Tag: Mystery

Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: For Your Own Good by Samantha Downing

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: For Your Own Good by Samantha Downing

I absolutely loved Samantha Downing’s first novel, My Lovely Wife. In fact, I even read it twice because I thought it was such a great read and my book club loved it too! Her second novel He Started It, just didn’t grab me like the first one. I haven’t read it yet but the description just didn’t sound as exciting or interesting as My Lovely Wife sounded when I first heard of it. But when I saw this one was coming out—her third thriller—the description sounded so excellent and I just couldn’t pass up!

I love novels about darker academia and this book sounded like it would be a perfect summer thriller read so it was an easy yes for review from me! I also saw that it was recently announced that Robert Downey Jr and HBO Max have teamed up to option this stunning new thriller for the streaming service in the coming year!

If that bit of news doesn’t grab your attention then I don’t know what will! I was already interested in this novel based on the name Samantha Downing but adding in one of my favorite actors to potentially produce and create this book into a series sounds absolutely irresistible to me! I cannot wait to see what the vision is for this book when it comes to the HBO Max series, after reading the book I think it’s going to be a perfect book to bring to the streaming service! You should definitely run out and secure a copy of this book now, it’s going to be a hot read this summer!

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Books, Reading

Special Feature: False Witness by Karin Slaughter

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Summer is in full swing and I generally see two book genres in everyones beach bag—romances and thrillers. I usually try to alternate between a romance and a thriller when I head to the beach or pool, and if you are looking for some hot thrillers for the summer, this latest novel from Karin Slaughter should be on your list if not already in your bag!

Slaughter has written a number of thrillers and mysteries and almost every single one of them has been met with much acclaim and False Witness is no different! So many fans and early reviewers have raved about this book and with good reason! It’s a standalone novel with a modern storyline (hello COVID I see you in this plot!) and I think readers will enjoy the darker, twistyness of this one!

It is out now and I couldn’t be more excited to share a bit about it. I love that it features real life and really highlights the darker side of it’s characters, obviously if you are a fan of Slaughter you will find much to love in this one but if you are new to her books this will be a great place to start. The books are usually fast paced and complex with lots for readers to unpack and enjoy. Plus since this is a standalone, so you don’t have to go back and feel like you need to read the other books in the series before jumping in.

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Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: The Stranger Behind You by Carol Goodman

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: The Stranger Behind You by Carol Goodman

Carol Goodman is an author after my Gothic heart. I haven’t read any of her other books before this one, but when this one came up for review I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it because it had this decidedly Gothic feel. Not to mention a lot of fans have called her the modern day Daphne du Maurier. I love books with a Gothic feel, especially murder mysteries so I was super excited to read this one.

Goodman has written other novels that by all accounts are atmospheric and moody so I was really looking forward to this one. I also loved that it had a modern component with the #MeToo plot line. I think a lot of readers will find relevance in the plot as the #MeToo movement has been a big news headline in recent years so that was one of the things that really excited me about this book.

The only thing I was a little skeptical about was the history piece. After reading the summary it sounded like it had a lot going on—-a mystery, a #MeToo aspect, and a historical part but I wasn’t sure if it had a modern plot or not so that was a little confusing, but I was excited to see how the Gothic atmosphere was deployed in this one and ultimately that’s what drove my desire to read this one.

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Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: The Hollywood Spy (Maggie Hope #10) by Susan Elia MacNeal

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: The Hollywood Spy (Maggie Hope #10) by Susan Elia MacNeal

I fell in love with Maggie Hope long ago and watching her journey through these last 10 books has been so fun as a reader. We have seen her go from nervous secretary, to spy, through PTSD, and heartache. As we enter the 10th book in the series ,she is in many ways unrecognizable from the first book.

As a reader you really get a sense of how the war changed her character and I think that’s what really makes this series shine. I haven’t always loved the direction that Maggie’s character has taken or choices that she has made but for me that’s what makes her so real and relatable. You don’t have to love her choices or agree with them but you learn to live with them in the same way that her character must.

I was a little nervous going into this book though because we see the reappearance of one time beau, John Sterling. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. In the previous books I felt like John was charming and wonderful—-up until he wasn’t. Then I was like ‘Maggie girl kick his ass to the curb!’ and now suddenly he’s making a reappearance in her life and I hoped that he had undergone some changes between the books.

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Special Feature: Murder at Sunrise Lake by Christine Feehan

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Romance and paranormal fans will no doubt recognize Christine Feehan’s name. Feehan is an established author who has penned a number of beloved novels and series (roughly 80 books) and she is also a #1 New York Times bestselling author multiple times over. This highly anticipated standalone novel, boasts murder, suspense, and a bit of romance.

By all accounts, this new novel will take some of Feehan’s fan by surprise as it’s a little different from her usual genre but knowing that she has written a number of successful books and series should put readers fears at ease. I have actually not read anything by Feehan before but this one caught my eye because I do know her name and I love romantic suspense books. I am excited to check this one out a little later this summer, with an author as prolific as Feehan it’s hard to go wrong!

Her latest novel, Murder at Sunrise Lake, was already being met with a lot of advanced praise and it out now so fans don’t have to wait months to enjoy this one! If you love romantic suspense, it’s hard to go wrong with this one. This book promises a complex murder mystery with a bit of the paranormal (visions) and of course romance. It sounds like the perfect read for your summer beach bag! I am so excited to check it out!

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