Tag: Suspense

Books, Reading

Special Feature: From a Dark Horizon (Gregor Reinhardt #4) by Luke McCallin

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Special Feature: From a Dark Horizon (Gregor Reinhardt #4) by Luke McCallin

It’s no secret how much I love WWI historical novels but so many of them have a strong romance element which is totally fine and in fact I often prefer it, but there are times when I want something a little different to sink my teeth into. When I saw this book I knew this was exactly what I had been looking for—a WWI thriller. I am a bit of a military history nerd and when I saw that this book had a lot of military history as well as a strong mystery/thriller component I was all about it!

This is the fourth book in the Gregor Reinhardt series and while I haven’t heard of this series before this book, I already know this is a series I will be reading in it’s entirety. I am reading this book over winter break, it promises to be a quick read with a lot to sink my teeth into and even if it’s number four in the series, the early reviews I have read are saying you can jump around in the series without much trouble. This book has been getting rave reviews already and I cannot wait to read it. It isn’t the typical WWI novel I would read but at the same time I am dying to read it!

It is out now and a perfect match for the thriller reader on your holiday shopping list! Luke McCallin’s Gregor Reinhardt seris has a big fan following and I am eager to see what all the fuss is about! But many readers are saying many of the same things—that this series is action packed, full of great history, thrills and a mystery that promises to keep readers guessing until the very end. Do not miss this one, it’s out now and I will be finishing it before the year is over I am sure so be watching for my review!

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Books, Reading

Special Feature and Excerpt: Down a Dark River by Karen Odden

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Special Feature and Excerpt: Down a Dark River by Karen Odden

Down a Dark River by Karen Odden

Publication Date: November 9, 2021
Crooked Lane Books
Hardcover & eBook; 336 pages

Series: An Inspector Corravan Mystery, Book One
Genre: Historical Mystery

In the vein of C. S. Harris and Anne Perry, Karen Odden’s mystery introduces Inspector Michael Corravan as he investigates a string of vicious murders that has rocked Victorian London’s upper crust.

London, 1878. One April morning, a small boat bearing a young woman’s corpse floats down the murky waters of the Thames. When the victim is identified as Rose Albert, daughter of a prominent judge, the Scotland Yard director gives the case to Michael Corravan, one of the only Senior Inspectors remaining after a corruption scandal the previous autumn left the division in ruins. Reluctantly, Corravan abandons his ongoing case, a search for the missing wife of a shipping magnate, handing it over to his young colleague, Mr. Stiles.

An Irish former bare-knuckles boxer and dockworker from London’s seedy East End, Corravan has good street sense and an inspector’s knack for digging up clues. But he’s confounded when, a week later, a second woman is found dead in a rowboat, and then a third. The dead women seem to have no connection whatsoever. Meanwhile, Mr. Stiles makes an alarming discovery: the shipping magnate’s missing wife, Mrs. Beckford, may not have fled her house because she was insane, as her husband claims, and Mr. Beckford may not be the successful man of business that he appears to be.

Slowly, it becomes clear that the river murders and the case of Mrs. Beckford may be linked through some terrible act of injustice in the past—for which someone has vowed a brutal vengeance. Now, with the newspapers once again trumpeting the Yard’s failures, Corravan must dredge up the truth—before London devolves into a state of panic and before the killer claims another innocent victim.

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | BAM | IndieBound

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

Review: The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

I have had this book on my TBR for years. Like years. Every Halloween season, I tell myself that I am going to pick this one up. It’s on all the ‘most scary’ book lists and I have heard such great things about Sarah Waters. Not to mention this book features all the creepy things that I love best in the gothic—a family fallen from grace, a crumbling old mansion, a haunted house. I mean all the things that make the gothic what it is can be found in this book or at least promise to be!

Well this year was finally they year for me to read this one. My sister and I picked this book to read for the month of October, every October we pick a couple of creepy books that we have had on our TBR and do a buddy read for the month and this was our pick. At over 450 pages, I decided to also download the Audible version too, I mean Simon Vance narrates and he always does a great job.

My sister has read other books by Waters and absolutely loves them so I had high hoped for this one and I was fully ready to be scared to death and up all night reading this one. So imagine my shock when I was literally bored to tears. This is my first and only DNF of the year and I couldn’t be more shocked. I went into this one fully ready to devour it!

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Books, Reading

Special Feature: The Attic on Queen Street (Tadd Street #7) by Karen White

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If this cover doesn’t speak to mystery fans then I don’t know what does. This lovely Victorian house promises to be full of mystery not to mention a bit of the paranormal. This book strikes me as the kind perfect for people who aren’t ready for Halloween to be over! I mean, I am fully ready for all the holiday reading but I am still feeling the lingering draw to Halloween reads so this book really appeals to me in that regard.

Not to mention Karen White is an outstanding writer! She has written a number of stand alone historical fiction novels plus collaborated on a few books with other authors not to mention her long standing Tadd Street series. An author who can write consistently over multiple genres and series has my vote! I adore all her books and the Tadd Street series is no different!

I have skipped around in this series before and haven’t had any issues keeping up with the characters and subplots. The author does a great job orientating new readers within the story and the characters. I am sad to see that this will be the last in the series but I am excited to see how the series wraps up and what White comes out with next. If you are looking for a fun mystery to tide you over as you transition from Halloween to Christmas, this is your book! It’s out now so don’t miss it!

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Books, Reading

Special Feature: The Unheard by Nicci French

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Author Nicci French is actually a nom de plume for a husband and wife writing team that have written a number of wonderful mystery novels as well as a successful series, The Freida Klein series, of which I have read a few of. While the series is great, I really enjoy their standalone mystery novels the best.

With that in mind, when this book came up for review, my calendar was already full for reviews but I couldn’t resist featuring this one since the French writing duo have written some pretty solid and interesting books and quality mysteries are always on my radar any time of year. I am planning on reading this one a little later this year and but in the mean time I am bringing you all a little bit about this book today!

One thing that caught my eye about this one (besides the quality writing team) was the child angle. I have a small child (he is 5) and it’s always fascinating to me how he sees the world and how he justifies it in his mind. I loved that this novel uses that in the mystery to create a sense of an unreliable narrator and the child’s perception as the catalyst for a larger and darker story. I am eager to see how that plays out in this novel. So if you are looking for a well written and experienced author, the Nicci French team is great and if you love mysteries be sure to check this one out!

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