may have ties to a larger, more sinister, black market.

To solve the case, Kate must delve into the most sordid corners of her community, but when she gets too close, the killers target Kate herself. Will the secrets simmering beneath the surface of Painters Mill take another life before she can expose the truth? Or will Kate be the final victim?]]> Linda Castillo Jonetta 0 0.0 2025
author: Linda Castillo
name: Jonetta
average rating: 0.0
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/27
shelves: to-read, audiobook, mystery-suspense-thriller, netgalley-hopeful
review:

]]> 223849592
A Gilmore Girls meets Schitt’s Creek redemption romcom.

Hazel Hart was a successful romance novelist until a breakup drives her straight into writer’s block. Having failed (and failed some more) to deliver her new manuscript, she’s hiding from the world behind a wall of old takeout containers until her publisher lays down the law. If she misses her next deadline it’s The End.

Desperate for inspiration, Hazel impulse-buys a historic home online and flees Manhattan to tiny Story Lake, PA. Upon her dramatic arrival—involving an incident with a bald eagle—she discovers the charm of her new home may have been slightly exaggerated.

The house is a wreck and the town is struggling after their biggest employer shut down. Also, since her raccoon-infested home came with a seat on the town council our introverted heroine is stuck with a front row seat to all the small-town shenanigans.

But Hazel isn’t worried. Not since all six-feet-three inches of grouchy contractor Campbell Bishop slapped a bandage on her forehead and unintentionally inspired the heck out of her. There’s only one thing to do: Hire Cam and his equally gorgeous brothers to renovate her new spider museum…er…house.

Okay two things. A fake date for “research purposes� will really put her work-in-progress on track. Before Hazel knows it, she’s writing a romance novel and living one. At least until the drywall dust settles, the town she’s falling in love with faces bankruptcy, and growly Cam remembers why he can’t live happily ever after.]]> 17 Lucy Score Jonetta 5 the setup�
Hazel Hart is a bestselling romance writer…at least she was before her marriage crumbled a year ago and hasn’t written anything in two years. Her social media account is dormant and Hazel hasn’t communicated with her fans just as long, preferring to hide in her Manhattan apartment. Zoe, her best friend and agent, is lighting a fire under her now that her publisher is threatening to drop her. The final insult comes when her ex evicts her. In a desperate move, Hazel finds an historic house online in the small town of Story Lake, Pennsylvania and is charmed by its “story.� With a quick click it’s hers and she and Zoe pack up to start her new life there…only to find that charm was highly exaggerated.

the heart of the story�
I can’t remember the last time I laughed so hard listening to a story. From the moment Hazel lands in Story Lake, it’s one hilarious mishap after another. I liked Hazel from the onset and then there are the three alluring Bishop brothers, who won me over at first meeting. But it’s Campbell (Cam) Bishop who is front and center, all 6�3� of classic grumpiness. He’s the contractor to help renovate Hazel’s dilapidated historic home, complete with a pesky raccoon (Bertha) and a frisky bald eagle called Goose.

the narration�
I’m a long-time fan of Sebastian York and he’s at his finest here. But it’s Lila Winters who surprised me! She was awesome as Hazel, bringing that character to life in my head. This was the best listening experience in every respect.

the bottom line�
I’ve wanted to read this author for some time now and I couldn’t have picked a better starting place. This story has everything and it most definitely lives up to the description of Gilmore Girls meets Schitt’s Creek. With lots of quirky and interesting characters in this town, there was a laugh around every corner but it doesn’t eclipse the romance. Hazel and Cam begin a friends with benefits with no friends or romance relationship and that leads to…well, read it and find out for yourself. I really didn’t want this to end, even after 16 hours. I can’t wait to return to Story Lake!

Posted on

(Thanks to the author and Hambright PR for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)]]> 3.93 2025
author: Lucy Score
name: Jonetta
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/13
date added: 2025/03/27
shelves: audiobook, contemporary-romance, author-review-request, 3500-2022
review:
the setup�
Hazel Hart is a bestselling romance writer…at least she was before her marriage crumbled a year ago and hasn’t written anything in two years. Her social media account is dormant and Hazel hasn’t communicated with her fans just as long, preferring to hide in her Manhattan apartment. Zoe, her best friend and agent, is lighting a fire under her now that her publisher is threatening to drop her. The final insult comes when her ex evicts her. In a desperate move, Hazel finds an historic house online in the small town of Story Lake, Pennsylvania and is charmed by its “story.� With a quick click it’s hers and she and Zoe pack up to start her new life there…only to find that charm was highly exaggerated.

the heart of the story�
I can’t remember the last time I laughed so hard listening to a story. From the moment Hazel lands in Story Lake, it’s one hilarious mishap after another. I liked Hazel from the onset and then there are the three alluring Bishop brothers, who won me over at first meeting. But it’s Campbell (Cam) Bishop who is front and center, all 6�3� of classic grumpiness. He’s the contractor to help renovate Hazel’s dilapidated historic home, complete with a pesky raccoon (Bertha) and a frisky bald eagle called Goose.

the narration�
I’m a long-time fan of Sebastian York and he’s at his finest here. But it’s Lila Winters who surprised me! She was awesome as Hazel, bringing that character to life in my head. This was the best listening experience in every respect.

the bottom line�
I’ve wanted to read this author for some time now and I couldn’t have picked a better starting place. This story has everything and it most definitely lives up to the description of Gilmore Girls meets Schitt’s Creek. With lots of quirky and interesting characters in this town, there was a laugh around every corner but it doesn’t eclipse the romance. Hazel and Cam begin a friends with benefits with no friends or romance relationship and that leads to…well, read it and find out for yourself. I really didn’t want this to end, even after 16 hours. I can’t wait to return to Story Lake!

Posted on

(Thanks to the author and Hambright PR for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
]]> 229261455
When a very personal cold case murder is reopened, a detective’s secrets come to light in a novel of shocking twists and suspense by a Wall Street Journal bestselling author.

Thirteen years ago, Assemblyman Derrick Bell was murdered in his home by an intruder. His wife, Noelle Marshall, was left for dead. The crime was unsolved, but it wasn’t forgotten.

Today the FBI is tackling a fresh perspective on the case and looking to Noelle, now a detective for the Deschutes County sheriff’s office, for new clues. It is reopening everything Noelle thought was behind her. Memories of her escape from a traumatic childhood. A marriage that wasn’t the perfect love story she’d been promised. And a husband whose charm and privilege hid a dark side. But Noelle has been hiding something a secret about the night Derrick died that she has never told anyone.

As past and present and leads and misleads collide, one thing is frighteningly clear. Derrick’s murder wasn’t just unsolved. It’s unfinished. And only the truth—no matter the risk—can save the next victim.]]> Kendra Elliot Jonetta 0 0.0 2025
author: Kendra Elliot
name: Jonetta
average rating: 0.0
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/26
shelves: to-read, audiobook, mystery-suspense-thriller, publisher-review-hopeful
review:

]]> 219540562
In this stunningly twisty thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Harlan Coben, a secret from former Detective Sami Kierce's college days comes back to haunt him. His memory is clear, but all these years later, the facts don’t add up…which is something he cannot ignore.

Sami Kierce, a young college grad backpacking in Spain with friends, wakes up one morning, covered in blood. There’s a knife in his hand. Beside him, the body of his girlfriend. Anna. Dead. He doesn’t know what happened. His screams drown out his thoughts—and then he runs.

Twenty-two years later, Kierce, now a private investigator, is a new father who’s working off his debts by doing low level surveillance jobs and teaching wannabe sleuths at a night school in New York City. One evening, he recognizes a familiar face at the back of the classroom. Anna. It’s unmistakably her. As soon as Kierce makes eye contact with her, she bolts. For Kierce there is no choice. He knows he must find this woman and solve the impossible mystery that has haunted his every waking moment since that terrible day.

His investigation will bring him face-to-face with his past—and prove, after all this time, he’s nobody’s fool.]]> Harlan Coben Jonetta 4 the setup�
Sami Kierce is now a private investigator in New York City, married to Molly and father of their infant son Henry. A former police detective forced to leave in disgrace, he’s working off debts by doing low level surveillance assignments for a law firm and teaching a criminology class to a small group of amateur sleuths. It’s during one of the classes that a woman walks in and slams him back into his past from twenty-two years ago. She’s Anna, the woman who he spent five nights with in Malaga, Spain as a college grad…and who he woke to find bloodied and dead in his bed with him holding the knife! She flees from the class as he chases after her.

the heart of the story�
It’s all Sami as he runs after the woman who has haunted him for over twenty years. The chase leads him to a wealthy enclave and while he now knows where she lives, the search for answers is elusive. In the meantime, the man he helped put behind bars for murdering his fiancée is released on a technicality, still professing his innocence. Sami enlists the help of a motley crew of his students to figure out how Anna is still alive and exactly who she is as well as how to put the man who killed his fiancée back behind bars.

the narration�
I quickly became enamored of Vikas Adam as he not only captured the essence of Sami’s as a character but created so many other distinct voices I was sure there were multiple performers. He is a talented storyteller.

the bottom line�
I love how Coben creates stories that are twisty from the onset and then gives you more. I liked Sami and soon figured out he was nobody’s fool. He’s got keen instincts, aided by that delightful group of students who made the investigation even more compelling. I knew a shocking revelation was coming but still wasn’t quite prepared for the resolution. And, there are some dangling bits that have my heart fluttering for more of Sami and friends. Well done, Mr. Coben.

Posted on

(Thanks to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)]]> 4.08 2025
author: Harlan Coben
name: Jonetta
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/24
date added: 2025/03/25
shelves: audiobook, mystery-suspense-thriller, netgalley-audio-arc, 3500-2022
review:
the setup�
Sami Kierce is now a private investigator in New York City, married to Molly and father of their infant son Henry. A former police detective forced to leave in disgrace, he’s working off debts by doing low level surveillance assignments for a law firm and teaching a criminology class to a small group of amateur sleuths. It’s during one of the classes that a woman walks in and slams him back into his past from twenty-two years ago. She’s Anna, the woman who he spent five nights with in Malaga, Spain as a college grad…and who he woke to find bloodied and dead in his bed with him holding the knife! She flees from the class as he chases after her.

the heart of the story�
It’s all Sami as he runs after the woman who has haunted him for over twenty years. The chase leads him to a wealthy enclave and while he now knows where she lives, the search for answers is elusive. In the meantime, the man he helped put behind bars for murdering his fiancée is released on a technicality, still professing his innocence. Sami enlists the help of a motley crew of his students to figure out how Anna is still alive and exactly who she is as well as how to put the man who killed his fiancée back behind bars.

the narration�
I quickly became enamored of Vikas Adam as he not only captured the essence of Sami’s as a character but created so many other distinct voices I was sure there were multiple performers. He is a talented storyteller.

the bottom line�
I love how Coben creates stories that are twisty from the onset and then gives you more. I liked Sami and soon figured out he was nobody’s fool. He’s got keen instincts, aided by that delightful group of students who made the investigation even more compelling. I knew a shocking revelation was coming but still wasn’t quite prepared for the resolution. And, there are some dangling bits that have my heart fluttering for more of Sami and friends. Well done, Mr. Coben.

Posted on

(Thanks to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
]]> 220931105
The #1 New York Times-bestselling author presents a new novel about an injured cop who must fight to bring down a pair of twisted killers�

Natural Resources police officer, Sloan Cooper, and her partner had just taken down three men preying on hikers in the Western Maryland mountains. Driving back, she pulled in at a convenience store―and walked right into a robbery in progress. One gunshot from a jittery thief was about to change her world.

After being shocked back to life on the operating table, she has a long recovery ahead, so she moves back to her parents� peaceful house in Heron’s Rest. As for the boyfriend who dumped her via text while she was in the hospital, good riddance.

She may be down, but she’s not out. So when a woman vanishes, leaving her car behind in a supermarket parking lot, Sloan searches online for similar cases. She finds them, spread across three states. Men and women, old and young―the missing seem to have nothing in common. And the abductions keep happening.

Luckily, the new man in her life shares her passion for solving this mystery. But it will take every ounce of endurance to get to the dark heart of this bizarre case―and she's willing to risk her life again if that's what it takes to stop the horror.]]> Nora Roberts Jonetta 0 4.17 2025
author: Nora Roberts
name: Jonetta
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/24
shelves: to-read, audiobook, romantic-suspense, netgalley-audio-arc
review:

]]> 218486271
A bold, laugh-out-loud funny, and heartwarming story about one young woman’s attempt to navigate adulthood, new motherhood, and her meager bank account in our increasingly online world—from the PEN/Faulkner finalist and critically acclaimed author of The Knockout Queen.

As the child of a Hooters waitress and an ex-pro wrestler, Margo Millet's always known she’d have to make it on her own. So she enrolls at her local junior college, even though she can’t imagine how she’ll ever make a living. She’s still figuring things out and never planned to have an affair with her English professor—and while the affair is brief, it isn’t brief enough to keep her from getting pregnant. Despite everyone’s advice, she decides to keep the baby, mostly out of naiveté and a yearning for something bigger.

Now, at twenty, Margo is alone with an infant, unemployed, and on the verge of eviction. She needs a cash infusion—fast. When her estranged father, Jinx, shows up on her doorstep and asks to move in with her, she agrees in exchange for help with childcare. Then Margo begins to form a plan: she’ll start an OnlyFans as an experiment, and soon finds herself adapting some of Jinx’s advice from the world of wrestling. Like how to craft a compelling character and make your audience fall in love with you. Before she knows it, she’s turned it into a runaway success. Could this be the answer to all of Margo’s problems, or does internet fame come with too high a price?

Blisteringly funny and filled with sharp insight, Margo’s Got Money Troubles is a tender tale starring an endearing young heroine who’s struggling to wrest money and power from a world that has little interest in giving it to her. It’s a playful and honest examination of the art of storytelling and controlling your own narrative, and an empowering portrait of coming into your own, both online and off.]]> Rufi Thorpe 0063356619 Jonetta 4 the setup�
Margo Millet has no dreamy illusions about life. As the daughter of Cheyenne, a former Hooter’s waitress, and Jinx, an ex-pro wrestler who had another family, she’s always relied on herself to survive. Margo manages to hold down a job at a bar and enroll in community college as a step towards something. Unfortunately, she lands in an English class taught by a predator professor. When she ends up pregnant and alone, despite everything Margo opts to keep her baby, which leads to unemployment and the threat of eviction. Jinx shows up and helps with childcare as she launches an OnlyFans account that comes with serious highs…and lows.

the heart of the story�
I was prepared for lots of laughs but what I got was lots of heart. That’s what Margo leads with in making decisions and despite having extremely flawed parents as role models, her instincts are pretty good. My heart ached for her as new challenges surfaced at every turn, including threats to custody of her child. I hadn’t heard of OnlyFans until this story and have a whole new appreciation and perspective for what that is and the talent necessary to be successful on that platform.

the narration�
I loved Elle Fanning’s performance because she was unequivocally Margo! Sheer perfection.

the bottom line�
While there were funny moments, this story has highly relevant themes I found more important and interesting. Young single women who opt to keep their child face so many unfair obstacles and judgments by doing so. Surely we can do better because Margo’s experience is reality. I was looking for entertainment and ended up with a story of solid substance and someone I cheered for and championed.

Posted on ]]> 3.81 2024
author: Rufi Thorpe
name: Jonetta
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/22
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves: audiobook, contemporary-fiction, nc-br-digital-library, 3500-2022
review:
the setup�
Margo Millet has no dreamy illusions about life. As the daughter of Cheyenne, a former Hooter’s waitress, and Jinx, an ex-pro wrestler who had another family, she’s always relied on herself to survive. Margo manages to hold down a job at a bar and enroll in community college as a step towards something. Unfortunately, she lands in an English class taught by a predator professor. When she ends up pregnant and alone, despite everything Margo opts to keep her baby, which leads to unemployment and the threat of eviction. Jinx shows up and helps with childcare as she launches an OnlyFans account that comes with serious highs…and lows.

the heart of the story�
I was prepared for lots of laughs but what I got was lots of heart. That’s what Margo leads with in making decisions and despite having extremely flawed parents as role models, her instincts are pretty good. My heart ached for her as new challenges surfaced at every turn, including threats to custody of her child. I hadn’t heard of OnlyFans until this story and have a whole new appreciation and perspective for what that is and the talent necessary to be successful on that platform.

the narration�
I loved Elle Fanning’s performance because she was unequivocally Margo! Sheer perfection.

the bottom line�
While there were funny moments, this story has highly relevant themes I found more important and interesting. Young single women who opt to keep their child face so many unfair obstacles and judgments by doing so. Surely we can do better because Margo’s experience is reality. I was looking for entertainment and ended up with a story of solid substance and someone I cheered for and championed.

Posted on
]]> 230187912
Darkly funny and provocative, this edge-of-your-seat thrill ride follows two unlikely fugitives—an SAT tutor who finds her rich employers brutally murdered and the bound woman she frees from their mansion—an irresistible debut novel perfect for fans of The GuestĚý˛ą˛Ô»ĺĚýMy Sister, the Serial Killer

A scholarship kid with straight As and big dreams, Evie Gordon always thought she was special, that she’d be someone. But after graduating from an elite university, she finds herself drowning in debt and working as an SAT tutor for the super-rich of Los Angeles.

Everything changes one Sunday, when she arrives for her weekly lesson at the Victors� Beverly Hills estate and, in lieu of a bored teenager, finds the bloody remains of the parents strewn through their beautiful back garden, and a woman crying for help within a closet. As Evie works to free her, the two are spotted—and within moments, they go from bystanders to suspects to fugitives.

Suddenly at the heart of a manhunt and accompanied by a mysterious woman who refuses to speak, Evie knows the only way to clear her name is to find the real killer. But first she’ll have to break down the barriers of her companion, who is quickly becoming the most important person in Evie’s upside-down life. Their breathless spree takes them across the U.S. as developments in the case shock the nation and the press runs wild with Evie’s a gifted kid turned killer. She's now on the cover of every magazine and newspaper—anointed the new Charles Manson, a bloodthirsty ninety-nine percenter looking to start a class war. Evie is finally someone.

By turns cuttingly hilarious and deeply insightful, Killer Potential is a strikingly original debut. A literary novel with the page-turning intensity of a thriller that asks timely questions about our belief in the romance of social mobility, and how the stories we’re sold about our potential can shape the course of our lives.]]> Hannah Deitch Jonetta 0 3.47 2025
author: Hannah Deitch
name: Jonetta
average rating: 3.47
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/22
shelves: to-read, audiobook, mystery-suspense-thriller, publisher-review-request
review:

]]> 229079260
OPRAH’S BOOK CLUB PICK � An astonishing memoir that explores how far we will go to protect ourselves, and the healing made possible when we face our secrets and begin to share our stories

“A beautiful account of the journey of courage it takes to face the truth of one’s past.”—Bessel van der Kolk, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Body Keeps the Score

For decades, Amy ran. Through the dirt roads of Amarillo, Texas, where she grew up; to the campus of the University of Virginia, as a student athlete; on the streets of New York, where she built her adult life; through marriage, motherhood, and a thriving career. To outsiders, it all looked, in many ways, perfect. But Amy was running from something—a secret she was keeping not only from her family and friends, but unconsciously from herself. “You’re here, but you’re not here,� her daughter said to her one night. “Where are you, Mom?� So began Amy’s quest to solve a mystery trapped in the deep recesses of her own memory—a journey that would take her into the burgeoning field of psychedelic therapy, to the limits of the judicial system, and ultimately, home to the Texas panhandle, where her story began.

In her search for the truth, to understand and begin to recover from buried childhood trauma, Griffin interrogates the pursuit of perfectionism, control, and maintaining appearances that drives so many women, asking, when, in our path from girlhood to womanhood, did we learn to look outside ourselves for validation? What kind of freedom is possible if we accept the whole story and embrace who we really are? With hope, heart, and relentless honesty, she points a way forward for all of us, revealing the power of radical truth-telling to deepen our connections—with others and ourselves.]]> Amy Griffin Jonetta 0 4.31 2025
author: Amy Griffin
name: Jonetta
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/22
shelves: to-read, audiobook, memoir, oprah-book-club, non-fiction
review:

]]> 228488304
An Absolutely Gripping Crime Thriller and Mystery Novel

Her heart stutters as she draws closer. A woman’s fingertips curl over the boat’s edge. Dark crimson blood clashes with the faded blue peeling paint beneath. They’re too late, the beautiful woman within has been dead for some time�

Detective Josie Quinn lifts the baby from the pram, holding her close and gently soothing her. Josie scours the scene for the sweet little girl’s mother, but the park is deserted. Glancing down, something catches her eye. Nestled amongst the child’s soft pink blankets is a polaroid photo, the corner smudged with blood.

The search for Cleo Tate has Josie and her team in a chokehold; the abandoned newborn needs her mother, and every second counts now lab results show the blood belongs to her. The blurred photo of a body of water is Josie’s only lead. But what does it mean? And where was it taken? The answer is just within reach, but with Cleo’s husband lying about his movements that day, Josie can’t see it. Then it finally Cold Heart Creek, a crime scene from Josie’s past that she will never forget. Josie is terrified by what she finds Cleo’s body, cold as ice, with a second photo of a new location.

A twisted killer is playing a devilish game. And when Josie finds a second innocent victim at the site of a different case she solved, she begins to suspect that she herself is at the very heart of it. But why? As more bodies and more photos follow, Josie must dig deep into the secrets and mistakes of her past to get one step ahead.

The link between these women is key to cracking the case. Someone wants revenge, and won’t stop until their story is told, and no one involved is left breathing. Can Josie stop them before any more precious lives are taken? And just what will it cost her?

This crime thriller from an Amazon, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author is perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Robert Dugoni and Rachel Caine.]]> Lisa Regan Jonetta 0 4.50
author: Lisa Regan
name: Jonetta
average rating: 4.50
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/22
shelves: to-read, audiobook, bookouture-deals, group-read, mystery-suspense-thriller
review:

]]> 224234368
Blood roars in Josie’s ears as they circle the tree in the deep snow. A woman lies still on the freezing ground. The howling wind lifts the last of the snow clinging to her face, exposing her lovely features, frozen in forever sleep.

Detective Josie Quinn is still recovering from the killing of a beloved member of her team when she and her husband Noah receive yet more devastating news. Close to her breaking point, Josie heads to a specialist trauma retreat, set in an isolated group of log cabins in the mountains of Pennsylvania. But fear is not far behind her. Josie’s five fellow patients all seem to be hiding secrets darker than just the problems that brought them there and a storm is gathering, with thick snow coming down fast, isolating the cabins from the world below.

Then one morning, Meg Cleary disappears. Having spent years living in terror of a stalker, Meg had come to the retreat to try to piece her life back together. But now, her cabin is empty, no logs are burning in her fireplace, no tracks in the snow lead to or from her door. Quickly organizing a search, Josie’s worst fear is realized when she finds Meg’s body lying in the snow, the marks around her neck revealing that her death was no accident.

And this is no normal case, as Josie is stranded without her team, a phone signal or any legal authority to investigate. When she discovers that someone has placed hidden cameras inside the retreat buildings, Josie’s terror grows with the knowledge that the murderer is among them.

Then another patient goes missing. With their food supplies running low and no chance of escape, Josie knows that she is in the greatest danger of her life, and that she alone has a chance to identify the killer and save the rest of the group before it’s too late�

A totally compelling crime thriller, from an Amazon, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Robert Dugoni and Rachel Caine.]]> Lisa Regan Jonetta 0 5.00 2024
author: Lisa Regan
name: Jonetta
average rating: 5.00
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/21
shelves: to-read, mystery-suspense-thriller, bookouture-deals, audiobook
review:

]]> 219392557
She gently opens the woman’s tightly clenched fist, uncurling each finger to reveal a square of folded paper hidden in her palm. Scrawled in thick crayon, beside a child’s crooked drawing of a red flower, is one word that sends a shiver through the evening mist: HELP

It was supposed to be a routine road accident recovery, but the moment Detective Josie Quinn sees the passenger—pale and painfully thin, a sharp tool lodged in her stomach—it’s clear she was the victim of something far more sinister, and likely dead before the crash. Watching the driver taken away in an ambulance, questions spin through Josie’s mind. Where were these two women going? Was the driver trying to save a life, or hide a body? And—most heartbreaking of all—is there a child in danger, crying out for help with no reply?

Josie quickly identifies the crash survivor as Mira Summers, a singleton and animal-lover on her way home from nearby stables. Mira swears she doesn’t know who the woman in the car beside her is, or how she was injured. And when she’s diagnosed with concussion and memory loss, Josie is forced to back down.

But the discovery of Mira’s prints on the child’s drawing is all the proof Josie needs that Mira knows more than she’s letting on, and a witness saw Mira meeting with a man with a gnarled diamond-shaped tattoo at the stables. In a race against the clock to track down this elusive man, Josie faces danger from the most unexpected places. Pushed to her limit, can she stay alive long enough to catch the killer and save the life of an innocent child?

An absolutely gripping and truly unputdownable crime thriller that will have you racing through pages until the final jaw-dropping twist hits you like a train. From an Amazon, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, and perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Robert Dugoni and Rachel Caine.]]> Lisa Regan Jonetta 0 4.00
author: Lisa Regan
name: Jonetta
average rating: 4.00
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/21
shelves: to-read, audiobook, bookouture-deals, mystery-suspense-thriller
review:

]]> 45274046
Josie works until her arms ache, until the paramedics arrive and pull her gently away from the woman’s cold, fragile body. Noah’s voice cracks beside her as he calls the time of death for his own, beloved mother.

Arriving with her partner Noah for dinner at his family’s immaculate countryside home, Detective Josie Quinn is devastated to find Noah’s mother, Colette, lying lifeless in the back garden, her mouth clogged with soil.

Searching the house for answers, Josie’s team don’t know what to make of the rosary beads buried in the dirt near the body or the hidden file labelled “Drew Pratt�, the small town of Denton’s most famous missing person.

As she delves deeper into Pratt’s case, Josie quickly discovers he had a brother whose body mysteriously washed up on the banks of a river. There’s also a diary entry suggesting that Colette may have met him on the last day he was seen alive. Can Josie believe the unthinkable, that a kind old soul like Colette might have been involved in their murders? And will Josie’s new relationship with Noah survive the accusation?

Josie’s only hope lies in tracking down Pratt’s daughter. But when she arrives at her home to find she’s been murdered just minutes before, Josie knows the real killer is one step ahead and won’t stop until Colette’s secret is buried forever. With many more innocent lives on the line, how deep is Josie prepared dig to reach the truth?

An absolutely gripping crime thriller that will have you up all night! If you love Angela Marsons, Robert Dugoni, or Rachel Caine you’re guaranteed to be hooked from the very first moment.]]> 9 Lisa Regan Jonetta 5 the setup�
Detectives Josie Quinn and Noah Fraley have dated now for a year and it’s brought out the best in both. They arrive at his mother’s house for their monthly dinner and find a horrific scene with Colette Fraley face down in her back yard and non responsive. As Josie begins CPR, she discovers that Colette’s mouth is stuffed with soil. She continues the chest compressions until paramedics arrive and pull her away, pronouncing her death. This woman didn’t have a known enemy in the world so it’s already confounding. But when Josie later discovers a curious set of objects hidden away in the house, it sets her on a puzzling and dangerous path towards astonishing revelations.

the heart of the story�
The police procedurals here were excellent as starting only with an obscure set of clues around those objects was akin to working in complete darkness. With Detective Gretchen Palmer sidelined to desk duty, Josie is on her own with a partner who’s being groomed for promotion to detective. Noah is in shock and is resentful of Josie want to work the case. It’s another thorny situation for the department with a prickly new chief.

the narration�
Kate Handford is handily managing this series and I’m loving everything about her performance.

the bottom line�
I enjoy trying to solve these mysteries but had to admit defeat on this one. There was a plethora of suspects, all viable, but motive was elusive. Finally, I just relaxed and followed the procedurals, a satisfying consolation as Josie is clever and skilled despite the many obstacles. And Gretchen deftly worked the sidelines, staying inbounds to avoid trouble. The conclusion was riveting and plausible, taking a toll on Noah and Josie’s fledgling relationship. Still loving this series!]]> 4.00 2019
author: Lisa Regan
name: Jonetta
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/20
date added: 2025/03/20
shelves: audiobook, mystery-suspense-thriller, 3500-2022
review:
the setup�
Detectives Josie Quinn and Noah Fraley have dated now for a year and it’s brought out the best in both. They arrive at his mother’s house for their monthly dinner and find a horrific scene with Colette Fraley face down in her back yard and non responsive. As Josie begins CPR, she discovers that Colette’s mouth is stuffed with soil. She continues the chest compressions until paramedics arrive and pull her away, pronouncing her death. This woman didn’t have a known enemy in the world so it’s already confounding. But when Josie later discovers a curious set of objects hidden away in the house, it sets her on a puzzling and dangerous path towards astonishing revelations.

the heart of the story�
The police procedurals here were excellent as starting only with an obscure set of clues around those objects was akin to working in complete darkness. With Detective Gretchen Palmer sidelined to desk duty, Josie is on her own with a partner who’s being groomed for promotion to detective. Noah is in shock and is resentful of Josie want to work the case. It’s another thorny situation for the department with a prickly new chief.

the narration�
Kate Handford is handily managing this series and I’m loving everything about her performance.

the bottom line�
I enjoy trying to solve these mysteries but had to admit defeat on this one. There was a plethora of suspects, all viable, but motive was elusive. Finally, I just relaxed and followed the procedurals, a satisfying consolation as Josie is clever and skilled despite the many obstacles. And Gretchen deftly worked the sidelines, staying inbounds to avoid trouble. The conclusion was riveting and plausible, taking a toll on Noah and Josie’s fledgling relationship. Still loving this series!
]]> 223438256
From eldest daughter Shari Franke, the shocking true story behind the viral 8 Passengers family vlog and the hidden abuse she suffered at the hands of her mother, and how, in the face of unimaginable pain, she found freedom and healing.

Shari Franke’s childhood was a constant battle for survival. Her mother, Ruby Franke, enforced a severe moral code while maintaining a façade of a picture-perfect family for their wildly popular YouTube channel 8 Passengers, which documented the day-to-day life of raising six children for a staggering 2.5 million subscribers. But a darker truth lurked beneath the surface—Ruby’s wholesome online persona masked a more tyrannical parenting style than anyone could have imagined.

As the family’s YouTube notoriety grew, so too did Ruby’s delusions of righteousness. Fueled by the sadistic influence of relationship coach Jodi Hildebrandt, together they implemented an inhumane and merciless disciplinary regime.

Ruby and Jodi were arrested in Utah in 2023 on multiple charges of aggravated child abuse. On that fateful day, Shari shared a photo online of a police car outside their home. Her caption had one word: “Finally.�

For the first time, Shari will reveal the disturbing truth behind 8 Passengers and her family’s devastating involvement with Jodi Hildebrandt’s cultish life coaching program, “ConneXions.� No stone is left unturned as Shari exposes the perils of influencer culture and shares for the first time her battle for truth and survival in the face of her mother’s cruelty.]]> Shari Franke Jonetta 4 the setup�
Shari Franke is the eldest of her six siblings, the daughter of infamous Ruby Franke, the woman behind the former wildly successful YouTube channel 8 Passengers parenting vlog. Ruby was charged and convicted last year of aggravated child abuse and is currently in prison. Shari shares her personal relationship with an emotionally abusive mother and how she emerged and survived. Look to other sources (I urge you to do so) for the details of what Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt, her partner in crime, perpetrated on this family.

the heart of the story�
It’s important to distinguish Shari’s abuse from that of her younger siblings who experienced severe physical abuse after she left home. From her earliest memories, Shari never felt the warmth and affection most children expect and receive from their mothers. It worsened after the vlog was launched and gained traction, with Shari experiencing a different relationship with Ruby on camera. It’s also a strange brew of Ruby’s narcissistic approach to parenting couched in values of the Mormon practices that helped justify her perspectives. It’s remarkable that Shari was able to rise out of this with the clarity that she was being emotionally abused. Where was her father Kevin during this time? Great question.

the narration�
I prefer to listen to a memoir in the author’s own voice, even if they’re less skilled at the storytelling. While it felt like Shari Franke was reading, I could still hear her when she was relating those aspects she felt most deeply. I’m glad I listened.

the bottom line�
I strongly appreciated that this was Shari’s insights without exploitation of her mother and siblings. Her emotional growth from childhood to adulthood is nothing short of miraculous given her circumstances. While I think she’s still got a long road to travel, especially with her forgiveness of a father I find questionable and her continued participation in the Church of Latter Day Saints (Mormon) that was a contributor, she’s doing the work and her insights will evolve. In the meantime, I’m just happy she survived the madness. 3.5 stars

Posted on

(Thanks to Simon & Schuster Audio and Libro.fm for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)]]> 4.35 2025
author: Shari Franke
name: Jonetta
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/16
date added: 2025/03/20
shelves: audiobook, autobiography, non-fiction, publisher-review-request, 3500-2022
review:
the setup�
Shari Franke is the eldest of her six siblings, the daughter of infamous Ruby Franke, the woman behind the former wildly successful YouTube channel 8 Passengers parenting vlog. Ruby was charged and convicted last year of aggravated child abuse and is currently in prison. Shari shares her personal relationship with an emotionally abusive mother and how she emerged and survived. Look to other sources (I urge you to do so) for the details of what Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt, her partner in crime, perpetrated on this family.

the heart of the story�
It’s important to distinguish Shari’s abuse from that of her younger siblings who experienced severe physical abuse after she left home. From her earliest memories, Shari never felt the warmth and affection most children expect and receive from their mothers. It worsened after the vlog was launched and gained traction, with Shari experiencing a different relationship with Ruby on camera. It’s also a strange brew of Ruby’s narcissistic approach to parenting couched in values of the Mormon practices that helped justify her perspectives. It’s remarkable that Shari was able to rise out of this with the clarity that she was being emotionally abused. Where was her father Kevin during this time? Great question.

the narration�
I prefer to listen to a memoir in the author’s own voice, even if they’re less skilled at the storytelling. While it felt like Shari Franke was reading, I could still hear her when she was relating those aspects she felt most deeply. I’m glad I listened.

the bottom line�
I strongly appreciated that this was Shari’s insights without exploitation of her mother and siblings. Her emotional growth from childhood to adulthood is nothing short of miraculous given her circumstances. While I think she’s still got a long road to travel, especially with her forgiveness of a father I find questionable and her continued participation in the Church of Latter Day Saints (Mormon) that was a contributor, she’s doing the work and her insights will evolve. In the meantime, I’m just happy she survived the madness. 3.5 stars

Posted on

(Thanks to Simon & Schuster Audio and Libro.fm for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
]]> 222590067
A film student struggling with self-acceptance finally stops looking away from his traumatic past in a powerful novel by New York Times bestselling author Catherine Ryan Hyde.

Michael Woodbine was seven years old when a near-fatal fireworks accident scarred him and led to his placement in foster care. Now a college freshman, he is still trying to hide the effects of his trauma from his classmates, his adoptive family, and himself.

When Michael signs up for a film class, he meets Robert Dunning, a teacher who wears his own scars unapologetically. Robert encourages Michael to make a documentary that explores body image and self-perception. Michael places an ad seeking people who feel unattractive and rejected by society—and is surprised to learn that this is essentially everyone. Although some participants are recovering from injuries or surgeries, others are dealing with more everyday factors like aging or the changes to a body from giving birth.

As he collects these stories—and finally tells his own—Michael feels more connected to the world than he ever has before. But he knows his journey of self-acceptance has one more his crushing doubts about why his birth parents wouldn’t fight to keep him.]]> Catherine Ryan Hyde Jonetta 0 4.00
author: Catherine Ryan Hyde
name: Jonetta
average rating: 4.00
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/19
shelves: to-read, audiobook, contemporary-fiction, publisher-review-request
review:

]]> 217565386
The author of the “moving head-spinner of a novel� (John Connolly) The Other Side of Night returns with a taut thriller following a desperate single father as he searches for the anonymous employer who hired him as a hitman.

Peyton Collard was a good man once, but his life changed after a horrific car accident. Divorced, drunk, and severely damaged, Peyton is offered a life-changing sum of money to kill an evil man. But as he goes on a vigilante journey that leaves a trail of bodies across California, Peyton wonders about the identity of his anonymous patron. Soon, his questions become an obsession, and he embarks on a tense and potentially deadly investigation to discover the truth about the murders he’s committed.]]> Adam Hamdy Jonetta 0 2.86 2024
author: Adam Hamdy
name: Jonetta
average rating: 2.86
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/19
shelves: to-read, audiobook, mystery-suspense-thriller, nc-br-digital-library
review:

]]> 218985255
In this haunting story that spans three decades, a young gymnast escapes a kidnapping. Years later, she’s forced to face the past when her own daughter disappears.

Cora Valentine has her whole life—and a shot at the Olympics—ahead of her. But when she’s kidnapped on Halloween, her name is splashed across headlines not as an athlete but as a victim. Not even her safe return changes that, especially since no one is caught for the crime.

Hounded by the public, Cora’s time as a missing girl and member of the Magnificent Eight has its consequences. Years later, when Cora has her own daughter, she’s determined to leave the past behind for a better life. Her daughter will never face those fears. And Cora will never face them again.

But four years later, on Halloween, the past comes knocking.

Now, Cora’s daughter is gone, and to get her back, Cora must take someone else’s child.

Clearly, whoever took her all those years ago isn’t done with her yet…but as long as they have her daughter, Cora’s not done with them either.]]> Rea Frey Jonetta 0 3.50 2025
author: Rea Frey
name: Jonetta
average rating: 3.50
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/19
shelves: to-read, audiobook, mystery-suspense-thriller, publisher-review-request
review:

]]> 220507399
It’s a thin line between love and love-hating.

Katie Vaughn has been burned by love in the past—now she may be lighting her career on fire. She has two choices: wait to get laid off from her job as a video producer or, at her coworker Cole’s request, take a career-making gig profiling Tom “Hutch� Hutcheson, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer in Key West.

The catch? Katie’s not exactly qualified. She can’t swim—but fakes it that she can.

Plus: Cole is Hutch’s brother. And they don’t get along. Next stop paradise!

But paradise is messier than it seems. As Katie gets entangled with Hutch (the most scientifically good looking man she has ever seen . . . but also a bit of a love hater), along with his colorful Aunt Rue and his rescue Great Dane, she gets trapped in a lie. Or two.

Swim lessons, helicopter flights, conga lines, drinking contests, hurricanes, and stolen kisses ensue—along with chances to tell the truth, to face old fears, and to be truly brave at last.]]> Katherine Center Jonetta 0 4.14 2025
author: Katherine Center
name: Jonetta
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/18
shelves: to-read, audiobook, contemporary-romance, netgalley-audio-arc
review:

]]> 219582441
What would you do if you caught your brother cheating on your best friend?

While Beth is proud of her Malibu beach shop, Surf Sandwiches, she's even prouder of her charismatic brother, Rick, who rose from foster care all the way through surgical residency. She makes subs, he saves lives. Things takes a turn for the happy after she finds out Rick is dating her new best friend, Jana. Then Jana’s handsome brother adds even more sparkle to Beth’s days…and nights.

But when she catches Rick with another woman—like, with with—her visions of an idyllic family future disappear in one awful instant. Either she betrays her brother or she keeps his secret and risks losing the man she loves and her best friend.

Love and loyalty collide with secrets and betrayal in this witty and emotional tale about the lengths we’ll go to for family, from Susan Mallery, bestselling author of The Boardwalk Bookshop.]]> Susan Mallery Jonetta 4 the setup�
Beth Nield runs a sandwich shop, Surf Sandwiches, on Malibu beach. She’s divorced and lives with her Aunt Agatha, the woman who rescued her and younger brother Rick from the foster care system. He’s a successful surgeon but Beth still feels the need to protect and look out for him. She also volunteers at a food bank and has a burgeoning new friendship with one of the other volunteers, Jana Mead, who is also a part time medical billing clerk. When Rick introduces Beth to the new woman he’s dating (Jana), both are stunned that he knowingly never told either one about the other. It gets even more complicated when Beth begins dating Jana’s widowed brother Teddy. Had enough? No? Beth later catches Rick cheating on Jana.

the heart of the story�
Whew! This is the ultimate in family drama. I had misgivings about Rick the moment he found it funny to spring the surprise about him dating his sister’s best friend on them. It felt a little twisted but Beth seemed blind to his character deficiencies. Her dilemma when faced with the decision to either protect her brother or look out for her best friend is the ultimate test, threatening not only that relationship but her developing romance with Teddy.

the narration�
Tanya Eby is a great storyteller and she had her hands full with this one, including voices for four young children. She had me enthralled.

the bottom line�
No one was perfect in this story but they all (sans Rick) were trying their best to do the right things. The conflicts weren’t easily resolved, no matter how clear it may look from the outside. I’m a fan of family drama and this one had substance and character. What would you do in similar circumstances?

Posted on

(Thanks to Harlequin Audio and NetGalley for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)]]> 3.50 2025
author: Susan Mallery
name: Jonetta
average rating: 3.50
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/18
date added: 2025/03/18
shelves: audiobook, contemporary-fiction, blog-tour, netgalley-audio-arc, 3500-2022
review:
the setup�
Beth Nield runs a sandwich shop, Surf Sandwiches, on Malibu beach. She’s divorced and lives with her Aunt Agatha, the woman who rescued her and younger brother Rick from the foster care system. He’s a successful surgeon but Beth still feels the need to protect and look out for him. She also volunteers at a food bank and has a burgeoning new friendship with one of the other volunteers, Jana Mead, who is also a part time medical billing clerk. When Rick introduces Beth to the new woman he’s dating (Jana), both are stunned that he knowingly never told either one about the other. It gets even more complicated when Beth begins dating Jana’s widowed brother Teddy. Had enough? No? Beth later catches Rick cheating on Jana.

the heart of the story�
Whew! This is the ultimate in family drama. I had misgivings about Rick the moment he found it funny to spring the surprise about him dating his sister’s best friend on them. It felt a little twisted but Beth seemed blind to his character deficiencies. Her dilemma when faced with the decision to either protect her brother or look out for her best friend is the ultimate test, threatening not only that relationship but her developing romance with Teddy.

the narration�
Tanya Eby is a great storyteller and she had her hands full with this one, including voices for four young children. She had me enthralled.

the bottom line�
No one was perfect in this story but they all (sans Rick) were trying their best to do the right things. The conflicts weren’t easily resolved, no matter how clear it may look from the outside. I’m a fan of family drama and this one had substance and character. What would you do in similar circumstances?

Posted on

(Thanks to Harlequin Audio and NetGalley for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
]]> 229254021
A talent agent hires an actress to play the part of “novelist� on a book tour for his agency’s publicity-shy client in this delightful rom-com from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Reese’s Book Club Pick One Day in December

She’s playing the part of romance author, but has she found her own real life love story?

Talent agent Charlie Francisco has three problems: a divorce that ended his screenwriting career, a business he never planned to inherit, and a take-your-breath-away romance novel whose author wants nothing to do with its publication. The book is a surefire hit, if only his agency can find someone to “play� author on its summer book tour.

Enter Kate Elliott, a former soap actress who’s miraculously right for the part at the very moment her life seems to be going all wrong. Kate is still recovering from her own divorce and Charlie’s job offer is a lifeline. She agrees to the pretense for all interviews, signings, and appearances surrounding the novel’s publication. But she can’t know who really wrote the remarkable story—the one so beautiful it’s made her believe in love again.

When Kate and Charlie meet they’re all friction and sparks—the one thing they have in common is they’re determined to play their respective parts. But as the summer heat ups and the lies get bigger and bigger, can they stick to their lines . . . or will they go off-script?]]> Josie Silver Jonetta 0 0.0 2025
author: Josie Silver
name: Jonetta
average rating: 0.0
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/17
shelves: to-read, audiobook, contemporary-romance, library-hopeful, nc-br-digital-library
review:

]]> 220580068
In this poignant and funny novel, a man who is defined by his limitations sets out to fight a murder charge—and discovers unexpected truths about himself, his family, and the world at large.

On the surface, Denny Voss’s life in rural Minnesota is a quiet one. At thirty years old, he lives at home with his elderly mother and his beloved blind and deaf Saint Bernard, George. He cleans up roadkill to help pay the bills. Though his prospects are limited by a developmental delay—the result of an accident at birth—Denny has always felt that he has “a good life.�

So how did he wind up being charged with the murder of a mayoral candidate—after crashing a sled full of guns into a tree?

As Denny awaits trial, his court-appointed therapist walks him through the events of the past year. Denny’s had other scuffles with the law, the first for kidnapping a neighbor’s cantankerous goose. And then there was the time he accidentally assisted in a bank robbery. It seems like whenever Denny tries to do the right thing, chaos ensues.

Untangling the events around the murder reveals even more painful truths about his family’s past. He’s always been surrounded by people who love him, but now it’s up to Denny to set his life on a new course.]]> Holly Kennedy Jonetta 0 5.00 2025
author: Holly Kennedy
name: Jonetta
average rating: 5.00
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/17
shelves: to-read, audiobook, contemporary-fiction, publisher-review-request
review:

]]> 229240227
A radiant escape to the lake from #1 New York Times bestselling author of Every Summer After and This Summer Will Be Different

Named a Most Anticipated book of 2025 by TODAY � E! News � Buzzfeed � Us Weekly � The New York Post � SheReads � and more!

I never anticipated Charlie Florek.

Good things happen at the lake. That’s what Alice’s grandmother says, and it’s true. Alice spent just one summer there at a cottage with Nan when she was seventeen—it’s where she took that photo, the one of three grinning teenagers in a yellow speedboat, the image that changed her life.

Now Alice lives behind a lens. As a photographer, she’s most comfortable on the sidelines, letting other people shine. Lately though, she’s been itching for something more, and when Nan falls and breaks her hip, Alice comes up with a plan for them both: another summer in that magical place, Barry’s Bay. But as soon as they settle in, their peace is disrupted by the roar of a familiar yellow boat, and the man driving it.

Charlie Florek was nineteen when Alice took his photo from afar. Now he’s all grown up—a shameless flirt, who manages to make Nan laugh and Alice long to be seventeen again, when life was simpler, when taking pictures was just for fun. Sun-slanted days and warm nights out on the lake with Charlie are a balm for Alice’s soul, but when she looks up and sees his piercing green gaze directly on her, she begins to worry for her heart.

Because Alice sees people—that’s why she is so good at what she does—but she’s never met someone who looks and sees her right back.]]> Carley Fortune Jonetta 0 3.00 2025
author: Carley Fortune
name: Jonetta
average rating: 3.00
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/17
shelves: to-read, audiobook, contemporary-romance, library-hopeful, nc-br-digital-library
review:

]]> 228709118
“Stirring and mysterious…fires directly at the human heart and hits the mark.� —Delia Owens, New York Times bestselling author of Where the Crawdads Sing

A love triangle unearths dangerous, deadly secrets from the past in this thrilling tale perfect for fans of The Paper Palace and Where the Crawdads Sing.

“The farmer is dead. He is dead, and all anyone wants to know is who killed him.�

Beth and her gentle, kind husband Frank are happily married, but their relationship relies on the past staying buried. But when Beth’s brother-in-law shoots a dog going after their sheep, Beth doesn’t realize that the gunshot will alter the course of their lives. For the dog belonged to none other than Gabriel Wolfe, the man Beth loved as a teenager—the man who broke her heart years ago. Gabriel has returned to the village with his young son Leo, a boy who reminds Beth very much of her own son, who died in a tragic accident.

As Beth is pulled back into Gabriel’s life, tensions around the village rise and dangerous secrets and jealousies from the past resurface, this time with deadly consequences. Beth is forced to make a choice between the woman she once was, and the woman she has become.

A sweeping love story with the pace and twists of a thriller, Broken Country is a novel of simmering passion, impossible choices, and explosive consequences that toggles between the past and present to explore the far-reaching legacy of first love.]]> Clare Leslie Hall Jonetta 5 the setup�
It’s 1968 and someone was murdered as the story begins but it then gently pivots to the summer of 1955 when Beth Johnson and and Gabriel Wolfe meet. They’re teenagers in North Dorset, both preparing very differently for post graduation but begin a passionate love affair that ends too soon and unfortunately. Beth turns to Frank, the boy she’d already had feelings for and who clearly loves her. Their marriage is strong and together they’re managing a sheep farm. That is until Gabriel and his son Leo appear under the most tragic of circumstances, forcing Beth to reckon with old feelings.

the heart of the story�
I loathe love triangles but this is not that story. Of course Beth must grapple with the feelings that always seem to be ingrained with first loves but here the emotions and issues are presented deftly with literary skill and maturity. The transitions between the past and present are brilliantly timed and equally compelling. I was mesmerized, especially not knowing who murdered whom for most of the book and who she would choose.

the narration�
I’d never heard of Hattie Morahan and now she’ll be a tipping point for other books I might consider. Her storytelling skills are superb and she completely captured my head and heart from start to finish.

the bottom line�
I inhaled this story in one day and to say I loved it just feels…understated. It wrecked me emotionally and that’s extraordinary since typically in a love triangle someone has to be the bad guy. Highly recommend you go into this story so you can feel everything it has to offer. Thank you to Reese Witherspoon for highlighting this gem by choosing it for your March selection. Major book hangover.

Posted on

(Thanks to Simon & Schuster Audio for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)]]> 4.36 2025
author: Clare Leslie Hall
name: Jonetta
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/14
date added: 2025/03/16
shelves: audiobook, contemporary-fiction, reese-witherspoon, publisher-review-request, 3500-2022
review:
the setup�
It’s 1968 and someone was murdered as the story begins but it then gently pivots to the summer of 1955 when Beth Johnson and and Gabriel Wolfe meet. They’re teenagers in North Dorset, both preparing very differently for post graduation but begin a passionate love affair that ends too soon and unfortunately. Beth turns to Frank, the boy she’d already had feelings for and who clearly loves her. Their marriage is strong and together they’re managing a sheep farm. That is until Gabriel and his son Leo appear under the most tragic of circumstances, forcing Beth to reckon with old feelings.

the heart of the story�
I loathe love triangles but this is not that story. Of course Beth must grapple with the feelings that always seem to be ingrained with first loves but here the emotions and issues are presented deftly with literary skill and maturity. The transitions between the past and present are brilliantly timed and equally compelling. I was mesmerized, especially not knowing who murdered whom for most of the book and who she would choose.

the narration�
I’d never heard of Hattie Morahan and now she’ll be a tipping point for other books I might consider. Her storytelling skills are superb and she completely captured my head and heart from start to finish.

the bottom line�
I inhaled this story in one day and to say I loved it just feels…understated. It wrecked me emotionally and that’s extraordinary since typically in a love triangle someone has to be the bad guy. Highly recommend you go into this story so you can feel everything it has to offer. Thank you to Reese Witherspoon for highlighting this gem by choosing it for your March selection. Major book hangover.

Posted on

(Thanks to Simon & Schuster Audio for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
]]> 229176463 Runtime: 12 hours and 31 minutes

Inspired by a true literary mystery, New York Times bestselling author of the mesmerizing The Secret Book of Flora Lea returns with the sweeping story of a legendary book, a lost mother, and a daughter’s search for them both.

In 1927, eight-year-old Clara Harrington’s magical childhood shatters when her mother, renowned author, Bronwyn Newcastle Fordham, disappears off the coast of South Carolina. Bronwyn stunned the world with a book written in an invented language that became a national sensation when she was just twelve years old. Her departure leaves behind not only a devoted husband and heartbroken daughter, but also the hope of ever translating the sequel to her landmark work. As the headlines focus on the missing author, Clara yearns for something far deeper and more her beautiful mother.

By 1952, Clara is an illustrator raising her own daughter, Wynnie. When a stranger named Charlie Jameson contacts her from London claiming to have discovered a handwritten dictionary of her mother’s lost language. Clara is skeptical. Compelled by the tragedy of her mother’s vanishing, she crosses the Atlantic with Wynnie only to arrive during one of London’s most deadly natural disasters—the Great Smog. With asthmatic Wynnie in peril, they escape the city with Charlie and find refuge in the Jameson’s family retreat nestled in the Lake District. It is there that Clara must find the courage to uncover the truth about her mother and the story she left behind.

Told in Patti Callahan Henry’s lyrical, enchanting prose, The Story She Left Behind is a captivating novel of mystery and family legacy that captures the profound longing for a mother and the evergreen allure of secrets.]]> 13 Patti Callahan Henry 1797192868 Jonetta 0 4.11 2025
author: Patti Callahan Henry
name: Jonetta
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/15
shelves: to-read, audiobook, historical-fiction, publisher-review-request
review:

]]> 229143244
An American expat�s startling discovery plunges her into the glamorous but deadly world of Amsterdam’s diamond industry.

Following a nasty divorce, Rayna Dumont came to Amsterdam for a fresh start. She’s never been the type for a one-night stand, but this move is all about adventure, and Xander is handsome and successful and more than willing to go along for the ride. Until the morning after, when Rayna finds him dead on the shower floor and millions of dollars� worth of diamonds missing from his safe.

From her lavish home in the heart of the city, Willow Prins is captivated by the news. Her husband is Xander’s former boss and heir to a diamond house, and the scandal strains their already-rocky marriage. As the house comes under scrutiny, Willow wonders if her life is about to implode—and how much of the blame she can place on Rayna. Soon, Willow and Rayna are dragged into the dark and dangerous underbelly of the diamond market, where they’ll have to uncover the truth to survive. Who killed Xander? Where are the missing diamonds? And who can you trust in a strange and unfamiliar city thousands of miles from home?]]> Kimberly Belle Jonetta 0 0.0
author: Kimberly Belle
name: Jonetta
average rating: 0.0
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/14
shelves: to-read, audiobook, library-hopeful, mystery-suspense-thriller, nc-br-digital-library
review:

]]> 228397015 New York Times bestselling author Lucy Score welcomes you back to Story Lake for the next small town romantic comedy. Get ready for a hometown hot guy looking to take the next step, a sparkly 'single is my middle name' heroine looking for a comeback, free-range trouble-making animals and a small town remembering that community is everything. All the heat, hilarity and hometown charm you could want in Story Lake!]]> Lucy Score Jonetta 0 0.0 2026
author: Lucy Score
name: Jonetta
average rating: 0.0
book published: 2026
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/13
shelves: to-read, audiobook, contemporary-romance
review:

]]> 228983275
“No one does suburban paranoia like Shari Lapena.”—Ruth Ware

The new gripping novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Couple Next Door

When a beloved wife and mother disappears, a luxurious condo building transforms into a potential crime scene, and the investigation begins: can the detectives find her before it's too late?

Bryden and Sam have it all: thriving careers, a smart apartment in a luxury condominium, supportive friends and a cherished daughter. The perfect life for the perfect couple.

Then Sam receives a call at his office. Bryden–working from home that day–has failed to collect their daughter from daycare. Arriving home with their little girl, he finds his wife’s car in the underground garage. Upstairs in their apartment her laptop is open on the table, her cell phone nearby, her keys in their usual place in the hall.

Except Bryden is nowhere to be seen. It’s as if she just walked out.]]> Shari Lapena Jonetta 0 0.0 2025
author: Shari Lapena
name: Jonetta
average rating: 0.0
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/10
shelves: to-read, audiobook, library-hopeful, mystery-suspense-thriller, nc-br-digital-library
review:

]]> 228980499
One train. No stops. A deadly game of survival and revenge.

In 1942, six people destroyed Anna Matheson’s family. Twelve years later, she’s ready for retribution.

Under false pretenses, Anna has lured those responsible for her family’s downfall onto a luxury train from Philadelphia to Chicago, an overnight journey of thirteen hours. Her goal? Confront the people who’ve wronged her, get them to confess their crimes, and deliver them into the hands of authorities waiting at the end of the line. Justice will at last be served.

But Anna’s plan is quickly derailed by the murder of one of the passengers. As the train barrels through the night, it becomes clear that someone else on board is enacting their own form of revenge—and that they won’t stop until everyone else is dead.

With time running out before the train reaches its destination, Anna is forced to hunt the killer in their midst while protecting the people she hates the most. In order to destroy her enemies, she must first save them—even though it means putting her own life at risk.]]> Riley Sager Jonetta 0 0.0 2025
author: Riley Sager
name: Jonetta
average rating: 0.0
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/10
shelves: to-read, audiobook, library-hopeful, mystery-suspense-thriller, nc-br-digital-library
review:

]]> 228975700
The classic blockbuster thriller about three women who refuse to let death itself stop them from seeking justice on the man who took their lives...

“Hands down, one of my favorite reads of the year!� —Freida McFadden, author of The Housemaid

Meghan, Brecia, and Skye have just one thing in common.

They were all murdered by the same man.

He hunted them online, masquerading as an eligible bachelor. Then he played the perfect gentleman, a thick layer of charm and a thousand-watt smile hiding the fact that his first dates end in shallow graves.

He’s gotten away with murder three times now.

The only thing that might keep him from killing again? The women he murdered.

Meghan, Brecia, and Skye might be dead, but they’re not gone. They’ve found each other. And they won’t rest until they find a way to stop him.

The haunt is on.

The instant classic that has sold hundreds of thousands of copies worldwide, that will have you holding your breath while listening.]]> Noelle W. Ihli Jonetta 0 4.23 2022
author: Noelle W. Ihli
name: Jonetta
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/10
shelves: to-read, audiobook, mystery-suspense-thriller, publisher-review-request
review:

]]> 221798453
From USA Today bestselling author Audrey J. Cole comes a harrowing thriller about a woman faced with the unthinkable, when her infant goes missing aboard a plane to New York.

Rushing back to her seat, Makayla Rossi is relieved that all’s still quiet. But when she checks on her sleeping baby, relief morphs into fear. The bassinet is empty.

Liam is gone.

It was a long flight from Anchorage to New York, and with every flight attendant busy, Makayla reluctantly ran to the restroom, asking a seat neighbor to watch her son. She stepped away for just a few minutes. Yet at thirty thousand feet, he still vanished.

Passengers and crew scour the plane to no avail, and since no one recalls seeing her with a baby, suspicions begin to mount about Makayla’s mental state. She’s certain this is nothing like her mother’s on-air memory meltdown. If only Jack, her husband, were there. He would believe her. A high-profile banker featured in Forbes, maybe he could even help.

But Makayla is squarely on her own. And she’ll have to think fast in order to find her son—before it’s too late.]]> 8 Audrey J. Cole Jonetta 4 the setup�
Makayla Rossi is on a return flight from Anchorage to New York with her infant son Liam. She’s traveling alone and after a nap, decides to take a quick bathroom break while the baby is sleeping. The flight attendants are occupied with another passenger so she asks the young woman under headphones across the aisle to keep an eye out for Liam. Makayla is only gone for a flash but when she returns to her seat, the bassinet is empty…with a pillow replacing her baby! No one can find her son and soon the flight crew and investigators in New York begin to question if she even boarded the flight with the baby.

the heart of the story�
It’s the best of a locked room mystery! I was suspicious of everyone and trusted no one, including Makayla, though she was the one I trusted the most, along with her on the ground husband Jack. My imagination ran amuck with the many red herrings and side stories, wondering if they were relevant or not. My nerves were shattered as the search for Liam went on.

the narration�
This was my first experience with Renata Friedman and I was impressed. She managed so many voice distinctions and emotions while keeping the pacing and storytelling fresh.

the bottom line�
This was my most anticipated book releasing this month so expectations were high. My emotions were all over the place and for the life of me I couldn’t figure this thing out. While the ending required a teensy bit of belief suspension, it still was exciting and breathtaking. Expectations solidly met! 4.5 stars

Posted on

(Thanks to Brilliance Audio and NetGalley for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)]]> 3.46 2025
author: Audrey J. Cole
name: Jonetta
average rating: 3.46
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/09
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: audiobook, mystery-suspense-thriller, publisher-review-request, 3500-2022
review:
the setup�
Makayla Rossi is on a return flight from Anchorage to New York with her infant son Liam. She’s traveling alone and after a nap, decides to take a quick bathroom break while the baby is sleeping. The flight attendants are occupied with another passenger so she asks the young woman under headphones across the aisle to keep an eye out for Liam. Makayla is only gone for a flash but when she returns to her seat, the bassinet is empty…with a pillow replacing her baby! No one can find her son and soon the flight crew and investigators in New York begin to question if she even boarded the flight with the baby.

the heart of the story�
It’s the best of a locked room mystery! I was suspicious of everyone and trusted no one, including Makayla, though she was the one I trusted the most, along with her on the ground husband Jack. My imagination ran amuck with the many red herrings and side stories, wondering if they were relevant or not. My nerves were shattered as the search for Liam went on.

the narration�
This was my first experience with Renata Friedman and I was impressed. She managed so many voice distinctions and emotions while keeping the pacing and storytelling fresh.

the bottom line�
This was my most anticipated book releasing this month so expectations were high. My emotions were all over the place and for the life of me I couldn’t figure this thing out. While the ending required a teensy bit of belief suspension, it still was exciting and breathtaking. Expectations solidly met! 4.5 stars

Posted on

(Thanks to Brilliance Audio and NetGalley for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
]]> 228880329
“The story of relationships built and broken, mistakes inherited and repeated, and the beauty of trying again�.already one of the year’s best.”�People

Cece is in love. She has arrived early at her future in-laws� lake house in Salish, Montana, to finish planning her wedding to Charlie, a young doctor with a brilliant life ahead of him. Charlie has asked Garrett, his best friend from college, to officiate the ceremony, though Cece can’t imagine anyone more ill-suited for the task—an airport baggage handler haunted by a tragedy from his and Charlie’s shared past. But as Cece spends time with Garrett, his gruff mask slips, and she grows increasingly uncertain about her future. And why does Garrett, after meeting Cece, begin to feel, well, human again? As a contagious stomach flu threatens to scuttle the wedding, and Charlie and Garrett’s friendship is put to the ultimate test, Cece must decide between the life she’s dreamed of and a life she’s never imagined.

The events of that summer have long-lasting repercussions, not only on the three friends caught in its shadow but also on their children, who struggle to escape their parents� story. Spanning fifty years and set against the backdrop of a rapidly warming Montana, Dream State explores what it means to live with the mistakes of the past—both our own and the ones we’ve inherited.

Written with humor, precision, and enormous heart, both a love letter and an elegy to the American West, Dream State is a thrillingly ambitious ode to the power of friendship, the weird weather of marriage, and the beauty of impermanence.]]> Eric Puchner Jonetta 0 3.30 2025
author: Eric Puchner
name: Jonetta
average rating: 3.30
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/07
shelves: to-read, audiobook, literary-fiction, nc-br-digital-library, oprah-book-club
review:

]]> 219582748
#1 New York Times bestselling author Sandra Brown returns with a sexy thriller where an unruly detective and an ­­­­ambitious tv show producer work against the clock to prevent another young woman from disappearing before the next blood moon—while trying to resist the attraction between them.

Detective John Bowie is one misstep away from being fired from the Auclair Police Department in coastal Louisiana. Recently divorced and slightly heavy-handed with his liquor, Bowie does all that he can to cope with the actions taken (or not taken) during the investigation of Crissy Mellin, a teenage girl who disappeared more than three years prior. But now, Crisis Point, a long-running true crime television series, is soon to air an episode documenting the unsolved Mellin case. Bowie has been instructed by his unscrupulous boss to keep to himself his grievances and criticisms over the mishandling of the investigation.

Beth Collins, a senior producer on Crisis Point, knows what classifies as a great story and when there’s something more to be told. After working on the show for seven years researching, fact checking, and editing dozens of episodes, Collins is convinced that Crissy Mellin’s disappearance was not an isolated incident. A string of disappearances of teenage girls in nearby areas have only one thing in common: They took place on the night of a blood moon. In a last-ditch effort to find out the truth, Beth leaves New York City for Louisiana to enlist Detective Bowie in helping her figure out what happened to Crissy and find the true culprit before he acts on the next blood moon—in four days� time.

At the risk of their jobs and lives, Bowie and Collins band together to identify and capture a canny perpetrator, while fighting an irresistible spark between them that threatens to upend everything.]]> Sandra Brown Jonetta 4 the setup�
Auclair Police Department Detective John Bowie is haunted by his last case and is suffering personally and professionally. He’s a divorced father of teen daughter Molly who he lost custody of recently. The investigation of missing teen Crissy Mellin ended three years ago but he has serious issues regarding the resolution. Now the true crime show Crisis Point is ready to air an episode documenting the unsolved case. Senior producer Beth Collins is convinced that there’s more to the story and uses her personal time to come to coastal Louisiana and confront the one man who expressed his dissatisfaction with the case and refused to be interviewed for the segment. She’s got an interesting theory…that this case and others may be tied to blood moon eclipses.

the heart of the story�
John Bowie is what you’d think of as a hard-boiled, seasoned detective. He’s hanging on to his job by his fingernails as Tom Barker, the man in charge of the detective unit, is corrupt, inept and looking for an excuse to get rid of him. When Beth confronts him with her theory, while skeptical, John looks into it and sees that there just might be something there. But Barker and his dangerous henchman are determined to thwart any effort to further examine the case. John and Beth embark on a treacherous path to explore the theory, flying under the radar and using sometimes unconventional but effective methods. At the same time, their personal attraction to each other is hard to ignore.

the narration�
I’m a big fan of Kyf Brewer and not only was his storytelling skills superb but he absolutely nailed John Bowie (pronounced like the knife). It was a wonderful listening experience.

the bottom line�
In addition to a compelling mystery, the strong sense of setting made me feel as if I was inside the story deep in bayou country. I didn’t know much about blood moon eclipses so that was an interesting element. The shocking twist at the end capped off a very satisfying story with a romantic element. I enjoyed every minute.

Posted on

(Thanks to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)]]> 3.71 2025
author: Sandra Brown
name: Jonetta
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/06
date added: 2025/03/06
shelves: audiobook, romantic-suspense, netgalley-audio-arc, 3500-2022
review:
the setup�
Auclair Police Department Detective John Bowie is haunted by his last case and is suffering personally and professionally. He’s a divorced father of teen daughter Molly who he lost custody of recently. The investigation of missing teen Crissy Mellin ended three years ago but he has serious issues regarding the resolution. Now the true crime show Crisis Point is ready to air an episode documenting the unsolved case. Senior producer Beth Collins is convinced that there’s more to the story and uses her personal time to come to coastal Louisiana and confront the one man who expressed his dissatisfaction with the case and refused to be interviewed for the segment. She’s got an interesting theory…that this case and others may be tied to blood moon eclipses.

the heart of the story�
John Bowie is what you’d think of as a hard-boiled, seasoned detective. He’s hanging on to his job by his fingernails as Tom Barker, the man in charge of the detective unit, is corrupt, inept and looking for an excuse to get rid of him. When Beth confronts him with her theory, while skeptical, John looks into it and sees that there just might be something there. But Barker and his dangerous henchman are determined to thwart any effort to further examine the case. John and Beth embark on a treacherous path to explore the theory, flying under the radar and using sometimes unconventional but effective methods. At the same time, their personal attraction to each other is hard to ignore.

the narration�
I’m a big fan of Kyf Brewer and not only was his storytelling skills superb but he absolutely nailed John Bowie (pronounced like the knife). It was a wonderful listening experience.

the bottom line�
In addition to a compelling mystery, the strong sense of setting made me feel as if I was inside the story deep in bayou country. I didn’t know much about blood moon eclipses so that was an interesting element. The shocking twist at the end capped off a very satisfying story with a romantic element. I enjoyed every minute.

Posted on

(Thanks to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
]]> 223200183
Two good neighbors make the best of a bad Valentine’s Day in a funny and improbably romantic short story by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Just for the Summer.

It’s Valentine’s Day weekend, and Charlotte and Seth are not looking for romance. Armed with emotional-support bear spray, Charlotte is in self-imposed isolation and on guard from men. Having a stalker can do that to a person’s nerves. Just across the hall and giving off woodsy vibes is Seth, a recently divorced arborist. As in today recently. Heights, he’s fine with. Trust? Not so much. But when disaster traps them one flight up and no way down, an outrageously precarious predicament forces a tree-loving guy and a rattled girl next door to embrace their captivity. Soon their defenses are breaking away. Considering how close they both are to the edge, Charlotte and Seth could be in danger of falling—in love.]]> Abby Jimenez Jonetta 5 the setup�
Charlotte has just moved (again) into her Burbank apartment, another attempt to escape her stalker. Seth, her neighbor across the hall, has just finalized his divorce from the woman he thought he’d be married to forever. It’s the start of Valentine’s Day weekend and, as if that’s not dismal enough, they walk out onto their shared breezeway and find the steps leading down from their second floor level are gone…inadvertently demolished by construction workers. And, it can’t be resolved until Monday.

the heart of the story�
Now that’s a unique “forced proximity”concept. Charlotte is skittish because her stalker is real and a threat. Seth is an arborist and is wearing a boot from a recent injury so he’s sidelined as well. But the missing stairs creates the opportunity for these two to spend time together without any pressure. And, their attraction to each other is very clear. While there’s lots of fun banter, the stalker situation offers some depth to the story. I appreciated how they dealt with the issue authentically.

the narration�
I was in listening heaven with Julia Whelan and Connor Crais! She’s one of the best in the business and he’s my new “ear-throb.� I could listen to him all day, everyday. Treat yourself to the audio edition.

the bottom line�
I loved everything about this little gem of a novella, including the little Easter egg from Worst Wingman Ever. It reads like a full length novel with two wonderful characters at the center. And, their two best friends add even more comic relief. No risk at all.

Posted on

(Thanks to Brilliance Audio and NetGalley for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)]]> 4.08 2025
author: Abby Jimenez
name: Jonetta
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/02
date added: 2025/03/03
shelves: audiobook, contemporary-romance, short-stories, publisher-review-request, 3500-2022
review:
the setup�
Charlotte has just moved (again) into her Burbank apartment, another attempt to escape her stalker. Seth, her neighbor across the hall, has just finalized his divorce from the woman he thought he’d be married to forever. It’s the start of Valentine’s Day weekend and, as if that’s not dismal enough, they walk out onto their shared breezeway and find the steps leading down from their second floor level are gone…inadvertently demolished by construction workers. And, it can’t be resolved until Monday.

the heart of the story�
Now that’s a unique “forced proximity”concept. Charlotte is skittish because her stalker is real and a threat. Seth is an arborist and is wearing a boot from a recent injury so he’s sidelined as well. But the missing stairs creates the opportunity for these two to spend time together without any pressure. And, their attraction to each other is very clear. While there’s lots of fun banter, the stalker situation offers some depth to the story. I appreciated how they dealt with the issue authentically.

the narration�
I was in listening heaven with Julia Whelan and Connor Crais! She’s one of the best in the business and he’s my new “ear-throb.� I could listen to him all day, everyday. Treat yourself to the audio edition.

the bottom line�
I loved everything about this little gem of a novella, including the little Easter egg from Worst Wingman Ever. It reads like a full length novel with two wonderful characters at the center. And, their two best friends add even more comic relief. No risk at all.

Posted on

(Thanks to Brilliance Audio and NetGalley for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
]]> 228394682
Introducing your new crime thriller

Bristol detective DS George Cross, champion of the outsider, the voiceless and the dispossessed. DS George Cross can be rude, difficult and awkward with people. But his unfailing logic and dogged pursuit of the truth means his conviction rate is the best on the force.

An outsider himself, having been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, DS Cross is especially drawn to cases concerning the voiceless and the dispossessed. Now, Cross is untangling the truth about a young woman who died three days ago. With no fingerprints, no weapon and no witnesses, the Bristol Crime Unit are ready to close the case.

The coroner rules the woman had a long history of drug abuse. But her mother is convinced it was her daughter has been clean and sober for over two years.

DS Cross is determined to defy his bosses and re-open the case, even if it costs him his career. Soon he is mired in a labyrinth of potential suspects—but can he solve the case before his superiors shut it down for good?]]> Tim Sullivan Jonetta 0 4.00 2022
author: Tim Sullivan
name: Jonetta
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/03
shelves: to-read, audiobook, mystery-suspense-thriller, audible-plus
review:

]]> 228639318 From bestselling author Mike Gayle, a story about exes and how to get over them. Or not.

Reuben thought he’d spend the rest of his life with Beth, until she broke his heart six months ago. He’s not even remotely over her, so he’s devastated to hear she’s getting married—this weekend.

Now he’s faced with the ultimate what should he do on the day of the wedding? Grieve? Disrupt the ceremony? Or do everything in his power to pretend it’s not happening?

Enlisting the help of his friends, Reuben is all set to mark the occasion with distraction on a grand Ferraris, champagne, and a VIP box at the races.

But on the morning of the Big Day, Reuben gets a phone call that not only derails his elaborate it may well change his life completely�

For fans of David Nicholls, Nick Hornby and the agony uncle of heartbreak himself, a story that just how far would you go to get over the love of your life?]]> 100 Mike Gayle 1662530285 Jonetta 0 3.52
author: Mike Gayle
name: Jonetta
average rating: 3.52
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/03
shelves: to-read, audiobook, contemporary-fiction, publisher-review-hopeful
review:

]]> 223595741
Devil's Kitchen is a fast-paced, heart racing thriller from Candice Fox, "a bright new star in crime fiction." (James Patterson)

The firefighting crew of Engine 99 has spent years rushing fearlessly into the hot zone of major fires across New York City. This tight-knit four-person unit has worked together to save countless lives and stop out of control fires before they cause major destruction.

They've also stolen millions from banks, jewelry stores, and art galleries. Under the cover of saving the city, they've used their knowledge and specialist equipment to become the most successful heist crew on the East Coast.

Andy Nearland is the newest member of the unit, and she's helping them prepare for their largest heist yet—New York's largest private storage facility, an expensive treasure trove for the rich and famous. She's also an undercover operative, and keeping her true motives hidden proves more and more dangerous as the day of the heist approaches.]]> Candice Fox 1250351154 Jonetta 0 3.50 2024
author: Candice Fox
name: Jonetta
average rating: 3.50
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/03
shelves: to-read, audiobook, mystery-suspense-thriller
review:

]]> 219231701
From the author of Reese’s Book Club Pick and New York Times bestseller Wrong Place Wrong Time comes an addictive thriller about a new mother’s world upended when her husband commits a terrifying crime. How well does she truly know the man she loves? And what danger does she face if her entire life has been built on a lie?

It is June 21st, the longest day of the year, and new mother Camilla’s life is about to change forever. After months of maternity leave, she will drop her infant daughter off at daycare for the first time and return to her job as a literary agent. Finally. But, when she wakes, her husband Luke isn’t there, and in his place is a cryptic note.

Then it starts. Breaking news: there's a hostage situation developing in London. The police arrive, and tell her Luke is involved. But he isn't a hostage. Her husband—doting father, eternal optimist—is the gunman.

What she does next is crucial. Because only she knows what the note he left behind that morning says...

Famous Last Words is the story of a crime, a marriage, and more secrets than Camilla ever could have imagined. This novel cements Gillian McAllister’s reputation as “the best at putting her characters in impossible situations and making her readers not only contemplate but feel what it would be like to find themselves in those situations.� (Emily Henry)]]> Gillian McAllister Jonetta 4 the setup�
Camilla (Cam) Deschamps is a literary agent married to Luke who’s a writer. She’s been out on extended maternity leave with their daughter Polly and today’s the day she returns to work and delivers their baby to daycare. She wakes to find Luke already gone, which is unusual as he knows her anxiety about the day but he’s left a cryptic note. Later at work, news of a hostage situation breaks and police show up at her office. But Luke isn’t a hostage…he’s the gunman.

the heart of the story�
What would cause a loving husband and father to suddenly behave so out of character? That’s the question Cam and Niall Thompson, the negotiator, ask themselves as the situation evolves. Only Cam knows that there’s significance in that note he left behind. The things that happen later continue to mystify Cam as she’s encouraged to move on but she’s not sure she’s ready to give up on Luke. Even Niall is convinced that things aren’t what they seem but he stands alone in this thinking within law enforcement.

the narrator�
I loved Emilia Fox’s performance as she’s a great storyteller and this had so many levels of emotional turmoil. She also has a voice tone I found mesmerizing.

the bottom line�
It’s a clever story that has its share of bends and turns. Nothing predictable here, even Cam and Niall’s reactions throughout the story. At some point I started getting a clue but just preferred to immerse myself in the journey instead. Another captivating mystery that is equally invested (if not more) in the characters.

Posted on

(Thanks to Libro.fm and HarperAudio for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)]]> 3.66 2025
author: Gillian McAllister
name: Jonetta
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/02
date added: 2025/03/03
shelves: audiobook, mystery-suspense-thriller, nc-br-digital-library, publisher-review-request, 3500-2022
review:
the setup�
Camilla (Cam) Deschamps is a literary agent married to Luke who’s a writer. She’s been out on extended maternity leave with their daughter Polly and today’s the day she returns to work and delivers their baby to daycare. She wakes to find Luke already gone, which is unusual as he knows her anxiety about the day but he’s left a cryptic note. Later at work, news of a hostage situation breaks and police show up at her office. But Luke isn’t a hostage…he’s the gunman.

the heart of the story�
What would cause a loving husband and father to suddenly behave so out of character? That’s the question Cam and Niall Thompson, the negotiator, ask themselves as the situation evolves. Only Cam knows that there’s significance in that note he left behind. The things that happen later continue to mystify Cam as she’s encouraged to move on but she’s not sure she’s ready to give up on Luke. Even Niall is convinced that things aren’t what they seem but he stands alone in this thinking within law enforcement.

the narrator�
I loved Emilia Fox’s performance as she’s a great storyteller and this had so many levels of emotional turmoil. She also has a voice tone I found mesmerizing.

the bottom line�
It’s a clever story that has its share of bends and turns. Nothing predictable here, even Cam and Niall’s reactions throughout the story. At some point I started getting a clue but just preferred to immerse myself in the journey instead. Another captivating mystery that is equally invested (if not more) in the characters.

Posted on

(Thanks to Libro.fm and HarperAudio for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
]]> 205872230
They’re falling in love, yet they’ve never met. Maybe fate can intervene in a heartwarming “what-if� short story about new beginnings by the New York Times bestselling author of Yours Truly.

Holly is dealing with the impending death of her grandmother and still reeling from a bad breakup. One bright spot: a Valentine’s Day card on Holly’s windshield—even if it wasn’t meant for her. An amusing mistake soon turns into a lovely exchange of anonymous notes, little acts of kindness, and a growing affection between two strangers. What happens when one of them has to say goodbye?

Abby Jimenez’s Worst Wingman Ever is part of The Improbable Meet-Cute, irresistibly romantic stories about finding love when and where you least expect it. They can be read or listened to in one sitting. Let’s make a date of it.]]> Abby Jimenez Jonetta 4 the setup�
John had only one job to do as his brother Frank’s wingman…place his X-rated Valentine’s Day card on his fiancée’s windshield. What he actually does is place it on the wrong car, that belonging to hospice nurse Holly who is there to care for her grandmother. Worst wingman ever? Yes but his later effort to reach out and correct his mistake sets off a series of acts of kindness when it really mattered.

the heart of the story�
I’d only intended to read the Christina Lauren story in this collection but a good friend pointed me to this next one. I’m forever grateful because not only did I really like John and Holly, I loved how they connected unsuspectedly. Karma was at work here as they continued to exchange notes via her car. There were other serendipitous interactions you’ll need to discover for yourself.

the narration�
Oh, if you can listen to this story, do so. They made it even more fun and endearing.

the bottom line�
This story put me in a happy place. Best meet-cute ever and now I’m off to read/listen to more by Jimenez.

Posted on ]]> 3.94 2024
author: Abby Jimenez
name: Jonetta
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/03/04
date added: 2025/03/02
shelves: audiobook, contemporary-romance, 2024-audiobook-challenge, 3500-2022
review:
the setup�
John had only one job to do as his brother Frank’s wingman…place his X-rated Valentine’s Day card on his fiancée’s windshield. What he actually does is place it on the wrong car, that belonging to hospice nurse Holly who is there to care for her grandmother. Worst wingman ever? Yes but his later effort to reach out and correct his mistake sets off a series of acts of kindness when it really mattered.

the heart of the story�
I’d only intended to read the Christina Lauren story in this collection but a good friend pointed me to this next one. I’m forever grateful because not only did I really like John and Holly, I loved how they connected unsuspectedly. Karma was at work here as they continued to exchange notes via her car. There were other serendipitous interactions you’ll need to discover for yourself.

the narration�
Oh, if you can listen to this story, do so. They made it even more fun and endearing.

the bottom line�
This story put me in a happy place. Best meet-cute ever and now I’m off to read/listen to more by Jimenez.

Posted on
]]> 223438529
A new Anne Tyler novel destined to be an instant an inept mother of the bride attempts to navigate the days before and after her daughter's wedding.

Gail Baines is long divorced from her husband, Max, and not especially close to her grown daughter, Debbie. Today is the day before Debbie's wedding. To start, Gail loses her job—or quits, depending who you ask. Then, Max arrives unannounced on Gail's doorstep, carrying a cat, without a place to stay and without even a suit.

But the true crisis lands when Debbie shares with her parents a secret she has just learned about her husband-to-be. It will not only throw the wedding itself into question but also send Gail back into her past and how her own relationship fell apart.

Told with deep sensitivity and a tart sense of humor, full of the joys and heartbreaks of love and marriage and family life, Three Days in June is a triumph, and gives us the perennially bestselling, Pulitzer Prize-winning writer at the height of her powers.]]> 4 Anne Tyler Jonetta 0 3.42 2025
author: Anne Tyler
name: Jonetta
average rating: 3.42
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/01
shelves: to-read, audiobook, literary-fiction, nc-br-digital-library
review:

]]> 223227777
A funny, fiercely intelligent, and moving collection exploring marriage, friendship, fame, and artistic ambition—including a story that revisits the main character from her iconic novel, ±Ę°ů±đ±čâ€�from the New York Times bestselling author of Eligible and Romantic Comedy.

In her second story collection, Sittenfeld shows why she’s as beloved for her short fiction as she is for her novels. In these dazzling stories, she conjures up characters so real that they seem like old friends, laying bare the moments when their long held beliefs are overturned.

In “The Patron Saints of Middle Age,� a woman visits two friends she hasn’t seen since her divorce. In “A for Alone,� a married middle-aged artist embarks on a creative project intended to disprove the so-called Mike Pence Rule, which suggests that women and men can’t spend time alone without lusting after each other. And in “Lost but Not Forgotten,� Sittenfeld gives fans of her novel Prep a window into the world of her beloved character Lee Fiora, decades later, when Lee attends an alumni reunion at her boarding school.

Hilarious, thought-provoking, and full of tenderness for her characters, Sittenfeld’s stories peel back layer after layer of our inner lives, keeping us riveted with her utterly distinctive voice.]]> Curtis Sittenfeld Jonetta 0 3.62 2025
author: Curtis Sittenfeld
name: Jonetta
average rating: 3.62
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/01
shelves: to-read, audiobook, contemporary-fiction, nc-br-digital-library, short-stories
review:

]]> 223779306
An extreme game of hide-and-seek turns deadly in this riveting new thriller from New York Times bestselling author Lisa Unger

When the real game begins, who will make it to the count of 10?

Charismatic daredevil and extreme adventurer Maverick Dillan invites you to the ultimate game of hide-and-seek. But as the players gather on Falcao Island, the event quickly spirals into a chilling test of survival. A storm rages as a deadly threat stalks the contestants, turning the challenge into something far more sinister than the social media stunt it was intended to be.

Enter Adele, a single mother with a fierce determination to protect her children at all costs. When she begins the game, she unwittingly enters a twisted web of deception and intrigue. Can she maneuver through the treacherous storm and the relentless competition and get home to her family? In a ruthless battle for survival where the stakes are higher than ever, the blurry line between the virtual and the real proves that the only person we can trust is ourselves.]]> Lisa Unger Jonetta 0 3.08 2025
author: Lisa Unger
name: Jonetta
average rating: 3.08
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/01
shelves: to-read, audiobook, mystery-suspense-thriller, nc-br-digital-library
review:

]]> 223757081
She gets people to confess their crimes for a living. He knows she's hiding a terrible secret. It's time for the truth to come out�

Poe Webb, host of a popular true crime podcast, invites people to anonymously confess crimes they've committed to her audience. She can't guarantee the police won't come after her "guests," but her show grants simultaneous anonymity and instant fame—a potent combination that's proven difficult to resist. After an episode recording, Poe usually erases both criminal and crime from her mind.

But when a strange and oddly familiar man appears on her show, Poe is forced to take a second look. Not only because he claims to be her mother's murderer from years ago, but because Poe knows something no one else does. Her mother's murderer is dead.

Poe killed him.

From the USA Today bestselling author of The Dead Girl in 2A and The New Neighbor comes a chilling new thriller that forces the are murderers always the bad guys?]]> Carter Wilson Jonetta 0 3.61 2025
author: Carter Wilson
name: Jonetta
average rating: 3.61
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/01
shelves: to-read, audiobook, mystery-suspense-thriller, nc-br-digital-library
review:

]]> 221855405
Revenge is a dish best served cold—especially when it comes in the form of one of Grandma’s “special� pies. Get the best of family hijinks, girl power, and hilariously justifiable crime in the latest novel from award-winning author HelenKay Dimon.

Kasey Nottingham needs a splashy idea at her company where they find and develop the next big thing for investors—her job depends on it. Impulsively, she pitches Mags� Desserts, a beloved small-town business run by her grandma Mags and live-in “best friend� Celia, two women who overcame deadbeat husbands and financial ruin to build a word-of-mouth clientele. Kasey expects her boss to say no. Instead, he sends her home to North Carolina to land the deal…and now she has a problem.

Mags and Celia aren’t interested, which isn’t a surprise, but something else is going on in their kitchen. Locked cabinets. Cryptic conversations. Unexpected notations on business records. The ladies have secrets and whatever they’re hiding is big. As reports of mysterious deaths of abusive men in the area surface—all in households that recently received a delivery from Mags� Desserts—Kasey worries Gram and Celia have gone into the poison pie business.

As investors start circling, Kasey enlists Jackson Quaid, Celia’s nephew and Kasey’s long-time crush, as her reluctant investigation assistant. Jackson is practical. Kasey has a wild imagination. Together, they dodge Kasey’s boss and gather intel. And kiss. Lots of kissing, though probably not the best idea to start an unexpected romance. Doing it while keeping two feisty ladies from going to jail for knocking off bad husbands—even if those husbands deserve it—might be impossible…but Kasey never shied away from a challenge.Ěý±Ő±Ő> HelenKay Dimon Jonetta 0 4.33
author: HelenKay Dimon
name: Jonetta
average rating: 4.33
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/28
shelves: to-read, audiobook, mystery-suspense-thriller, publisher-review-request
review:

]]> 223975743
I have one thing to do before I die.
And time is running out.

I had it all: a fantastic husband, two great kids, an exciting career. And then, at the age of forty-three, I found out I would be dead before my next birthday.

My mother also died at forty-three. I was seventeen, and she warned me that women would flock to my suddenly single father like stray cats to an overturned milk truck. They did. And one absolutely evil woman practically destroyed his life, mine, and my sister’s.

I am not letting that happen to my family.

I have three months, and I plan to spend every waking minute searching for the perfect woman to take my place as Alex’s wife, and mother to Kevin and Katie.

You’re probably thinking, she’ll never do it. Did I mention that in high school I was voted “Most Likely to Kill Someone to Get What She Wants�?

From thriller writer Marshall Karp (cocreator with James Patterson of the #1 New York Times bestselling NYPD Red series), and rich with Karp’s deft array of three-dimensional characters and his signature biting humor, Don’t Tell Me How to Die has so many twists and turns, you’d swear he wrote it with a corkscrew.]]> Marshall Karp Jonetta 0 3.92 2025
author: Marshall Karp
name: Jonetta
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/28
shelves: to-read, audiobook, mystery-suspense-thriller, publisher-review-request
review:

]]> 222277649
A woman’s confession about her husband sparks a dangerous cat-and-mouse game in this riveting domestic thriller

Gabby and Fred have just begun to adapt to their new life as empty nesters when Gabby makes a stunning realization: she can’t stand her husband.

One night at a bar, Gabby meets an enigmatic younger woman named Ellis, and in a haze of drunkenness, she confesses that she wishes Fred dead. Surely she didn’t expect anything to come of it, but when she tries to track Ellis down again, she realizes that Ellis might not have been who she said she was.

As Gabby begins to unravel the truth about Ellis, and what Fred might be hiding, she is thrown into a whirlwind of lies and manipulation. How much is she willing to risk to expose the truth? And who is the real target?]]> Cate Ray Jonetta 0 3.17 2025
author: Cate Ray
name: Jonetta
average rating: 3.17
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/28
shelves: to-read, audiobook, blog-tour, mystery-suspense-thriller, netgalley-audio-arc
review:

]]> 44222723
Watching her friend dragged away in handcuffs, Josie couldn't believe for one second that Gretchen had killed that poor boy. Confession or not, someone else was involved. She would find out who�

When the body of a young student is found on the driveway of a local Denton home, a photograph pinned to his collar, Detective Josie Quinn is first on the scene. The house belongs to Gretchen Palmer, a dedicated member of Josie’s team, missing for the last twenty-four hours.

Working around the clock, Josie is stopped in her tracks when Gretchen hands herself in to the police. She knows that there’s no way Gretchen could ever be a killer, so why would she confess to a murder she didn’t commit?

Digging deep into Gretchen’s secretive life, Josie uncovers a link between the boy, the photograph and a devastating case in Gretchen’s past. But just when Josie thinks she has it all figured out, the bodies of a young couple surface on the other side of town. Can Josie get to the truth in time to save her friend from a life in prison or certain death? ]]> 9 Lisa Regan Jonetta 5 the setup�
Detectives Josie Quinn and Noah Fraley are dispatched to a murder scene where a young man is dead in the driveway of a private home. Josie recognizes the address…it belongs to Detective Gretchen Palmer, a colleague she hired and highly respects. There’s no identification on the body and it’s soon clear that Gretchen is missing. Evidence is pointing in her direction and the new chief issues a demand for her arrest. But Gretchen later shows up on her own and demands to be taken into custody.

the heart of the story�
As Josie dives into the investigation, it becomes clear that Gretchen has a lot of secrets related to her past and she’s not forthcoming with details, nor is she doing anything to help clear herself. Josie’s instincts tell her she’s innocent and there’s a bigger mystery and threat at hand. I was with her on this because Gretchen has proven herself in the past, even though things look grim. The journey to the truth was more shocking than I’d imagined…a serial killer, undercover agents, outlaw bikers…it was head spinning.

the narration�
Kate Handford has taken the reins of the series and I loved everything about her performance. She’s got a great tone and wonderful storytelling skills.

the bottom line�
It’s an unpredictable story with lots of twists and bends, enough that I decided to just go with the flow and not force myself into attempting to solve it early. Good thing because I’d never have guessed this one, even though I was on the right track. Another excellent bonus was the update on Josie’s reunion with her “new� family after the last book’s revelations and a budding love interest. This was an outstanding story on several levels.

Posted on ]]> 4.29 2018
author: Lisa Regan
name: Jonetta
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/25
date added: 2025/02/27
shelves: audiobook, mystery-suspense-thriller, 3500-2022
review:
the setup�
Detectives Josie Quinn and Noah Fraley are dispatched to a murder scene where a young man is dead in the driveway of a private home. Josie recognizes the address…it belongs to Detective Gretchen Palmer, a colleague she hired and highly respects. There’s no identification on the body and it’s soon clear that Gretchen is missing. Evidence is pointing in her direction and the new chief issues a demand for her arrest. But Gretchen later shows up on her own and demands to be taken into custody.

the heart of the story�
As Josie dives into the investigation, it becomes clear that Gretchen has a lot of secrets related to her past and she’s not forthcoming with details, nor is she doing anything to help clear herself. Josie’s instincts tell her she’s innocent and there’s a bigger mystery and threat at hand. I was with her on this because Gretchen has proven herself in the past, even though things look grim. The journey to the truth was more shocking than I’d imagined…a serial killer, undercover agents, outlaw bikers…it was head spinning.

the narration�
Kate Handford has taken the reins of the series and I loved everything about her performance. She’s got a great tone and wonderful storytelling skills.

the bottom line�
It’s an unpredictable story with lots of twists and bends, enough that I decided to just go with the flow and not force myself into attempting to solve it early. Good thing because I’d never have guessed this one, even though I was on the right track. Another excellent bonus was the update on Josie’s reunion with her “new� family after the last book’s revelations and a budding love interest. This was an outstanding story on several levels.

Posted on
]]> 220633934
From the New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award-winning author Adrian McKinty comes the origin story of his most famous creation, Detective Sean Duffy.

Belfast, 1980, is the apocalypse. Bombings, riots, army on the streets, low flying helicopters, and ever-present rain. The grinding Northern Irish civil war between Protestants and Catholics has been going for a decade now. Hated by both sides are the police.

Sean Duffy Year 1takes us into that world. Newly promoted Detective Sergeant Sean Duffy is given his first command at Carrickfergus CID.

In this prequel novella, McKinty takes listeners through Duffy’s first two weeks on the job. A case to solve and a chance to impress his bosses, if, of course, he can get out of it alive.]]> 1 Adrian McKinty Jonetta 4 the setup�
It’s 1980 Northern Ireland with all the turmoil and conflict experienced during The Troubles era. Detective Sergeant Sean Duffy, freshly promoted, heads from Belfast to his new command in Carrickfergus CID RUC (Royal Ulster Constabulary). He’s a Catholic detective in a primarily Protestant force and town, a man who automatically has a target on his back.

the heart of the story�
I’ve wanted to start this series for some time now and was thrilled to see the release of this prequel. Sean Duffy is a bit unusual as he’s well educated, intelligent and quick witted with a wicked sense of humor. In this short story, I feel I not only “got� the character but the strong sense of the setting, including the politics of the town, country and police bureaucracy.

the narration�
Gerard Doyle adeptly captured the essence of Duffy as well as the secondary characters and townsfolk. I’m looking forward to his storytelling in future books.

the bottom line�
My instincts were right to grab this gem. Sean Duffy is enough of a draw on his own but this period in history is one I’ve wanted to learn more about, from the inside. McKinty proves here that it’s a topic he’s well versed in from every angle. I couldn’t be more excited about what’s ahead.

(Thanks to Libro.fm and Blackstone Publishing for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)]]> 4.14
author: Adrian McKinty
name: Jonetta
average rating: 4.14
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/27
date added: 2025/02/27
shelves: audiobook, mystery-suspense-thriller, publisher-review-request, 3500-2022
review:
the setup�
It’s 1980 Northern Ireland with all the turmoil and conflict experienced during The Troubles era. Detective Sergeant Sean Duffy, freshly promoted, heads from Belfast to his new command in Carrickfergus CID RUC (Royal Ulster Constabulary). He’s a Catholic detective in a primarily Protestant force and town, a man who automatically has a target on his back.

the heart of the story�
I’ve wanted to start this series for some time now and was thrilled to see the release of this prequel. Sean Duffy is a bit unusual as he’s well educated, intelligent and quick witted with a wicked sense of humor. In this short story, I feel I not only “got� the character but the strong sense of the setting, including the politics of the town, country and police bureaucracy.

the narration�
Gerard Doyle adeptly captured the essence of Duffy as well as the secondary characters and townsfolk. I’m looking forward to his storytelling in future books.

the bottom line�
My instincts were right to grab this gem. Sean Duffy is enough of a draw on his own but this period in history is one I’ve wanted to learn more about, from the inside. McKinty proves here that it’s a topic he’s well versed in from every angle. I couldn’t be more excited about what’s ahead.

(Thanks to Libro.fm and Blackstone Publishing for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
]]> 223025865 A novel about one woman’s fight for freedom, set in a near future where even dreams are under surveillance.

Sara has just landed at LAX, returning home from a conference abroad, when agents from the Risk Assessment Administration pull her aside and inform her that she will soon commit a crime. Using data from her dreams, the RAA’s algorithm has determined that she is at imminent risk of harming the person she loves most: her husband. For his safety, she must be kept under observation for twenty-one days.

The agents transfer Sara to a retention center, where she is held with other dreamers, all of them women trying to prove their innocence from different crimes. With every deviation from the strict and ever-shifting rules of the facility, their stay is extended. Months pass and Sara seems no closer to release. Then one day, a new resident arrives, disrupting the order of the facility and leading Sara on a collision course with the very companies that have deprived her of her freedom.

Eerie, urgent, and ceaselessly clear-eyed, The Dream Hotel artfully explores the seductive nature of technology, which puts us in shackles even as it makes our lives easier. Lalami asks how much of ourselves must remain private if we are to remain free, and whether even the most invasive forms of surveillance can ever capture who we really are.]]> Laila Lalami Jonetta 0 3.31 2025
author: Laila Lalami
name: Jonetta
average rating: 3.31
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/27
shelves: to-read, audiobook, library-hopeful, jenna, nc-br-digital-library, sci-fi, literary-fiction
review:

]]> 45444172
A deadly serious affair...

The story breaks as Metro PD Lieutenant Sam Holland attends a dinner party with her husband, Vice President Nick Cappuano: President Nelson is accused of having an affair. More shocking still, campaign staffer Tara Weber claims the president fathered her newborn son - while the First Lady was undergoing secret cancer treatment.

When a high-profile murder case hits Sam’s desk, she’s shocked to uncover a connection to the presidential scandal. With the department caught up in its own internal scandals, and the chief’s job hanging by a thread, Sam questions who she can trust as her team uncovers information that clouds an already-murky case. And with calls for the president to resign getting louder by the minute, Sam needs to close this case before she finds herself living at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue....]]> Marie Force 1488207186 Jonetta 4 2025 Reread
No changes.

2020 Review
the setup�
D. C. Metro Police Lieutenant Samantha (Sam) Holland and husband Vice President Nick Cappuano are enjoying a hard earned dinner party with friends when they’re interrupted by a scandalous news break involving President Nelson. Details regarding his affair with a former member of his campaign has now made the headlines, along with the assertion that her newborn baby is his child. Nick wants this contained and the President to persevere because he doesn’t want the man to resign, forcing him to assume the job. As if that wasn’t bad enough, Sam’s handed a high profile murder case the next day and it’s directly connected to Nelson.

the heart of the story�
It’s hard to define what it is about this series that’s so entertaining but one of the reasons may be the depth of the character development. It’s a big cast but I feel like I know them all intimately. There’s always a thread dangling from past stories that continues to unravel or get pulled. Secondary storylines are an important staple, immersing this reader into a wonderful experience of revisiting people and situations that feel more than familiar. This storyline is a doozy and the murder even more perplexing. What seems obvious isn’t necessarily so and the victim led a complicated life. Participating in the investigation as Sam and her team doggedly pursue clues and leads is another highlight for me as I’m a big fan of police procedurals.

the narration�
Eva Kaminsky owns the voice and personality of Sam Holland and her partner Freddie Cruz. Some of the best scenes are between the two of them and she captures them and the rhythm of their conversations with perfect pitch. I switched to the audio version of the series after #3 and I’ll never go back. She adds too much to the stories.

the bottom line�
Even though I still have issues with Sam’s maturity (or lack thereof) from time to time, I admire her tenacity, courage and deep loyalty to friends, family and colleagues. This series will always be a high priority on my reading plans as the characters and stories remain fresh, intriguing and interesting. I hated reaching the end of this one.

(Thanks to Harlequin Audio for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)]]> 3.96 2019
author: Marie Force
name: Jonetta
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/26
date added: 2025/02/26
shelves: audiobook, romantic-suspense, publisher-review-request, 2020-beat-the-backlist-challenge, 200-utd, 2020-audiobook-challenge, 2020-finishing-the-series, 2020-in-2020, 5000-2020, nc-br-digital-library, 3500-2022
review:
2025 Reread
No changes.

2020 Review
the setup�
D. C. Metro Police Lieutenant Samantha (Sam) Holland and husband Vice President Nick Cappuano are enjoying a hard earned dinner party with friends when they’re interrupted by a scandalous news break involving President Nelson. Details regarding his affair with a former member of his campaign has now made the headlines, along with the assertion that her newborn baby is his child. Nick wants this contained and the President to persevere because he doesn’t want the man to resign, forcing him to assume the job. As if that wasn’t bad enough, Sam’s handed a high profile murder case the next day and it’s directly connected to Nelson.

the heart of the story�
It’s hard to define what it is about this series that’s so entertaining but one of the reasons may be the depth of the character development. It’s a big cast but I feel like I know them all intimately. There’s always a thread dangling from past stories that continues to unravel or get pulled. Secondary storylines are an important staple, immersing this reader into a wonderful experience of revisiting people and situations that feel more than familiar. This storyline is a doozy and the murder even more perplexing. What seems obvious isn’t necessarily so and the victim led a complicated life. Participating in the investigation as Sam and her team doggedly pursue clues and leads is another highlight for me as I’m a big fan of police procedurals.

the narration�
Eva Kaminsky owns the voice and personality of Sam Holland and her partner Freddie Cruz. Some of the best scenes are between the two of them and she captures them and the rhythm of their conversations with perfect pitch. I switched to the audio version of the series after #3 and I’ll never go back. She adds too much to the stories.

the bottom line�
Even though I still have issues with Sam’s maturity (or lack thereof) from time to time, I admire her tenacity, courage and deep loyalty to friends, family and colleagues. This series will always be a high priority on my reading plans as the characters and stories remain fresh, intriguing and interesting. I hated reaching the end of this one.

(Thanks to Harlequin Audio for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
]]> 222374133 Listening Length: 3 hours and 6 minutes

After taking in her estranged niece, a woman fears for her family’s lives in a domestic thriller by Reese’s Book Club pick author of The Last Mrs. Parrish.

Things have been different since Serena came to stay . . .

Ashley Bowers is shocked by the sudden death of her sister, whom she hasn’t seen or heard from in years. Grieving for the bond they once shared and wallowing in the knowledge that any chance of reconciliation is gone forever is one thing. Welcoming her sister’s thirteen-year-old daughter—a girl Ashley has never even met—into the home she shares with her husband and two children is another.

Ashley hopes Serena will blend in seamlessly with her family and their peaceful life in Maryland once they’ve both had a chance to process their loss. But as days become weeks, personalities clash and troubling incidents turn the Bowers residence into a whirlwind of accusation, denial, and fear.

It starts missing items, the dog inexplicably locked outside all night. But when the safety of her own children is threatened, Ashley starts to wonder if the tragedies in Serena’s past are unfortunate coincidences or something more sinister. Is Ashley’s orphaned niece simply acting out after the tragic passing of both her parents? Or is something far more dangerous going on under her own roof?

Dark secrets and unexpected twists will keep you guessing until the very end in My Sister’s Daughter, a captivating thriller that undoes puzzles of the past from New York Times–bestselling author Liv Constantine.]]> Liv Constantine Jonetta 0 3.90 2025
author: Liv Constantine
name: Jonetta
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/26
shelves: to-read, audiobook, mystery-suspense-thriller, short-stories
review:

]]> 122334780
"Glass weaves a taut web of suspicion, murder and revenge in this chilling tale."—Liv Constantine, internationally bestselling author of The Last Mrs. Parrish, on Someone's Listening

From the Edgar Award–nominated author of On a Quiet Street comes a shocking thriller about secrets…and the lengths some people will go to keep them.

Grace Holloway keeps to herself. Since narrowly escaping death at the hands of the man who kidnapped her, she’s thrown herself into the small inn she runs in Rock Harbor, Maine. It’s quiet, quaint and, in the off-season, completely isolated—the perfect place for Grace to keep her own secrets.

But Grace isn’t the only one with something to hide, and Rock Harbor isn’t just a sleepy vacation town. Someone is taking young women—girls who look an awful lot like Grace did when she was kidnapped so many years ago.

When a surge of disappearances brings the investigation to her door, Grace finds herself unwillingly at the center of it all and doing everything she can to keep her distance. Because Grace knows something…something that could change everything. And when the truth comes to light, getting justice for the vanished might be more than Grace can handle alone…]]> Seraphina Nova Glass Jonetta 0 3.68 2023
author: Seraphina Nova Glass
name: Jonetta
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/26
shelves: to-read, audiobook, nc-br-digital-library, mystery-suspense-thriller
review:

]]> 228349833
A theater critic at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe writes a vicious one-star review of a struggling actress he has a one-night stand with in this sharply funny, feminist tinderbox.

Alex Lyons always has his mind made up by the time the curtain comes down at a performance—the show either deserves a five-star rave or a one-star pan. Anything in between is meaningless. On the opening night of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, he doesn’t deliberate over the rating for Hayley Sinclair’s show, nor does he hesitate when the opportunity presents itself to have a one-night stand with the struggling actress.

Unaware that she’s gone home with the theater critic who’s just written a career-ending review of her, Hayley wakes up at his apartment to see his scathing one-star critique in print on the kitchen table, and she’s not sure which humiliation offends her the most. So she revamps her show into a viral sensation critiquing Alex Lyons himself—entitled son of a famous actress, serial philanderer, and by all accounts a terrible man. Yet Alex remains unapologetic. As his reputation goes up in flames, he insists on telling his unvarnished version of events to his colleague, Sophie. Through her eyes, we see that the deeper she gets pulled into his downfall, the more conflicted she becomes. After all, there are always two sides to every story.

A brilliant Trojan horse of a book about art, power, misogyny, and female rage, Bring the House Down is a searing, insightful, and often hilarious debut that captures the blurred line between reality and performance.]]> Charlotte Runcie Jonetta 0 0.0 2025
author: Charlotte Runcie
name: Jonetta
average rating: 0.0
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/24
shelves: to-read, audiobook, literary-fiction, library-hopeful, nc-br-digital-library
review:

]]> 228346268
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Kind Worth KillingĚý˛ą˛Ô»ĺĚýEight Perfect Murders comes an inventive, utterly propulsive murder-mystery in reverse, tracing a marriage back in time to uncover the dark secret at its heart.

Thom and Wendy Graves have been married for over twenty-five years. They live in a beautiful Victorian on the north shore of Massachusetts. Wendy is a published poet and Thom teaches English literature at a nearby university. Their son, Jason, is all grown up. All is well…except that Wendy wants to murder her husband.

What happens next has everything to do with what happened before. The story of Wendy and Thom’s marriage is told in reverse, moving backward through time to witness key moments from the couple’s lives—their fiftieth birthday party, buying their home, Jason’s birth, the mysterious death of a work colleague—all painting a portrait of a marriage defined by a single terrible act they plotted together many years ago.

Eventually we learn the details of what Thom and Wendy did in their early twenties, a secret that has kept them bound together through the length of their marriage. But its power over them is fraying, and each of them begins to wonder if they would be better off making sure their spouse carries their secrets to the grave.]]> Peter Swanson Jonetta 0 3.40 2025
author: Peter Swanson
name: Jonetta
average rating: 3.40
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/24
shelves: to-read, audiobook, library-hopeful, mystery-suspense-thriller, nc-br-digital-library
review:

]]> 216409411
A hopeless romantic meets a demoralized radio host in this cozy, Sleepless in Seattle-inspired love story from beloved author B.K. Borison.

Aiden Valentine has a secret: he's fallen out of love with love. And as the host of Baltimore's romance hotline, that's a bit of a problem. But when a young girl calls in to the station asking for dating advice for her mom, the interview goes viral, thrusting Aiden and Heartstrings into the limelight.

Lucie Stone thought she was doing just fine. She has a good job; an incredible family; and a smart, slightly devious kid. But when all of Baltimore is suddenly scrutinizing her love life-or lack thereof—she begins to question if she's as happy as she thought. Maybe a little more romance wouldn't be such a bad thing.

Everyone wants Lucie to find her happy ending... even the handsome, temperamental man calling the shots. But when sparks start to fly behind the scenes, Lucie must make the final call between the radio-sponsored happily ever after or the man in the headphones next to her.]]> 12 B.K. Borison Jonetta 5 the setup�
Aiden Valentine has a problem. He’s the host of a late-night romance radio call-in show called Heartstrings and is now feeling rather cynical about love. That is until he gets a call from twelve-year old Maya Stone who wants romantic help for her mom. Lucie Stone has a nice life…a job she loves, a great co-parenting relationship with Maya’s father and wonderful friends…but her love life is nonexistent though she still believes in romance. She overhears Maya on the phone and unknowingly ends up on the Heartstrings call. Listeners want more of Lucie and before you know it, she’s the subject of the program going forward, with Aiden in charge of helping her find her love match.

the heart of the story�
If you’re reminded of Sleepless in Seattle you’re not wrong and it’s a really great thing. This is that story where you adore both characters and know they’re perfect for each other at the onset. Even the listeners know it but these two need to get there on their own. The journey is fun, a little bit sexy, often hilarious and not without some heart aching moments. I had such high expectations and worried they wouldn’t be met but it hooked me early and never let go.

the narration�
E. J. Bingham was wonderful as Aiden and Hathaway Lee’s sultry tone was ideal for Lucie. They elevated these characters off the pages and told the story with loving care.

the bottom line�
I didn’t want this story to end so I’m grateful it’s the start of a series. Lucie’s optimism and Aiden’s ailing heart made them the perfect match on the air and as a potential couple. The secondary characters were equally engaging, making this a well rounded listening experience. Ticked every single romance box.

Posted on ]]> 4.04 2025
author: B.K. Borison
name: Jonetta
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/23
date added: 2025/02/23
shelves: audiobook, contemporary-romance, nc-br-digital-library, 3500-2022
review:
the setup�
Aiden Valentine has a problem. He’s the host of a late-night romance radio call-in show called Heartstrings and is now feeling rather cynical about love. That is until he gets a call from twelve-year old Maya Stone who wants romantic help for her mom. Lucie Stone has a nice life…a job she loves, a great co-parenting relationship with Maya’s father and wonderful friends…but her love life is nonexistent though she still believes in romance. She overhears Maya on the phone and unknowingly ends up on the Heartstrings call. Listeners want more of Lucie and before you know it, she’s the subject of the program going forward, with Aiden in charge of helping her find her love match.

the heart of the story�
If you’re reminded of Sleepless in Seattle you’re not wrong and it’s a really great thing. This is that story where you adore both characters and know they’re perfect for each other at the onset. Even the listeners know it but these two need to get there on their own. The journey is fun, a little bit sexy, often hilarious and not without some heart aching moments. I had such high expectations and worried they wouldn’t be met but it hooked me early and never let go.

the narration�
E. J. Bingham was wonderful as Aiden and Hathaway Lee’s sultry tone was ideal for Lucie. They elevated these characters off the pages and told the story with loving care.

the bottom line�
I didn’t want this story to end so I’m grateful it’s the start of a series. Lucie’s optimism and Aiden’s ailing heart made them the perfect match on the air and as a potential couple. The secondary characters were equally engaging, making this a well rounded listening experience. Ticked every single romance box.

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An American mathematician’s assignment in Russia spirals into a high-stakes maze of shifting loyalties and intrigue in a propulsive short thriller by #1New York Timesbestselling author Lee Child.

Nathan Tyler is an unassuming professor at a middling American university with a rather obscure specialty in mathematics—in short, a nobody from nowhere. So why is the White House calling? Summoned to Washington, DC, for a top-secret briefing, Nathan discovers that he’s the key to a massive foreign intelligence breakthrough. Reading between the lines of a cryptic series of equations, he could open a door straight into the heart of the Kremlin and change the global balance of power forever. All he has to do is get to a meeting with the renowned Russian mathematician who created it. But when Nathan crashes headlong into a dangerous new game, the odds against him suddenly look a lot steeper.]]> Lee Child Jonetta 4 the setup�
Nathan Tyler is a university professor and mathematician leading an ordinary and nondescript life, though he’s well respected for his knowledge and skill. Life changes one morning when he answers a call…from the White House. They want him to attend a math conference in Russia during a time when things are tense and rife with State Department warnings to avoid travel to the country. But Tyler needs to meet with a renowned Russian mathematician who holds the key to a cryptic Kremlin security code.

the heart of the story�
In the author’s classic style, the story moves swiftly without it feeling so and the plot moves just as smoothly. Not highly descriptive but effective at vividly imprinting the scenes. Just as I thought I knew where it was going the landscape radically changed.

the narrator�
James Anderson Foster’s low key narration ended up being ideal for the character and story. I didn’t fully appreciate his performance until the end. It was classic!

the bottom line�
I love short stories when they’re done well and this one is silkily smooth with powerful and subtle themes. I’m so glad I went against instincts (not in the mood for Russian misbehavior) and listened to this gem. Not a lot of words but just enough. 4.5 stars

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(Thanks to Brilliance Audio and NetGalley for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)]]> 3.83 2025
author: Lee Child
name: Jonetta
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/20
date added: 2025/02/20
shelves: audiobook, mystery-suspense-thriller, netgalley-audio-arc, publisher-review-request, 3500-2022
review:
the setup�
Nathan Tyler is a university professor and mathematician leading an ordinary and nondescript life, though he’s well respected for his knowledge and skill. Life changes one morning when he answers a call…from the White House. They want him to attend a math conference in Russia during a time when things are tense and rife with State Department warnings to avoid travel to the country. But Tyler needs to meet with a renowned Russian mathematician who holds the key to a cryptic Kremlin security code.

the heart of the story�
In the author’s classic style, the story moves swiftly without it feeling so and the plot moves just as smoothly. Not highly descriptive but effective at vividly imprinting the scenes. Just as I thought I knew where it was going the landscape radically changed.

the narrator�
James Anderson Foster’s low key narration ended up being ideal for the character and story. I didn’t fully appreciate his performance until the end. It was classic!

the bottom line�
I love short stories when they’re done well and this one is silkily smooth with powerful and subtle themes. I’m so glad I went against instincts (not in the mood for Russian misbehavior) and listened to this gem. Not a lot of words but just enough. 4.5 stars

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(Thanks to Brilliance Audio and NetGalley for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
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