Category: Book Review

In An Instant by Suzanne Redfearn | #Review

In An Instant by Suzanne Redfearn
Genre: Literary Fiction, Women’s Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Fiction
Published by Lake Union Publishing
Publication Date: March 1, 2020
ASIN: B07NVD1276
Pages: 326
Review Copy From: Publisher via NetGalley
Edition: eBook
My Rating: 5

Synopsis (via GR)

A deeply moving story of carrying on even when it seems impossible.

Life is over in an instant for sixteen-year-old Finn Miller when a devastating car accident tumbles her and ten others over the side of a mountain. Suspended between worlds, she watches helplessly as those she loves struggle to survive.

Impossible choices are made, decisions that leave the survivors tormented with grief and regret. Unable to let go, Finn keeps vigil as they struggle to reclaim their shattered lives. Jack, her father, who seeks vengeance against the one person he can blame other than himself; her best friend, Mo, who bravely searches for the truth as the story of their survival is rewritten; her sister Chloe, who knows Finn lingers and yearns to join her; and her mother, Ann, who saved them all but is haunted by her decisions. Finn needs to move on, but how can she with her family still in pieces?

Heartrending yet ultimately redemptive, In an Instant is a story about the power of love, the meaning of family, and carrying on…even when it seems impossible.

My Thoughts

After seeing a lot of buzz about this book online, I was delighted that I was approved via NetGalley. At the time, I did not know that the story was based on an event in the author’s life.

It’s going to be a fun weekend for 2 families as they head to the mountains for some skiing and snowboarding. Once settled at their cabin, they head out to enjoy dinner, actually pancakes, which is their tradition. On their way to the restaurant, it has started snowing and the less traveled road they were driving on is now slippery. Jack Miller, sixteen year old Finn’s father tries to avoid a deer and their van goes off a cliff. In that instant, the lives of these 2 families, change forever.

The story is told from Finn’s perspective.

With some of them experiencing serious injuries, some have to make hard decisions as to what needs to be done for survival. The fear of not being found, others make difficult choices to leave the van and/or their children and try to find help, in now what is a blizzard. Some decisions are made selfishly, which causes a deadly outcome.

The aftereffect of this horrific situation, the families involved, try to deal with their grief, hurt, betrayal and love. They also realize that they didn’t really know each other, as well as they, thought they did. Can these two families heal with the decisions they made? Did they truly survive?

The characters were three dimensional, some I absolutely did not like but at the same time, I also felt sorry for the situation they put themselves into. A couple of them were pathetic and others I was cheering for.

A poignant and compelling story that will tug at your heartstrings. And at the same time, there was also a tense element of suspense as to how this tragedy would end.

Highly recommend!

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

REVIEW DISCLAIMER

  • This blog was founded on the premise to write honest reviews, to the best of my ability, no matter who from, where from and/or how the book was obtained, and will continue to do so, even if it is through PICT or PBP.
  • I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me, in exchange for my honest review. No items that I receive are ever sold…they are kept by me, or given to family and/or friends.
  • I do not have any affiliation with Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble. I am providing link(s) solely for visitors that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.
  • The Silent Victim by Dana Perry #Review

    The Silent Victim by Dana Perry
    Genre: Crime Thriller, Mystery
    Published by Bookouture
    Publication Date: November 18, 2019
    ISBN-10: 1838880941
    ISBN-13: 978-1838880941
    Pages: 346
    Review Copy From: Publisher/Author
    Edition: TPB
    My Rating: 5

    Synopsis (via GR)

    The woman’s golden hair is spread out beneath her on the bed of leaves where she’s fallen, her beautiful blue eyes open wide. The police are calling it a random attack, but Jessie Tucker isn’t so sure – she’s seen this crime scene before… she was the victim.

    Twelve years ago, Jessie Tucker was attacked as she made her way home from an outdoor concert. She still walks with a limp from that night, and every day since has been a struggle to rebuild her life. The police told her she was unlucky – that she was safe after they charged a local man for the crime. But Jessie has never managed to shake the feeling that there was someone else in the park that night… someone she knew.

    But then Margaret Kincaid’s murder file lands across her desk, and Jessie knows she can’t keep silent any longer. Margaret’s wounds so exactly match her own it’s spooky – but Jessie’s attacker is in prison, and Jessie has never met the victim. What links her to Margaret Kincaid, and why did the attacker let one woman live, and the other die?

    Nail-biting, gripping and absolutely unputdownable! Perfect for fans of Lisa Regan, Kendra Elliot and Gregg Olsen.

    My Thoughts

    After her near death beating in Central Park, Jessie Tucker changes the course of her career and becomes a badass crime journalist investigating the facts from the POV of victims. Who knows better than her.

    When Margaret Kincaid is found dead in the same area as Jessie’s attack, she not only is on the case, but it starts to trigger memories of her own from 12 years ago.

    Just like her case, the police have found their suspects and the cases are closed. But once Jessie starts digging further through the police reports, of both Margaret’s and her own assaults, she realizes that maybe the wrong person was found guilty, both now and then.

    I read the majority of this book in one day because I could NOT put it down. There are many intricate details in this book, which made this book electrifying and had me wondering what the author’s mindset was while writing this book…..BRILLIANT!!!!

    The action and suspense accelerate with each turn of the page!! GRIPPING!!! The narrative pulled me in, and with the author’s amazing writing style, I was so engrossed and it felt like I was watching a movie in my head! Totally absorbing!! An adrenaline rush throughout! The ending and how the author pulled it all together outstanding!!!

    Do not miss out on this outstanding read!!! And even better news, this is the first book in what will become a series, which I will be the first in line to get my hands on the sequel!!!!

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

    REVIEW DISCLAIMER

  • This blog was founded on the premise to write honest reviews, to the best of my ability, no matter who from, where from and/or how the book was obtained, and will continue to do so, even if it is through PICT or PBP.
  • I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me, in exchange for my honest review. No items that I receive are ever sold…they are kept by me, or given to family and/or friends.
  • I do not have any affiliation with Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble. I am providing link(s) solely for visitors that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.
  • #Review | My Sister Is Missing by Carissa Ann Lynch

    My Sister Is Missing by Carissa Ann Lynch
    Genre: Psychological Thriller
    Published by Harper Collins
    Publication Date: March 29th, 2019
    ASIN: B07J3923B1
    Pages: 197
    Review Copy From: HC via NetGalley
    Edition: eBook
    My Rating: 4

    Synopsis (via GR)

    A twenty-year-old local mystery that has never been sold.
    A bone-chilling VHS tape depicting a horrific crime.

    Neighbors with something to hide.

    And a sister who is missing.

    Emily has to find out the truth. But is her sister Madeline the victim…or the one to blame?

    My Thoughts

    Nine years ago was the last time Emily has been home, however, her sister Madeline pleaded with her to come back to their childhood home to help her with the children since her husband left her for a younger woman. Plus she hinted that there was more but wanted to do it face to face.

    Twenty years ago, Emily had a near-death accident in the woods surrounding their house and at the same time, another child went missing. Were these 2 incidents connected?

    But before Madeline tells Emily “the big news” and only after 24 hours of Emily arriving, Madeline goes missing. Is it of her own accord or is something more sinister?

    I really enjoyed this book. I was surprised at all that happened within the 197 pages. I was 99.99% sure I had it all figured out but the last few chapters showed that I wasn’t even close.

    A quick read that will keep you guessing throughout!

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

    REVIEW DISCLAIMER

  • This blog was founded on the premise to write honest reviews, to the best of my ability, no matter who from, where from and/or how the book was obtained, and will continue to do so, even if it is through PICT or PBP.
  • I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me, in exchange for my honest review. No items that I receive are ever sold…they are kept by me, or given to family and/or friends.
  • I do not have any affiliation with Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble. I am providing link(s) solely for visitors that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.
  • #Review | You Are Not Alone by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

    You Are Not Alone by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
    Genre: Domestic Thriller, Women’s Fiction
    Published by St. Martin’s Press
    Publication Date: March 3, 2020
    ISBN-10: 1250202035
    ISBN-13: 978-1250202031
    Pages: 352
    Review Copy From:
    Edition: HC/eBook via NetGalley
    My Rating: 5

    Synopsis (via GR)

    You probably know someone like Shay Miller.
    She wants to find love, but it eludes her.
    She wants to be fulfilled, but her job is a dead end.
    She wants to belong, but her life is so isolated.

    You probably don’t know anyone like the Moore sisters.
    They have an unbreakable circle of friends.
    They live the most glamorous life.
    They always get what they desire.

    Shay thinks she wants their life.
    But what they really want is hers.

    My Thoughts

    This extraordinary writing duo has done it again!!!!

    After reading An Anonymous Girl and The Wife Between Us, I knew I had to get my hands on this novel.

    At 31, Shay Miller feels that her life is going nowhere since her circle of friends has vanished due to marriages, families and careers and herself in a dead-end job.

    Then one day her life changes. Waiting for the train, she notices a girl very close to the edge and thinking if she should approach her. However, in that instant, it is too late because the girl jumps in front of the train. Shay, so traumatized by the event, wants to find out everything about this girl, who she now knows as Amanda. So much so, Shay even attends the memorial for her.

    There she meets Amanda’s friends, who seem to bring her into their circle. Her newfound friendships lift her spirits but then things turn sinister. Is it Shay that she is the guilty one in a murder or is she a victim?
    Are these girls truly her friends or are they setting her up?

    I could not put this book down. The pages turning as fast as I could read. The story pulled me in and didn’t let go until the unbelievable ending. My head was spinning throughout the story trying to figure out how it would end and it was shocking!!!! Totally engrossing and chilling! What a read!!!!!

    Not only do I recommend this book but their previous books too!!!!

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

    REVIEW DISCLAIMER

  • This blog was founded on the premise to write honest reviews, to the best of my ability, no matter who from, where from and/or how the book was obtained, and will continue to do so, even if it is through PICT or PBP.
  • I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me, in exchange for my honest review. No items that I receive are ever sold…they are kept by me, or given to family and/or friends.
  • I do not have any affiliation with Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble. I am providing link(s) solely for visitors that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.
  • #Review | Knit 2, Purl 2, Kill 2 by Erina Bridget Ring

    Knit 2, Purl 2, Kill 2 by Erina Bridget Ring
    Genre: Eldercare, Memoir
    Published by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
    Publication Date: June 25, 2014
    ISBN-10: 1497374138
    ISBN-13: 978-1497374133
    Pages: 188
    Review Copy From: Author
    Edition: Signed TPB
    My Rating: 4

    Synopsis (via GR)

    Memoir: A caretaker’s survival tale. When her mother’s health begins to fail, Erina Bridget Ring searches for something to do during the hours she spends at her mother’s bedside. What she discovers is knitting–and a group of women knitters. But as she learns to knit and at the same time cares for her ailing mother, she finds that things at the knitting group are not what they seem to be.

    My Thoughts

    This is the third book that I have read by this author. I previously read The Neighborhood and Breakfast With The FBI and not only enjoyed her writing style, but also that her books are based on real-life incidents of her’s.

    Jeanne Ryan, 89 years old, mother to 7 children including the baby of the family, Ms. Ring and due to location became the caretaker of her mother. It chronicles the life of her life while in this role, and how she found knitting as a pastime during this difficult time in her life. It is also a raw look into what can happen to a family facing the inevitable end result.

    This book hit a nerve with me and triggered the time when I was in the same role as the author. And since I had been, I could feel all of the emotions that the author talks about, worry, both mental and physical exhaustion, frustration, love, anger, guilt, and fear, and even how one has to hold on to humor to name a few.

    I also connected, and it was somewhat ironic, that she had her faith to draw from and a Priest who she leaned on. In my case, the last week of my Mom’s life, I was able to draw strength from a cousin who is a priest and stayed by both my Mom and my’s side.

    There were so many parallels with the author’s recount of that time and mine, that I read this book in one sitting. The only differences were that I crochet and not knit, she has many siblings and I only have one, however, since I’m her POA, it was only me making decisions and having to break down my Mom’s house. But even with those differences, I related to this entire book.

    A poignant explanation of what it is like to be in the role of caretaker. A story that was moving and impactful!!!

    Ms. Ring opens her heart and soul in this book and I highly recommend if you are presently a caretaker or foresee it in your future because you will understand that you aren’t alone with your emotions.

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

    REVIEW DISCLAIMER

  • This blog was founded on the premise to write honest reviews, to the best of my ability, no matter who from, where from and/or how the book was obtained, and will continue to do so, even if it is through PICT or PBP.
  • I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me, in exchange for my honest review. No items that I receive are ever sold…they are kept by me, or given to family and/or friends.
  • I do not have any affiliation with Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble. I am providing link(s) solely for visitors that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.
  • Review | NO BAD DEED by Heather Chavez

    No Bad Deed by Heather Chavez
    Genre: Domestic Thriller
    Published by William Morrow
    Publication Date: February 18th
    ASIN: B07RNL6B5V
    Pages: 320
    Review Copy From: William Morrow via NetGalley
    Edition: eBook
    My Rating: 5

    Synopsis (via GR)

    Packed with the electrifying pacing and pulse-pounding suspense of Harlan Coben and Lisa Gardner, a thrilling debut about a mother desperate to find the connections between her missing husband and a deadly stalker who knows too much about her own dark family history.

    Driving home one rainy night, Cassie Larkin sees a man and woman fighting on the side of the road. After calling 911, the veterinarian makes a split-second decision that will throw her sedate suburban life into chaos. Against all reason and advice, she gets out of her minivan and chases after the violent man, trying to help his victim. When Cassie physically tries to stop him, he suddenly turns on her and spits out an ominous threat: “Let her die, and I’ll let you live.”

    A veterinarian trained to heal, Cassie can’t let the woman die. But while she’s examining the unconscious victim, the attacker steals her car. Now he has her name. Her address. And he knows about her children. Though they warn her to be careful, the police assure her that the perpetrator—a criminal named Carver Sweet—won’t get near her. Cassie isn’t so sure.

    The next day—Halloween—her husband disappears while trick-or-treating with their six-year-old daughter. Are these disturbing events a coincidence or the beginning of a horrifying nightmare? Her husband has been growing distant—is it possible he’s become involved with another woman? Is Cassie’s confrontation with the road-side attacker connected to her husband’s disappearance? With all these questions swirling in her mind Cassie can trust no one, maybe not even herself. The only thing she knows for sure is that she can’t sit back while the people she loves are in danger.

    As she desperately searches for answers, Cassie discovers that nothing is as random as it seems, and that she is more than willing to fight—to go the most terrifying extremes—to save her family and her marriage.

    My Thoughts

    I can now write my review after holding my breath throughout much of this book!

    As the synopsis states, Cassie, coming home late again from work, see a couple fighting and the male throwing the victim down a ditch. She calls 911 but then makes the fateful mistake of getting out of her running car to get closer to see if she can help. When the police sirens are heard, the man takes off in her car with all her personal information. Her decision to help begins a cat and mouse game with possible deadly consequences. And then her husband goes missing. Is this a coincidence or a calculated plan to hurt Cassie and her family? But why?

    The events in the story are built on an incident that happened many years ago with revenge motives. Events that Cassie never knew.

    This book had me on the edge of my seat with the constant acceleration of suspense and action. A tense page-turner!!

    An exceptional story by a debut author. I can’t wait to see what the future brings from this author!

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

    REVIEW DISCLAIMER

  • This blog was founded on the premise to write honest reviews, to the best of my ability, no matter who from, where from and/or how the book was obtained, and will continue to do so, even if it is through PICT or PBP.
  • I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me, in exchange for my honest review. No items that I receive are ever sold…they are kept by me, or given to family and/or friends.
  • I do not have any affiliation with Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble. I am providing link(s) solely for visitors that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.
  • Review | BEHIND EVERY LIE by Christina McDonald

    Behind Every Lie by Christina McDonald
    Genre: Domestic Thriller
    Published by Gallery Books
    Publication Date: February 4, 2020
    ASIN: B07THD8RB2
    Pages: 336
    Review Copy From: Gallery Books via NetGalley
    Edition: eBook
    My Rating: 5+

    Synopsis (via GR)

    If you can’t remember it, how do you prove you didn’t do it?

    Eva Hansen wakes in the hospital after being struck by lightning and discovers her mother, Kat, has been murdered. Eva was found unconscious down the street. She can’t remember what happened but the police are highly suspicious of her.

    Determined to clear her name, Eva heads from Seattle to London—Kat’s former home—for answers. But as she unravels her mother’s carefully held secrets, Eva soon realizes that someone doesn’t want her to know the truth. And with violent memories beginning to emerge, Eva doesn’t know who to trust. Least of all herself.

    Told in alternating perspectives from Eva’s search for answers and Kat’s mysterious past, Christina McDonald has crafted another “complex, emotionally intense” (Publishers Weekly) domestic thriller. Behind Every Lie explores the complicated nature of mother-daughter relationships, family trauma, and the danger behind long-held secrets.

    My Thoughts

    I should have known better!!!!! After reading The Night Olivia Fell in one sitting, I should not have started this book when I had so much going on in real life where I had to keep putting it down or this would have been another one sitting read!!!

    The story alternates between Eva, in the present, trying to recall what happened that fateful night that her mother was murdered and Kat, her mother, twenty-five years ago.

    People didn’t believe Eva years ago when she couldn’t remember who or what happened that night she was raped. And now, people don’t believe her when she states she doesn’t remember the details of her mother’s murder even though the evidence is starting to stack up against her.

    After returning to her mother’s house, hoping to jog her memory, she finds her birth certificate and a letter written by her mother. What’s in that envelope is not only devastating but also adds to her confusion. So she sets out to try and find out the truth before she is arrested.

    The suspense overflowed from the first to the final word at breakneck speed. The characters and clues were delivered at a rapid fired pace that had me turning the pages as fast as I could but also jotting down notes so that I didn’t miss one iota of the story.

    Behind every lie are more lies that will come together in a shocking and shattering conclusion!!

    A jolting story that left me with a book hangover!!! An outstanding read that will pull you in and not let you go!!! Phenomenal!!!!

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

    REVIEW DISCLAIMER

    • This blog was founded on the premise to write honest reviews, to the best of my ability, no matter who from, where from and/or how the book was obtained, and will continue to do so, even if it is through PICT or PBP.
    • I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me, in exchange for my honest review. No items that I receive are ever sold…they are kept by me, or given to family and/or friends.
    • I do not have any affiliation with Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble. I am providing link(s) solely for visitors that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.

    Review | THE BETTER LIAR by Tanen Jones

    The Better Liar by Tanen Jones
    Genre: Domestic Thriller
    Published by Penguin Random House
    Publication Date: January 14, 2020
    ASIN: B07QMJCSJ3
    Pages: 307
    Review Copy From: Publisher via NetGalley
    Edition: eBook
    My Rating: 5

    Synopsis (via GR)

    When a woman conceals her sister’s death to claim their joint inheritance, her deception exposes a web of dangerous secrets in this addictive new thriller for fans of Megan Abbott, Gillian Flynn, and Paula Hawkins.

    “Like most of the dead, I want to be remembered.”

    Robin Voigt is dead. If Leslie had arrived at her sister’s cramped Las Vegas apartment just hours earlier, this would have been their first reunion in a decade. In the years since Robin ran away from home as a teenager, Leslie has stayed in New Mexico, taking care of their dying father even as she began building a family of her own. But when their father passed away, Leslie received a rude awakening: She and Robin would receive the inheritance he left them together—or not at all. Now her half of the money may be beyond her grasp. And unbeknownst to anyone, even her husband, Leslie needs it desperately.

    When she meets a charismatic young woman who bears an uncanny resemblance to Robin—and has every reason to leave her past behind—the two make a reckless bargain: Mary will impersonate Robin for a week in exchange for Robin’s half of the cash. But neither realizes how high the stakes will become when Mary takes a dead woman’s name. Even as Mary begins to suspect Leslie is hiding something, and Leslie realizes the stranger living in her house, babysitting her newborn son, and charming her husband has secrets of her own, Robin’s wild, troubled legacy threatens to eclipse them both.

    An electric, twisted portrait of sisterhood and the ties that bind, The Better Liar is a stunning debut with a heart-stopping, twist-after-twist finale that will beg the question: How far would you go to get what’s yours?

    Advance praise for The Better Liar

    “I thought I’d just skim a page or two before putting The Better Liar on my ‘to-read’ shelf, but I couldn’t help becoming so drawn in that I had to keep going. Tanen Jones has written a compulsively page-turning story. She cleverly drip-feeds nuggets of information, each more surprising than the last, until the final shocking revelation.”—Claire Fuller, author of Bitter Orange and Swimming Lessons

    My Thoughts

    Where do I begin?

    Let’s first start with that this is a debut novel and I am hoping that there will be many more books by this author!!

    Next, the title!! If you are like me and try to figure out the mystery, the reader has to start there. I knew I had to pay very close attention to the clues and the possible red herrings. Are you asking how I did? I’ll let you know!

    Now the story!!! As the synopsis states, Leslie Voight Flores hasn’t seen her sister, Robin, in 10 years, when Robin ran away. However, she must try to track her down since their father’s will states that they will both receive $50,000. upon his death but that they have to receive it together. But is she too late? Now, what does she do? She needs that money!!!!

    The narrative alternates between 3 characters (being vague as to not wanting to give away even a tidbit of this riveting story). For me, that meant the type of read that was “just one more chapter” to see which character will be “speaking” next and what that certain character might say.

    This was definitely a page-turner, one that was very difficult to put down. Thrilling throughout and totally engrossing. However, I didn’t figure it out!!! Matter of fact, this debut novel left me with a “book hangover” going over the storyline in my mind as to what clues did I miss.

    Ms. Jones is now on my radar!!! Kudos to her for such a dynamic introduction to her writing abilities!

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

    REVIEW DISCLAIMER

  • This blog was founded on the premise to write honest reviews, to the best of my ability, no matter who from, where from and/or how the book was obtained, and will continue to do so, even if it is through PICT or PBP.
  • I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me, in exchange for my honest review. No items that I receive are ever sold…they are kept by me, or given to family and/or friends.
  • I do not have any affiliation with Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble. I am providing link(s) solely for visitors that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.