Mailbox Monday

Tuesday: (01/03/23)
The Senator’s Wife by Liv Constantine~ eBook from Random House-Ballentine via NetGalley
Wednesday: (01/04/23)
Her Father’s Daughter by T.M. Dunn~ eBook from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley
The Revenge List by Hannah Mary McKinnon~ eBook from Harlequin via NetGalley
Night Angels by Weina Dai Randel ~ eBook via Amazon Prime
Someone Else’s Life by Lyn Liao Butle~ eBook from Amazon Prime
Saturday: (01/07/23)
The Block Party by Jamie Day~ eBook from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley

Happy New Year!

Did you notice I was MIA? It’s been a rough 15 months and have been in and out of the hospital. Besides neck surgery, there were also major medical issues, which caused many hospitalizations. So many that I have lost count!!! I’m not going to bore you with the details.

Besides the medical issues, there was another issue that threw me for a loop and that was reading!!!!! I only read 7 books! this past year! I am mortified to say that number out loud and share that little nugget of info with this great book blogging community. It’s not like I didn’t have books to read, that wasn’t the problem, I just didn’t have the desire.

I need a jump start! If you know me, visit or follow my blog, then you know I’m a challenge addict! And it’s that time of the year! I am hoping that this is the kick in the butt that I need to get back on track. The funny thing is, I have only finished a few challenges in the past years that I had signed up for but I find the challenges to be fun so this year I’m only going to sign up for several that I have enjoyed in the past. My challenge page will be HERE where you can see which ones I plan on participating in. There will also be links if you want to join too!!

From our house to yours, may you have a blessed and happy day, filled with love, peace, laughs, family, friends, and delicious food, especially desserts (wink, wink) 😉

Mailbox Monday

Tuesday: (08/02/22)
Bleeding Heart Yard by Elly Griffiths~ eBook from Mariner Books via NetGalley
Wednesday: (08/03/22)
Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister ~ eBook from Harper Collins via NetGalley
The New Neighbor by Karen Cleveland~ eBook from Random House via NetGalley
A Harvest Of Secrets by Roland Merullo ~ eBook from Prime First Reads
Saturday: (08/06/22)
All He Has Left by Chad Zunker ~ eBook from Amazon Pub via NetGalley
Quarter To Midnight by Karen Rose ~ eBook from Berkley Pub via NetGalley

A mesmerizing, twisty suspense novel perfect for fans of Mary Kubica and Riley Sager from an acclaimed author! Explore the deep bonds—and deadly secrets—between two very different sisters haunted by the crimes of their father murdered nearly twenty years earlier…

At first glance, Natalie Cavanaugh and Glenn Abbott hardly look like sisters. Even off-duty, Natalie dresses like a Boston cop, preferring practical clothes and unfussy, pinned-up hair. Her younger sister, Glenn, seems tailor-made for the spotlight, from her signature red mane to her camera-ready smile. Glenn has spent years cultivating her brand through her baking blog, and with the publication of her new book, that hard work seems about to pay off. But her fans have no idea about the nightmare in Glenn and Natalie’s past.

Twenty years ago, their father’s body was discovered in the woods behind their house. A trauma like that doesn’t fit with Glenn’s public image. Yet, maybe someone reading her blog does know something. There have been anonymous online messages, vague yet ominous, hinting that she’s being watched. And with unsettling coincidences hitting ever closer to home, both Glenn and Natalie soon have more pressing matters to worry about, especially when a dead body is found in an abandoned building . . .

Natalie is starting to wonder how much Glenn really knows about the people closest to her. But are there also secrets Natalie has yet to uncover about those she herself trusts? For two decades, she’s believed their father was murdered by their neighbor, with whom he was having an affair. But if those events are connected to what’s happening now, maybe there’s much more that Natalie doesn’t know. About their father. About their neighbors. About her friends. Maybe even about herself.

But there are no secrets between sisters . . . are there?

Caveat

I have been in a major reading slump, and I mean MAJOR!! I hadn’t picked up a book since February of this year. It’s not that I didn’t have any books, or the books that I do have were not calling my name, I just didn’t have the desire to read. I’m guessing that the dry patch with my reading was due to months of me having to deal with multiple medical issues.

Then one day I received an email that I subscribe to and this email was definitely “talking” to me. There were a few titles mentioned that would help with reading slumps so I had nothing to lose at that point. I replied, explained my situation, and that The Secrets We Share by Edwin Hill sounded like my kind of book. Did it work? Did it end my reading slump?

Plot

As the synopsis asks, do the 2 Cavanaugh sisters have secrets, that you will need to read this exciting book to find out? But there are many secrets floating around among the characters, which kept this reader turning the pages as quickly as I could. The plot chilling at times and definitely thrilling.

Characters

I could easily picture the characters in my head and feel their emotions. Three-dimensional and relatable.

Setting

The setting took place in Massachusetts, which is the state right next door to me. It was very familiar to me as we have visited often, being only an hour away. While reading the book I felt that I was there. Matter of fact, one day, we had to drive into Boston for a doctor’s appointment and I read all the way there and back. Good thing my husband was driving. I was so engrossed that I had blocked out the loud music that my husband enjoys and that the hour drive flew by.

Negatives

For me, the number of characters being introduced in a short period of time was the only negative.

Before and after I choose a book to read, I will read some reviews of the book, which this time benefitted me. There were many characters, and some of the reviews mentioned this and people found it hard to keep track of them all which made them give up. Having known this from the reviews, I was prepared by making a little flow sheet as to the characters, their relatives, their relationships, etc. so that I could look at it while reading. I suggest future readers definitely do this so that one doesn’t miss out on a terrific read.

For me, the number of characters being introduced in a short period of time was the only negative.

Ending/Conclusion

The ending was definitely shocking. The suspect was on my list as to who it coiuld be, but then, I thought a lot of the characters could be the suspect. What impressed me, was that the “ending/conclusion” was wrapped up with only a few pages left in the story. Not only was it a Wait, What? moment in the end, there were many of those same thoughts several times throughout the book. This reader had to stop and reread what I had just read to make sure I read it correctly and at the same time, picking my jaw up off the floor

Overall opinion

This is the first book I read by this author but I will definitely be putting him on my radar. I enjoyed his writing style, whereas I could picture the story in my mind as if it was a movie.

I highly encourage you to look past other reviews that find the number of characters to be too much and confusing and make notes that I suggested earlier in this review. Don’t let that sway you because you will be missing out on a captivating read that grabs you from the start to the very last word.

An unremitting spine-chilling read!! It definitely ended my major reading slump!!! Thank you Alex!

I received a complimentary copy from Kensington Books in exchange for my honest review.

Purchase Links: Amazon 🔗 | Barnes & Noble 🔗 | Goodreads 🔗

Synopsis:

Revenge knows no deadline.

Although told to stand down now that the Chechen rebel who killed her fiancé is dead, CIA analyst Maggie Jenkins believes otherwise and goes rogue to track down the assassin. Soon it becomes clear that failure to find Zara will have repercussions far beyond the personal, as Maggie uncovers plans for a horrific attack on innocent Americans. Zara is the new face of terrorism–someone who doesn’t fit the profile, who can slip undetected from attack to attack, and who’s intent on pursuing a personal vendetta at any cost.

Chasing Zara from Russia to the war-torn streets of Chechnya, to London, and finally, to the suburbs of Washington, D. C., Maggie risks her life to stop a deadly plot.

Praise for The Wayward Assassin:

“Ouellette, herself a former intelligence analyst for the CIA, imbues the exciting action with authenticity. Readers will want to see more of the wily Maggie . . .”
—Publishers Weekly

“Every once in a decade you read a book like The Wayward Spy, which is thrilling, addictive, and sends you reading more thrillers, but you’ll go back to this stunning book by Susan Ouellette and reread this tour de force.”
—The Strand Magazine, a Top 12 Book of the Year

Book Details:

Genre: Thriller
Published by: CamCat Books
Publication Date: March 15, 2022
Number of Pages: 416
ISBN: 0744304784 (ISBN13: 9780744304787)
Series: The Wayward Series, Book 2 || Each is a Stand Alone Book
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads | IndieBound.Org | CamCat Books

Read an excerpt:

Author Bio:

Susan Ouellette is the author of The Wayward Spy, a thriller that Publishers Weekly calls a “gripping debut and series launch.” She was born and raised in the suburbs of Boston, where she studied international relations and Russian as both an undergraduate and graduate student. As the Soviet Union teetered on the edge of collapse, she worked as a CIA intelligence analyst. Subsequently, Susan worked on Capitol Hill as a professional staff member for the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI). Since her stint on Capitol Hill, she has worked for several federal consulting firms. Susan lives on a farm outside of Washington, D.C. with her family.

What was the inspiration for this book?

There were two inspirations for THE WAYWARD ASSASSIN. First, is my career in the intelligence world. After working as a CIA analyst in college and graduate school, I took a job on Capitol Hill working for the House Intelligence Committee. It was there, tucked away in a secure room in the attic of the U.S. Capitol Building, where I came up with my series’ protagonist, Maggie Jenkins, an intelligence analyst who uncovered threats to the United States and corruption at the highest levels of power. The second inspiration came from real world events. I hesitate to use the word “inspiration” for the real world event that anchored this story, so let’s just call it a “marker” in my life. In 2004, Chechen separatists in Russia killed hundreds of people in an attack on a school in Beslan, Russia. As a mother of school-aged children, this event captured my attention like no event since the September 11th attacks. I started writing fictionalized scenes about this school siege in an attempt to try to make sense of such a senseless loss of life.These scenes ended up in critical scenes in THE WAYWARD ASSASSIN.

What has been the biggest challenge in your writing career?

The biggest challenge in my writing career has been persevering through rejection. I wrote the first book in this series (THE WAYWARD SPY) in 2001 and wrote THE WAYWARD ASSASSIN in 2007. I secured agents for both books but didn’t land a book deal for either. For years, I put the manuscripts in a drawer. But even though I “gave up” on becoming an author, I never truly gave up. I’d revise the manuscripts, query new agents, and submit the manuscripts to contests. Eventually, I found an outstanding freelance editor who helped to untangle my overly complicated plots. Soon after, I signed with an agent and a publisher.

What do you absolutely need while writing?

I need my laptop (of course) and uninterrupted silence. Oh, and water or coffee and access to a bathroom.

Do you adhere to a strict routine when writing or write when the ideas are flowing?

I jot down ideas when they come to me, but I get the real work done when adhering to a strict routine. Otherwise, I find every reason in the world not to write–laundry, talking to the cat, organizing the pantry….

Who is your favorite character from your book and why?

Maggie, my protagonist, is my favorite character. She’s an every-woman, the girl next door who has to use her wits to get out of situations she never wanted in the first place.

Tell us why we should read your book.

If you like page-turning, realistic thrillers, you should read THE WAYWARD ASSASSIN. I’d like to apologize in advance for keeping you awake past your bedtime!

Give us an interesting fun fact or a few about your book?

I changed the ending of THE WAYWARD ASSASSIN more times than I can count. Most of the changes involved who lives and who dies.

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

At the risk of sounding like a motivational speaker, I’ll say this: If you have a dream, don’t give up. Keep plugging away. It took me twenty years from Chapter One to publication. You’ll never know what’s possible if you give up.

Tell us a little about yourself and your background?

As a teenager, I was fascinated by the CIA but had no idea how to go about getting a job there. When I was in college, I went to a job fair where I met a CIA recruiter. It took almost a year from applying to walking into CIA headquarters. I loved my time at the Agency. But I also love writing. I’m so grateful that I was able to combine those two passions and entertain people in the process.

What’s next that we can look forward to?

The third book in the Maggie Jenkins series, THE WAYWARD TARGET, will be out in the spring of 2023.

Catch Up With Susan Ouellette:
www.SusanOuellette.com
Goodreads
BookBub – @susanobooks1
Instagram – @susanobooks
Twitter – @smobooks
Facebook – @SusanOuelletteAuthor

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