Tag: murder mystery

Fatal Option, by Chris Beakey

fatal-option
Image belongs to Post Hill Press.

Chris Beakey’s newest novel is Fatal Option.

Five Months ago, Stephen Porter’s wife died mysteriously in a car crash on the side of a mountain. Tonight, his 17-year-old daughter, Sara, calls in the middle of the night, crying hysterically, stranded on that same mountain in a blinding snowstorm. Stephen just went to sleep after binge drinking his wife’s death from his mind, and he knows he’s in no shape to drive. But he has no choice, so he sets off to bring Sara home.

Kieran O’Shea is also out in the snowstorm:  to bring his autistic brother, Aidan, home. Kieran is all Aidan has, but Kieran is afraid that he’ll lose Aidan if anyone ever finds out about the voices in his head. Then there’s the three murdered women… Soon Stephen and Kieran are on a collision course with disaster, one that will bring dark secrets to life, and reveal the truth of Stephen’s wife’s death. Sometimes, there are no easy choices.

This was a hard book to read. It isn’t easy. There are no clear-cut “good” guys or “bad” guys. You’ll feel sympathy for every single character…but disgust and probably anger as well. In the end, Fatal Option is about choices, and how they change us.

(Galley provided by Post Hill Press.)

Unpunished, by Lisa Black

unpunished
Image belongs to Kensington.

Lisa Black has worked as a forensic scientist. Unpunished is the second novel in the Gardiner/Renner books.

Maggie Gardiner is investigating the death of a copywriter at The Cleveland Herald, whose body was found late one night hanging from the printing machinery. Instead of a suicide, like first suspected, the death turns out to be murder, and is followed quickly by others, leaving Maggie no choice but to put her trust in the one person she doesn’t want to:  detective Jack Renner, whose dark secret haunts her every second.

For Maggie knows this dark secret:  that Jack is behind the vigilante killings that have eliminated murderers and other horrible criminals, criminals the law never gave justice to. But Maggie insists Jack stay on the right side of the law now, a pact that may haunt her, as Jack’s abilities may be the only thing that helps them solve the newspaper murders.

Unpunished was a new-to-me series. I love crime/forensic novels, and enjoy guessing the most unlikely characters as the murderer. While this novel had an interesting backstory, I think I probably would have enjoyed it more if I’d read the first one.

(Galley provided by Kensington.)

Two Days Gone, by Randall Silvis

two-days-gone
Image belongs to Sourcebooks Landmark.)

Randall Silvis is the award-winning author of more than a dozen novels, a play, a screenplay, and numerous essays. His newest novel is Two Days Gone.

Thomas Huston is a best-selling author, a respected professor, and an involved family man. He’s invested in the community, and people love him. So, when everything changes in an instant, and his wife and three kids are found brutally murdered and he vanishes—making him the prime suspect—detective Ryan DeMarco wants to know why:  why would this man, who seems to have everything, suddenly snap?

DeMarco knows Huston, and doesn’t believe the man capable of the brutal murders. But if Huston is innocent, where is he? Why is he hiding? And what did he uncover while researching his newest novel? The questions far outnumber the facts as DeMarco races the clock to uncover the truth about the life of Thomas Huston.

Two Days Gone has the lyrical feel of literary fiction, yet it’s also a murder mystery. Thomas Huston is an enigma; driven and loving in his life “before,” haunted and determined in the “after.” The characters live and breathe on the page, and had me up late into the night to see where the story was headed.

(Galley provided by Sourcebooks Landmark.)

Don’t Tell Anyone, by Eleanor Gray

dont-tell-anyone
Image belongs to Midnight Ink.

Don’t Tell Anyone is the newest novel from Eleanor Gray.

Grace Neville lost her teenage daughter, Tara, months ago in a brutal murder. Now she watches numbly as Jordan Dukes is sentenced for the crime. While Grace still struggles to adjust to her new life, Jordan’s father approaches her, claiming that his son is innocent and that justice has landed on the wrong person. Jordan’s violent history in a gang makes Grace skeptical…until someone breaks into her home and goes through Tara’s things.

Now Grace is asking questions, questions that hint at dark secrets she never imagined. And someone will do anything to keep those secrets from getting out.

Don’t Tell Anyone is a fast-paced, engrossing read. Grace is a character I truly cared about, deeply scarred and struggling to find her way to shore before hidden secrets drag her back under. I was not prepared for the revelations she uncovered.

(Galley provided by Midnight Ink via NetGalley.)

No Witness but the Moon, by Suzanne Chazin

no-witness-but-the-moon
Image belongs to Kensington books.

Suzanne Chazin is the award-winning author of the Fire series and the Jimmy Vega novels. Her newest novel is No Witness but the Moon, the third Jimmy Vega novel.

Police detective Jimmy Vega is called to the scene of an upscale home invasion and sees a man fitting the description of the armed invader fleeing into the woods. Jimmy follows, and when the suspect reaches into his pocket, is forced to make the decision no good cop wants to make:  to shoot or not to shoot.

Jimmy’s choice upends lives in the New York community, as well as Jimmy’s relationship with his girlfriend, Adele, head of a local immigrant center. Jimmy’s investigation uncovers links between the dead man and his own mother’s brutal, unsolved murder, and Jimmy’s status as a disgraced cop only lends further scrutiny to his action. Jimmy’s discovery of shocking evidence makes him realize that someone doesn’t want the truth about what happened out there, and that someone will do anything to stop him finding out.

No Witness but the Moon is fiction about the issues of today, including racial profiling, immigration, and cop shootings. As such, it feels very relevant and on-point, but it also explores the way the media portrays events to suit its need for a sensational story…not the need to tell the truth. Jimmy Vega is a good character:  he’s a good cop forced to make a hard choice, and dealing with the consequences of his actions as he accepts the responsibility while also struggling to find out the truth.

(Galley provided by Kensington via NetGalley.)

The Cabin, by Natasha Preston

the-cabin
Image belongs to Sourcebooks Fire.

Natasha Preston is a New York Times bestselling author from England. Her newest novel is The Cabin.

It’ been a rough year for Mackenzie and her friends. They lost two of their group in a car accident months ago, and things have not been the same since. Now, with graduation looming, they decide to celebrate at Josh’s parents’ cabin in the woods. Sounds fun, right?

Right up until the moment when they find two of their group brutally murdered. And with no signs of forced entry, that means one of the five survivors is the killer. With all eyes upon them, Mackenzie’s life—and those of her friends—will never be the same. She can’t stand not knowing what happened, but when her efforts to figure it out result in another death, Mackenzie starts to wonder just how well she really knows her friends.

The Cabin is creepy in a spine-tingling, looking-over-your-shoulder way. The characters are great, vibrant with life and their relationships are complex. Like Mackenzie, I didn’t want to believe one of them was the killer. Unlike Mackenzie, I’m positive I wouldn’t have gone back out into the woods looking for clues. If you’re looking for a read that will suck you in and keep you flipping the pages, grab this one!

(Galley provided by Sourcebooks Fire via NetGalley.)

A Whole Latte Murder, by Caroline Fardig

a-whole-latte-murder
I do not own this image. Image belongs to Alibi.

Caroline Fardig is the author of the Java Jive Mysteries series. The newest novel, A Whole Latte Murder, hit shelves last week.

Juliet’s life has been looking up. Business at Java Jive, the coffee shop she runs, is booming. Her romance with hot cop Ryder is heating up. And she hasn’t found any dead bodies in weeks. Then Ryder gets promoted to homicide, and Juliet’s happiness turns to fear, as she contemplates his involvement with the worst kind of criminals.

Worse yet, girls are going missing in Nashville, and the city is on edge. Chelsea, Juliet’s neighbor, is especially nervous, and Juliet tries to calm her fears. But when Juliet finds Chelsea dead, she ends up right in the middle of Ryder’s first homicide investigation, a situation neither of them are happy about. Then Pete, Juliet’s best friend, winds up in the mix as one of the coffee shop employees goes missing. Now Juliet and Pete want to help find her, and all Ryder wants is Juliet to stay out of the way. What’s a girl to do when a killer’s on the loose?

The Java Jive books are a fantastic series of books. Light-hearted and funny, with plenty of pitfalls and antics, they are sure to have the reader laughing. A Whole Latte Murder is no exception, as Juliet continues to be a magnet for trouble and her curiosity keeps landing her in hot water. A fun, entertaining murder mystery!

(Galley provided by Alibi via NetGalley.)

Nutshell, by Ian McEwan

nutshell
I do not own this image. Image belongs to Doubleday.

Ian McEwan is an award-winning English author. His most recent novel is Nutshell.

Trudy left her husband, John, making him leave the dilapidated but priceless family home in London. John is a poet, a romantic dreamer that Trudy once loved madly. Now she loves Claude, John’s banal, boring brother. But taking Trudy from John isn’t enough for Claude:  he wants John’s life as well.

There’s just one problem, the witness to their plan. The nine-month-old resident of Trudy’s womb, her son with John.

Nutshell is written from the most interesting perspective I’ve ever read:  that of an unborn—but very aware—baby. Trudy and Claude are unlikeable characters, but the baby is fascinating. That viewpoint alone makes this book worth reading, but the book is very well-written, and will keep the reader guessing until the end.

(Galley provided by Doubleday via NetGalley.)

Mug Shot, by Caroline Fardig

Mug Shot cover
(I do no own this image. Image belongs to Random House/Alibi.)

 

Caroline Fardig is the bestselling author of the Java Jive Mysteries series, as well as the Lizzie Hart series. Her newest novel, Mug Shot, is the second book in the Java Jive Mysteries.

Life has been super busy for Juliet Langley since taking over the management of her best friend Pete’s coffeehouse. Working every day doesn’t leave much time for romance, and Juliet throws herself into getting ready for the Holiday 5k fundraiser organized by Pete’s rich, snobby girlfriend. Since Cecilia is in charge, Juliet knows everything has to be perfect, and she makes sure it is. Until she stumbles over Cecilia’s body the morning of the event.

When Pete is arrested for the murder, Julia sets out to find out who the real killer is, defying her ex-boyfriend, a local Lothario, and her friend Savannah’s good-intentioned “help” to do so. But the real conflict is with Nashville’s high society upper class, who all seem to think Pete is guilty. Juliet is not above upsetting a few grande dames to clear Pete’s name. She just has to solve the puzzle before she becomes the next target.

Mug Shot lets the reader get to know Juliet just a bit better, and the high spirits continue as the mystery deepens. The characters are entertaining and lively, with lots of antics and bad luck to keep the reader hooked.

(Galley provided by Random House/Alibi via NetGalley.)

 

Skeleton Plot, by J.M. Gregson

(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Severn House.)
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Severn House.)

J.M. Gregson is an English writer who taught for 27 years before moving to writing full-time. He writes about a variety of subjects, from golf to murder. His newest book, Skeleton Plot, is a Lambert and Hook Mystery, and hits shelves September 1st.

When a teenager helps his grandfather with the gardening, he finds a skull buried in the ground. An old skull. No one knows whom it belongs to, or if they do, they aren’t admitting to it. Now detectives John Lambert and Bert hook are investigating a cold case from 20 years ago.

In the small community where the skull is found, most people know everyone else, so it’s no surprise that everyone has a theory about who killed the victim. A lucky break identifies the remains, but doesn’t help narrow down the suspect list. The pair of detectives will have to see past the pointing fingers and festering animosities of bygone conflict if they are to figure out who’s responsible for the mysterious skull.

Skeleton Plot is the latest in a long line of Lambert and Hook books, but new readers will have no problem keeping up. The characters are distinctive and realistic, with all the drama common in small towns. This is a standard police drama that will feel comfortable to readers of this genre.

(Galley provided by Severn House via NetGalley.)