Audiobook Review: Her Deadly Game by Robert Dugoni

Her Deadly Game
Author: Robert Dugoni
Narrator: Saskia Maarleveld
Series: Keera Duggan (Book 1)
Publication: Brilliance Audio (March 28, 2023)
Length: 11 hours

Description: A defense attorney is prepared to play. But is she a pawn in a master’s deadly match? A twisting novel of suspense by New York Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni.

Keera Duggan was building a solid reputation as a Seattle prosecutor, until her romantic relationship with a senior colleague ended badly. For the competitive former chess prodigy, returning to her family’s failing criminal defense law firm to work for her father is the best shot she has. With the right moves, she hopes to restore the family’s reputation, her relationship with her father, and her career.

Keera’s chance to play in the big leagues comes when she’s retained by Vince LaRussa, an investment adviser accused of murdering his wealthy wife. There’s little hard evidence against him, but considering the couple’s impending and potentially nasty divorce, LaRussa faces life in prison. The prosecutor is equally challenging: Miller Ambrose, Keera’s former lover, who’s eager to destroy her in court on her first homicide defense.

As Keera and her team follow the evidence, they uncover a complicated and deadly game that’s more than Keera bargained for. When shocking information turns the case upside down, Keera must decide between her duty to her client, her family’s legacy, and her own future.

My Thoughts: Keera Duggan was building a reputation as a Seattle prosecutor until her relationship with her boss went sour. Now, she's working for Duggan and Associates, a firm founded by her father and also staffed with two of her sisters. Her father is a noted attorney in town and an alcoholic who has messed up all of his kids. 

When the firm gets a call from Vince LaRussa, who is accused of murdering his wheelchair-bound wife, her older sister encourages her to take the case to build up the firm's failing reputation. Keera's eager in part because she'll be facing her old lover in court, and she knows his strengths and his weaknesses.

As a former chess prodigy Keera is used to sizing up her opponents. It is her client who seems the most obscure to her. She's having trouble getting to know and understand him. And when she starts getting anonymous emails from someone calling themself Jack Worthing providing information about her client's past her doubts are raised about his innocence. 

As she's preparing for the trial, following her mysterious emailer's directions, trying to build a theory that incorporates all the on-scene evidence, and playing a chess match with a person who plays under Black Knight, Keera is also dealing with her own problems with alcohol. 

With twists and turns and courtroom hijinks, this was an excellent thriller filled with intriguing people. 

I bought this one along with the Kindle copy for $1.99. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: Her Deadly Game by Robert Dugoni

 Happy Friday!

Book Beginnings is hosted by Gillion at Rose City Reader. She asks that the first sentence is posted along with the author and title of the book and the reader's initial thoughts on the sentence, the book, or anything else it inspires. 

Carrie at Reading Is My Superpower.org also provides a linky for sharing first lines and connecting with others. This meme asks that the chosen books be PG or marked as Mature if they are not. 

The Friday 56 is hosted by Freda at Freda's Voice. This meme is currently on hiatus but many of us are still including a sentence from page 56 or from 56% of the ebook. Anne @ Head Full of Books is picking up the slack until Freda is ready to return. I think this link will get you to the correct place. 

Beginning:

Seattle Violent Crimes Detective Frank Rossi drove over the street curb onto the Pioneer Square plaza pavers, the black Chevy's headlights reflecting the heavy rain, its windshield wipers slapping left and right in a futile effort to clear the glass. 

Friday 56:

Keera parked in her driveway adjacent to the elevated front walk leading to the nine-hundred-square-foot rambler she rented in the North Beacon Hill neighborhood once called Boeing Hill, because the homes were built in the 1950s and '60s for people going to work for the aerospace company.

This week I am spotlighting Her Deadly Game by Robert Dugoni. I recently got the Kindle and audiobook when they were on sale. This book begins a series. Here is the description from Amazon:

A defense attorney is prepared to play. But is she a pawn in a master’s deadly match? A twisting novel of suspense by New York Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni.

Keera Duggan was building a solid reputation as a Seattle prosecutor, until her romantic relationship with a senior colleague ended badly. For the competitive former chess prodigy, returning to her family’s failing criminal defense law firm to work for her father is the best shot she has. With the right moves, she hopes to restore the family’s reputation, her relationship with her father, and her career.

Keera’s chance to play in the big leagues comes when she’s retained by Vince LaRussa, an investment adviser accused of murdering his wealthy wife. There’s little hard evidence against him, but considering the couple’s impending and potentially nasty divorce, LaRussa faces life in prison. The prosecutor is equally challenging: Miller Ambrose, Keera’s former lover, who’s eager to destroy her in court on her first homicide defense.

As Keera and her team follow the evidence, they uncover a complicated and deadly game that’s more than Keera bargained for. When shocking information turns the case upside down, Keera must decide between her duty to her client, her family’s legacy, and her own future.

Audiobook Review: Beauty by Robin McKinley

Beauty
Author: Robin McKinley
Narrator: Charlotte Perry
Publication: Recorded Books
Length: 7 hours and 5 minutes

Description: The New York Times–bestselling author of Rose Daughter reimagines the classic French fairy tale of Beauty and the Beast.

I was the youngest of three daughters. Our literal-minded mother named us Grace, Hope, and Honour... My father still likes to tell the story of how I acquired my odd nickname: I had come to him for further information when I first discovered that our names meant something besides you-come-here. He succeeded in explaining grace and hope, but he had some difficulty trying to make the concept of honour understandable to a five-year-old... I said: ‘Huh! I’d rather be Beauty.’

By the time it was evident that I was going to let the family down by being plain, I’d been called Beauty for over six years. I wasn’t really very fond of my given name, Honour, either as if ‘honourable’ were the best that could be said of me.

The sisters’ wealthy father loses all his money when his merchant fleet is drowned in a storm, and the family moves to a village far away. Then the old merchant hears what proves to be a false report that one of his ships had made it safe to harbor at last, and on his sad, disappointed way home again he becomes lost deep in the forest and has a terrifying encounter with a fierce Beast, who walks like a man and lives in a castle. The merchant’s life is forfeit, says the Beast, for trespass and the theft of a rose—but he will spare the old man’s life if he sends one of his daughters: “Your daughter would take no harm from me, nor from anything that lives in my lands.” When Beauty hears this story—for her father had picked the rose to bring to her—her sense of honor demands that she take up the Beast’s offer, for “cannot a Beast be tamed?”

This “splendid story” by the Newbery Medal–winning author of The Hero and the Crown has been named an ALA Notable Book and a Phoenix Award Honor Book (Publishers Weekly).

My Thoughts: BEAUTY is a wonderful fairy tale adaptation. It is told by Beauty who is the youngest of a merchant's three daughters. When the merchant who owns his own fleet of ships runs into bad luck - storms, lost ships, lost cargo - it becomes necessary to sell everything and move out of the city.

Among the losses is the man the eldest daughter Grace loves. But the blacksmith who has been working in her father's shipyard and who loves the middle sister Hope has a solution. He has a chance to go back to the village where he was raised to open up the blacksmith's forge and offers to take them all with him. 

They find the journey difficult and the new lifestyle without servants to be hard, but they do adapt with the help of the locals. Beauty misses her life of scholarship but adapts to being the one able to do the harder work along with Greatheart, the large horse a friend in the city gave her. 

Time passes...Hope marries her blacksmith, Grace seems to be recovering from her grief for her lost sailor, and then word comes that one of their father's ships has made it home. He travels to take care of things and finds he has but a little money when everything is wrapped up. He buys a horse to take him home to his daughters. When he is nearly home, there is a sudden blizzard, and he gets lost in the magical forest that is near their home. He stumbles upon a mysterious castle and spends the night. 

When he is ready to leave in the morning, he decides to take one rose from the garden since the only thing Beauty had asked him to bring back was seeds to grow roses. This theft angers the castle's owner, and he demands one of the man's daughters as payment. 

Beauty, who was christened Honour, decides that she will be the one to repay her father's debt and finds herself in a magical castle complete with invisible servants, a library with books not yet written, and a lonely Beast. 

I loved the lyrical language and the well-developed personalities of the characters. This is still one of my favorites by this author and one of my favorite fairy tale adaptations. 

I bought this one during an Audible sale in October 2021. There doesn't seem to be a current buy link at Amazon. However, the audiobook is available at Chirp. 

Book Review: Murder Most Royal by SJ Bennett

Murder Most Royal
Author: SJ Bennett
Series: Her Majesty the Queen Investigates (Book 3)
Publication: William Morrow (September 26, 2023)

Description: "One imagines Christmas at the royal family’s country house at Sandringham Estate bustling with drama, but Bennett’s version raises the stakes... Bennett charmingly portrays relationships between royal family members." —Washington Post

Evidence that an aristocrat has gone missing—and was possibly murdered—near Sandringham House sets Queen Elizabeth II on the path to discover unsavory family secrets and much more in this new installment of the series the New York Times Book Review calls “sheer entertainment.”

Queen Elizabeth II is looking forward to a traditional Christmas gathering with her family in Sandringham when a shocking discovery interrupts holiday plans. A severed hand has been found—but even more unsettling, she recognizes the signet ring still attached to a finger. It belongs to a scion of the St Cyr family, her old friends from nearby Ladybridge Hall. Despite the personal connection, the Queen wants to leave the investigation to the police—that is, until newspapers drag her name into the matter.

As reporters speculate about the proximity of the crime to the Crown and the police fail to investigate a suspicious accident on her doorstep, Elizabeth quietly begins to mull over the mystery herself. With help from her Assistant Private Secretary, Rozie Oshodi, she delves into the interlocking layers of fact and fiction surrounding the high-profile case. Someone in the quiet county of Norfolk seems to have a secret worth killing for, and the Queen is determined to find out who and what that is—even if that means discovering that someone in her close circle is a murderer.

My Thoughts: It is 2016 and the ninety-year-old queen is spending Christmas in Sandringham with her family. The holidays begin inauspiciously when both Her Majesty and Prince Philip come down with colds and the flu. It gets even worse when a girl finds a hand on a beach near the royal residence and the Queen recognizes the signet ring on the hand's finger. 

Her Majesty calls on her Assistant Personal Secretary Rozie Oshodi to investigate what happened to Ned St. Cyr. The St. Cyrs have long been close to the Royal Family and Her Majesty recalls many happy times with them over the years though they have been seen less frequently in royal circles since the older generation of St. Cyrs passed away. 

Adding to the disappearance of Ned is a hit-and-run accident which gravely injured Judy Raspberry who is a long-time neighbor and the treasurer of the local Women's Institute. She might have been investigating odd occurrences on the same beach where the hand was found. Adding also is the suicide of one of St. Cyr's elderly tenants which takes away one of Her Majesty's sources of information about long held secrets. 

I enjoyed this fictional look inside the Royal Family. I liked the way the Queen inserts herself into the investigation while maintaining her distance. I liked the look back at the political events of 2016 with both Brexit and Trump taking place in the background of the Royal's Christmas. 

Rozie Oshodi is a great character too with her loyalty to the Queen and skills as an investigator. 

Favorite Quote:

"You look lovely now," Sophie said gamely. You could always rely on Sophie to say the right thing, even if in the teeth of the evidence. 

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: A Ruse of Shadows by Sherry Thomas

A Ruse of Shadows
Author: Sherry Thomas
Series: Lady Sherlock (Book 8)
Publication: Berkley (June 25, 2024)

Description: Charlotte Holmes is accustomed to solving crimes, not being accused of them, but she finds herself in a dreadfully precarious position as the bestselling Lady Sherlock series continues.

Charlotte’s success on the RMS Provence has afforded her a certain measure of time and assurance. Taking advantage of that, she has been busy, plotting to prise the man her sister loves from Moriarty’s iron grip.

Disruption, however, comes from an unexpected quarter. Lord Bancroft Ashburton, disgraced and imprisoned as a result of Charlotte’s prior investigations, nevertheless manages to press Charlotte into service: Underwood, his most loyal henchman, is missing and Lord Bancroft wants Charlotte to find Underwood, dead or alive.

But then Lord Bancroft himself turns up dead and Charlotte, more than anyone else, meets the trifecta criteria of motive, means, and opportunity. Never mind rescuing anyone else, with the law breathing down her neck, can Charlotte save herself from prosecution for murder?

My Thoughts: This is an episode filled with plots and schemes. Charlotte has managed to gain some protection from Lord Remington which has kept Moriarty temporarily at bay. However, Lord Bancroft is still a threat. And when he winds up dead, Charlotte is the prime suspect for his murder.

The story is told in a series of flashbacks since it begins with her under investigation for Lord Bancroft's murder. We see Charlotte and Mrs. Watson investigating a 25-year-old murder for Treadles. We see Livia staking out a house in Aix-en-Provence which might be the house where her Mr. Marbleton is being held by Moriarty. We see Paris where Charlotte and Livia's sister Bernadine is being held prisoner to guarantee that Charlotte does what Lord Bancroft demands. 

We also see Charlotte and many other characters investigating the disappearance of Mr. Underwood who is Lord Bancroft's long-time assistant. This investigation sees the return of Mrs. Farr who lost her younger sister in one of Charlotte's earlier cases and who has been looking for revenge ever since. 

I enjoyed this twisty tale very much. It was filled with intriguing characters. 

Favorite Quote:

"It is preferable, of course, not to be a damsel in distress in need of saving," said Charlotte to Lord Ingram. "But once in a while, a stylish rescue is quite refreshing."

I received this one from NetGalley in exchange for on honest review. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: The Third to Die by Alllison Brennan

The Third to Die
Author: Allison Brennan
Narrator: Suzanne T. Fortin
Series: A Quinn & Costa Thriller (Book 1)
Publication: Harlequin Audio (February 4, 2020)
Length: 11 hours and 52 minutes

Description: A notorious serial killer is back.

An edgy female police detective... An ambitious FBI special agent. Together, they are at the heart of the ticking-clock investigation for a psychopathic serial killer. The bond they forge in this crucible sets the stage for high-stakes suspense.

Detective Kara Quinn, on leave from the LAPD, is on an early morning jog in her hometown of Liberty Lake when she comes upon the body of a young nurse. The manner of death shows a pattern of highly controlled rage. Meanwhile in DC, FBI Special Agent Mathias Costa is staffing his newly minted Mobile Response Team. Word reaches Matt that the Liberty Lake murder fits the profile of the compulsive Triple Killer. It will be the first case for the MRT. This time, they have a chance to stop this zealous, if elusive, killer before he strikes again. But only if they can figure out who he is and where he is hiding before he disappears for another three years. The stakes are higher than ever before, because if they fail, one of their own will be next....

My Thoughts: Undercover detective from the LAPD Kara Quinn is visiting her grandmother in a suburb of Spokane when she comes across the body of a nurse on her morning jog. She gets involved in the investigation because she's a friend of the local detective and has more experience.

Meanwhile, FBI Special Agent in Charge Matt Costa has been tasked to form the Mobile Response Team which is the FBI's answer to getting more specialized law enforcement to areas that are underserved. He's just forming his team when he's sent to that small Spokane suburb because the killing is likely the same serial killer who has killed six other people. Each time the killer kills three people starting on March 3 and ending six days later. Then he disappears and doesn't reappear until three years later. 

Quinn, Costa, and Costa's team have six days to find the killer.

The story was packed with action and suspense. The characters were complex and compelling. The criminal organized, methodical, and insane. 

This is the first of a series. 

I bought this one at an Audible sale. I also own the Kindle version. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Pitch Dark by Paul Doiron

Pitch Dark
Author: Paul Doiron
Series: Mike Bowditch Mysteries (Book 15)
Publication: Minotaur Books (June 25, 2024)

Description: Game Warden Mike Bowditch must chase down a cunning and dangerous fugitive in the North Maine Woods in this nail-biter of a thriller from Edgar Award-nominated author Paul Doiron, Pitch Dark.

Legendary bush pilot Josie Jonson can’t believe her luck when a skilled builder just happens to show up after she purchases land near Prentiss Pond. All Mark Redmond asks in return for building Josie’s dream cabin is that he be left alone to homeschool his 12-year-old daughter, Cady.

For Maine game warden investigator Mike Bowditch, the intensity of Redmond's secretiveness is troubling, especially in light of suspicious criminal activity being reported around the area―including rumors of an armed man offering large sums of money in exchange for the location of Redmond and Cady. Josie, though hesitant to violate the trust of her prized builder, eventually agrees to fly Mike and his father-in-law Charley Stevens to the secluded pond in an attempt to protect Redmond and Cady. But hours after landing, the trip takes a dark turn when they witness a horrific murder and are taken captive themselves.

Freeing himself, Mike is forced to set off through the impenetrable Maine forest towards Canada, alone and unarmed in pursuit of a mysterious fugitive. As he navigates a windblown landscape choked with deadfalls and blocked by swollen streams, he marvels at his enemy’s bush craft. The killer possesses skills surpassing his own, and Bowditch can't tell if he is the cat or the mouse in this dangerous game. Can Mike Bowditch stop his adversary in time to save the life of a young girl, or will he be forced to watch another innocent soul die?

My Thoughts: Game Warden Mike Bowditch finds himself chasing a cunning killer through the deep woods on Maine near the Canadian border. A possible lost tourist starts the investigation. Since the missing man Hammond Pratt had been asking about a reclusive cabin builder. 

Since the cabin being built belongs to a friend of Mike's father-in-law and is a feisty type, Mike asks his father-in-law Charley to go along as they check out the builder and find out why the missing guy wants to find him. 

Josie Jonson takes them in her helicopter to the site of her new cabin. There they meet Mark Redmond and his daughter Cady. Soon after arrival, they find themselves drugged and tied up to trees. Mark and Cady damage their transportation and take off soon after Mike comes to. The Mike watches Josie die as a result of the drugs. Charley also comes to and is able to get himself untied and managed to untie Mike. 

Mike is determined to take off after Mark and Cady and bring Mark in for the murder of Josie. And so a wild chase through the wilderness begins...

Mike is both injured and short on equipment, but he is also determined to track down Redmond in part because he fears for his daughter. This missing man who started this investigation turns up and joins himself to Mike's search. It turns out he's a bounty hunter who has been after Redmond for a while.

The story was fast-paced and filled with action. I enjoyed the Maine wilderness as a setting. I like Mike's determined character and his willingness to throw his career over if that what he has to do to get his man. 

Favorite Quote:

I was certain our deliverance had been blessed by whatever saint looks out for grown men with the terrible judgment of teenage boys. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (June 17, 2024)

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.  It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

Want to See What I Added to My Stack? links to Stacking the Shelves hosted by Marlene at Reading Reality.

Other Than Reading...

This has been some week. I woke up Tuesday morning to no internet. I live on the internet. I couldn't catch up with Facebook friends. I couldn't listen to my audiobook. I didn't remember what book I was supposed to read after I finished my current one and couldn't check my Google calendar to find out. I had a couple of reviews to write but couldn't get to Blogger. And I couldn't play my computer games. Service wasn't restored until 2:30 PM. 

Then, sometime on Thursday, our refrigerator stopped working. We didn't discover it until Friday morning when my brother noticed that the ice cube bin was full of water. Then, he was off to work, and I had to try to find someone to repair it. I did manage to get a service appointment, but it isn't until Tuesday morning. Luckily, we do have a second refrigerator in our garage. I transferred everything to it but will likely be throwing out almost all of the food that was in the refrigerator freezer. That's the one we used for open packages like three kinds of potatoes, sausage patties, hamburger patties, chicken strips, cheeses, breads, and various partial bags of frozen vegetables and fruit. 

The garage refrigerator is smaller than the one in our kitchen and already had some things in it. It is now packed with at least 8 different kinds of mustard, 7 kinds of salad dressing, 5 kinds of pickles, and a couple dozen other assorted jars of ingredients and condiments along with fruits and vegetables, lunch meats and cheeses. I'm sure some of those things will also end up being thrown away since I'm not sure how long they were sitting without refrigeration, but for now, I just moved them. 

Meal planning for the next few days is a little tricky since we have no room to store any leftovers. This is more a psychological problem than a real one. We do have two freezers filled with food that were not at all affected by the refrigerator problem. It's not like we're going to starve. I'm off to the grocery store soon to get a few things like replacements for the sour cream, Top the Tater, and chip dip which I'll be throwing away. Heavy rain is expected today, and I don't want to get caught out in it. 

I'm looking forward to a much better week than last week (assuming the refrigerator is repaired on Tuesday). I'm planning to finish my July review books. I'm also anticipating the arrival of Winter Lost by Patricia Briggs. I left a spot for it on my calendar and can't wait to read it.

Read Last Week

• Flamebringer by Elle Katharine White (Mine since 9/7/2022) -- Finale in the Heartstone epic fantasy series. My review will be posted on July 6.
• One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day (Review; July 16) -- Twisty thriller which takes place at a hotel where the residents are locked in by a hurricane. My review will be posted on July 9.
• Lake Silence by Anne Bishop (Audiobook reread) 

• Shades of Mercy by Bruce Borgos (Review; July 16) -- Second Porter Beck thriller. Set in rural Nevada. This one has hackers, all the alphabet agencies, military drones, espionage and drug dealing. My review will be posted on July 9.
• Fledgling by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (Audiobook reread) -- First in the Theo Waitley story arc.
• Trouble in Queenstown by Delia Pitts (Review; July 16) -- First Vandy Myrick mystery. Black PI comes home to bigoted Queenstown, NJ, and finds herself involved in a murder investigation when a client's wife is murdered after Vandy has been hired to see if she's cheating on her husband. My review will be posted on July 10.

• Saltation by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (Audiobook reread) -- Second in the Theo Waitley story arc.
• The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer (Review; July 16) -- Excellent story. Magical realism. Framed as a fairy tale, this is a story of grief, romance, and magic. My review will be posted on July 11.
• Ghost Ship by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (Audiobook reread) -- Third in the Theo Waitley story arc.

Currently

• There's No Murder Like Show Murder by M. S. Greene (Review; July 23)
• Dragon Ship by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (Audiobook reread)

Next Week

• Primal Mirror by Nalini Singh (Review; July 23)
• The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish by Paula Brackston (Review; July 23)
• The Last Line by Scott Lyerly (Review; July 23)

• Fire & Heist by Sarah Beth Durst (Mine since 8/3/2023)
• Such Charming Liars by Karen M. McManus (Review; July 30)
• Havoc by Deborah J Ledford (Review; July 30)

Reviews Posted

• A Collection of Lies by Connie Berry (Review copy)
• A Liaden Universe Constellation Volume 5 by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (audiobook)
• A Deceptive Composition by Anna Lee Huber (Review copy)

• Sweetwater & the Witch by Jayne Castle (Audiobook)
• The Nature of Disappearing by Kimi Cunningham Grant (Review copy)
• Untraceable by Laura Griffin (Mine)

Want to See What I Added to My Stack Last Week?

Review:

• Cast in Atonement by Michelle Sagara (August 6)
• The Mirror by Nora Roberts (November 19)

Bought:

• Dog Day Afternoon by David Rosenfelt (Hardcover; gift from St. Martins)

What was your week like?

Book Review: Untraceable by Laura Griffin

Untraceable
Author: Laura Griffin
Series: Tracers (Book 1)
Publication: Pocket Books (November 10, 2009)

Description: With a “fast pace, tight plotting, terrific mystery, sharp dialogue, [and] fabulous characters” (Allison Brennan, New York Times bestselling author), this white-knuckled thrill ride follows an expert who helps her clients “disappear”—until she finds herself in the middle of a homicide investigation as the next victim.

Private investigator Alexandra Lovell uses computer skills and cunning to help clients drop off the radar and begin new lives in safety. Melanie Bess, desperate to escape her abusive cop husband, was one of those clients. But when Melanie vanishes for real, Alex fears the worst, and sets out to discover what happened.

Using every resource she can get her hands on—including an elite team of forensic scientists known as the Tracers, and a jaded, sexy Austin PD detective—Alex embarks on a mission to uncover the truth. But as far as homicide cop Nathan Deveraux is concerned, no body means no case. Yet his instincts—and his visceral attraction to Alex—won’t let him walk away.

As a grim picture of what really happened begins to emerge, Nathan realizes this investigation runs deeper than they could ever have guessed. And each step nearer to the truth puts Alex in danger of being the next to disappear.

My Thoughts: Alex Lovell is a private investigator whose bread-and-butter is insurance claims, but her love is helping women in trouble disappear. Melanie Bess needed her help to get away from her abusive husband, and Alex was there for her. But now Melanie has dropped off the radar and Alex's investigations indicate that she has come back to Austin and might have been murdered. 

She goes to Nathan Deveraux who is a detective with the Austin Police Department. He isn't eager to investigate because Alex doesn't have any proof and also because Alex suspects Melanie's husband who is also a member of the Austin Police Department. 

She and Nathan are both investigating but Nathan is also investigating some other murders which may or may not be related to Alex's investigation. 

The story was action-packed and fast-paced. I liked Alex's determination to find her missing client even though she is being followed by bad guys. I liked the Delphi Center which was an interesting private center for forensic investigation. I liked that Alex's computer skills makes her someone Delphi wants to recruit. I also liked the slow burn romance between Nathan and Alex. 

Favorite Quote:

"You want to know the first rule of murder investigation? It's real simple. Have a body."

"I told you, she's--"

"Yeah, I know, she's missing. If your really thing something happened to this girl, you need to get down to the police station and fill out a missing-person report. Get it on record, along with your suspicions about her husband."

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: Untraceable by Laura Griffin

 Happy Friday!

Book Beginnings is hosted by Gillion at Rose City Reader. She asks that the first sentence is posted along with the author and title of the book and the reader's initial thoughts on the sentence, the book, or anything else it inspires. 

Carrie at Reading Is My Superpower.org also provides a linky for sharing first lines and connecting with others. This meme asks that the chosen books be PG or marked as Mature if they are not. 

The Friday 56 is hosted by Freda at Freda's Voice. This meme is currently on hiatus but many of us are still including a sentence from page 56 or from 56% of the ebook. Anne @ Head Full of Books is picking up the slack until Freda is ready to return. I think this link will get you to the correct place. 

Beginning:

Melanie bumped along the pitted road, almost certain she wasn't lost. She peered through the darkness and drizzle, searching for nonexistent landmarks.

Friday 56:

"How'd your interview go?" she asked, and he caught an edge in her voice. Or maybe he's imagined it. 

This week I am spotlighting Untraceable by Laura Griffin. This one was a BookBub deal. It appealed to me because it is the first in a series and I have read and enjoyed other books by the author. Here is the description from Amazon:

With a “fast pace, tight plotting, terrific mystery, sharp dialogue, [and] fabulous characters” (Allison Brennan, New York Times bestselling author), this white-knuckled thrill ride follows an expert who helps her clients “disappear”—until she finds herself in the middle of a homicide investigation as the next victim.

Private investigator Alexandra Lovell uses computer skills and cunning to help clients drop off the radar and begin new lives in safety. Melanie Bess, desperate to escape her abusive cop husband, was one of those clients. But when Melanie vanishes for real, Alex fears the worst, and sets out to discover what happened.

Using every resource she can get her hands on—including an elite team of forensic scientists known as the Tracers, and a jaded, sexy Austin PD detective—Alex embarks on a mission to uncover the truth. But as far as homicide cop Nathan Deveraux is concerned, no body means no case. Yet his instincts—and his visceral attraction to Alex—won’t let him walk away.

As a grim picture of what really happened begins to emerge, Nathan realizes this investigation runs deeper than they could ever have guessed. And each step nearer to the truth puts Alex in danger of being the next to disappear.

Audiobook Review: Sweetwater and the Witch by Jayne Castle

Sweetwater and the Witch

Author: Jayne Castle
Narrator: Barbara Rosenblat
Series: Harmony (Book 15)
Publication: Recorded Books (September 20, 2022)
Length: 9 hours and 1 minute

Description: Welcome to the world of Harmony, where—despite its name, things are anything but—danger lurks just beneath the surface in this new novel by New York Times bestselling author, Jayne Castle.

If there's something Ravenna Chastain knows, it's when to end things. And after she almost winds up the victim of a cult that believes she's a witch, it's easy to walk away from her dead-end career, ready for a new start. But where to find a job that would allow her to use her very specialized skill set? The answer is clear: she becomes a matchmaker.

But even a successful matchmaker can't find someone for everyone, and Ravenna considers Ethan Sweetwater her first professional failure. After nine failed dates, Ravenna knows it's time to cut Ethan loose. But Ethan refuses to be fired as a client—he needs one final date to a business function. Since Ravenna needs a date herself to a family event, they agree to a deal: she will be his (business) date if he will be her (fake) date to her grandparents' anniversary celebration.

What Ethan fails to mention is that attending the business function is a cover for some industrial espionage that he's doing as a favor to the new Illusion Town Guild boss. Ravenna is happy to help, but their relationship gets even more complicated when things heat up—the chemistry between them is explosive, as explosive as the danger that's stalking Ravenna. Lucky for her, Ethan isn't just an engineer—he's also a Sweetwater, and Sweetwaters are known for hunting down monsters...

My Thoughts: Working as a profiler for the Federal Bureau of Psi Investigation proves to be a little more dangerous than Ravenna Chastain had anticipated. After being kidnapped by a cult that wanted to burn her as a witch, she decided to make a career change. 

Now a matchmaker in Illusion Town, she only has to deal with finding matches for covenant marriages for her clients. But Ethan Sweetwater isn't the sort of client the business is looking for. He is a member of one of the premier families on Harmony with talents that reach back to the old world of Earth, but his strong talents and inclination to secrecy makes it hard to find a perfect match for him. 

Ravenna wants to fire him, but Ethan demands his final contracted date, and he wants it to be with her. This has some positives for Ravenna too since she needs to find a date to her grandparents' anniversary party. Agreeing to "fake" date him to give him some pointers on his dating techniques should be a simple exercise. However, his ulterior motives put both of them in the crosshairs of a man who wants Sweetwater dead before he can expose his connection with Vortex. 

And Ravenna has an enemy of her own who wants her dead. Both Ethan and Ravenna find themselves beset by a variety of enemies. But Ethan's biggest problem is convincing Ravenna that their "fake" dates should lead to a real covenant marriage. 

Narrated by Barbara Rosenblat, the story moves along at a quick pace. The banter between the two takes on a new life when the story is heard rather than read. And there is a lot of banter...

Fans of Harmony and dust bunnies will also like getting to know Harriet who has a penchant for collecting pens. 

I bought this one at an Audible sale. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: The Nature of Disappearing by Kimi Cunningham Grant

The Nature of Disappearing
Author: Kimi Cunningham Grant
Publication: Minotaur Books (June 18, 2024)

Description: In this captivating novel of suspense from the USA Today bestselling author of These Silent Woods, a wilderness guide must team up with the man who ruined her life years ago when the friend who introduced them goes missing.

Emlyn doesn't let herself think about the past.

How she and her best friend, Janessa, barely speak anymore. How Tyler, the love of her life, left her half dead on the side of the road three years ago.

Her new life is simple and safe. She lives alone in her Airstream trailer and works as a fishing and hunting guide in scenic Idaho. Her closest friends are the community's makeshift reverend and a handsome Forest Service ranger who took her in at her lowest.

But when Tyler shows up with the news that Janessa is missing, Emlyn is propelled back into the world she worked so hard to forget. Janessa has become a social media star, documenting her #vanlife adventures with her rugged boyfriend. She hasn't posted lately, though, and when Emlyn realizes the most recent photo doesn't match up with its caption, she reluctantly joins Tyler to find her old friend. As the two trace Janessa's path through miles of wild country, Emlyn can't deny the chemistry still crackling between them. But the deeper they press into the wilderness, the more she begins to suspect that a darker truth lies in the woods―and that Janessa isn't the only one in danger.

Poignant, suspenseful, and unforgettable, Kimi Cunningham Grant's THE NATURE OF DISAPPEARING explores what it takes to start over―and the cost of letting the past pull you back in.

My Thoughts: THE NATURE OF DISAPPEARING centers around Emlyn who is a fishing and hunting guide in Idaho. Before that she was the child of a depressed mother and a father who disappeared from her life. And she was a poor college student who kept to herself for fear of being a person easy to leave behind.

She met Janessa as a college freshman when Janessa saved her from some overaggressive college boys at a local diner. The two become inseparable with Janessa as the charismatic leader and Emlyn the quiet follower. Emlyn is mostly content to let Janessa make her decisions for her. 

At least she is until she meets Tyler, Janessa's childhood friend. Emlyn and Tyler become a couple but Tyler's addiction to drugs leads to their breakup which comes to a head when he leaves her for dead in the wilderness.

Rescued by a forest ranger and cared for by an older woman, Emlyn decides to leave her past behind and build a new life. She's doing well until a couple of years later when Tyler comes to find her because Janessa, who has become a social media darling, is missing in the wilderness.

Together the two of them head into the wilderness to try to find Janessa. Along the way, Emlyn learns things Tyler doesn't want her to know about himself. And she learns that she is much stronger and competent than she has ever thought she was. 

There is a mystery here with moments of danger, but for me this was mostly Emlyn's story showing her growth and the changes she has gone through. Fans of thrillers will be engaged and so will fans of people exploring their lives. 

Favorite Quote:

If there's one thing her twenty-eight years have taught her, it's that there are people in this world who inspire loyalty and devotion, and there are people who are forgettable and leavable. She is the latter. A stepping stone, a place marker, a seasonal employee. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: A Deceptive Compostion by Anna Lee Huber

A Deceptive Composition
Author: Anna Lee Huber
Series: Lady Darby Mysteries (Book 12)
Publication: Berkley (June 18, 2024)

Description: Lady Kiera Darby and her dashing husband, Sebastian Gage, hope they’ve finally found peace after a tumultuous summer, but long-buried family secrets soon threaten to unravel their lives . . .

October 1832. Kiera is enjoying the slower pace of the English countryside. She, Sebastian, and their infant daughter have accompanied her father-in-law, Lord Gage, home so that he can recuperate from the injuries he sustained in a foiled attempt on his life. But as the chill of autumn sweeps across the land, they receive a summons from an unexpected quarter. Lord Gage’s estranged uncle—a member of the notorious Roscarrock family—has been murdered, and his family is desperate for answers. Despite Lord Gage’s protests, Kiera and Sebastian press on to Cornwall to assist.

It isn’t long before they discover that almost nothing is as it seems among the Roscarrocks, and they’ve been lured to their isolated cove under false pretenses. There are whispers of a lost treasure and frightening allusions to a series of murders stretching back decades that touch the lives of the family personally. Kiera and Sebastian are left with no choice but to uncover the truth before the secrets of the past threaten to destroy them all.

My Thoughts: The twelfth book in the Lady Darby mystery series takes place in 1832. Keira, Sebastian, and their six-month-old daughter are staying with Sebastian's father as he recovers from almost being killed. Things are finally going well with her father-in-law who has finally accepted her. And he is besotted with his granddaughter. 

Then a letter arrives from Lord Gage's estranged family. He learns that his uncle has died in a suspicious manner and his aunt wants them all to come and investigate. Lord Gage left almost fifty years earlier when his choice was to be tried for smuggling or join the Navy. He had a successful Navy career, but he never forgot the betrayal he felt at being sent away. 

Keira and Gage manage to convince him to got to his relatives in Cornwall because they are curious. However, the quickly learn that the bad feelings haven't gone away in fifty years and that everyone is lying to them about one thing or another. 

Besides the smuggling which the family has not abandoned, there is also the question of some hidden treasure that the family wants found and believes that Lord Gage can locate. 

This was an entertaining story with lots of twists and turns and lots of interesting characters. 

Favorite Quote:

"Do you never tire of being impertinent?"

I turned away, unwilling to admit I didn't always understand where that line was. "Not when there's a question to be asked. Not when there's an answer that needs to be given," I replied instead. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: A Liaden Universe Constellation Book Five by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller

A Liaden Universe Constellation 5
Author: Sharon Lee & Steve Miller
Narrator: Kevin T. Collins
Series: Liaden Universe Constellation
Publication: Tantor Audio (December 26, 2023)
Length: 14 hours and 41 minutes

Description: Tales of the Liaden Universe brought together for the first time. Space opera and romance on a grand scale in a galaxy full of interstellar trading clans.

STORYTELLING ON AN EPIC SCALE

For more than thirty years, the Liaden Universe novels by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller have captivated fans with their unique blend of action adventure, science fiction, and interpersonal relationships. In addition to over twenty novels (and counting), Lee and Miller have written dozens of shorter works based in the Liaden Universe, featuring the strong characterization, detailed world-building, wit, and derring-do that listeners of the series adore.

Sure to delight longtime fans and newcomers alike, these tales highlight why the nationally bestselling Liaden Universe novels are treasured by space opera aficionados, with amazing settings, strong characterizations, compelling romance, and edge-of-the-chair action in stories that range from cosmic to comic.

My Thoughts: This collection of ten stories from the Liaden Universe has copyrights from 2019 to 2021. All the stories have been previously published in a wide variety of venues from chapbooks to themed anthologies. 

The stories vary in length and theme and reason for being. Some of discovery stories that fill in the background or catch up on characters who have roles in the novels. Others are told about brand-new characters in previously unexplored parts of the Liaden Universe. 

All of the stories were well-written and entertaining. Quite a few of the stories seem to touch on the Liaden concept of Luck from Mar Tyn's discovery story Fortune's Favors to Preferred Seating which tells of the days when the small talents were exiled from Liad and taken to a planet deep in the Ambient. Ambient Conditions is a companion story to Preferred Seating told from a different point of view. 

The story I liked the best was Dead Men Dream because I had been wondering whatever happened to Bar Jan and his man after his delm declared him dead after his fight with Jethri Gobelyn ven'Deelin. The story was filled with action, danger, and character growth. 

Fans of the Liaden Universe will enjoy having all of these shorter works conveniently to hand in one collection. 

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: A Collection of Lies by Connie Berry

A Collection of Lies
Author: Connie Berry
Series: Kate Hamilton Mystery (Book 5)
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (June 18, 2024)

Description: In USA Today bestselling author Connie Berry’s fifth Kate Hamilton mystery, American antiques dealer Kate Hamilton follows bloodstained clues to discover the truth about the murder of a modern-day Victorian gentleman.

As Kate Hamilton and her new husband, DI Tom Mallory, honeymoon in Devon, a local history museum asks them to trace the provenance of a bloodstained dress said to belong to a Victorian lacemaker accused of murder. If genuine, the dress and its puzzling connections to a nineteenth-century Romani family who camped on Dartmoor will be the centerpiece of a new historic crimes exhibit—exactly Kate’s kind of mystery. But matters turn deadly when a shot is fired during a fundraising gala, injuring the man who donated the dress.

The injured donor, Gideon Littlejohn, is a cybersecurity expert who lives and dresses as a Victorian gentleman, but everyone believes the real target of the attack to be another attendee—a controversial politician intent on rooting out local corruption. This belief is overturned when Gideon is found dead in a pool of blood. But then the politician receives a death threat.

Who was the real target? Who would want to kill both a man with an obsession for history and a tough-on-crime politician? When asked to assist in the investigation, Kate races to discover the truth, as it becomes clear the killer isn’t going to come quietly.

My Thoughts: Tom Mallory and Kate Hamilton are on their honeymoon in Devon when a local history museum asks them to trace the provenance of a bloodstained dress that they want to use as the centerpiece of a Crimes in Devon exhibit. 

This investigation seems to be just what they are looking for. Tom is contemplating changing careers from the police to private investigation and Kate has had success in unraveling other historical puzzles. And Kate is pleased that the investigation won't put them in danger since they are both still bruised after their last adventure. 

But a gunshot at a museum fundraising gathering and the murder of the man who donated the dress to the exhibit put both of them back in the middle of a danger-filled mystery. The first mystery is just who the supposed victim of the shooting was supposed to be. The donor, Gideon Littlejohn, is a cybersecurity expert who is determined to live as a Victorian gentleman and is busy making his home into what was typical for the time period. But standing next to him was Teddy Pearce who is a newly elected member of Parliament who comes from a troubled past. 

While Tom is drafted into working for the local police, Kate finds herself investigating the bloodstained dress and its supposed owner Nancy Thorne who was a lacemaker. With no documentation but a forged note saying the dress belonged to Nancy who was also accused as a murderer, Kate begins research with the help of a local librarian who is a great researcher and intrigued by the mystery.

While it seems that the two investigations are separate, it soon begins to come clear that the investigations are related and finding out the provenance of the dress could lead to the contemporary murder. This was an interesting mystery with lots of local history in the story. From a drowned town to Romani culture, there are all sorts of interesting details. 

Fans of the series will enjoy this latest episode.  

Favorite Quote:

"Actually, I was thinking about historical mysteries in general. Uncovering the past. Everyone involved is long gone. No crime, no danger."

I never learn.

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (June 10, 2024)

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.  It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

Want to See What I Added to My Stack? links to Stacking the Shelves hosted by Marlene at Reading Reality.

Other Than Reading...

This was another pretty ordinary week. 

I did have an unexpected dentist's visit when I chipped off the filling on one of my front teeth. Naturally, I chipped it on a Thursday night and couldn't get in to see my dentist until the next Tuesday afternoon. There was no pain, but it was inconvenient to only eat things I didn't have to bite for 4 1/2 days. 

The weather was changeable. We had rain or the threat of rain all week. The rainiest day was the 4th when we got 1.48 inches. We did manage to make some solar power each day though we didn't hit 50kWh even once.

I sort of threw my planned reading out the window and decided to read all of the rest of the Sparks & Bainbridge mysteries including the newest which won't be released until July 30. They will all be reviewed sometime in July which does help fill the July calendar, but I usually read books in the order that they appear on the calendar and am feeling a bit unsettled about skipping around. 

As a part of that unsettled feeling, I am currently reading three books. Two of them are not really grabbing me but I won't be abandoning them. I'm making mini-goals, i.e. read 10% of one and be rewarded by listening to my audiobook for an hour. I keep hoping that one or the other will grab me so that I keep reading past the 10% goal, but it hasn't happened yet. 

Next week's schedule has a bunch more July review books on it. Some of them are carryovers from this week's plans. I have no out-of-the-house appointments or plans for the week. Reading and baseball are keeping me busy enough. 

Read Last Week

• A Royal Affair by Allison Montclair (Chirp Audiobook) -- The second in the Sparks & Bainbridge mystery series. My review will be posted on July 4.
• A Rogue's Company by Allison Montclair (Chirp Audiobook) -- The third in the Sparks & Bainbridge mystery series. My review will be posted on July 11.
• The Unkept Woman by Allison Montclair (Chirp Audiobook) -- The fourth in the Sparks & Bainbridge mystery series. My review will be posted on July 18.

• Dragonshadow by Elle Katharine White (Mine since 9/7/2022) -- Middle book in the Heartstone trilogy. This epic fantasy has great worldbuilding. My review will be posted on July 2.
• The Lady from Burma by Allison Montclair (Audiobook reread) -- Another Sparks & Bainbridge mystery (fifth). I like the setting and time period. I also like the way the mystery and the characters' personal stories are interwoven. My review will be posted on July 23.
• Murder at the White Palace by Allison Montclair (Review; July 30) -- Another excellent Sparks & Bainbridge mystery. I really hope the ending was a cliffhanger for the next book. My review will be posted on July 25. 

• The Burning by Linda Castillo (Review; July 19) -- 16th Kate Burkholder mystery. I like the characters and the Amish country setting. My review will be posted on July 3.
• Etched in Bone by Anne Bishop (Audiobook Reread) -- Finale of the series that began with Written in Red. 

Currently

• One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day (Review; July 16)
• Lake Silence by Anne Bishop (Audiobook Reread)
• Flamebringer by Elle Katharine White (Mine since September 7, 2022)

Next Week

• Shades of Mercy by Bruce Borgos (July 16)
• Trouble in Queenstown by Delia Pitts (July 16)
• The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer (July 16)

• There's No Murder Like Show Murder by M. S. Greene (July 23)
• Primal Mirror by Nalini Singh (July 23)
• The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish by Paula Brackston (July 23)

Reviews Posted

• Love Bites by Cynthia St. Aubin (Audiobook)
• Ribbon Dance by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller
• Just Some Stupid Love Story by Katelyn Doyle (Review copy)

• The Vampire Book Club by Nancy Warren 
• Heartstone by Elle Katharine White
• A Killing in the Hills by Julia Keller (Audiobook)

Want to See What I Added to My Stack Last Week?

Review:

• The Night Woods by Paula Munier (October 8)
• Fondue or Die by Korina Moss (October 22)
• The Gardener's Plot by Deborah J. Benoit (November 5)

Bought:

• Ribbon Dance by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (Hardcover & Kindle)
• The Lady from Burma by Allison Montclair (Kindle & Audiobook)

What was your week like?