Over the cliff edge, she sees a broken body on the jutting rocks below, the waves crashing all around. She can’t see the girl’s face, which is covered by her long, brown hair. But she knows her. She met her just yesterday…

When Samantha Claymore doesn’t return home after an afternoon bicycle ride on Martha’s Vineyard, Detective Abby Pearce acts immediately. She knows from experience how quickly a lost girl can become a tragedy. Back on the island for the first time since she ran away as a teenager, Abby hopes solving Samantha’s case will make up for her past mistakes… But, as the media swarm and Samantha’s grieving mother joins the search, the police find no trace of the beloved sixteen-year-old—even when a reward is offered for her return.

Trawling through old case files, Abby discovers that Samantha is not the only girl to have gone missing in the small community of Martha’s Vineyard. She’s convinced more could follow, but her team insists there’s no link to be found. Until Samantha’s best friend is found dead at the bottom of a cliff the next day…

After searching Samantha’s bedroom and trawling through the files on her computer, Abby digs into the death of Samantha’s father five years ago at sea, following the trail to one of the island’s most powerful families. The same people who failed to protect Abby the night she was forced to leave as a young girl. Is there anyone left on this quiet island who Abby can trust? Can she find Samantha before more innocent lives are taken?

An absolutely unputdownable and nail-biting crime thriller that will have you racing through the pages. Perfect for fans of Lisa Regan, Kendra Elliot, and Gregg Olsen.

Caveat: I’m a big fan of this author’s books, both the Clare Carlson series written by R.G. Belsky and the Jessie Tucker series penned under Dana Perry. Would I enjoy this book, the first in another series, as much as I have all his previous books?

Her Ocean Grave checked off many boxes of what I enjoy in a book.

√ The story flowed, along with the captivating suspense, from page 1 to the last word.

√ The setting description, within the narrative, was so vivid that while sitting on my deck reading, I felt as if I had been transported to Martha’s Vineyard.

√ The characters were both believable and lifelike. I could picture them as they came alive in my mind.

√ Short chapters meant that I would tell myself just one more chapter because the story was so engrossing and then realized I had read 10.

√ Enough twists and turns that had me guessing how this tale was going to end.

√ And just when I thought the case had wrapped up, BAM! I didn’t see that one coming!!

Now to answer my question. YES!!! I definitely devoured this read!!

And what’s more exciting for me now is that I have 3 sequels to look forward to!! No pressure but keep these books coming and make it quick, please!!!!!!

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Forget the truth.

Remember the lies.

He wakes up on a deserted beach in Maryland with a gash on his head and wearing only swim trunks. He can’t remember who he is. Everything–his identity, his life, his loved ones–has been replaced by a dizzying fog of uncertainty. But returning to his Maine hometown in search of the truth uncovers more questions than answers.

Lily Reid thinks she knows her boyfriend, Jack. Until he goes missing one night, and her frantic search reveals that he’s been lying to her since they met, desperate to escape a dark past he’d purposely left behind.

Maya Scott has been trying to find her estranged stepbrother, Asher, since he disappeared without a trace. Having him back, missing memory and all, feels like a miracle. But with a mutual history full of devastating secrets, how far will Maya go to ensure she alone takes them to the grave?

Shared fates intertwine in a twisty, explosive novel of suspense, where unearthing the past might just mean being buried beneath it.

I had this one all figured out…….until……..

I really don’t know where to start because I don’t want to give, even one little thing, the possibility of a spoiler. So I apologize for being very vague.

Jack, Asher, Lily and Maya all have their secrets. Some bigger than others. Some deadlier than others.

This book hooked me right from the start. The writing was vivid and expressive whereas I felt I had been transported into the setting. The suspense exciting and at a perfect pace that any time I picked up the book, it propelled me right back into the story. Caveat: This book would have taken me less time to read because it was so good except for the dreaded adulting.
As I mentioned, I had it figured out, but that didn’t stop me from reading because there were still loose ends to tie up that I had to know how it ended.
The ending!!!! Mind blowing!!! The type of ending where you sit there and start picking your jaw off the floor!!!

Another author that just landed herself on my “authors to read” list.

Pick this book up NOW!!!

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On a brilliantly sunny July day, six-year-old Ruby is abandoned by her father in the suffocating dark of a Tennessee cave. Twenty years later, transformed into soap opera star Eleanor Russell, she is fired under dubious circumstances. Fleeing to Europe, she marries a glamorous stranger named Orlando Montague and keeps her past closely hidden.

Together, Eleanor and Orlando start afresh in LA. Setting up house in a storybook cottage in the Hollywood Hills, Eleanor is cast in a dream role—the lead in a remake of Rebecca. As she immerses herself in that eerie gothic tale, Orlando’s personality changes, ghosts of her past re-emerge, and Eleanor fears she is not the only person in her marriage with a secret.

In this thrilling and twisty homage to Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, the story ricochets through the streets of Los Angeles, a dangerous marriage to an exotic stranger, and the mind of a young woman whose past may not release her.

Hold on a second, my jaw is on the floor and I need to pick it up!!!! WOW!!!!!

This is the first book that I have read by this author, and if it’s any indication of what’s to come, then I can’t wait.

In 1968, Ruby Russell, six years old, is abandoned by her father at Lookout Mountain, never to be seen again. As a child, she is broken and the incident never leaves her. Even as an adult, she has held on to the fact that her father would return and because of it suffers from severe anxiety.

She has just finished shooting a soap opera that did not end well but is so happy because she marries an aristocrat after a whirlwind romance and they move to Hollywood.

This book had my head spinning as I could not figure out who were the “good guys” and those that weren’t.

A heart pounding read that was tough to put down. The suspense caused palpitations because I didn’t have a clue as to how this was going to turn out. And all I will say is, that it wasn’t what I expected!!!

Highly recommend.

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There is no limit to the lies, suspicion, and secrets that can poison the perfect marriage in this twisting novel of suspense by USA Today bestselling author Kaira Rouda.

Kate Nelson had it all. A flourishing company founded with her husband, John; a happy marriage; and a daughter, Ashlyn. The picture-perfect family. Until John left for another woman. Tish is half his age. Ambitious. She’s cultivated a friendship with Ashlyn. Tish believes she’s won.

She’s wrong.

Tish Nelson has it all. Youth, influence, a life of luxury, and a new husband. But the truth is, there’s a lot of baggage. Namely, his first wife—and suspicions of his infidelity. After all, that’s how she got John. Maybe it’s time for a romantic getaway, far from his vindictive ex. If Kate plans on getting John back, Tish is one step ahead of her.

She thinks.

But what happens next is something neither Kate nor Tish saw coming. As best-laid plans come undone, there’s no telling what a woman will do in the name of love—and revenge.

After Reading The Favorite Daughter, I put this author on my radar and have been waiting patiently, well maybe not so patiently, for this book!!

It’s a big day at EventCo when the company that John and Kate, his first wife, started many years ago goes public on the Stock Market. But Kate, and their only child Ashlyn, are seething because Tish, his 2nd and much younger wife, is trying to move into the spotlight.

John has been under a lot of stress with the company going public so Tish plans what was going to be a romantic getaway weekend. Another reason to take John away is that she is getting feelings that Kate and John might be having thoughts of reconciliation. But John never makes it home. Did he have a heart attack from all the stress or was it murder?

Now the 3 Nelson women are battling it out as to who has complete control over the company. Is it Tish, who they think is a gold digger? Or is it Kate, the first wife who helped built this company and wants revenge on how John humiliated her? Or is it Ashlyn, the only heir apparent, who has been spoiled from her birth 21 years ago?

This was a quick read because I just kept turning the pages to see what the outcome was going to be. The characters were believable. It was a read that transports the reader into the story.

I knew, or at least thought I thought I did, from that fateful day that John died, who was behind everything and fighting to get everything. WRONG!!!! And then the ending that blew me away!!!!

A chilling read that was gripping from the first page to the last.

The reason for not a full 5 stars was for 2 reasons. 1. I felt that some things were repetitive and 2. The ending left me with unanswered questions. Does that mean a sequel?

Either way, I will be once again in waiting mode for Ms. Rouda’s next novel.

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Synopsis:

She was a mega-celebrity—he was a billionaire businessman—now he’s dead—she’s in jail

Laurie Bateman was living the American dream. Since her arrival as an infant in the U.S. after the fall of Saigon, the pretty Vietnamese girl had gone on to become a supermodel, a successful actress, and, finally, the wife of one of the country’s top corporate dealmakers. That dream has now turned into a nightmare when she is arrested for the murder of her wealthy husband.

New York City TV journalist Clare Carlson does an emotional jailhouse interview in which Bateman proclaims her innocence—and becomes a cause celebre for women’s rights groups around the country.

At first sympathetic, then increasingly suspicious of Laurie Bateman and her story, Clare delves into a baffling mystery which has roots extending back nearly fifty years to the height of the Vietnam War.

Soon, there are more murders, more victims, and more questions as Clare struggles against dire evil forces to break the biggest story of her life.

Wisecracking Clare Carlson, executive director at Channel 10 but a breaking news journalist at heart is back and investigating another murder.

As you can see below, I am a HUGE fan of this series and have read all the previous books.  And WOW!!!! This book didn’t disappoint!

A very wealthy Charles Hollister is found dead in his condo and his estranged wife, Laurie Bateman, is arrested for his murder.  Clare, the only news person that was there as the police escort Laurie out in handcuffs.  Clare was at the scene as she was supposed to interview the wife, who in her own right is famous, and was going to tell all about her marriage to Hollister, which wasn’t what they portrayed in the public and media.

As Clare starts digging into this story, she feels that Laurie is innocent and wants to help her get out of jail, which she does and even the charges are dropped.  However, she wants to get the scoop as to who really killed Hollister but the more she delves in, the more questions are unanswered and not making sense. Did she make a mistake?  Who really killed Charles Hollister.

Like the previous books in this series, this sequel will transport the reader because of the descriptive nature of the written word and conversations of the characters.  The reader will become one with the story and be totally unaware of what is going on around them.  That’s what happens to me when reading this author’s works.

The suspense is constant and will have the reader sure as to who the suspect is and then BAM!  Wrong!  OK.  Let’s try this again. it has to be this character!!  Not!! Duped again!!!!!

Even though this is the 4th book in the series, it can easily be read as a stand-alone, but I suggest you start with the first book, not only to get to know Clare a bit better but to also have the experience of reading some exceptional writing!!!!!

I absolutely recommend this extraordinary book(s)!!!!

BTW Mr. Belsky, no pressure, but when will the next book be available????

Check out my Review for Yesterday’s NewsHERE

Check out my Review for Below The FoldHERE

Check out my Review for The Last ScoopHERE

Book Details:

Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
Published by: Oceanview Publishing
Publication Date: May 4th 2021
Number of Pages: 336
ISBN: 160809409X (ISBN13: 9781608094097)
Series: The Clare Carlson Mystery Series, 4 (This can be read as a stand alone mystery.)
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Read an excerpt:

Author Bio:

R. G. Belsky is an author of crime fiction and a journalist in New York City.

His new mystery, BEYOND THE HEADLINES, will be published in May 2021. It is the fourth in a series featuring Clare Carlson, the news director for a New York City TV station – and follows THE LAST SCOOP, published in 2020. The first Clare Carlson book, YESTERDAY’S NEWS, won the David Award at Deadly Ink for Best Mystery of 2018. The second Clare Carlson book, BELOW THE FOLD, was named Best Mystery 0f 2019 in the Foreword INDIES Awards.

He also is the author of two thrillers written under the pen name of Dana Perry – THE SILENT VICTIM (2019), THE GOLDEN GIRL (June, 2020) and HER OCEAN GRAVE (June 2021 – Bookouture).

Belsky previously wrote the Gil Malloy series – THE KENNEDY CONNECTION, SHOOTING FOR THE STARS and BLONDE ICE – about a newspaper reporter at the New York Daily News.
Belsky himself is a former managing editor at the Daily News and writes about the media from an extensive background in newspapers, magazines and TV/digital news. He has also been a top editor at the New York Post, Star magazine and NBC News.

His previous suspense/thriller novels include LOVERBOY and PLAYING DEAD. Belsky lives in New York City.

Catch Up With R.G. Belsky:
www.RGBelsky.com
Goodreads
BookBub – @dickb79983
Instagram – @dickbelsky
Twitter – @DickBel
Facebook – @RGBelsky

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Mia covered her mouth to keep from crying out. She hated the dark, but her mother had made her promise. But what was the point of being a good little girl if she couldn’t help her mother? She’d promised her mother not to scream, but she hadn’t promised not to escape…

To the world, Mia Thornton is invisible—a quiet, timid preschool teacher. People would never guess that she found the will to dig her way out of a locked shed when she was just six years old. That she never saw her mother again.

Now, all Mia longs for is a normal life and friends to call her own. But when she runs into a group of colleagues one evening, she discovers that, once again, she’s been excluded. Stung at the rejection, she pockets the keys of one of the women in a petty act of revenge. Celeste Cooper is fearless, pretty, popular—everything Mia wishes she could be.

The next day, Celeste is reported missing. And Mia realizes that it might have been her fault. Wracked with guilt, she joins the search, determined to make up for her mistake. But as she grows closer to Celeste’s family, Mia can’t help but feel she’s being watched…

What if Celeste’s disappearance has more to do with Mia than she realizes? And if she keeps digging, does she risk being dragged back into the dark forever?

Prepare to be gripped by the pulse-pounding new psychological thriller from USA Today bestselling author Carey Baldwin. Fans of The Wife Between Us, The Girl on the Train and Gone Girl will be totally addicted to Her First Mistake.

Caveat: It’s been some time since I read a Carey Baldwin book and when I saw that her newest book, a psychological thriller, I was so excited and preordered a Kindle copy. But then, I saw that it was available for request as an eARC on NetGalley and I did because sometimes patience isn’t one of my virtues. Am I glad I did?

Since the synopsis concisely describes the story, I’m not going to reiterate except to say that Mia’s first mistake of taking Celeste’s keys, sets in motion a chain of events of lies in which Mia finds herself and deepens as the story progresses, but will state how I felt reading this book.

Even though it may look like that it took many days to read it, it has nothing to do with the story and suspense of the book. It was due to adulting responsibilities. But also with this book, I did something I haven’t done in quite a while and that is read into the early hours of the morning until I finished it because I just HAD to find out how this was going to end. Am I glad I lost some hours of sleep? Absolutely!!!

The author’s writing style transported me directly into the story. I felt that I could visualize every single page of the story and feel each of the characters’ emotions. The suspense started on page 1 and continued to the intense ending. An ending that I had to process after reading the last word.

A thrilling page-turner that captivates the reader and doesn’t let go!!!

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You may have seen my review on the 21st for this phenomenal book. Before and after reading it, I saw many posts on Facebook about it and received many emails and pressers for it. But I was SHOCKED and HONORED when I saw that a blurb from my review had been used in the email below (the one right above the cover image)!!! I don’t know about you, but whenever this happens, I do get excited!!! A few of my quotes have also ended up in finished copies of a book and I have been named in the acknowledgments.

Has this ever happened to you? Has a quote from a review you wrote ended up in a book or a press release?

Dear Readers: Early word is that my new novel, THE PERFECT DAUGHTER, is one of the most anticipated thrillers of 2021! Publishers Weekly raves, “Palmer’s take on a complex psychological disorder will keep readers in its grip.” That’s the official word, and here’s what readers are saying: The suspense was awesome. Superb.Holy Cow…Wow… This is a psychological thriller that just had me guessing and totally pulled into the storyline the whole time. WOW! That is one word I can use to describe this book. Also mind-blowing, inquisitive, bingeable, just completely and utterly amazing! Had me sucked in from the first page! Never saw the ending coming and that is great writing!  There are hundreds more glowing reviews like these to encourge you to read the book. So what is the psychological disorder at the center of this story? Who is the daughter on the cover? Hmmm…I’ll hold you in suspense and you can click the preorder link to find out.Click here to purchase: bit.ly/PreorderThePerfectDaughter —- —————————- More Praise for THE PERFECT DAUGHTER I’ll go ahead and say it—the best D. J. Palmer yet! What a first-rate, superbly written psychological thriller. Holly hell! My jaw dropped, my nose hit the floor! Before losing other parts of my face: I’m screaming: this is freaking fascinating! Wow! What a story! The Perfect Daughter is the perfect thriller that keeps you guessing from start to finish. Don’t know how he’s going to top this title with his next. I can’t wait to see him try. And then WAIT!!!!   WHAT??  Did I just read that? I had to read the sentence three times to make sure I wasn’t misunderstanding who the murderer was!!!!  A jaw-dropper that I did not see coming nor was it on my radar!!!  Preorder THE PERFECT DAUGHTER before the 4/20/2021 publication date and receive your free copy of THE NEW HUSBAND with proof of purchase. You won’t be dissapointed! Best wishes and sending goodwill as always. -DJ Palmer

“They found the bodies on a Tuesday.”

So begins this twisty and breathtaking novel that traces the fate of the Pine family, a thriller that will both leave you on the edge of your seat and move you to tears.

After a late night of partying, NYU student Matt Pine returns to his dorm room to devastating news: nearly his entire family—his mom, his dad, his little brother and sister—have been found dead from an apparent gas leak while vacationing in Mexico. The local police claim it was an accident, but the FBI and State Department seem far less certain—and they won’t tell Matt why.

The tragedy makes headlines everywhere because this isn’t the first time the Pine family has been thrust into the media spotlight. Matt’s older brother, Danny—currently serving a life sentence for the murder of his teenage girlfriend Charlotte—was the subject of a viral true crime documentary suggesting that Danny was wrongfully convicted. Though the country has rallied behind Danny, Matt holds a secret about his brother that he’s never told anyone: the night Charlotte was killed Matt saw something that makes him believe his brother is guilty of the crime.

When Matt returns to his small hometown to bury his parents and siblings, he’s faced with a hostile community that was villainized by the documentary, a frenzied media, and memories he’d hoped to leave behind forever. Now, as the deaths in Mexico appear increasingly suspicious and connected to Danny’s case, Matt must unearth the truth behind the crime that sent his brother to prison—putting his own life in peril—and forcing him to confront his every last fear.

Told through multiple points-of-view and alternating between past and present, Alex Finlay’s Every Last Fear is not only a page-turning thriller, it’s also a poignant story about a family managing heartbreak and tragedy, and living through a fame they never wanted.

After seeing so many posts about this book that I decided to give it a shot. However, I am sometimes skeptical when I see a lot of hype about a book because in the past, unfortunately, I have been disappointed. Was I this time? Especially since, over the past year or so, the majority of my reading has been psychological thrillers, and with this being a debut, could it stand up to those that I have read before it.

The Pine family has become famous, not only in their home state but nationally due to a documentary, whereas the oldest son, Danny, was convicted for the murder of a local girl. His father, Evan, vowed that he would prove that Danny was innocent. On another tip, the family travel to Mexico to chase it down. However, Evan, mother Liv, daughter, Maggie, and youngest son Tommy never make it back alive. Matt, the 2nd oldest son, and Danny are the sole survivors and now there are rumors that they killed the family for the inheritance. Was it foul play or was it a tragic accident as the Mexican officials claimed it was?

I was hooked from that first sentence, “They found the bodies on a Tuesday.”.

The plot was intricately weaved and interweaved where the story was told by different members of the family and alternating between the before and after of the Mexican tragedy. The narrative was so expertly written that I was transported into the story. The characters were believable and three-dimensional. The suspense was intense and profound with no letup. So many twists and turns, and just when I thought I might be onto something, the story veered again.

An extraordinary debut novel that blew me away! A dynamic and captivating read!!! I suggest putting this author on your radar! I can’t wait to see what he has in store next!!!

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