Book Review: Trust No One (Devlin & Falco #1) by Debra Webb

 

Title: Trust No One (Devlin & Falco #1)

Author: Debra Webb 

Stars: 5

Review:

Debra Web bring together a pair of police detectives that are about to take on the dark seedy underbelly of their city while trying to figure out this new partnership. 

Trust No One is your typical conspiracy thriller but with the flare of Debra Webbs characters that are both honest and true to the person they become.

The story has it moments of Oh Crap as well as yea I saw that coming.  the character development from Detective Kerri Devlin and her martial issues that feel so personal readers will feel her pain.  The personal issues that will almost take Kerri Devlin to her knees only brings her back fighting harder for the truth.

Trust No One isn't just a dark conspiracy thriller on politics but has head soul and love that readers will not be able to get enough.

Thank you to the Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of Debra Webb Trust No One.

Synopsis:

It’s the worst possible time for Detective Kerri Devlin to be involved in an all-consuming double-homicide case. She’s locked in a bitter struggle with her ex-husband and teenage daughter, and her reckless new partner is anything but trustworthy.

Still, she has a job to do: there’s a killer at large, and a pregnant woman has gone missing. Once Devlin and her partner get to work, they quickly unearth secrets involving Birmingham’s most esteemed citizens. Each new layer of the investigation brings Devlin closer to the killer and the missing woman, who starts looking more like a suspect than a victim.

But just as answers come into view, the case twists, expands, and slithers into Devlin’s personal life. There’s a much more sinister game at work, one she doesn’t even know she’s playing—and she must unravel the truth once and for all to stop the killer before she loses everything

Paperback, 428 pages

Published August 1st 2020 by Thomas & Mercer

About The Author:

With more than four million books in print in numerous languages and countries, Debra’s love of storytelling goes back to her childhood when her mother bought her an old typewriter in a tag sale. Born in Alabama, Debra grew up on a farm. She spent every available hour exploring the world around her and creating her stories. She wrote her first story at age nine and her first romance at thirteen. It wasn’t until she spent three years working for the Commanding General of the US Army in Berlin behind the Iron Curtain and a five-year stint in NASA’s Shuttle Program that she realized her true calling. A collision course between suspense and romance was set. Since then she has expanded her work into some of the darkest places the human psyche dares to go

Book Review: Blunt Force (Tennison #6) by Lynda La Plante

Title: Blunt Force (Tennison #6)

Author: Lynda La Plante

Stars: 4

Review:
A gritty British Police Procedural story that takes you into the murder of a prominent show business executive. During the course of the investigation you, the reader, will be be taken down several unsavory paths as justice is seen to be done and the killer identified and arrested. But during this time you will be exposed to other possible crimes, two of which, I feel were clearly unraveled and solved satisfactorily. However, it is the third crime(?) Which will leave you wondering what is the complete story and was justice done. I have my opinion and I will leave it to you the reader to reach your own conclusion.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and have rated it 4 stars.

I was provided an electronic Advance Readers Copy (ARC) by Netgalley for my unbiased review. The above review is my honest review and is not influenced in any way.

Thank you Frank for your review!

Synopsis:
Jane Tennison must navigate the salacious world of theatre to solve a brutal murder in the heart of London's West End, in the brilliant new thriller from the Queen of Crime Drama, Lynda La Plante.

Things can't get much worse for detective Jane Tennison. Unceremoniously kicked off the adrenaline-fuelled Flying Squad, she now plies her trade in Gerald Road, a small and sleepy police station in the heart of London's affluent Knightsbridge.

With only petty crime to sink her teeth into, Tennison can feel her career slowly flatlining. That is until the discovery of the most brutal murder Jane has ever seen: Charlie Foxley has been found viciously beaten to death with a cricket bat - his body dismembered and disembowelled.

As a big-time theatrical agent, Foxley had a lot of powerful friends - but just as many enemies. And alongside her old friend DS Spencer Gibbs, Tennison must journey into the salacious world of show business to find out which one is the killer, before they strike again.

Paperback, 448 pages

Expected publication: August 25th 2020 by Zaffre

About The Author:
Lynda La Plante (born Lynda Titchmarsh) is a British author, screenwriter, and erstwhile actress (her performances in Rentaghost and other programmes were under her stage name of Lynda Marchal), best known for writing the Prime Suspect television crime series.

Her first TV series as a scriptwriter was the six part robbery series Widows, in 1983, in which the widows of four armed robbers carry out a heist planned by their deceased husbands.

In 1991 ITV released Prime Suspect which has now run to seven series and stars Helen Mirren as DCI Jane Tennison. (In the United States Prime Suspect airs on PBS as part of the anthology program Mystery!) In 1993 La Plante won an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for her work on the series. In 1992 she wrote at TV movie called Seekers, starring Brenda Fricker and Josette Simon, produced by Sarah Lawson.

She formed her own television production company, La Plante Productions, in 1994 and as La Plante Productions she wrote and produced the sequel to Widows, the equally gutsy She's Out (ITV, 1995). The name "La Plante" comes from her marriage to writer Richard La Plante, author of the book Mantis and Hog Fever. La Plante divorced Lynda in the early 1990s.

Her output continued with The Governor (ITV 1995-96), a series focusing on the female governor of a high security prison, and was followed by a string of ratings pulling miniseries: the psycho killer nightmare events of Trial & Retribution (ITV 1997-), the widows' revenge of the murders of their husbands & children Bella Mafia (1997) (starring Vanessa Redgrave), the undercover police unit operations of Supply and Demand (ITV 1998), videogame/internet murder mystery Killer Net (Channel 4 1998) and the female criminal profiler cases of Mind Games (ITV 2001).

Two additions to the Trial and Retribution miniseries were broadcast during 2006.

Book Review: The Silence (Columbia River #2) by Kendra Elliot

Title: The Silence (Columbia River #2) 

Author: Kendra Elliot 

Stars: 5

Review:
Guess who is back!!  That's right Ava and Mason!!!  Oh my gosh readers this is the book you have been waiting for and it will not disappoint the most die hard of readers!!  Kendra Elliot brings back some amazing characters will updates as well as the perfect story telling that will keep readers up late into the night.  
The end of the book is everything readers have been waiting for!
The story is everything you have comes to love from this amazing author.  I can't say enough this is a CAN'T MISS Book!!!
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance copy of Kendra Elliot The Silence.


Synopsis:
A man is savagely murdered outside Portland, and Detective Mason Callahan finds blood-spatter evidence that tells a troubling story. Files reveal the murder victim, Reuben Braswell, was a radical conspiracist. In his home, investigators find pages of diatribes against law enforcement as well as ties to Mason’s fiancée, FBI special agent Ava McLane. The victim was her informant—and had strong reasons to be paranoid.

To Ava, Braswell’s rants were those of a wearying and harmless man…until they collide with her investigation into the murders of police officers and finding the connection becomes urgent. Meanwhile, Braswell’s brother and Ava’s twin sister both disappear, and disturbing acts of sabotage target Ava’s personal life.

For Mason and Ava, the brutal crimes and escalating mysteries create a perfect storm for a terrorist conspiracy that becomes dangerously personal—one that has yet to claim its last victim.

Kindle Edition, 1st edition, 288 pages

Expected publication: August 25th 2020 by Montlake

About The Author:
She grew up in the lush Pacific Northwest and still lives there with her family and three cats. She's fascinated with forensics, refuses to eat anything green, and dreams of living every day in flip flops.

Book Review: Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Stories of Light and Dark by Lou Anders

Title: Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Stories of Light and Dark 

Author:  Lou Anders  and Many Other Authors

Stars: 5

Review:
This is perfect book for your little Star Wars fans who might be to young for the adult series but old enough they would be bored with the easy readers
This book is for all ages, parents kids, movie and TV series loves of Star Wards this is the perfect read.
Each authors voice, heart and soul in written in the words of this anthology that will bring young to Star Wars fans and future fans.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher and netgalley.

Synopsis:
From Anakin to Yoda, Count Dooku to Darth Maul, this exciting middle grade anthology will recount different explosive events from The Clone Wars from the points of view everyone's favorite characters--with each character written by a different popular author.

A great overview for kids new to the series and a treat for fans!

Hardcover, 352 pages

Expected publication: August 25th 2020 by Disney Lucasfilm Press

About The Author:
Lou Anders is the author of Frostborn, Nightborn, and Skyborn, the three books of the Thrones & Bones series of Norse-themed fantasy adventure novels written for boys and girls equally. Anders is the recipient of a Hugo Award for editing and a Chesley Award for art direction. He was the 2016 Thurber House Childrens' Writer in Residence, and spent a month teaching, living, and writing in the haunted house of James Thurber. He has published over five hundred articles and stories on science fiction and fantasy television and literature. A prolific speaker, Anders regularly attends writing conventions around the country. . He and his family reside in Birmingham, Alabama

Contributors: Lou Anders, Tom Angleberger, Preeti Chhibber, Zoraida Córdova, Sarah Beth Durst, Jason Fry, Yoon Ha Lee, Rebecca Roanhorse, Anne Ursu, Greg van Eekhout

Book Review: We Are All the Same in the Dark by Julia Heaberlin

Title: We Are All the Same in the Dark

Author: Julia Heaberlin

Stars: 4

Review:
We are all the Same in the Dark is a slow burning, nail biting, mystery that will stay with reader long after they have put the book down.
The cast of characters and the unique three points of view will have readers keeping all the lights on while they are reading this book wondering what will happen next.
This is the first time I have read a book by this author and I will say you will not regret this thriller mystery that will keep you wanting more!
This book might not be for everyone but it doesn't disappoint either.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy of Julia Heaberlin We Are All the Same in the Dark

Synopsis:
It's been a decade since Trumanell Branson disappeared, leaving only a bloody handprint behind. Her pretty face still hangs like a watchful queen on the posters on the walls of the town's Baptist church, the police station, and in the high school. They all promise the same thing: We will find you. Meanwhile, her brother, Wyatt, lives as a pariah in the desolation of the old family house, cleared of wrongdoing by the police but tried and sentenced in the court of public opinion and in a new documentary about the crime.

When Wyatt finds a lost girl dumped in a field of dandelions, making silent wishes, he believes she is a sign. The town's youngest cop, Odette Tucker, believes she is a catalyst that will ignite a seething town still waiting for its own missing girl to come home. But Odette can't look away. She shares a wound that won't close with the mute, one-eyed mystery girl. And she is haunted by her own history with the missing Tru.

Desperate to solve both cases, Odette fights to save the lost girl in the present and to dig up the shocking truth about a fateful night in the past--the night her friend disappeared, the night that inspired her to become a cop, the night that wrote them all a role in the town's dark, violent mythology.

Hardcover, 352 pages

Expected publication: August 11th 2020 by Ballantine Books

About The Author:
Julia Heaberlin is the author of the international bestseller BLACK-EYED SUSANS and PAPER GHOSTS, a finalist for Best Novel of the year by the International Thriller Writers. WE ARE ALL THE SAME IN THE DARK, her latest psychological thriller, has received a starred review from Publishers Weekly. Her books have sold to more than twenty countries, including two other psychological thrillers set in Texas, PLAYING DEAD and LIE STILL. A journalist, she has long held an interest in true crime and its lasting psychological effects on victims. Her books have examined themes of the Texas death penalty, dementia, prosthetics, and the power of DNA technology. Before writing novels, she was an award-winning editor for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, The Detroit News, and The Dallas Morning News. (Almost) a native Texan, Heaberlin lives in the Dallas/Fort Worth area where she is at work on her next book. 

Book Review: The White Coat Diaries by Madi Sinha

Title:  The White Coat Diaries

Author: Madi Sinha

Stars: 5

Review:
It is very seldom that I find myself at a loss for words when I review a book. But, in this case, I am having difficulty finding the right words to describe what I feel about what the writers intent was for the reader. That she has a flair for light comedy; drama; budding romance; truth will prevail; coming of age (a little older than most)? What ever the author's intent she had my attention from the first pages until the final page. I laughed. I cried. I enjoyed her foray into romance. I delighted in the heroines coming of age and the accepting of responsibility for her actions. But the ending was brilliant and leaves me waiting for the next phase of this character's story.

I highly recommend this book to readers who are looking for a refreshing change to the usual fare offered the reading public. I have rated this book 5 stars.

I received an ARC from Netgalley for my unbiased review.

Thank you Frank for your Review

Synopsis:
Grey’s Anatomy meets Scrubs in this brilliant debut novel about a young doctor’s struggle to survive residency, love, and life.

Having spent the last twenty-something years with her nose in a textbook, brilliant and driven Norah Kapadia has just landed the medical residency of her dreams. But after a disastrous first day, she's ready to quit. Disgruntled patients, sleep deprivation, and her duty to be the "perfect Indian daughter" have her questioning her future as a doctor.

Enter chief resident Ethan Cantor. He's everything Norah aspires to be: respected by the attendings, calm during emergencies, and charismatic with the patients. As he morphs from Norah’s mentor to something more, it seems her luck is finally changing.

When a fatal medical mistake is made, pulling Norah into a cover-up, she must decide how far she’s willing to go to protect the secret. What if “doing no harm” means risking her career and the future for which she’s worked so hard? 

Paperback, 304 pages

Expected publication: September 15th 2020 by Berkley

About The Author:

Madi Sinha is a writer and practicing physician who loves the nervous system, bookshops, tea with milk and snarky conversation (but not necessarily in that order). She lives in New Jersey with her husband and two children.

​

The White Coat Diaries is her first novel.

Book Review: The Hacker (The Consultants #2) by Nancy Herkness

Title: The Hacker (The Consultants #2)

Author: Nancy Herkness 

Stars: 3

Review:
I didn't read the first in the series but was told he can be read as a stand a lone.  The story is blah nothing stand out as the characters life moves from moment to moment.  Dawn isn't enough of what reader might be hoping for and Leland is well just as bland.
The story flows and the writing is ok.  Nothing stands out giving this the book that readers might be looking for in a romance or a mystery.
The book is bland, boring and very much self absorbed with its own story telling. 

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy of Nancy Herkness The Hacker.

Synopsis:
Dawn Galioto is an expert in self-defense and the most in-demand personal trainer at her Jersey gym—a perfect position for a woman fighting her way out of a troubled past and the anxieties that come with it. Then, after complaints about baffling Wi-Fi glitches at the gym, Dawn calls in disarmingly hot, high-powered computer consultant Leland Rockwell. If she can trust anyone to fix her on-the-job problems, it’s Leland. As for healing her off-hours fears, time will tell.

The cybersecurity genius of KRG, Leland sees a lot to admire in Dawn. She’s strong, quick-witted, and sexy. And something of a puzzle—one Leland wants very much to solve. If only she’d let him. Every new reveal brings him intimately closer to Dawn, but there’s another, more dangerous riddle to decipher. After going undercover to solve her Wi-Fi problem, Leland’s found a dark workplace secret. As Dawn’s past threatens a burgeoning romance, the deepening mystery they’re discovering threatens their lives.

Kindle Edition, 1st edition, 280 pages

Expected publication: August 4th 2020 by Montlake

About The Author:
Nancy Herkness is the author of the award-winning Second Glances, Wager of Hearts, and Whisper Horse series, published by Montlake Romance, as well as several other contemporary romance novels. She is a two-time nominee for the Romance Writers of America’s RITA® award.

Nancy has received many honors for her work, including the Golden Leaf Award, the Maggie Award in Contemporary Romance, and the National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award. She graduated from Princeton University with a degree in English literature and creative writing.

A native of West Virginia, Nancy now lives in suburban New Jersey with two tabby cats.

Book Review: Once You Go This Far (Roxane Weary #4) by Kristen Lepionka

Title: Kristen Lepionka 

Author: Once You Go This Far (Roxane Weary #4)

Stars: 4

Review:
I would recommend you do not start with book 4.
Roxane is perfectly flaws characters that readers will be able to fall in love with her.  Readers will be there as she struggles though life, understanding and the fear she fells. 
The story will take readers into a world that takes you hand as you work with Roxane as she struggles to under what happened to a woman she barely met.
The story has a wonderful flow and characters who come to life and bring readers into their world wanting more as the story comes to an end.
This reader will go back and read the first of the Roxeane Weary Series.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of Kristen Lepionka Once You Go This Far 

Synopsis:
Junior-high school nurse Rebecca Newsome was an experienced hiker, until she plummeted to her death to the bottom of a ravine in a Columbus metro park. Her daughter, Maggie, doesn't believe it was an accident, and Rebecca's ex-husband is her prime suspect. But he's a well-connected ex-cop and Maggie is certain that's the reason no one will listen to her. Roxane quickly uncovers that the dead woman's ex is definitely a jerk, but is he a murderer?

As she pieces together the days before Rebecca died, Roxane finds a series of trips to Detroit and across the border into Windsor, Canada, major withdrawals from her checking account, and more contacts with a casino manager than a middle-aged school nurse from Toledo should reasonably have.

When the investigation leads to Leila Hassan, the cunning con artist who got away in What You Want to See, Roxane is determined not to make the same mistake twice by falling for Leila's lies--except she might actually be telling the truth this time. Roxane needs to figure out the connection between Leila, a secretive church group, a women's health organization, and Rebecca's fall in the woods...before a dangerous secret gets someone else killed.

Hardcover, 320 pages

Published July 7th 2020 by Minotaur Books

About The Author:
Kristen Lepionka is the author of the Roxane Weary mystery series. Her debut, The Last Place You Look, won the Shamus Award for Best First P.I. novel and was also nominated for Anthony and Macavity Awards. She grew up mostly in a public library and could often be found in the adult mystery section well before she was out of middle school. Her writing has been selected for Shotgun Honey, McSweeney's Internet Tendency, Grift, and Black Elephant. She lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her partner and two cats. She is represented by Jill Marsal of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.