A man is dead, shot three times in his home office. But his computer has been shot twelve times, and when the cops arrive, his pregnant wife is holding the gun.

D.D. Warren arrives on the scene and recognizes the woman–Evie Carter–from a case many years back. Evie’s father was killed in a shooting that was ruled an accident. But for D.D., two coincidental murders is too many.

Flora Dane sees the murder of Conrad Carter on the TV news and immediately knows his face. She remembers a night when she was still a victim–a hostage–and her captor knew this man. Overcome with guilt that she never tracked him down, Flora is now determined to learn the truth of Conrad’s murder.

But D.D. and Flora are about to discover that in this case the truth is a devilishly elusive thing. As layer by layer they peel away the half-truths and outright lies, they wonder: How many secrets can one family have?

I haven’t read a book by Lisa Gardner in years and after reading NEVER TELL I’m asking myself why?

Does lightning strike twice? Sixteen years ago Evie Carter accidentally shot her father and she now finds her husband Conrad dead, with three gunshots, in his office and then fires the weapon 12 times into his computer because of what she sees on the screen.

D.D. Warren was on the case 16 years ago and recognizes Evie when she arrives on the current scene.

Flora Dane, six years ago was rescued after being held captive and tortured for 472 days by Jacob Ness. To this day she has never told the whole story about her abduction but when she sees a picture Evie’s husband on the T.V. as the victim of this recent crime, she instantly recognizes him from when she was held captive. Who really is Conrad?

She is now a confidential informant to D.D., a vigilante and supporter of other victims.

What do these 3 women have in common? Is Evie really the killer? What’s the connection between Conrad Carter and the kidnapper Jacob Ness? And why were they both involved in “the dark web”?

A multi-faceted case spanning 16 years. I was glued to each word trying to figure out the puzzle but never did. I kept switching to each character as to who was the suspect but not even close. The action was non stop. The suspense never ending. A riveting read that had this reader on the edge of my seat!

Highly recommend!

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Giveaway:

This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by CMash Reads for Penguin Dutton. There will be 1 winner of a HC of NEVER TELL by Lisa Gardner. The giveaway begins on February 19th and runs through March 2, 2019.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The New York Times bestselling author of The House Girl explores the lives of four siblings in this ambitious and absorbing novel in the vein of Commonwealth and The Interestings.

“The greatest works of poetry, what makes each of us a poet, are the stories we tell about ourselves. We create them out of family and blood and friends and love and hate and what we’ve read and watched and witnessed. Longing and regret, illness, broken bones, broken hearts, achievements, money won and lost, palm readings and visions. We tell these stories until we believe them.”

When the renowned poet Fiona Skinner is asked about the inspiration behind her iconic work, The Love Poem, she tells her audience a story about her family and a betrayal that reverberates through time.

It begins in a big yellow house with a funeral, an iron poker, and a brief variation forever known as the Pause: a free and feral summer in a middle-class Connecticut town. Caught between the predictable life they once led and an uncertain future that stretches before them, the Skinner siblings—fierce Renee, sensitive Caroline, golden boy Joe and watchful Fiona—emerge from the Pause staunchly loyal and deeply connected. Two decades later, the siblings find themselves once again confronted with a family crisis that tests the strength of these bonds and forces them to question the life choices they’ve made and ask what, exactly, they will do for love.

A sweeping yet intimate epic about one American family, The Last Romantics is an unforgettable exploration of the ties that bind us together, the responsibilities we embrace and the duties we resent, and how we can lose—and sometimes rescue—the ones we love. A novel that pierces the heart and lingers in the mind, it is also a beautiful meditation on the power of stories—how they navigate us through difficult times, help us understand the past, and point the way toward our future.

I apologize upfront that this is a very vague review because I do not want to spoil anyone’s experience in reading this 5 star novel.

As an avid reader, and reading for SO many years, once a book is read I will admit that down the road I may not remember it and have to read my review about it to refresh my memory. I can honestly tell you, that is not the case with this book. It will stay with me for many years to come!

It’s 2079 and the youngest of the Skinner siblings, Fiona, at the age of 102 is attending a Q&A for her book of poetry, now a major best seller. The Love Poem being the one that does describe her family throughout the years.

The Skinner siblings, Renee, Caroline, Joe, and Fiona, lives changed when their father passed away unexpectedly at a very young age. Not only did they lose their father, but in a way their mother too. For 3 years Renee at the age of 11 cared for her siblings due to a deep depression, or as they called it “The Pause”, that their mother emotionally retreated.

The siblings always spoke of “The Pause” but really never deeply discussed it. Fiona felt that The Pause meant “failures in life”. It affected all the siblings from their tender ages to the time of their deaths.

How well does one know the depths of their family members? Or does one want to see only the good traits and dismiss the flaws?

An extraordinary read that as emotional, poignant, and gripping. A book that I read in a 24 hour time frame because I just couldn’t put it down. The author’s descriptive writing was fluid and allowed this reader, not only to create vivid imagery but be able to feel and witness emotions.

If you enjoy reading about family dynamics that span years, then you need to read this book.

Compelling!!

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In the vein of Big Little Lies and Reconstructing Amelia comes an emotionally charged domestic suspense novel about a mother unraveling the truth behind how her daughter became brain dead. And pregnant.

A search for the truth. A lifetime of lies.

In the small hours of the morning, Abi Knight is startled awake by the phone call no mother ever wants to get: her teenage daughter Olivia has fallen off a bridge. Not only is Olivia brain dead, she’s pregnant and must remain on life support to keep her baby alive. And then Abi sees the angry bruises circling Olivia’s wrists.

When the police unexpectedly rule Olivia’s fall an accident, Abi decides to find out what really happened that night. Heartbroken and grieving, she unravels the threads of her daughter’s life. Was Olivia’s fall an accident? Or something far more sinister?

Christina McDonald weaves a suspenseful and heartwrenching tale of hidden relationships, devastating lies, and the power of a mother’s love. With flashbacks of Olivia’s own resolve to uncover family secrets, this taut and emotional novel asks: how well do you know your children? And how well do they know you?

I belong to a few FB groups for book lovers and after seeing so many great things said about this book, I had to read it and see what the buzz was all about. And for those that recommended it, a BIG thank you!

This doesn’t happen often with me but this book was SO good that I read it in one day!

Abi Knight gets the phone call that every mother fears. There has been an accident and her daughter Olivia is at the hospital. How could this be? Abi, who is a single parent has taken every precaution to safeguard her daughter’s well being, some would even say including Olivia, to the point of being overprotective.

When Abi gets to the hospital, her nightmare begins. Not only is Olivia brain dead but she is also pregnant. Can’t be!! Olivia is a good student, has many friends, and never drank nor did drugs. And in Washington, life support can’t be turned off when a woman is pregnant.

The police aren’t investigating because they have ruled Olivia falling to her death at the ZigZag Bridge to be a tragic accident. But Abi notices that Olivia has bruises on her wrist that resemble finger marks. She doesn’t accept this as an accident but foul play and she needs to find out the truth.

The story alternates from 6 months prior to the accident and to the present day.

Not only was this a suspenseful read from beginning to end, it was also very emotional. The author’s writing style will have you feeling every emotion that Abi is dealing with. I thought I had it all figured out when I was 1/3 into the book, but not even close! I could not put this book down!

Love, lies, betrayals, secrets, pain, guilt and a mother’s need to know to be able to say goodbye.

A captivating read!!

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A brilliant, edgy thriller about four strangers, a blizzard, a kidnapped child, and a determined young woman desperate to unmask and outwit a vicious psychopath.

A kidnapped little girl locked in a stranger’s van. No help for miles. What would you do?

On her way to Utah to see her dying mother, college student Darby Thorne gets caught in a fierce blizzard in the mountains of Colorado. With the roads impassable, she’s forced to wait out the storm at a remote highway rest stop. Inside, are some vending machines, a coffee maker, and four complete strangers.

Desperate to find a signal to call home, Darby goes back out into the storm . . . and makes a horrifying discovery. In the back of the van parked next to her car, a little girl is locked in an animal crate.

Who is the child? Why has she been taken? And how can Darby save her?

There is no cell phone reception, no telephone, and no way out. One of her fellow travelers is a kidnapper. But which one?

Trapped in an increasingly dangerous situation, with a child’s life and her own on the line, Darby must find a way to break the girl out of the van and escape.

But who can she trust?

With exquisitely controlled pacing, Taylor Adams diabolically ratchets up the tension with every page. Full of terrifying twists and hairpin turns, No Exit will have you on the edge of your seat and leave you breathless.

OK….I can now breathe again!!!

I apologize in advance for this being a very vague review. I am only writing it that way because if you are planning on reading this book, which I suggest that you absolutely should, I don’t want anyone to miss out on this extremely chilling read.

Have you ever heard of the Witching Hour? Do you believe everything happens for a reason? If your answer is yes to both the questions then you are in for an electrifying journey.

Darby Thorne wasn’t planning on going home to Utah for Christmas, however, that changed when she heard from her sister that their mother was in the final stages of pancreatic cancer and that she should come home. On her way, she was caught in a brutal blizzard and decided to wait it out at the next rest stop. It appeared a few other people had the same idea once she entered the Wanashono Rest Stop. It would only be for a few hours until the plows would be out and they could all be on their way. What could go wrong?

That was her thought until she saw a young child in a cage in one of the vehicles in the parking lot. But who was the evil person in that rest stop that was holding this little girl captive?

I started reading this book during the first snow storm and below freezing temperatures that New England had, which made this story even more scary because I could hear the winds blowing, the ice cracking and the feeling of being cold.

Every time I picked up this book, I don’t think I took a breath until I put it down again. I could vividly imagine being at a rest stop with strangers due to the creative and descriptive words that the author used in his writing style.

This book will grab a hold of you from the first few words to the last sentence and will leave you with a WTH just happened ending that was totally surprising.

You might have heard/seen the buzz about this book….well….it’s all that and MORE!

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Forgive and forget? The past and present collide for two sisters who survived a tragedy—and must now survive the truth behind it.

It’s been twenty years since Cara’s boyfriend died in a horrible accident and her sister, Anna, went to prison. The tragedy has become a local legend, but Cara has moved past her grief to have a successful career and a happy family. Pity about Anna. Recently released from incarceration, she’s struggling with addiction, guilt, and shame—a shattered life. Cara’s forgiveness seems to be the only thing that helps her pick up the pieces.

But as Anna pulls herself together, her memories of that night on the bridge start to come into focus. And few of them match her sister’s.

As past secrets unfold and nothing is what it seems anymore, Anna desperately searches for the truth. But what if Cara doesn’t want her to find it?

This is the first book that I have read by this author but I know I will be reading more by her in the future.

Cara Piper Stanley has always been a fixer. But can she fix her younger sister Anna from herself?

Since their young years growing up in Rapid Falls, there has always been jealousy, resentment, sibling rivalry, and what seemed like a love/hate relationship between the two. Cara always felt that Anna was the favorite daughter.

June 6, 1997, was supposed to be the best day in Cara’s life when her boyfriend, the love of her life, attended their prom and graduation party, a tradition in small town Rapid Falls where everyone knows each other. Even though Anna was 1 year younger than Cara, she would be attending the celebration and was the designated driver for the night. But it didn’t end well. Anna, behind the wheel, and under the influence, there was a horrific car accident, which took the life of Jesse, Cara’s boyfriend and soon to be fiancé.

Anna was charged in the death and spent 3 years in prison. Upon her release, her life spiraled downward and became an alcoholic, abused drugs and tried committing suicide 3 times. Cara was always there to pick her up. Anna can’t recall what happened that tragic night, but Cara knows and she holds the secret.

I have been on a psychological thriller reads binge and this one definitely fits that category. I enjoyed the author’s writing style, the twisted turns of the story, the craving to find out what the secret was and the characters, even though some of them I did not like for reasons that I won’t mention to avoid any spoiler.

An exciting read that had me turning the pages, which I’m sure you will too, which I highly recommend!

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One day, barely fifteen, Tiara viciously attacks a woman in a coffee shop, and claims to have no memory of the attack. Forensic psychiatrist Dr. Eaton believes the reason for her partial amnesia lies in her past as a former star of child beauty pageants. He digs deep in an effort to unlock her memory. What he discovers is so sinister, it will shock you to the core.

I started reading this book and after the first few pages, knew it would be a page turner. However, as I continued, it sounded very familiar to me. I knew I had read other books by this author, SECTION 132 and BIRTHDAYS OF A PRINCESS, so I checked my blog to double check that I hadn’t read this title before and I hadn’t. So I went back to reading but by the time I got to the 9th Chapter, I knew I had read it so this time I checked GR and found this:
Please note: an early version of this thriller was previously published by the author under the title ‘Birthdays of a Princess’.

So I am reposting my review from June 1, 2013!

Birthdays of a Princess is a chilling fictional read, but sadly, is also a real life actuality.  Scary!!  A white knuckle, edge of your seat read!!

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THE PERFECT LIAR by Thomas Christopher Greene
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Published by St. Martin’s Press
Publication Date: Jan. 15, 2019
ISBN-10: 1250128218
ISBN-13: 978-1250128218
Pages: 288
Review Copy From: St. Martin’s via NetGalley
Edition: eBook
My Rating: 4

A seemingly perfect marriage is threatened by the deadly secrets husband and wife keep from each other, for fans of B.A. Paris and Paula Hawkins.

Susannah, a young widow and single mother, has remarried well: to Max, a charismatic artist and popular speaker whose career took her and her fifteen-year-old son out of New York City and to a quiet Vermont university town. Strong-willed and attractive, Susannah expects that her life is perfectly in place again. Then one quiet morning she finds a note on her door: I KNOW WHO YOU ARE.

Max dismisses the note as a prank. But days after a neighborhood couple comes to dinner, the husband mysteriously dies in a tragic accident while on a run with Max. Soon thereafter, a second note appears on their door: DID YOU GET AWAY WITH IT?

Both Susannah and Max are keeping secrets from the world and from each other —secrets that could destroy their family and everything they have built. The Perfect Liar is a thrilling novel told through the alternating perspectives of Susannah and Max with a shocking climax that no one will expect, from the bestselling author of The Headmaster’s Wife.

Susannah and her son Freddy have been on their own for 16 years after her husband Joseph passed away. And then she met Max “W” at a party that Susannah’s boss was hosting for the art community. Not long after, Max proposed on the very spot that they first met.

They had the perfect life, or at least that’s what it appeared to be. Max’s notoriety soared in the art world, after traveling to give his talk on “You Are The Art”. He was sought after and was then offered an academician appointment at a Vermont College. Three years after settling down in Vermont, the cryptic notes started showing up on their front door.

The first note read I KNOW WHO YOU ARE. Two notes would follow.

But who were these notes intended for since both Susannah and Max had deep buried secrets that neither one of them knew about?

The story was captivating from the start. However, at approximately 30-50% of the story, I found it dragged some. But after that, the suspense and action picked up and at that point, I was frantically turning the pages.

I did figure out who the letters were intended for, but not who wrote them nor the why for the motive. It all came together in a climatic ending.

Another psychological thriller that you should read!!

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THE LIAR’S WIFE by Samantha Hayes
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Published by Bookouture
Publication Date: November 22, 2018
ASIN: B07GX16TFM
Pages: 358
Review Copy From: Bookouture via NetGalley
Edition: eBook
My Rating: 5

When Ella wakes up in a hospital following a hit-and-run incident, she is scared and confused. Close to tears, her eyes fall on a get-well-soon card on the window sill and the nurse reassures her that her loving husband will be back soon…

But Ella has never been married.

In fact, she has lived alone her whole adult life; working hard, rarely socialising, quietly harbouring a terrible secret from her past.

Fear sweeps through Ella when she instantly recognises the man who enters the ward. He is not her husband, but she knows that she must do as he says and play the part of dutiful wife.

What choice does she have? He was there the night of the fire, he knows her secret too…

This book sure packed a wallop!!!!

Ella Sinclair has a strict routine, work, home sleep, work home, sleep. That is until she wakes up in the hospital after being hit by a van as she was riding her bike home after work. But something is drastically wrong. The nurse informs Ella that her husband has been by her side since she was admitted. The problem is that Ella is not married.

For the past 10 years, Ella has kept to herself. She doesn’t share anything about her personal life nor does she interact with her co-workers socially as she is hiding from her past. That is until she opens her eyes at the hospital and sees that her past has caught up with her.

A thrilling and chilling read from the Prologue to the last word!! A white knuckle experience! The story alternates between the present and what happened 10 years ago. The ending was mind blowing, which I did not see coming. I don’t think I have ever hated a character as much as I did with Jacob.

This is the first book that I have read by this author, however, it won’t be my last. I am putting Ms. Hayes on my “authors to read” list.

If you like psychological thrillers, then I highly recommend this book.

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