ARC Review: Murder Road

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

Murder Road by Simone St. James 

April and Eddie are just trying to get to their honeymoon spot. But then they pick up a hitchhiker and everything changes in an instant. Soon, they realize the hitchhiker is bleeding, and a mysterious truck is following them. 

The Coldlake Falls police immediately suspect April and Eddie, but the couple knows there must be more going on here. There’s a legend surrounding that road, and they are determined to figure out the truth. 

I always enjoy St. James’ books-she does a great job of mixing human nature, mystery, and the supernatural and paranormal. This is definitely a creepy eerie read, with a powerful ending. I would recommend this book, and St. James’ other books as well. 

ARC Review: Listen for the Lie

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

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera 

Everyone in her small town seems to believe that Lucy murdered her best friend Savvy, even though Lucy can’t remember what truly happened. Years after moving to L.A., Lucy is brought back to her town by the second season of a very popular podcast, “Listen for the Lie”, as the podcaster, Ben, has decided to cover her case.

Lucy is determined to see this through to the end, even if it reveals that she is the murderer. 

Gah, this was a good book! I could not put it down. I love mysteries and thrillers with podcast elements, such as interviews and transcripts, and this book uses them so well. The mystery is a really twisty, surprising one, and manages to be both heartbreaking and uplifting in the reveal. This book is funny too, especially Lucy and Ben. I would highly recommend this book. 

ARC Review: A Smoking Bun

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

A Smoking Bun by Ellie Alexander

With family visiting from Spain, Jules is very excited to explore Mount A with them and introduce them to the wonderful lodge that accompanies it. There is even a Downhill Dummy competition that promises lots of entertainment-until it ends in a fatality. 

I really enjoy this cozy mystery series, and this entry was no exception. Jules is a fantastic main character and amateur detective, and her relationships with the great supporting characters ring true and are lots of fun. The mystery was a good one with a big twist, and I definitely didn’t guess the ending. I would recommend this book, and this series. 

ARC Review: Keep Your Friends Close

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

Keep Your Friends Close by Leah Konen

Mary and Willa meet seemingly by chance at a playground, and form a fast intense friendship. For Mary, a mother going through a very rough divorce, Willa appears to be exactly what she needs.

Then Willa ghosts her-and shows up later in a different town under a different name, with a whole different family.

Konen explores some really important topics here-gender roles, toxic masculinity, power dynamics, and wealth. The only thing is that the book moved a little slow for me, and was somewhat more predictable. This was by no means a bad book, just not a favorite for me. 

ARC Review: Nowhere Like Home

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

Nowhere Like Home by Sara Shepard

Lenna has been enticed to an off the grid women’s community by her former friend Rhiannon, who out of nowhere gets back in touch. But this community soon reveals its intense set of rules, and its connections to Lenna’s past.

This book was slow starting out, and kind of kept being slow to the very end. I never really got as invested in the characters as I wanted to. The ending really picked up and got me invested, which upped the rating of the book for me. I would recommend other Shepard books, but not this one. 

ARC Review: Village in the Dark

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

Village in the Dark by Iris Yamashita

While I have not yet read the book preceding this one, this book sounded intriguing enough that when it was offered to me, I really wanted to read it. It definitely lived up to my hopes. 

Detective Cara Kennedy is a strong female protagonist who is facing a heartbreaking prospect. Her husband and son’s bodies are being exhumed, because the proposed cause of death may not actually be true. 

Cara is connected somehow to all the residents of Point Mettier, most especially J.B., a police officer in a relationship with Cara. Together, they will end up on a dangerous mission linked to Unity, a village where women and children can go to escape abusive situations. 

I really liked this book. It felt fast-paced, with lots of major twists and turns. I also loved getting to know more about the towns and villages in Alaska as a part of the story. I especially loved Cara and J.B., whose relationship I was definitely rooting for. I would recommend this book-I didn’t feel lost at all not having read the first one, but now I want to read the first one. 

ARC Review: The Resort

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

The Resort by Sara Ochs

Cass has come to Koh Sang to completely leave her past behind. While there, she befriends a group of ex pats called the Permanents, who provide her with the family she is craving. But a tragic death occurs, followed by another, and soon everything the Permanents have built threatens to come crashing down around them.

First, let me say that last chapter got me and got me good! I’m still thinking about it hours after I finished the book, and I really think it’s one that will stay with me for a long time. 

The story is a good one, filled with lots of tension and secrets, and some nail biting terrifying moments near the end. Ochs is a good writer, able to nail writing from two different character perspectives, and keep the suspense up. I would recommend this book.