ARCs Review Roundup 1

 I received ARCs of these books from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for honest reviews. This did not affect my opinion of the books or my reviews themselves.

How to Get Away With Murder by Rebecca Philipson

When a girl is found murdered, that’s bad enough. But with her is found a copy of a book purported to be written by a murderer, teaching others how to murder. The police must solve the girl’s murder and find the author of the book. But will the results of these investigations land on the same person?

The characters in this are really compelling, particularly the main character, who is a police officer returning to work after suffering a breakdown. The “excerpts” from the book-within-a-book are eerie and keep the plot of the actual book moving well. The mystery is a good one with a lot of twists, and there’s even a hint of romance in there. I would recommend this book.

Haven’t Killed in Years by Amy K. Green

Gwen Tanner was once known as the daughter of a serial killer. But under her new name, living her new life, she is simply alone. But when someone starts sending her body parts, she fears her identity has been revealed, and she begins to investigate. 

I loved this book, and could not put it down. Gwen is a really compelling character, and I really enjoyed seeing her find herself and begin to let people in. The mystery is twisty and kept me wanting to know more, and the supporting characters are well-drawn and unique. I would recommend this book.

With Friends Like These by Alissa Lee

“The Circus” is the name of the game for the five remaining friends from Harvard. It’s a game much like assassin, and was originated with a sixth player, Claudine, who died their senior year. Now the group is playing for one last time, and their secrets are starting to come out. 

This is a very suspenseful book that really kept me guessing. While Sara is our main character, the other characters are unique and interesting too, including the deceased (or is she?) Claudine. Needing to know who would win the game kept me coming back for more, and the mystery full of secrets was an excellent bonus. I would recommend this book.

Death and Dinuguan by Mia P. Manansala 

Lila loves where she lives, and all the beautiful women-owned businesses to be found there. But when the owner of the newly-opened chocolate shop is killed, and her chocolatier put into a coma, Lila must face that someone may be out to get the women of her town.

This is the final book in this series that I’ve absolutely loved, and I’m so sad to see it go. The characters are wonderful and so well-developed, and the relationships (platonic, familial, and romantic) are really well written. In fact, every book in this series is well written and so good. The setting is practically its own character, and everything about it comes alive. The mysteries are always fun to read. I would recommend this whole series. 

ARC Review: Friends and Liars

 I received an ARC of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself.

Claire died five years ago in Italy, and her friends have blamed themselves ever since. Now they’ve been invited back by Claire’s family, and know they will have to face what they did back then.

I tend to love secrets from the past stories, and this was a good one. It can be a bit of a slow burn, but there is still a lot going on. The characters are complex, and come with a lot of compelling baggage. The central mystery is interesting and twisty, with a reveal that is surprising and works.

I would recommend this book. 

ARC Review: A Box Full of Darkness

 I received a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself. 

Violet, Vale and Dodie Esmie lived in an eerie town. They haven’t been home in a long time. Most importantly, they had a little brother named Ben, who disappeared during a game of hide and seek years ago. 

But now Ben is calling them back, to find out the truth about him, their family, their home, and their town. 

This was a good book, though not my favorite of hers. The supernatural/paranormal element works well, as always in her books. But for some reason I found this instance a little far-fetched, just a little. It did work within the context of the book though. 

I really enjoyed the blossoming romances. They’re unexpected and I found myself rooting for their success. The mystery behind Ben’s disappearance is a compelling and surprising one, and the ending is very suspenseful and scary.

Though this wasn’t my favorite of St. James’ books, I did enjoy it and would recommend it. 

ARC Review: The Invisible Woman

 I received a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself. 

Elinor is (according to the book) “invisible” because she is normal looking and middle aged. So she is sent undercover as a nanny, and promised a chance at getting her super spy job back if she finds out the wanted information. 

If you can’t tell from my sarcasm in the description, this was not my favorite Patterson book. This story pretty much lost me in the beginning when the decision was made to shove the “invisible woman” into what they referred to as a fat suit to make her more invisible. The thriller/suspense worked, but it didn’t make up for the premise and how slowly the book moved. 

I love Patterson’s books normally, they are normally 4 star reads for me, but not this time. I would not recommend this book. 

ARC Review: Definitely Maybe Not a Detective

 I received a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself. 

Emersyn is struggling. She’s been fired, and hasn’t found a new job yet. Her ex-boyfriend stole all her life savings. The only thing she doesn’t struggle with is the decision to raise her young niece after her brother dies.

Then her best friend suggests a plan. She makes fake business cards for a fake detective agency in an attempt to scare Emersyn’s ex into returning the money he stole. But instead Emersyn runs into Wyatt, a gorgeous and mysterious man whose name just happens to be the same as the one on those business cards. 

When her landlord is murdered, Emersyn and Wyatt are drawn to the mystery. Along with a couple of unexpected friends, they race to solve the crime to help the neighbors-and stop anyone else from being killed. 

This was a fun, cozy read. The part I liked the most was Wyatt and Emersyn’s relationship. I’m invested enough to want to read the next book in the series to see where they go. The mystery was also intriguing, with enough red herrings to keep me guessing. I did figure out who the murderer was before the reveal, but that was only because I figured out what (or who) was needed to advance the plot. 

I would recommend this book. 

ARC Review: The Murder at World’s End

 I received a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself. 

Halley’s Comet is approaching, and the Viscount of Tithe Hall has concerns-concerns that center around the apocalypse he is sure is coming. Instead, he is found dead in a sealed room the next morning, everyone else having been sealed in to their rooms as well. 

This is such a great, fun mystery. The characters are all so unique, especially the under-butler Stephen Pike, and his partner-in-crime-solving, the eighty year old tough as nails Miss Decima Stockingham. They are both extremely compelling characters. The world building is excellent as well. 

The mystery being a locked room mystery means it’s already one of my favorite types of mysteries, but than in Ross Montgomery’s more than capable hands, it becomes a really great read. The ending completely shocked me. 

I would absolutely recommend this book. 

ARC Review: The Storm

 I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself. 

Lo Bailey was known as the murderous mistress, a nineteen year old who killed her wealthy boyfriend from a legacy family during a hurricane. But did she really do it? Now she’s suddenly back in the small town she grew up in, author in tow, staying in the Rosalie Inn. 

Geneva is the owner of the Rosalie Inn, which has survived many generations of her family and many hurricanes. As she gets tangled in Lo’s story, Geneva learns Lo may be hiding more than anyone ever knew. 

There’s a lot going on in this book, but Hawkins manages to make it all work. These are really complex characters, each with their own emotional backstory, that all weave together in a way that both surprises and makes sense. The storms feel like characters themselves, monstrous and ever looming. The ending packs a punch. I would recommend this book.