The acclaimed author of The Nanny, The Perfect Girl, and What She Knew—“a writer to watch” (Publishers Weekly)—returns with another serpentine thriller that is a potent blend of atmosphere, tarnished memories, mystery, and twisty secrets from the past.

Bestselling mystery writer Lucy Harper’s talent for invention has given her fame, fortune, and an army of adoring readers. It has also saddled her with dependents, namely her fawning husband Dan.

When Dan suddenly goes missing, his disappearance evokes dark memories that take Lucy back more than thirty years—to the day her brother vanished without a trace. That’s when Lucy began conjuring stories. The police investigation revealed few confirmed details, so she created tales to fill in the gaps, to explain what happened that day her brother disappeared—and young Lucy was the only witness.

Now decades later, with the whole world watching, Lucy’s past and present are colliding, and this bestselling author skilled in telling stories is losing control of her own narrative.

Where is Dan? What happened to Lucy’s brother? And is the brilliant mystery writer—an expert in devising red herrings and hidden clues—revealing all she knows about both disappearances?

With twists and turns, Gilly Macmillan reveals the answers in this clever and compulsively readable mystery sure to thrill fans of Ruth Ware and Shari LaPena.

Lucy Harper is a bestselling author, even though her husband Dan had hoped, for many years, that he would be the one with that moniker. Now he is Lucy’s assistant, financial dependent, and number 1 fan. Or is he?

Lucy hasn’t told anyone what happened 30 years ago, that was until the night when a little bit of wine opened her up to her husband. About the past, that she has hidden all these years. About the night when she was 9 and snuck out of her house with her 3-year-old brother into the Stoke Woods where people were celebrating the summer solstice. So engrossed in what she was seeing, she had lost track of Teddy and he was gone. In the weeks and months that followed, Teddy’s disappearance had never been solved, even to this day.

After reading The Nanny and I Know You Know, giving each 5 stars, I was looking forward to reading this book. I struggled with the rating for this book between 3 or 4 stars.

I found it to start slow but then the tempo with the suspense definitely picked up whereas the pages kept turning because I had to see where this was going, which is why I gave it 4 stars. But then there were aspects of the story that didn’t resonate with me. I also found the ending to be disappointing in what happened in both the past and present.

If I could have, I would have given this a 3.5 rating. Or maybe it was because once I started it, I had to put it down a lot due to adulting tasks, and maybe lost the flow of the story because of it. However, I will definitely pick up her next book.

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Mailbox Monday

Click on title for synopsis via GoodReads.

Thursday:

Adrenaline by John Benedict~ Kindle from Author
A Solitude of Wolverines by Alice Henderson ~ HC from William Morrow
In Her Tracks by Robert Dugoni ~ Kindle from @AmazonPub @NetGalley

Synopsis:

How can she protect herself from an enemy she can’t see?

Law school graduate Whitney Garrison is a survivor. She admirably deals with an abusive boyfriend, her mother’s death, mounting student debt, dwindling job opportunities, and a rare neurological condition that prevents her from recognizing human faces.

But witnessing a murder might be the crisis she can’t overcome.

The killer has every advantage. Though Whitney saw him, she has no idea what he looks like. He knows where she lives and works. He anticipates her every move. Worst of all, he’s hiding in plain sight and believes she has information he needs. Information worth killing for. Again.

As the hunter drives his prey into a net of terror and international intrigue, Whitney’s only ally, Detective Leo Baroni, is taken off the case. Stripped of all semblance of safety, Whitney must suspect everyone and trust no one—and hope to come out alive.

Book Details:

Genre: Suspense
Published by: Thomas Nelson
Publication Date: October 6th 2020
Number of Pages: 352
ISBN: 0785228640 (ISBN13: 9780785228646)
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Christianbook.com® | Goodreads

Author Bio:

Siri Mitchell is the author of 16 novels. She has also written 2 novels under the pseudonym of Iris Anthony. She graduated from the University of Washington with a business degree and has worked in various levels of government. As a military spouse, she lived all over the world, including Paris and Tokyo.

What was the inspiration for this book?

This novel came about because of an interview I heard on NPR (National Public Radio). A couple was telling the story of their relationship. He had a condition called prosopagnosia (face blindness) and she did not.

It’s estimated that about 2% of the population has prosopagnosia. It affects the part of the brain which maps facial features and then stores those memories. A person with face blindness might remember that someone wears glasses or has a beard or a moustache. Hair colour and hairstyles might also be recalled, but the memory of how facial features relate to each other is absent. A person can be born with this condition or it can be acquired from a head injury or trauma. Some people who think they have trouble remembering names actually have trouble remembering faces. And face blindness exists on a spectrum. Those with the condition can also have difficulty in mapping geography, noting differences in skin colour, and distinguishing within groupings of similar objects such as cars.

All that to say that the couple had some challenges due to his condition. At the end of their conversation, they talked about their breakup. For the first time, she revealed that sometimes she went to the restaurant where he worked so that she could still see him. It was an electrifying moment in the interview because he had absolutely no idea; he’d never recognized her.

The thought that she was effectively erased from his life, unless she chose to identify herself, haunted me. They had known each other intimately and yet she was unrecognizable. My writer’s mind turned that idea backward and forward, upside down and right side up. And at some point I thought, ‘When you can’t recognize someone close to you, that’s tragic. But when you can’t recognize someone who might be a threat to you? That’s dangerous!’

What has been the biggest challenge in your writing career?

Making a switch in genres from historical novels to contemporary suspense. I had to learn how to do a better job at plotting and how to pick up the pace on my stories. I checked out a stack of ‘how-to’ books from the library and I read many of the top-20 suspense titles on Amazon’s Best Sellers list. As I read, I took notes on what I was seeing.

What do you absolutely need while writing?

Even though I write from home, I’ve found that I need both time and space for myself. If my family is home, it’s difficult for me to concentrate.

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

I have a fairly strict schedule. I’ve found that my muse is like a cat. If I wait for her, she never comes. If go ahead and start working without her, however, she just won’t go away. I think she’s afraid she might miss something.

Who is your favorite character from your book and why?

I admire my main character, Whitney Garrison, so much. She’s learned how to navigate the world with face blindness, working toward her goals in spite of opposition from so many different sources. She’s unstoppable.

Who is your least favorite character from your book and why?

I’m afraid I might give the plot away if I say!

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

My heroine is scooter-propelled. They are her main mode of transportation.

My heroine buys her interview suit at a consignment shop. When I included that information in the narrative, I was thinking of my own favorite consignment shop, Agents in Style, which is located in Arlington, VA. The owner has much of her inventory online. Check it out!: https://agentsinstyle.com/

This book, like my 2019 title, predicted the future in more ways than one.

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

Thank you for taking the time to read my books! There are so many things to do with free time, I feel honored that you choose to spend yours with me.

Tell us a little about yourself and your background?

I graduated from the University of Washington in Seattle with a business degree and have worked for local, state, and the federal government. My husband was in the military and we lived overseas both in France and in Japan. I started writing when we were living in Paris. Everywhere to Hide is my 18th novel (I wrote 2 of those novels under the name Iris Anthony).

What’s next that we can look forward to?

I have absolutely no idea! I have a list of story concepts that I was going to pick from back in March 2020, but we all know what happened then. Since I write political thrillers, I try to stay tuned to the national zeitgeist by taking in information from all sorts of places. As I mentioned above, the books I write have a way of predicting the future and at the moment – due to the pandemic and the contentious nature of politics – it feels like my brain is recalibrating. Some of my ideas won’t work in this new world we’re living in. Some may be adaptable. I’m letting my sub-conscious sort all of that out while I do the pandemic closet reshuffle and knit myself a few pairs of pandemic socks. And maybe a pandemic sweater.

Visit her online:
www.SiriMitchell.com, Goodreads, BookBub, Instagram, Twitter, & Facebook!

Read an excerpt:

Tour Participants:

Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews, interviews, guest posts, and giveaways!

Giveaway!:

This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Siri Mitchell. There will be 3 winners. Each winner will receive one (1) physical copy of Everywhere To Hide by Siri Mitchell (U.S. addresses only). The giveaway begins on October 1, 2020 and runs through November 2, 2020. Void where prohibited.

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Mailbox Monday

Click on title for synopsis via GoodReads.

Monday:

First Date by Sue Watson~ eBook from Bookouture via NetGalley
Tuesday:
The Order by Daniel Silva ~ Kindle from Ted Galdi’s September giveaway
The Guardians by John Grisham~ Kindle from Ted Galdi’s September giveaway
1st Case by James Patterson and Chris Tebbetts ~ Kindle from Ted Galdi’s September giveaway
Wednesday:
Like Follow Kill by Carissa Ann Lynch~ signed TPB giveaway win from Author
Thursday:
Death And The Maiden by Samantha Norman ~ HC from William Morrow
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Little Falls by Elizabeth Lewes~ eBook from Author
Girls Of Brackenhill by Kate Moretti ~ eBook from Prime First Reads

Synopsis:

With the publication of ‘Murder, Forgotten‘, Deb Richardson-Moore departs from her popular Branigan Powers series and introduces us to an unforgettable protagonist and a heart-pounding mystery that explores the vagaries of the mind and the way our memory often betrays us. The themes are both universal and personal at once. How does grief alter one’s memory? Is there more truth in fiction than in reality? This is a novel will have readers questioning their own motivations and that of the protagonist, Julianna Burke.

Julianna is a mystery writer who is famous for her ‘wanderings’ – eventually returning to her writing desk with exciting plot twists. But lately, she has nothing to show for her creative work. She fears her memory is slipping, and with it her heralded career.

Then her beloved husband and business partner is murdered. The police look at workmen, extended family and neighbors, but Julianna fears something far worse. Could she, deep in the writing of her latest mystery, ‘Murder, Forgotten,’ have acted out the fictional murder? In this plot within a plot, she seeks to find the killer. Can she find the truth when she questions her own reality?

‘Murder, Forgotten‘ takes us from coastal South Carolina to the eastern shores of Scotland in a sweeping mystery that explores Julianna, grief-stricken and wounded, as she searches for truth in the midst of her own fiction.

Book Details:

Genre: Murder Mystery, Southern Mystery, Thriller
Published by: Lion Fiction
Publication Date: September 18th 2020
Number of Pages: 304
ISBN: 1782643117 (ISBN13: 9781782643111)
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Read an excerpt:

Author Bio:

Deb Richardson-Moore is the author of 4 fiction titles and a memoir, The Weight of Mercy, about her early years as a pastor at the Triune Mercy Center in Greenville, S.C. A former national award-winning reporter for The Greenville News, Deb is a popular speaker at book clubs, universities and college events. She has won numerous awards for her philanthropy and community involvement, including the 2014 Women Making History Award from the Greenville, South Carolina Cultural Exchange Center and the 2016 Public & Community Service Award from the Atlantic Institute. A graduate of Wake Forest University, Deb lives with her husband in South Carolina.

Catch Up With Deb Richardson-Moore:
http://www.DebRichardsonMoore.com, Goodreads, BookBub, & Facebook!

Tour Participants:

Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews, interviews, guest posts, and giveaways!

Enter To Win!:

This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Deb Richardson-Moore. There will be 4 winners. Two (2) winners will each win one (1) Amazon.com Gift Card and Two (2) winners will each win one (1) ebook copy ofMurder, Forgotten by Deb Richardson-Moore. The giveaway begins on October 1, 2020 and runs through October 18, 2020. Void where prohibited

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1. You will never find a lack of books and Yankee Candles in my home.

2. Once a year, I schedule my mammogram.

3. Sometimes my mouth has gotten me in trouble.

4. The last time I saw my granddaughters was when our youngest turned one due to being unable to travel because of COVID-19.

Synopsis:

Gripping romantic suspense from USA TODAY bestselling author Colleen Coble.

A lie changed her world.

Police Chief Jane Hardy is still reeling from the scandal that rocked her small-town department just as she took over for her retired father—the man who wrecked her life with one little lie. Now she’s finally been reunited with her presumed-dead fifteen-year-old son, Will, and his father, documentarian Reid Bechtol.

A crisis looms.

When a murder aboard the oil platform Zeus exposes an environmental terrorist’s plot to flood Mobile Bay with crude oil, Jane and Reid must put their feelings for each other behind them and work together to prevent the rig from being sabotaged.

A killer targets her son.

Then the terrorist puts her son Will’s life on the line. Protecting him could be the common ground they need . . . but then ghosts from the past threaten to ruin Jane and Reid for good. She’s got plenty of reasons to run. But what if she stays?

Book Details:

Genre: Romantic Suspense
Published by: Thomas Nelson
Publication Date: September 8, 2020
Number of Pages: 352
ISBN: 0785228489 (ISBN13: 9780785228486)
Series: Pelican Harbor #2
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | ChristianBook.com | Goodreads

Author Bio:

Colleen Coble is a USA TODAY bestselling author and RITA finalist best known for her coastal romantic suspense novels, including The Inn at Ocean’s Edge, Twilight at Blueberry Barrens, and the Lavender Tides, Sunset Cove, Hope Beach, and Rock Harbor series.

What was the inspiration for this book?

If you’ve ever been to Gulf Shores, I’m sure you noticed all the oil platforms out there. I’ve always been intrigued by them and wanted to write a story around one.

What has been the biggest challenge in your writing career?

It’s hard to keep all the balls in the air. As a career writer, I’m always working on one new story, massaging edits on the book that’s been turned in, and promoting the book that’s just coming out. That can be challenging, but I love what I get to do.

What do you absolutely need while writing?
Coffee!

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

I work five days a week until I reach my word count for the day. Some days that might take me two hours and other days it will take all day. When the words are really flowing, like in the last quarter of the book, I’ll write all day and get as many scenes down while the words are coming fast and furious.

Who is your favorite character from your book and why?
I love Jane Hardy. She’s small and plucky, determined and focused. She is committed to justice and stays focused on the problem at hand. She’s had a lot of overcome in her past, but she has never given up.

Who is your least favorite character from your book and why?

Ah that would give away the villain!

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

Did you know there’s a replica of Stonehenge in the Gulf Shores area? The minute I saw it, I knew I had to have a scene set there.

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

I love hearing from readers! I’m an extrovert and talking to readers brightens my day.

Tell us a little about yourself and your background?

I grew up in the cornfields of northern Indiana. I’m the oldest of four kids and the only girl. I mothered my brothers relentlessly and still do. And everyone else around.  My husband and I will be married fifty years next year, and we have two great kids and three darling grandkids. I spent eleven years answering over a thousand phone calls a day for an electrical supply company. Even though that’s been over twenty years ago, if I answer the phone when I have something else on my mind, I’m apt to say, “Good morning, Wabash Electric.”

Catch Up With Colleen Coble:
ColleenCoble.com, Goodreads, BookBub, Instagram, Twitter, & Facebook!

Read an excerpt:

Tour Participants:

Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews, interviews, guest posts, and giveaways!

Giveway!!

This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Colleen Coble. There will be 3 winners, each winning ONE LITTLE LIE by Colleen Coble (Print). The giveaway begins on September 21, 2020 and runs through October 25, 2020. Open to U.S. addresses only. Void where prohibited.

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Another bad month for reading!!!! At this rate, I will never meet my GR Challenge. Maybe next year! However, I know why. I definitely am enjoying reading again, unlike in March, April, May when my focus was nil due to virus. But the past couple of months we have been super busy at Partners In Crime Tours organizing a lot of tours for authors because they are unable to do in-person marketing. Stop by and see our current and upcoming tours. If a title looks like one you think you would like to review, complete the form or email me.

I purchased a Bookly subscription thinking that it would help me put in more reading time, or should I say guilt me into reading since I bought the app!? It helps a little but I just can’t seem to find extra hours in a day to sit down and read plus complete my PICT tasks and household chores. And I am also realizing that age is creeping up on me because if I do sit down to read at the end of the day, I fall asleep, which never happened to me before. I just wish Amazon sold those extra hours 🙂

My review for Don’t Look For Me by Wendy Walker was posted on September 15th, which can be seen HERE.