Right Behind You By Lisa Gardner Dutton February 2017
“Had a family once. Father. Mother. Sister.”
The father was a vicious boozer and stoner; the mother liked drugs and booze and oblivion. The boy took care of his younger sister, scavenging food, getting her ready for school, and reading “Clifford, the Big Red Dog” to her nightly. One really bad night the father quit beating on the mother and was coming after the children with a knife.
“As I lifted the bat. Had a family. Once.”
Sheriff Shelly Atkin was a colleague of FBI agent Pierce Quincy about ten years ago when she was injured and disfigured by a fire. After recovery and a two year hiatus Shelly is now the county sheriff in Bakersville, Oregon, where the big criminal problem is meth production. She is notified of “shots fired” at a gas station/convenience store on the edge of town. Shelly finds an abandoned pickup, two dead bodies, and a teen-aged shooter with flat, dead eyes staring straight into the security camera before he shoots it out. The killer is identified as the foster child of The Duvall’s’, Telly Ray Nash, a seventeen year old with a series of minor offenses.
Sheriff Atkin calls Pierce Quincy for help. Pierce and his wife Rainie are in the process of adopting their teenaged foster child, Sharlah. Sharlah experienced a horrific trauma at a young age and carries a case history of antisocial tendencies and trust issues with her. With the help and unconditional love from Pierce and Rainie, plus the instant bonding with their dog, Luca, Sharlah now has the faith she can be a good daughter, and she’s ready to join the family. That is, she was until her older brother, Telly, begins his search for her.
Right Behind You is an excellent and sleek thriller imbued with devious shockers. Lisa Gardner is a very gifted wordsmith who excels at developing characters, details, dialogue, and narrative. This is one breathless page-turning tale and a one-sitting read . . . you will not be able to set it down.
Secret Sisters By Jayne Ann Krentz Berkley December 2015
Madeline Chase’s grandmother, Edith, died under mysterious circumstances in a hotel fire three months ago leaving Madeline the sole heir to her estate which includes the chain of Sanctuary Creek Inns. The first Inn that Edith opened was in the San Juan Islands of Washington State – Aurora Point on Cooper Island. That property was abandoned nearly two decades ago and is looked after by Tom Lomax, a man hired as a caretaker. Madeline has just received a request from Tom that she come to see him about a problem they have. She makes the trip by herself, and upon her arrival she finds Tom bleeding out on the floor where it looks like he fell down the stairs. His last words to her are that he failed her. Madeline notices hair and blood on a broken stairway railing and believes Tom was struck from behind and shoved down the stairs.
Jack Rayner is one of two employees of Rayner Risk Management. He talked his way into the job with Edith, but Madeline is so closed mouth he thinks that his services are in now jeopardy. She calls him to join her at Aurora Point, and he is on the next flight out. When he arrives Madeline fills him in on several things including family secrets that should have stayed buried, but evidently have risen from their grave to haunt her.
Daphne Knight was Madeline’s best childhood friend and her mother, Clara, worked for Edith. Daphne saved Edith from being molested, but the aftermath of that scene left both children scarred. The Inn was closed the next day and everyone but Tom left the island. Madeline has a phone number for Daphne and calls her to warn her someone is looking for the briefcase that was hidden that horrible night. Daphne has just returned from a cruise to find her condo ransacked. She agrees to come to the island and adhere to the secret sister oath two frightened twelve year girls pledged eighteen years ago.
SECRET SISTERS is an excellent mystery with just the right amount of romance included. Jack is the epitome of an Alpha male hero and has his hand full with Madeline, who is an independent and obstinate kick-butt heroine. Someone wants Madeline and Daphne dead, and is determined to get the job done. Jayne Ann Krentz is a master of the written word in each and every genre she writes.
Corrupt DEA Agent Nicole Rollins makes a blatant escape while being transferred from a holding facility to the federal courthouse where she was to give information on her double role of the last fifteen years, and to sign a plea document. A bus load of small children blocks the intersection after the lead Federal car has gone through, and Nicole advises her captors that there is a bomb on the bus that is sent to go off in minutes if she isn’t released. There were casualties that day, but all the children were off the bus when it blew up. Nicole’s lover of many years, Joseph Contreras, is waiting to whisk her away to a helicopter and to safety.
Sixteen-year-old Elise Hansen has been arrested and detained for two weeks for the murder of wealthy Harper Worthington. She is under the protection of Dr. Oakley, the court appointed psychiatrist that deals with underage prostitutes and victims of sex crimes. As sharp as the good doctor is, Elise is much sharper and quicker and has the doctor petitioning for her release. Once that happens all hope of finding the drug kingpin known as Tobias goes out the window.
The boys, actually children that were used as drug mules by “The General” are safe. Lucy Kincaid and her fiancé Sean Rogan and his brother Kane, rescued these children in Mexico, and they are now living in a safe house that Sean purchased across from the Catholic Church and Father Mateo.
NO GOOD DEED ties up all the loose threads from previous stories: DEAD HEAT and BEST LAID PLANS. Allison Brennan’s strongly formed characters, good guys and depraved villains alike; attention-grabbing story lines; and excellent pacing brands NO GOOD DEED as a suspense filled and extraordinary psychological thriller.
Four years ago Leah Carson was stabbed 23 times by her ex-husband, Phillip Latimer, because she divorced him. Miraculously she survived but Phillip di Four years ago Leah Carson was stabbed 23 times by her ex-husband, Phillip Latimer, because she divorced him. Miraculously she survived but Phillip disappeared. Years later his car was found at the bottom of a canyon, burned beyond recognition. The deceased was identified by the two rings he wore, which were turned over to his mother.
Alex Morgan is an agent of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. He is called in on a case by his brother Deke who heads up the Nashville Police Homicide squad. Deke has discovered a body, a torso with no hands, no feet and no head. There is a briefcase near the torso that has a business card of a police officer named Deidre Jones. Deidre is now a detective. She is also under suspicion for skimming money from a case that she worked. Deke asks Alex to look into Detective Jones activities . Georgia Morgan, Alex’s and Deke’s sister is a forensic technician with the Nashville Police Department, and in her spare time she likes to sing at a cop shop. Georgia wants her new friend Leah to meet her brother Alex. Leah is also friends with Deidre so Alex figures he can maybe get a little background on Deidre Jones.
Someone is in the shadows keeping tabs on Leah and using scare tactics to make her feel that Phillip is still alive. Is he? Leah is very leery of all men, especially police officers, therefore she tries to distance herself from Alex but he won’t let her. He risks his life to save hers.
Mary Burton, with her smooth story lines, likeable characters, and wonderful pacing, is one of the finest writers in the romantic thriller genre. The narrative in I’LL NEVER LET YOU GO is riveting and chilling, and a real page turner. ...more
The first two people that seem to have completely vanished from Serenity, Tennessee were seventeen year old Amy Grimes and her boyfriend, eighteen yea The first two people that seem to have completely vanished from Serenity, Tennessee were seventeen year old Amy Grimes and her boyfriend, eighteen year old Simon Church. Their abandoned Jeep was found on the north side of town by Detective Sarah Waters. The doors were opened and Amy’s purse with her savings was sitting in the front seat. It appears that Amy and Simon just got out of the Jeep and disappeared. There were some faint footsteps nearby, but these don’t show up in the crime scene photographs. Also, Sheriff Jonah Riggs’ watch and the clock on his cell phone lost the time while he was involved with the crime scene.
One week later Judge Phillip Carson was seen with his fishing gear going to his favorite spot. All of his equipment was located there undisturbed, but no sign of the judge. Once again the sheriff’s watch stops at the crime scene. More missing persons – a young mother going to neighbor’s to borrow baby food; man at a moving getting up to get refreshments; a ten-year-old girl getting up to get a drink of water during the night. A total of six mysterious disappearances, including a child; an Amber Alert is put out for her.
Jonah has been to workshops concerning the FBI’s Special Crime Unit, and feels he needs the help of Bishop and his team to help him. Four special agents are sent to Serenity: Lucas Jordan, psychic and his wife, Samantha, a clairvoyant; Dante Swann, a medium; Robbie Hodge, a telepath.
The villain does his work in the darkness, and changes his method of operation on the next victim just because he can. He takes the life of a police officer while trying to get into Robbie Hodge’s mind and that was his first big mistake. Robbie is much stronger than expected by anyone.
Kay Hooper skillfully balances emotion and suspense in one more spellbinding and creepy psychological page-turner. The atmosphere and firm pacing make FEAR THE DARK an eerie, knuckle-clenching read. Kay Hooper is a master creator of magnificent characters and stunning narrative. ...more
On the afternoon Judge Holly Spencer was to render her decision on the custody of Texas Ranger Crawford’s Hunt’s five-year-old daughter, Georgia, all
On the afternoon Judge Holly Spencer was to render her decision on the custody of Texas Ranger Crawford’s Hunt’s five-year-old daughter, Georgia, all hell broke loose in the courtroom in Prentiss, Texas. An unidentified person, masked and wearing white painter’s garb, burst into the room, runs down the center isle and beings shooting wildly toward the witness box, and hits Bailiff Chet Barker in the chest. Crawford was in the witness box at the time, and jumped over the box to knock Holly down and cover her with his body; Crawford then retrieved Chet’s handgun,. By this time other guards have arrived and in the melee the shooter gets away. The disguise was found in the stairwell and Crawford and some others went to the roof where they found a scared looking young Mexican man smoking a cigarette. Crawford tries to talk to him, but the young man didn’t seem to understand English, shoots at two policemen, and then a sniper shoots and kills him.
Sergeant Neal Lester, the police lead investigator in the shooting case, and Crawford have been frenemies since grade school. Lester’s partner is a rookie, Detective Matt Nugent. This pair takes Crawford’s statement and Neal keeps goading Crawford trying very hard to get a reaction from him. They also interview the Judge, and it is quite late at night when they finished. When she gets home Crawford pays her a surprise visit that turns into an emotional meltdown for Holly.
Who was supposed to have been shot? Holly by some disgruntled felon? Or Crawford by a member of a drug cartel? The judge and the Ranger begin their own investigation and both of their lives are put in jeopardy. There is a traitor in the Prentiss Police Department that keeps the bad guy informed of Holly’s and Crawford’s every move.
Sandra Brown keeps getting bolder and meaner with each new publication, and that is a very good thing. Ms. Brown is a genius at creating exceptional three dimensional characters and stirring up several intriguing plots that blend smoothly into an uncanny psychological thriller. FRICTION is a fast paced and emotional tale that also features a sizzling relationship between Holly and Crawford. FRICTION just might possibly be the best thriller that Ms. Brown has authored to date.
Sonderville, California: The bones of a child are found by a troop of Boy Scouts on a camping trip in the vineyard country, where recent rains have wa
Sonderville, California: The bones of a child are found by a troop of Boy Scouts on a camping trip in the vineyard country, where recent rains have washed away the earth covering the grave. The killer, a man named Walsh, is blending in with the crowd watching as the remains are carefully extracted, and knows that his life is in peril if the body is identified. Sheriff John Nalchek calls Eve Duncan, forensic sculptor, and induces her to sculpt the face as quickly as she can as he feels he possibly can identify the child. John tells Eve the deceased is female, about nine, and has been buried for eight years.
Eve receives the bones in Atlanta the next day, and even though she is literally swamped with other children’s remains, she feels compelled to start on this one immediately. Eve, like Nalchek, feels the little girl is calling to her. Eve always talks to her reconstruction projects and gives them a name; this time the “project” talks back to Eve and says her name is Jenny.
Walsh is hoping to eliminate the sheriff, but instead shoots Deputy Ron Carstairs. Ron was reading the dossier on Eve that Nalchek had prepared, and Walsh took pictures of it. The Sheriff warns Eve that the killer might be on his way to get the remains she is working on. Walsh is in Atlanta, and waylays the FedEx driver, shoots him, and takes the carefully packed box containing Jenny. Walsh gets Eve out of the house by calling and asking her to come identify her package in the wrecked company truck. While she is out Walsh steals her computer along with all of the pictures of Jenny. Eve calls on Margaret Douglas, an animal whisperer, to meet her in Sonderville. Margaret can communicate with animals and this talent helped greatly in finding Eve when she was kidnapped.
SHADOW PLAY is an Eve Duncan book, and the only hocus pocus talent she has is her ability to speak to her daughter, Bonnie, and now another murdered child, Jenny. Eve and Joe travel to California to find Walsh and subsequently Jenny’s family, if there are any in the area. The good sheriff knows more than he’s telling and he is keeping a dark secret to protect his family. Iris Johansen’s effortless technique, credible characters, and mesmerizing plotlines are second to none. Ms. Johansen is a true, blue ribbon genius of spine-chilling tales, and SHADOW PLAY is a perfect example.
Kendra Michaels is not convinced that serial killer Eric Colby is dead even thou THE NAKED EYE
Iris Johansen and Roy Johansen
St. Martin’s Press July 2015
Kendra Michaels is not convinced that serial killer Eric Colby is dead even though he was publically executed at San Quentin. Kendra has asked law enforcement groups to notify her of murder victims in her area, looking for Colby’s method of operation. At one homicide site her friend – and also her nemesis – Adam Lynch tells her he wants to help her find Eric Colby. While they are discussing the situation Kendra gets a call from a small town sheriff about Eve Duncan’s half-sister; Beth Avery needs Kendra to bail her out of jail. Beth follows Kendra home and decides to stay awhile.
Only Kendra believes that Eric Colby is alive. She is both leery and hopeful when she gets a call from Sheila Hunter, an investigative reporter. Ms. Hunter says she has information she wants to share with Kendra. After their meeting, Hunter is killed and evidence on the scene makes Kendra the prime suspect in the reporter’s murder.
THE NAKED EYE is another macabre, mesmerizing page turner from Iris Johansen and her son Roy Johansen, an unbeatable combination for scripting breathtaking psychological thriller tales. The story moves along at a wicked, pulse pounding rate. The characters are intelligent, the plot twists are dazzling, and the action just might leave you breathless. This is the third book featuring Kendra Michaels, and hopefully there will be several more. Kendra and Lynch share some strong chemistry, and there are hints of another couple showing up in future stories.
Zoe and Chloe Denning celebrate their twenty-first birthday in New Orleans by having dinner with some of their friends. Afterward, the group splits up
Zoe and Chloe Denning celebrate their twenty-first birthday in New Orleans by having dinner with some of their friends. Afterward, the group splits up, but they plan to get together in Baton Rouge before returning to All Saints. Zoe and Chloe are abducted before they can leave New Orleans; they wake up hours later nude, in separate cages, while a very large and hairy male, wearing nothing but a blacksmith apron, is cutting leather strips and singing “Happy Birthday” over and over. They manage to escape, but Chloe gets caught and is thrown back in the cage that is hidden below the ground in the killer’s house. Selma Denning, the twin’s mother, has tried to locate her daughters all night, and has a truly bad feeling about their disappearance and turns to her friend and counselor, Brianna Hayward.
Brianna pushes her way into the New Orleans Police Department and forces Detective Rick Bentz to see her. Bri is a psychologist who works with twin survivors; those who have lost their other half. Years back there was a serial killer known as the “21 Killer;” Donovan Caldwell was subsequently caught and is now in prison in California. Bri does not believe they have the right man; Caldwell is a distant relative of hers and she spent time in California trying to convince the police that he is not the mass murderer. Brianna feels that the 21 Killer is now in New Orleans and she has to convince Bentz virtuoso and Montoya to help her. As she is leaving the NOPD she is stopped by Jase Bridges, a reporter whom Bri had a crush on in high school. He had eavesdropped on her conversation with Bentz, and he wants to help her.
Bentz and Montoya have evidence that one of the vilest villains they have battled, Father John, is back in New Orleans.
Lisa Jackson keeps raising the bar for creating the most chilling and thrilling characters. Ms. Jackson is also a virtuoso when it comes to creating pulse pounding storylines and powerful pacing. Ms. Jackson skillfully counteracts emotion and tension to make NEVER DIE ALONE one of the edgiest novels she has written to date. It truly is “terrorific.”
J. P. Beaumont and his wife, Mel Soames, were agents for the Special Homicide Investigation Team (S.H.I.T
STAND DOWN
J. A. Jance
Witness Impulse July 2015
J. P. Beaumont and his wife, Mel Soames, were agents for the Special Homicide Investigation Team (S.H.I.T.), a task force hand-picked by then Washington State Attorney General, Ross Connors. The team was disbanded after Connors’ death and Beau is trying to decide what he wants to do; Mel has been named the police chief of Bellingham, Washington. Her appointment doesn’t sit well with some of the rank and file, especially Assistant Chief Austin Manson who thought he should have the job.
From Monday morning until Friday afternoon, Mel has been commuting to her job; staying at a hotel in Bellingham and returning to Seattle on Friday. Beau is working with Jim Hunt, his designer, to practically rebuild them a vintage “fixer upper” in Arlington; Jim designed Beau’s townhouse in Seattle. Beau is working on another house renovation for his colleague Harry I. Ball. The house needs to be brought into compliance for a wheelchair before Harry can be released from rehab.
STAND DOWN is a smartly written, page-turning novella with surprises galore: The disbanding of S.H.I.T.; the horrific repercussions of Harry’s accident; and the dangers of Mel’s new job. J. A. Jance gifts the reader with a first-rate story that leaves open the possibility of changes in Beau’s and Mel’s lives.
Tomas Santos, a nemesis of Catherine Ling, is callously killing people from her past; ones thYOUR NEXT BREATH
Iris Johansen
St. Martin’s Press April 2015
Tomas Santos, a nemesis of Catherine Ling, is callously killing people from her past; ones that she has helped or cared about, and vice versa, in retaliation of Ling killing Santos’s wife. Around the globe, Santos’s hired help is leaving a golden chain and a “dog tag” type medallion with Catherine Ling’s name as a calling card alongside the bodies. Catherine has contacted several of her close friends and warned them; but her new friend, Erin Sullivan, is in Tibet; Venable has a CIA agent stationed there that can extract Erin. It’s not a smooth pick up; one of the village priests is killed, Erin is shot in the leg by a sniper, and Agent Caudell has a shattered collarbone. Erin had to mentally connect with Richard Cameron for help.
Richard Cameron is the Guardian, an enigmatic man who possesses strong psychic powers that Catherine is very attuned to; Catherine and Richard had a very short lived and incredible carnal experience. Richard’s main job as Guardian is being the security chief of a powerful secret conglomerate. Richard helped Catherine get Erin from a madman’s prison a few months back using mental telepathy. Both Erin’s and Catherine’s minds were very receptive to Richard’s strong thought transference. As much as Catherine and Venable don’t want Richard’s interference, they have to admit he can help them.
Santos is thwarted in his agenda of killing off Kathrine’s friends, and his madness and hatred of the woman is getting uncontrollable. However, one of his ploys work and the psychopath brings down a very special person that is hovering between life and death.
You might just find that you will be holding in YOUR NEXT BREATH while reading this gripping thriller. Iris Johansen’s talent in character development, impeccable plotting, and remarkable depiction is nonpareil. Ms. Johansen gives the reader an added bonus of visiting with old friends and catching up on their lives.
It’s impossible for Tyler Anderson to believe that his best friend, Arnie Watson, died from an overdose of d THE DEAD PLAY ON
Heather Graham
Mira May 2015
It’s impossible for Tyler Anderson to believe that his best friend, Arnie Watson, died from an overdose of drugs. Arnie had served three tours in Afghanistan, survived intact, and came home to kill himself? No way. He played the sax like nobody else, and played with Tyler and the B-Street Bombers n the French Quarters on Wednesday nights. This Wednesday Tyler is playing Arnie’s beloved sax that the Watson’s gave him, and it is like someone has taken over Tyler’s soul; he begins playing a song that isn’t on the song list to play. But, man does he play it, even though he has never played “I Still Believe” before; however, this was Arnie’s favorite song, and he played it a lot. Then, Tyler has some visions of Arnie – in Afghanistan and on Rampart Street where Arnie died. In the vision Arnie is being chased, and that’s when Tyler knows for sure that his friend did not commit suicide – he was murdered.
Michael Quinn, is an ex New Orleans cop turned investigator of out-of-the-ordinary-killings, along with his lover and partner, Danni Cafferty. Most of their cases concern cursed, haunted or truly evil happenings. Quinn has been called to the site of a brutal killing of a well-known local musician. There doesn’t appear to be a motive – no break in and drugs and a wad of money are sitting in plain sight. Detective LaRue mentions that this is the second murder with the same M. O. plus an assault incident involving some musicians walking home, all on the same night.
While Quinn is still with LaRue at the murder site, Danni gets a visit from a young man she went to school with years ago. Tyler comes to her souvenir and collectibles shop, The Cheshire Cat, wanting to talk about the strange night he is having. He wants someone to check into Arnie’s death because the police won’t do it.
Heather Graham, the Mistress of Darkness and Dang Good Writing, is one awesome story teller and THE DEAD PLAY ON is just one shining example. Ms. Graham creates credible characters and dialogue; a perfect locale for incidents involving the occult; interesting returning characters; and spine-tingling story threads that keeps the suspense streaming and the pages turning.
Graduation night, May 1980 in Mystic, West Virginia and four very intoxicated teenagers are driving over one hundr
WILD HEARTS
Sharon Sala
Mira April 2015
Graduation night, May 1980 in Mystic, West Virginia and four very intoxicated teenagers are driving over one hundred miles per hour trying to outrun a killer. The pink Cadillac that was a graduation gift to Connie Bartlett’s ends its life, and also Connie’s, when it leaves the road and lands head-on into a tree. The killer checked the wreckage site to make certain there were no survivors and then walked away. Unbelievably Connie was the only fatality; her boyfriend, Dick Phillips and her best friend, Betsy Parr and Betsy’s boyfriend, Paul Jackson, all survived, but not a single one of them has any memory of that night; the killer remains free.
Thirty-five years later Dick Phillips’s body is found hanging from the rafters in his barn. It is originally deemed a suicide, but too many people, including his daughter Dallas, refuse to accept that verdict. Dallas is an on air television reporter in Charlotte, and flies home immediately after getting the call about her father’s death. Betsy Parr Jakes found the body when she stopped by Dick’s farm to buy some fresh egg and calls her son, Trey, the Chief of Police. However, the crime scene is in the jurisdiction of the Sheriff Osmond, but he welcomes Trey’s help.
Trey has been in love with Dallas Phillips since he was eleven and she was six. They share a romantic history, but she couldn’t wait to leave Mystic six years ago, and he didn’t want to leave. Dallas uncovers some important documents while cleaning out her father’s belongings, and gets the first clue that Dick didn’t kill himself. Meanwhile, someone is camping on the Phillips’ mountain top property and burning campfires at night. Could this be the killer?
Sharon Sala vividly composes a page-turning menacing tale that keeps the reader on the edge of their chairs. Ms. Sala’s characters are brilliant; the good guys are very good, and you don’t really know who the bad guys are. The romance between Dallas and Trey is rekindled and treated with loving care by the author. WILD HEARTS is held together with finely entwined story threads and a narrative that thrills and chills. This book comes highly recommended.