Megan is a married woman in her twenties. Her husband is abusive. She is estranged from her sister who is her twin. Her sisterGreat attention grabber!
Megan is a married woman in her twenties. Her husband is abusive. She is estranged from her sister who is her twin. Her sister Leah has taken everything from her for as long as Megan can remember.
Then Megan discovers Leah's latest betrayal and she loses it. Taking Leah's place may not be the easiest thing, especially during a pandemic lockdown, and if someone knows what she did!
From the very beginning, I was engrossed with this novel. I am one of those readers who enjoys thrillers where twins are the main characters. This one didn't disappoint me. There were multiple times I was shocked by the twists although, I guessed the last one. Several narrators brought to life these interesting characters of a solid debut novel.
Lucas's adopted daughter, Letty is in college now. Here is where she meets a couple of Travelers and buys them a mBack into the Lucas Davenport World.
Lucas's adopted daughter, Letty is in college now. Here is where she meets a couple of Travelers and buys them a meal. When Letty comes back to Minnesota, she gets a phone call from Skye, the woman traveler she befriended in California and she is asking Letty for help. Her friend (whom Letty met) has gone missing and she thinks that Pilate and his people have tortured him and killed him.
When Letty tells the story to Lucas, he tells her it's probably nothing but decides to accompany Letty to meet her. Lucas soon finds himself believing Skye and realizing that this group has murdered others before. The hunt will send Lucas outside his state in search of Pilate and his people through Juggalo gatherings. After an incident with Letty, his pursuit of Pilate becomes personal.
Lucas had to deal with a band of crazies that maimed and murdered without thinking twice. Scary people who felt more like a cult than anything else. They drove through states causing harm to innocents.
Another good installment to the series although not a favorite. I liked that Lucas is helped by small-town sheriffs and cops in this one. It made the whole ordeal more believable.
Also at the end of this novel, Lucas has to make some decisions that have been percolating for a while.
Invisible Prey is another enjoyable book in the Lucas Davenport series.
The novel starts with two cases.
One is of an underage young woman who might haInvisible Prey is another enjoyable book in the Lucas Davenport series.
The novel starts with two cases.
One is of an underage young woman who might have had a sexual relationship with a politician and Lucas is called to find out the truth and deal with the repercussions.
The second investigation is about an elderly woman and her maid found at home murdered in a gruesome way. At first, it looks like a simple burglary but soon it looks more like it's an antique robbery with the possibility that other murders might be connected to this case.
Lucas's hands are full. Time is ticking and he needs to solve the mystery before someone else dies.
I have learned to love Lucas and to root for him to catch the bad guys with the exception of Clara Rinker.
It's always great to be able to "see" Lucas working through the investigation, connecting leads, and understanding what makes the killers tick.
Invisible Prey has also a bonus in the form of John Sandford introducing the readers to his other series main character, Virgil Flowers.
I got to say that I'm intrigued about "F**cking Flowers" already.
The Chestnut Man was an atmospheric thriller with the right amount of suspense.
A murder has been committed and detective Thullin and Hess are the onesThe Chestnut Man was an atmospheric thriller with the right amount of suspense.
A murder has been committed and detective Thullin and Hess are the ones investigating it.
Thullin is a single mother and a very good detective. She has done the time in the department she is in but she's ready for an upgrade and recently has applied to the cyberunit.
Hess has been working with Europol solving cases. He's a nomad and doesn't really put any roots anywhere. He recently got in hot water during his last investigation and he was sent to Copenhagen as a form of punishment. At first, nothing is really interesting to him until the dead woman is found. He becomes even more invested when the fingerprint of an abducted twelve-year-old is found at the scene of the crime. The killer has left his calling card, a chestnut man and her prints are on it.
The twelve-year-old is presumed dead. Someone confessed to raping and murdering her over a year ago, so how can her fingerprint be there?
That's the million-dollar question.
There is one undeniable fact about the gruesome murders, the women who have been targeted have all failed their children in one way or the other. There has to be a connection but what is it?
The audio (which I did parts of it) was excellent. I felt like I was there, experiencing the cold dark days. I liked both detectives and I wanted to learn more about them. I do think that they needed to interact a lot more than they did.
I would love for this to become a series. I want more Hess and Thullin's cases.
So where do you go when you had plastic surgery and Witness protection has to place you somewhere in the States? Well, yoMy curiosity has been piqued.
So where do you go when you had plastic surgery and Witness protection has to place you somewhere in the States? Well, you move to Black Rock Falls, Montana of course.
David Kane is the new Deputy Sheriff at Black Rock Falls. The first night he gets there, he's witness to a car accident. A truck has tried to run over a car. To his surprise, he discovers that the victim's car is none other than his new boss, Sheriff Alton.
Sheriff Alton is not what he was expecting. She seems too young for her job however she's very confident and knowledgeable. He also believes she's hiding something or hiding from someone.
His job is also not what he was expecting. He was expecting to relax in a new town without major drama but he soon discovers that the town is full of surprises. Two people have gone missing without a trace and then a body is found at the garbage dump. It's up to him and Sheriff Alton to discover the truth behind these disappearances.
I really like the beginning of this series. I thought both characters were very likable and interesting. Both were hiding in plain sight and you know that at some point their past is going to come looking for them.
I'm intrigued, so I will continue reading the next installment.
Goodnight Beautiful brought a few twists with it. Two of them took me completely by surprise. I had a couple of What-The-Heck-Just-Happened moments.
I Goodnight Beautiful brought a few twists with it. Two of them took me completely by surprise. I had a couple of What-The-Heck-Just-Happened moments.
I was glued to the pages. I couldn't turn them fast enough. I was thinking did I miss something? Do I need to read the last couple of pages again? And guess what? I did. I went back and made sure that what I read was right.
A psychologist, Sam Statler, and his beautiful new wife, Annie Potter, have left New York City and are relocating to his hometown to take care of his mother who suffers from dementia. Annie soon learns that her husband had a reputation when he was in high-school. His nickname was Stats which gives you an idea of the type of guy he was.
Shortly thereafter, Sam sets up a new practice on the lower floor of the house not knowing that all his confidential conversations with his patients are being overheard through a vent. Then, during a storm, Sam disappears. No one knows what happened to him. Not Annie, not the neighbor, and certainly not the police.
Good golly Miss Molloy, you did well!I was entertained by this unreliable narrator with a twist.
Was it perfect? Close. Almost.
Two things that made me not give it a five-star rating. First, the portrayal of the detectives. They dismissed Sam's disappearance way too easily. No real police work was involved. Second, the ending. It was too predictable and cookie-cutter for me.
I know a good twist when I see one, and this one was outstanding!
Alicia Berenson is accused of shooting her husband Gabriel and killing him. No one knI know a good twist when I see one, and this one was outstanding!
Alicia Berenson is accused of shooting her husband Gabriel and killing him. No one knows why she does this or why she becomes mute after it. Was she unstable before she shot him? Or did someone else do the deed and she became so traumatized by the experience that she was not able to speak again?
This is exactly what psychotherapist Theo Faber wants to know. He has waited six years for the opportunity to work with Alicia. He applies for a job at the Grove, the place were Alicia is a patient and thankfully, he gets it. He begins right away trying to get Alicia to open up to him. Theo hopes he can help her although everyone thinks it's a waste of time. Many have tried and they have all have failed.
Can Theo be the one to break the cycle?
The Silent Patient was everything I thought it was going to be for me. A page-turner, good writing, interesting characters, and an end with a good twist.
Did I see it coming? My answer is a resounding yes. Yet, in a way, it took me completely by surprise. Hard to explain without spoilers.
I do hope to see this one on the big screen. It would be fun to watch Alicia and Theo's battle of wits.
A page-turner for sure. Beware that if you are like me, once you start this thriller, you wo
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Well, That Was Fun! It had one hell of a twist!
A page-turner for sure. Beware that if you are like me, once you start this thriller, you won't be able to put it away. So don't start it at night unless you are ok with having many sleepless hours ahead of you.
The beginning was so sad. A mother, Molly Clarke, is immersed in grief after the loss of her child five years earlier. Her daughter was killed by a car. A car Molly was driving.
How awful it had to be, to be the one who took her life? A life full of promise that will never materialize. Of course, Molly blames herself and she thinks her remaining two children, Nicole and Evan, and her husband, John, blame her too. Her home life imploded after the accident and no amount of counseling was able to help them. Each is suffering and acting out in their own way.
After having a horrible day and driving at night during a storm, Molly stops for gas, and then she disappears. A couple of days after her mysterious disappearance, a letter is found in a hotel room. In it, Molly writes that she doesn't want to be found. To please don't look for her.
Nicole can't believe her mother would walk away from them. She believes foul play may be at hand and when she gets a new lead pointing her to the town of Hastings, she knows she has to find out the truth. As horrible as it may be.
Wendy Walker knows how to write a good story. I empathized with both Molly and Nic's characters. They were both in so much pain. The accident was devastating. No wonder the whole family was so lost.
Don't Look for Me had a very creepy feeling almost to the end. It was perfect for an October read.
Rachel is a true-crime podcast reporter. The first two seasons of her show, Guilty or Not Guilty, have been a huge success. As part of her third seasoRachel is a true-crime podcast reporter. The first two seasons of her show, Guilty or Not Guilty, have been a huge success. As part of her third season, she has decided to cover a current rape trial.
A young man, Scott is allegedly accused of raping and assaulting a teenager. If found guilty, he can face up to a decade in prison.
While driving towards the town's trial in Neapolis, Rachel makes a quick stop to get something to eat. When she gets back in her car, she realizes someone has left her a letter on her windshield wiper and it's addressed to her and signed by "Hannah". This bothers her because no one should know the way she looks and she wasn't planning on stopping. Is someone following her?
Going back to the letter, Hannah Stills explains that she needs Rachel's help. Hannah believes her sister, Jenny was murdered over two decades ago and she begs Rachel to look into it.
Rachel’s curiosity is peaked and with the tidbits of memories she gets from Hannah’s other letters and following her own instincts, she begins to unravel the thread of deceit left untouched for twenty-five years.
The Night Swim was a well-written novel with excellent characters! I felt horrible for Jenny and what she had to endure. What a terribly short life! Same with Kelley. Her future turned grim in the blink of an eye. Her spirit was forever broken.
I did love inquisitive Rachel. If she was real I would be a true fan of her podcast series. She knew how to keep her audience interested. I want a season 4 of her show.
In Winter Prey, we have Lucas Davenport assisting the police with a murder case during a terr
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“Is that Weather, like ‘Stormy Weather’?”
In Winter Prey, we have Lucas Davenport assisting the police with a murder case during a terrible winter in Wisconsin.
A family has been murdered and their house has been burnt. A photograph of a man and underage high school kid points to the reason for their demise. When the local Sheriff calls Lucas for help, he can't resist. Lucas is bored and his video games and life at the cabin are not enough to entertain him.
The baddie on this one goes by the name of the "Iceman". A cold-blooded killer who will stop at nothing until he can save himself from being discovered.
Lucas Davenport keeps on growing on me. He can be petulant, but he can be funny too. I love how in this one, Lucas meets a woman, Weather Karkinnen who seemed to be one step ahead of Lucas with her comebacks and sarcasm.
I also enjoyed (from the warmth of my home) how John Sandford makes winter a character in itself with freezing temperatures and winter storms making the chase for the killer even a more difficult one.
Silent Prey follows Lucas as a consultant this time for the NYPD.
Lily Rothenburg comes to Minnesota to ask Lucas to come to her city to ca
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Silent Prey follows Lucas as a consultant this time for the NYPD.
Lily Rothenburg comes to Minnesota to ask Lucas to come to her city to catch Bekker, the deranged criminal from Eyes of Prey who escaped during his trial to NYC. Dekker is not only killing his victims but he's also publishing articles about his "medical findings".
For her part, Lily wants Lucas to help her with her own investigation into a group of possible rogue cops nicknamed, Robin Hood who are murdering people who they consider dangerous. When one of Lily's cop friends, Walter Petty, who's investigating Robin Hood gets murdered, it makes it personal for her.
Silent Prey was easy to enjoy. Even though I haven't liked Lucas because of his philandering ways, he's starting to change or at least he's trying. He's still an arse but not a complete one. He does make me laugh and he's a true detective. I like how he pieces things together and he always gets to surprise me with something.
I wasn't a fan of Bekker and in this one, he was even weirder. I have no clue how a psychopath like him who was always high on so many things could even move, let alone plan and abduct anyone.
The Robin Hood storyline was much more interesting to me than the Bekker one. Sandford made no one safe and that kept my interest going.
I've decided to stick with this series and hope for the best.
Lucas Davenport has not been the same since his last few cases. His head hasn't been right since then. He has lost his relationship with hi
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Lucas Davenport has not been the same since his last few cases. His head hasn't been right since then. He has lost his relationship with his girlfriend, Jennifer and he barely sees his kid. He went into a major depression but maybe getting back on the job is the one thing that can help him.
When Dell, another cop, asks Lucas to look into the murder of one of his cousin's, Lucas decides to put his personal problems aside and help Dell. Dell thinks the husband, Michael Bekker did it. Bekker is a doctor, a well-known pathologist, but he's a strange bird. Everyone who Lucas approaches about Bekker thinks Bekker is the responsible party but he has a great alibi. Bekker was in a different state when his wife was murdered.
One look at Michael Bekker and Lucas know there's more to the story. Then a theater manager is murdered and her eyes are gouged just like Bekker's wife. The plot thickens when Lucas believes there is a second killer involved. Lucas wishes for "Loverboy", the sole witness to Bekker's wife murder, to come forward.
Lucas will have his hands full trying to piece together these murders.
Carlo Druze and Michael Bekker were a weird couple of psychopaths. Michael was obsessed with death and what comes after. He was hooked on all types of drugs which at times made me doubt his capacity for him having any logical thought process and fooling the police. Carlo had no qualms with killing but it was kind of strange for him to befriend Bekker. He knew Bekker was crazy but he did everything Bekker wanted him to do despite knowing it could bring trouble to his doorstep.
When I started the series, I didn't like Lucas but he was able to bring out plenty of emotions from me. He made me angry with his philandering ways. He made me upset when he didn't blink an eye when he was breaking the law. Yes, his purpose was all about catching a criminal but I was expecting him to do it by the book. He also made me laugh many times and he made me feel bad for him at certain times too. In this book, John Sandford has made him more likable. Not that he didn't use violence and still broke the law, but for me, he has finally realized his actions have consequences.
I'm guessing, Lucas will continue to grow on me since I've many more books to get to.
Eyes of Prey ends with an amazing twist. One, I never saw coming until the very end. I wonder if this will come back out on a future book.
As a side note, this book has a lot of violence and gory details, so if you're squeamish, this might not be the book to start this series with.
"I’d rather get a call from a serial killer than my own sister."
DCI Erika Foster and her team have a new case.
While spending an uncomfortable dinner "I’d rather get a call from a serial killer than my own sister."
DCI Erika Foster and her team have a new case.
While spending an uncomfortable dinner invitation at her friend's house, forensic pathologist Isaac Strong and his boyfriend, Steven, Erika is called into the scene of a new crime. A man has been murdered. He was found by his mother naked and asphyxiated with a bag around his head. The deceased was a well-known doctor.
At first, it looks like it could be a hate crime when pornographic male magazines are found by his bedside table but a closer look give chills to Erika who begins to think there is something evil surrounding the death.
When a second body is found murdered in the same way, Erika and her team start to believe that it could be the work of a serial killer. Furthermore, Erika believes it could be a woman serial killer. Without fighting (too much) with her superiors while avoiding endangering another investigation, Erika will have to walk a fine line to try to get to the bottom of the mystery of the Night Stalker.
I liked this one quite a bit. I love that we are getting to know the other members of the team. We get more details about Isaac (maybe a little too much), Peterson, and Moss, too.
Erika is a great character to follow. She is dealing better with her unresolved grief. The death of her husband and team still affects her dearly despite almost two years have gone by. She is broken but starting to repair.
Erika has gained the respect of her team. They support her and want to help her. I'm still not sure about Marsh. I didn't particularly like his wife in this one. We shall see what happens.
I'm excited to continue with this series. So far, I have 4 more to read.
I have to be honest here, when I invest in a fictional psychopath killer, I’m rooting for her or him (think Joe, think Dexter). I want them to succeedI have to be honest here, when I invest in a fictional psychopath killer, I’m rooting for her or him (think Joe, think Dexter). I want them to succeed.
I became very invested with the one in The Kind Worth Killing.
Ted Severson is a millionaire guy who recently learned his beautiful wife, Miranda is cheating with his new home building contractor. He's at the airport awaiting his flight from London to Boston and feeling angry, hurt, and drowning his sorrows in his martini when he meets Lily Kintner.
After a few drinks and a delay in their flight, he reveals to Lily that his wife is cheating and he wishes she was dead. Lily says that it could be arranged if he really wanted it. He only needs to plan it well and she can help him. She doesn’t see anything wrong with helping him murder his wife. After all, she deserves it for being a horrible person.
Don't you think Lily was super nice in offering to help Ted? Oh, Lily, you were brilliant! You didn't even bat an eyelash.
After learning more about Miranda, the more I had to agree with Lily, Miranda deserved to be whacked.
Of course, the more I read the Lily parts, in retrospect, it makes sense that she can do something like this. Lily has secrets. Big ones.
The Kind Worth Killing had a great twist but one that left me heartbroken. I also didn't particularly enjoy the ending. I know, some might think it was overdue but not this reader. My hope was crushed.
A cop down on her luck, a cold case, and a new murder. This particular mix was enough to keep my atte
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A really good beginning to the series!
A cop down on her luck, a cold case, and a new murder. This particular mix was enough to keep my attention throughout the book.
Matilda Darke is coming back to work after a long absence and having had the most difficult time in her life. She has lost her husband and a prominent case she was working on went south. This has left her suffering from panic attacks and she has lost her self-confidence. Coming back to work after nine months only makes her anxiety less manageable. She questions herself. She's not sure she can still do her job. When her superior assigns her a twenty-year-old cold case, the Harkness murders, as her next investigation, her uncertainty about keeping her position as DCI doubles.
The Harkness case is well-known to the community. Miranda and Stefan Harkness were murdered around Christmastime. The only witness to the crime, a then eleven-year-old, Jonathan. Jonathan was so affected by what happened that night, that he stopped speaking. He was sent to live with his aunt.
In the present, Jonathan is now an adult. He has learned his childhood home is being demolished. He knows reporters will come back knocking and by Matilda investigating the case, he knows his anonymity is about to end.
Then a new murder occurs and the connection to the Harkness case is undeniable. The past and the present collide and it's up to Matilda to unearth the truth.
I was pleased by the start of the series. It was was a good storyline with interesting characters. Matilda was such a broken character at the beginning. Her imperfections only make me like her more and I was rooting for her to succeed.
The rest of the team complemented her well. The doc was a true friend to Matilda. She was there for her. The drama inside the police station helped with the narrative instead of becoming a distraction.
I'm glad that there are more books already out. I can see my self reading the next one soon.