Category: Misc

 Posted in Mailbox Monday, Uncategorized

Mailbox Monday

 CMash  April 1, 2019  Leave a Comment on Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday

According to Marcia, “Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.
Click on title for synopsis via GoodReads.

Wednesday:
A STRANGER ON THE BEACH by Michelle Campbell ~ eBook from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley
Thursday:
MY SISTER IS MISSING by Julia Barrett ~ eBook from RedDoor Publishing via NetGalley
WHAT SHE NEVER SAID by Catherine Riggs ~ eBook from Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley

 Posted in Uncategorized

THE BURIED GIRL by Richard Montanari (Showcase & Giveaway)

 CMash  March 25, 2019  2 Comments on THE BURIED GIRL by Richard Montanari (Showcase & Giveaway)

The Buried Girl

by Richard Montanari

on Tour March 1-31, 2019

Synopsis:

The Buried Girl by Richard Montanari

A haunting, nerve-jangling psychological thriller from Sunday Times bestselling author Richard Montanari, set in a small town hiding a very dark secret

New York psychologist Will Hardy had it all—a loving family, a flourishing career, a bestselling book. Until the night it all ended in a tempest of fire and ash, leaving only Will and his fifteen-year-old daughter Bernadette to stand in the ruins.

Haunted and grief-stricken, Will accepts an enigmatic invitation from his family’s past to begin their lives anew in the small town of Abbeville, Ohio.

Meanwhile, Abbeville Chief of Police Ivy Holgrave is investigating the death of a local girl, convinced this may only be the latest in a long line of murders dating back decades—including her own long-missing sister.

But what place does Will’s new home have in the story of the missing girls? And what links the killings to the diary of a young woman written over a century earlier? The disappearances in Abbeville have happened before, and now Will’s own daughter might be next…

Book Details:

Genre: Mystery
Published by: Witness Impulse
Publication Date: February 26th, 2019
Number of Pages: 400
ISBN: 0062467468 (ISBN13: 9780062467461)
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

 

Read an excerpt:

Amsterdam
March 22, 1819

On the third day of his madness Dr Rinus van Laar tasted the mouth of the devil. He stepped from the ruin of his home, into the courtyard where the body of his wife, dead these three days, had begun to soften and pigment. He remembered the first time he had seen Anna that day by the river. Her skin was now the color of dry bones.

Anna’s killer lay scattered beside her in seven pieces. Six, Rinus amended. He could not remember where he had put the man’s head. He longed to look once more into those lifeless eyes.

He pulled the dropper from the amber bottle, let six drops of mandragora onto his tongue. He closed his eyes to the fury of the onslaught.

Some time later he carefully returned the drawings to the leather portfolio. Fourteen preliminary sketches by the master, already more than two centuries old.

Seven vices. Seven virtues.

It was this treasure the killer sought. It was in defense of this treasure that Anna had given her life.

He placed the portfolio into the steamer trunk, latched it, secured the iron lock. As he prepared to leave he considered the aviary snare. The white bird studied him, its silver eyes watching, waiting, a thin leather strap tightly coiled around one leg.

Rinus van Laar looked one last time at his wife, and saw the tiny tendril; a bright green leaf against the matte claret of Anna’s drying blood.

In her virtue there was life.

Six hours later, his infant son in his arms, Rinus van Laar left for America.

***

BEING THE TRUE DIARY AND JOURNAL OF EVA CLAIRE LARSSEN

October 21 1868
We left Midlothian before dawn. I am riding back wagon with Deirdre Samuelsson and her brother Jonah. Jonah is still small, and thinks of all this as an adventure. Deirdre is my age, just fourteen, and terribly shy due to her stammer.

They say six hundred thousand died in the war. Imagine. Daddy was killed at Manassas. Mama also died from Yankee hellfire, but not right away. Not Sonja Larssen. She held ground three years, and breathed her last yesterday at noon. Our first day’s journey took us seven miles.

The dead walk behind us.

November 9, 1868
The rain is endless. We got stuck twice on the road out of Rowleton, where we picked up two weeks domestic work. Mr. Samuelsson had to ask some local boys and their mules to help pull the wagon from the culvert. My sweater got soaking wet, and as the wool dried by the fire last night it smelled of Mama. I cried myself to sleep again.

April 9, 1869
We crossed the Ohio River at Wheeling this morning. Deidre and I went to the general store and bought nails and tobacco for Mr. Samuelsson. He let us buy some fruit, and I had the most delicious pear.

Ohio looks like home before the war.

April 16, 1869
I awoke to the sound of church bells. When I climbed down from the wagon I saw that we were stopped on the crest of a hill overlooking the most beautiful valley I have ever seen.

When I stepped to the edge I saw them for the first time. Two grand houses facing each other across a field of green, houses so important they even have names. Veldhoeve and Godwin Hall. I will be working at one, and staying in the other.

Imagine.

April 24, 1869
All the buildings here are freshly painted and well cared for. The war did not come to this place. When we reached the town square I looked at the plaque.

Abbeville, Ohio. Est. 1790

Sitting on top of the plaque was a beautiful white bird, its pearl feathers glossed with early morning rain. I sat on the bench across from it and took out my pencils and pad. This is my drawing.

Although I am not taken by such notions, as I left the square, I could swear that bird was watching me.

Tomorrow morning I will begin work at Godwin Hall. If you are reading this, if the sun now shines where you stand, it means I am long forgotten.

If you are reading this, it means I never made it back home again.

***

Excerpt from The Buried Girl by Richard Montanari. Copyright © 2019 by Richard Montanari. Reproduced with permission from Witness Impulse. All rights reserved.

 

 

Richard Montanri

Author Bio:

RICHARD MONTANARI is the Sunday Times top ten bestselling author of The Echo Man, The Devil’s Garden, Play Dead, The Rosary Girls, The Skin Gods and Broken Angels, as well as the internationally acclaimed thrillers Kiss of Evil, Don’t Look Now (previously published as Deviant Way) and The Violet Hour. He lives in Cleveland, Ohio.

Catch Up With Our Richard On:
Website, Goodreads, BookBub, Twitter, & Facebook!

 

 

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 Richard Montanari and Witness Impulse. There will be 3 winners of one (1) physical copy of The Echo Man by Richard Montanari. The giveaway begins on March 1, 2019 and runs through April 1, 2019. Open to U.S. addresses only. Void where prohibited.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Get More Great Reads at Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours

 

 Posted in Friday Fill-ins, Uncategorized

Friday | Friendly Fill-Ins

 CMash  March 1, 2019  1 Comment on Friday | Friendly Fill-Ins


Hosted by McGruffy’s Reader and 15 and Meowing

This week’s Fill-Ins:

  1. My favorite kind of music is _____________________.

  2. I don’t believe ___________________.

  3. My ideal day _________.

  4. Don’t let _________ stop you from _________.

My answers:

  1. My favorite kind of music is Classic R&B.

  2. I don’t believe I will ever read all the TBR books in my bookcases and Kindle, and I keep adding more.

  3. My ideal day is spending time with sons, but since they live out of state, my ideal day is being able to just sit and read.

  4. Don’t let fear stop you from trying something new.

 Posted in Friday Fill-ins, Uncategorized

Friday | Friendly Fill-Ins

 CMash  February 22, 2019  2 Comments on Friday | Friendly Fill-Ins


Hosted by McGruffy’s Reader and 15 and Meowing

This week’s Fill-Ins:

  1. I believe in _______.

  2. I need to go Marie Kondo on my _________________________.

  3. It does no good to _________.

  4. I find _________ to be a walk in the park.

My answers:

  1. I believe in God.

  2. I need to go Marie Kondo on my office and my books.

  3. It does no good to worry, it’s wasted energy.

  4. I find making time to read to be a walk in the park.

 Posted in Mailbox Monday, Uncategorized

Mailbox Monday

 CMash  February 18, 2019  1 Comment on Mailbox Monday

photo 0bdc9e63-bc01-4e2d-a2ce-cc4b21356c66.jpg

Mailbox Monday

According to Marcia, “Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.
Click on title for synopsis via GoodReads.

Wednesday:
TELL NO ONE by Barbara Taylor Sissel ~ eBook from Author via NetGalley
BECAUSE YOU’RE MINE by Rea Frey ~ eBook from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley
THE CUTTING ROOM by Ashley Dyer ~ eBook from Harper Collins via Edelweiss
THE PERFECT NEIGHBORHOOD by Jo Crow ~ eBook from from Author via BookSprout

 Posted in Mailbox Monday, Uncategorized

Mailbox Monday

 CMash  January 28, 2019  1 Comment on Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday

According to Marcia, “Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

 :

Click on title for synopsis via GoodReads.

Sunday:
GIRLS OF GLASS by Brianna Labuskes ~ eBook via Prime
Monday:
THE CUTTING EDGE by Darcia Helle ~ eBook Amazon free d/l
Thursday:
SPRING CLEANING by Antonio Manzini ~ ARC TPB from Harper Collins
THE PERFECT PLAN by Bryan Reardon ~ eBook from Penguin Group via NetGalley
Friday:
THE LAST LIE by Alex Lake ~ TPB from Harper Collins
Saturday:
THE WINTER SISTER by Megan Collins ~ eBook from Touchstone via NetGalley

 Posted in Uncategorized

Mailbox Monday

 CMash  November 12, 2018  1 Comment on Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday

According to Marcia, “Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.
Click on title for synopsis via GoodReads.

Monday:
WHEN NEVER COMES by Barbara Davis ~ signed TPB with swag from Author
Tuesday:
THE FAVORITE DAUGHTER by Kaira Rouda ~ Harlequin via NetGalley
Wednesday:
25 TO LIFE by John Lansing ~ 1st draft for beta reading from Author
Thursday:
THE COLLECTOR by Fiona Cummins ~ from Kensington via GR win
Saturday:
DEAD IN A WEEK by Andrea Kane ~ Signed ARC from Author
A FATAL OBSESSION by James Hayman ~ TPB from Harper Collins/Witness Impulse

 Posted in Uncategorized

Review | JAR OF SECRETS by Jennifer Hillier

 CMash  August 22, 2018  2 Comments on Review | JAR OF SECRETS by Jennifer Hillier

JAR OF HEARTS by Jennifer Hillier
Genre: Thriller/Suspense
Published by Minotaur Books
Publication Date: June 12, 2018
ISBN-10: 1250154197
ISBN-13: 978-1250154194
Pages: 320
Review Copy From: Library
Edition: HC
My Rating: 4

Synopsis (via GR)

This is the story of three best friends: one who was murdered, one who went to prison, and one who’s been searching for the truth all these years . . .

When she was sixteen years old, Angela Wong—one of the most popular girls in school—disappeared without a trace. Nobody ever suspected that her best friend, Georgina Shaw, now an executive and rising star at her Seattle pharmaceutical company, was involved in any way. Certainly not Kaiser Brody, who was close with both girls back in high school.

But fourteen years later, Angela Wong’s remains are discovered in the woods near Geo’s childhood home. And Kaiser—now a detective with Seattle PD—finally learns the truth: Angela was a victim of Calvin James. The same Calvin James who murdered at least three other women.

To the authorities, Calvin is a serial killer. But to Geo, he’s something else entirely. Back in high school, Calvin was Geo’s first love. Turbulent and often volatile, their relationship bordered on obsession from the moment they met right up until the night Angela was killed.

For fourteen years, Geo knew what happened to Angela and told no one. For fourteen years, she carried the secret of Angela’s death until Geo was arrested and sent to prison.

While everyone thinks they finally know the truth, there are dark secrets buried deep. And what happened that fateful night is more complex and more chilling than anyone really knows. Now the obsessive past catches up with the deadly present when new bodies begin to turn up, killed in the exact same manner as Angela Wong.

How far will someone go to bury her secrets and hide her grief? How long can you get away with a lie? How long can you live with it?

My Thoughts

This story alternates between that fateful night of Angela’s death, Geo’s time in prison and the days after her release. Geo has done her time but still holds some very dark secrets.

As the synopsis states, right before her release, murders are being committed that has the same M.O. of Angela’s from so many years ago but with a twist. Is it Calvin or a copycat killer? Is Calvin sending Geo a message? Or is it something far more sinister, which a friend once said, “you see what you want to see, not what’s there”.

This story is extremely intense, and at times very disturbing. The characters are well developed along with all of their shortcomings and criminal behaviors.

For me, there were 2 endings. The one where Geo finally accepts her role in the murder of Angela and another secret that has not been shared other than with her father many years ago. This ending was shocking. But the actual ending of the book was a little disappointing for me and felt unfinished.

Overall, it was a thrilling and chilling read.

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.