Tag: Suspense

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

Review: The Key to Deceit (Electra McDonnell #2) by Ashley Weaver

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: The Key to Deceit (Electra McDonnell #2) by Ashley Weaver

This series captured my heart last year with it’s debut! I have read other books and series by Ashley Weaver but this is the series that has captured my attention the absolute most! After book one I was so eager to see what happened with Ellie next! Did she go back to safe cracking and stealing or did she keep on the straight and narrow?

I grabbed this book as soon as it was released and since it was on the shorter side (under 300 pages) I basically read it in one sitting—on my flight to Cabo. It was a super quick read and I found that the magic and allure of the book and characters didn’t change for me from book one to two and I am once again eagerly awaiting the next book in the series! If you are a historical mystery fan you need this book series. The first and second books are short and can be read in one or two sittings. I would recommend starting with the first book so you can enjoy all the character relationships rather than diving in with this one first.

But if you do decide to dive in with the second book and not start with the first one, not a huge big deal as the author keeps you fully abreast of events of the previous book and the character relationships. Ellie is a lovely modern character with wit and charm but also an edge. If you love authors like Anna Lee Huber and Deanna Raybourn then you will no doubt find a winner with Electra “Ellie” McDonnell!

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Special Feature: Local Gone Missing by Fiona Barton

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Fiona Barton is a fairly well known thriller/mystery writer. She is probably most known for her Kate Waters series which has been on the New York Times Best Seller List. With this latest book, she steps away from her well known protagonist and creates a standalone book begging to make it’s way into your beach bag this year! I know some people like reading romance or ‘beach reads’ while on vacation but I gotta say there is something about a thriller that scream beach read for me!

I haven’t read anything by Barton before so I am eager to check this one out. I love books about missing people and dark, buried secrets and this book sounds like it’s going to be full of twists turns, missing persons, and dark secrets! I cannot wait to start this one especially since it has been receiving rave early reviews! I especially like that this one is set in a small seaside town, I think it will make great reading for the summer and vacation reading!

This book is out today and just in time for summer. If you love twisty mysteries with a smart protagonist and a plot full of intrigue from an established author then you definitely want to get this one on your radar for the summer! I love that this is a standalone book and not a series so that I can read it quickly and not have to worry that I would be missing out on some larger narratives etc. Anyway, I am so excited to check this one out a little later this summer and of course share a review with you guys as soon as I am done!

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

Review: The Night Shift by Alex Finlay

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: The Night Shift by Alex Finlay

I had this book sitting on my TBR shelf forever. While I was on vacation I knew I wanted to read a fast paced thriller/murder mystery but I didn’t really have any idea what I wanted to read or what might fit the bill. But this one kept coming up on my recommended lists in Goodreads and on Audible. Finally I gave in and picked it up on the plane ride down to Salt Lake City.

This book was an absolute perfect fit for me. It was fast paced with short chapters that advanced the plot nicely. I loved the characters and the mystery so overall it was a solid read and a good choice for a vacation read for those that prefer murder over beach reads while on vacation. Author Alex Finlay is a seasoned writer with quite a few well received thrillers under his belt and while this is my first book by him, it will NOT be my last!

I think the biggest thing that appealed to me about this book was the nostalgia factor (the original murders are set in 1999 in a video store) mixed with the now modern day copy cat murder. I knew this would be a book that I could get into quick but also set down if I needed to for something and come back to without feeling lost and that’s exactly what I got. A well written thriller that held my attention but that I could get through quickly.

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Special Feature: Midnight Dunes (The Texas Murder Files #3) by Laura Griffin

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Special Feature: Midnight Dunes (The Texas Murder Files #3) by Laura Griffin

I always love a murder mystery with a side of romance! I haven’t read any of Laura Griffin’s books but I do know she has written murder and romance alike and I love that she is combining them in this new book! The Texas Murder Files is three books into the series and while I have not read the others, from what I have read it sounds like new readers can jump into this one with out an problems.

Early reviews for this new mystery have all been in the 4-5 star review range and I am so excited to check this one out a little later this summer. What mostly drew me to this one was the romantic suspense/mystery categorization. I just love murder and romance together so naturally I saw this one and my ears perked up and couldn’t wait to check it out!

By all accounts this book and overall series sound like they are all fast paced with a lot to love about the characters. Since Griffin is a seasoned writer in both genres that is hardly a surprise! I cannot wait to check out this sexy romantic mystery book and if you love murder with smart characters and vulnerable but honest main characters this is going to be a book for you this summer! Be watching for my review a little later on!

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Books, Reading

Special Feature: Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak

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I am always a sucker for books about haunted houses. When I see things like ‘The Haunting of Hill House meets The Perfect Nanny’ then naturally you have my interest! When I read the email caption as this one came across my desk all I could think of in my mind was “ok I’m listening!” I was immediately interested in this book and was eager to read it. But my review calendar always fills up quick so I opted to do a feature instead but as I was working on the feature, it was clear this book was going to work it’s way up my TBR list.

The premise of this story really calls to me, not just as a mom but as a fan of classic horror. I hate slicer dicer horror but bring me all the haunted houses, ghost stories and classic horror! As a mom, I love that one of the main characters, Teddy, is a five year old boy (same age as my boy!). It makes the creep factor feel so so real for me and it gives me something to connect with. Basically what I am saying is this book is calling my name!

If you love classic horror stories you need to get this one on your radar. Judging from the summery it sounds like there might be a little bit of a romantic element to the story too which I personally enjoy in books regardless of genre so I am really excited to have this one on my TBR list for the fall. This is a mystery book with some clear supernatural vibes so if you love books like that then you won’t want to miss this one but even if horror or paranormal isn’t your think, it sounds like there is a mystery too so I wouldn’t write this one off if horror isn’t for you, it sounds like there is a lot more going on than meets the eye!

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