Tag: Mystery

Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism

Review: Scorched (Tracers #6) by Laura Griffin

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: Scorched (Tracers #6) by Laura Griffin

I was initially not that excited about this book. Up until this point the main protagonist male as been a cop and I have come to look forward meeting a new detective and seeing a romance sprout between cop and Delphi worker. But this book takes a new turn and introduces former NavySEAL Gage Brewer as the romantic interest with Kelsey being the love interest from Delphi. We have met Kelsey briefly in other books and know that she has called it off with her boyfriend Gage.

Now she is getting her own book and honestly I wasn’t sure where this one was going to go and if I was going to like this new turn in the romance department but I mean come on, does it get any sexier than a NavySEAL? Even if I was unsure where this one was going to go, I was intrigued by the NavySEAL character and curious to see how it was going to play out. I will tell you now, there was no reason for me to be concerned because this book gave me as a reader some thing new and different to explore.

If you haven’t read this series yet then you are missing out. I can fully endorse that reading these books out of order will not matter. So maybe you want to read one book but skip another that is totally fine in this series. Sure we might have briefly met Kelsey in other books but Griffin does a great job making sure new readers don’t miss anything so take heart knowing the author will make sure you aren’t lost! This series is a killer—-pun intended! Do not miss this series!

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

Special Feature/Excerpt: Under a Veiled Moon (Inspector Corravan #2) by Karen Odden

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Special Feature/Excerpt: Under a Veiled Moon (Inspector Corravan #2) by Karen Odden

Karen Odden has written a couple of different historical mystery series most of which are set in the Victorian era. She has also written introductions for some well known classics like Hard Time by Charles Dickens. Clearly she has a love of Victorian literature and history. I have enjoyed her Victorian Mysteries series even if there has only been two books so far.

This latest series featuring Inspector Corravan, is currently on its second book. Odden’s books are recommended for fans of CS Harris and Anne Perry and I would agree, her mysteries are more complex and rich in historical detail. The focus is usually on the mystery itself rather than some of the other secondary plots. I haven’t read this series yet and the reason I choose to do a feature instead of a review was so I could go back and read the first book before moving on to the second.

Having read Odden’s first series, I know she does a great job orientating new readers within the series, however when I can, I prefer to read series books in order. Today though, I have a feature AND excerpt to share! If you are a fan of historical fiction mysteries then you are not going to want to miss this diamond in the rough author! She always crafts a smart mystery with fun characters and wonderful historical details!

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

Review: Twisted (Tracers #5) by Laura Griffin

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: Twisted (Tracers #5) by Laura Griffin

We were briefly introduced to Detective Allison Doyle in the last book and I really really liked her character. I was so excited to see that she was getting her own book and romance and quickly! Laura Griffin has a large fan following, especially in the thriller genre! What I love so much about Griffin is that she writes a very balanced romantic suspense story. It’s not too much romance but has enough romance and heat that readers will be fully invested in not only the mystery but also the characters romances.

Griffin’s books are always fast reads. I have been reading them super fast, I am averaging a day, two at most, to read each novel. And each book comes in at around 400 pages so clearly I am devouring them at record speed! There are some books I have read that are lengthy like this (400+ pages) and I struggle to get through them quickly but that is NOT the case with any of Griffin’s books. I find them to be fast reads that hold your attention and grip you right from the beginning.

In this book we have a bit of a May December romance meaning there is an age difference between the two of the main characters. This was sort of a new approach in the series as the other characters have up until this point been about the same age. I thought it would be a fun match between them though since Allison seems more mature than some of her other colleagues. Plus the love interest, Mark, sounded very intriguing and I was super excited to read more about him.

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

Review: Snapped (Tracers #4) by Laura Griffin

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: Snapped (Tracers #4) by Laura Griffin

Don’t mind me binge reading this whole series just like I said I was NOT going to do. I thought I would read maybe one or two books in this series and then put it down. Sorry not sorry because as I am writing this I am currently halfway done through the tenth book! I have absolutely devoured these books and I have been loving them. Some more than others but overall this is a wonderful series! If you love fast paced thrillers with a romance then you do not want to miss these books!

One of the things that I really love about this series is the variety of mystery that you get. I have read a lot of big time crime books/series like the Kay Scarpetta books and often those books always feature a deranged serial killer. But this series really hits on a lot of various crimes. Sometimes you might get a deranged serial killer, while other times you might get a government conspiracy or terrorist cell. I love the variety and complexity of the cases, it keeps things interesting and fresh. Plus the amount of research that goes into just one of these books has to be substantial.

Griffin writes with such knowledge of police procedures, military protocols, and forensic science. She is truly a marvel and must spend so much time researching her topics but it is really fascinating and keeps the series fresh, exciting, and authentic! Every time I open one of Griffin’s books I never know what the main crime will be but I know it’s going to be well written and researched! This series can absolutely be read out of order so grab a book and dive in, you will NOT be disappointed!

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Special Feature: City of Fortune (Counterfeit Lady #6) by Victoria Thompson

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Victoria Thompson has multiple successful series under her belt, including the Gaslight Mystery Series that’s currently 26 books strong! I have read a couple of her books in that series and thoroughly enjoyed them however with it being such a long, established series that it’s a little hard to jump around within the series as there are threads of a larger story woven in. However the books I have read have all been fun and enjoyable so I would recommend the over all series.

Thompson has now started this new series, Counterfeit Lady series, and it’s only six books in so certainly a much more manageable series to get caught up on! While I haven’t read the other books in this series, this book jumped out at me for a couple of reasons. One—the cover! How beautiful is this cover you guys?! The other reason is this book has a horse angle (horse racing) and I absolutely love horses! While I couldn’t fit this one into my review calendar, I am super excited to start this series in the coming months so I can be caught up and ready for the next book in the series.

Thompson is a quality writer with such a huge fan base! If you love historical mysteries with a strong heroine and a smart mystery then you are going to find a lot to love in her books! This book has already been receiving rave reviews from other reviewers, since I haven’t read it yet, I cannot say if you need to read the other books in the series first. No doubt the author will do a good job orientating new readers in the series as well as focusing on the mystery but there will likely be some threads of the larger narrative that carry over from other books. Overall though I would probably still give it a try, you cannot go wrong with Thompson! She’s an excellent writer and a proven track record of well written mysteries!

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