The Guest House by Bonnie Traymore

Allie Dawson has been offered an amazing opportunity by Laura Foster and is keen on bringing her entrepreneurial concept to life. Allie lost her hearing at a young age, and together with her brother and a partner, has created a screen that clips onto eyeglasses and captions speech in real-time.

 

But life in Silicon Valley is expensive and Allie is struggling to find a place to stay. When a gentleman named Mike, claiming to be in real estate, approaches her at Starbucks and offers her a rental in his guest house, she is initially sceptical. But beggars can’t be choosers so Allie takes a chance. Initially, Allie is happy, but when she sees him dragging something across the lawn in the middle of the night, she has questions.

 

And, adding to her questions is the mysterious Hungarian Barnat, who also has a place at the guest house. After meeting a potential investor, Allie is over the moon about the future. But things take an odd turn when she realises that some people will do anything to get their hands on the newest idea.

 

I read the previous book in the series, which helped to understand some of the characters’ choices in this one as it continues where the previous one ended. However, there were directions some plot lines went in that didn’t seem necessary. For example: why the secret/angry looks from Susan and Willa?

 

I loved Allie’s concept and her portrayal as D/deaf and to be let into how she experiences the world was very interesting. Lots of things hearing people take for granted are highlighted here.

 

Laura has grown in this one and I liked the fact that she decided to take care of herself. But did Peter’s story have to go in that direction in order to get the closure she needed on her decision?

 

Shep was my favourite in the last book and I’m glad his story took a good turn in this one.

 

I think there were too many leaps to just “accept” in this. For Mike to invite Allie to stay and make her pay for three months meant he knew of the viability of her concept, otherwise what he was up to versus the timeframe is a waste. Barnat’s end story almost felt like a plaster on a plot hole. I also found Lydia’s fantasy oddly disturbing and hinted at something more maybe?

 

Again, I wouldn’t call this a psychological thriller but more of a suspense. However, the editing was great and the story kept me going. It does end with questions and seems to have been left open somewhat again. Is there another planned in the series? It is an enjoyable read but leaves you with questions and a feeling like it wasn’t quite finished off. I don’t mean things tied up with a bow, I mean loose tangents.

 

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for a chance to review the book.

The Stepfamily by Bonnie Traymore

It’s Laura Foster’s time. She raised her stepchildren, Lydia and Carson, after their mother died and helped her husband, Peter, with his work while putting her career on ice. Now she is back in the business world and doing well, the kids have grown up and left, and her training for the next Iron Man is spot on.

 

But strange accidents keep happening to Laura. The type of accidents that could get her killed. Is it a jealous coworker? Is it someone from Peter’s or even her own past? Or is it closer to home? As Laura starts investigating, she realises that Peter has not been as forthcoming as she thought about his past. A small lie told many years ago could be deadly...

 

It’s a quick read and while there were thriller elements involved, I’m not sure it was as much a psychological thriller. It goes into state of mind and the after-effects but I still didn’t feel it went that deeply.

 

The character I enjoyed the most was Shackler, the PI. Definitely not as slow as other characters made him out to be. But to be placed in the position he was at the end was not right at all.

Peter annoyed me with his lies and constant worrying. Considering Laura’s life was on the line, he really should have said something. His work, however, redeemed some of it!

I found Lydia’s attitude change toward Laura very quick and her character was not as genuine as I’d hoped.

 

The story ends on a bit of a cliffhanger that could continue or not. So it wasn’t that awful feeling when you get to the end and the book runs out. I thought the leap to “someone is trying to kill me” from brake fluid on the ground was a bit far. With the potholes around here, your whole tyre could have come off and no one would have batted an eyelash. The final confrontation was too quick. It all comes to a head and then it’s over. Just felt like the build-up was so long in the making and then the important part was rushed.

 

The editing was great with no glaring errors to interrupt the flow of reading. The writing that jumped between different narrators and first- and third-person POV made the action more present. While I enjoyed the book, I didn’t love it, but it is a good afternoon read.

 

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review the book.

The Rule of Threes by Jeffrey Deaver

The family didn’t witness the murder, but it seems the killer wants them dead too...

Constant Marlowe is in the town of Clark Valley, having been brought in to catch a killer whose MO suggests another murder very soon. But Clark Valley is also experiencing a land issue with a treaty and there are those willing to kill to keep it.

The parallel stories intertwine and Constant is now tracking the killer, protecting the family, and solving a land mystery. But with so many clues being thrown at her, which are real and which could get her killed?

Slightly longer than a novella but still a relatively quick read, this story sucks you in from the beginning but is not quite as slick as Deaver’s usual style. And, as usual, things are not always what they seem. I liked the path the opening took you on... until it didn’t.

Marlowe’s character is full of grit and I liked her this-is-me attitude but the fact that she was willing to change when presented with new opportunities. However, just one mention that her name was Constant and not Constance was sufficient. No need to let the reader know over and over again.

I enjoyed Tremain’s character as he seemed to be the unsung hero (once you got past the gruffness) who showed that sometimes you just have to do things yourself.

Eventide’s story was a lovely addition and her passion both at work and in her own life worked well.

A lot of detail was kept to when it came to weapons and ammo but was it necessary?

I’m not always one for wrapping things up with a bow but I don’t like a cliffhanger so this ending was interesting. A kind of “read into it what you will.” However, to get there, some truly implausible scenarios had to occur. I’m all for twists and things you don’t see coming, but with Deaver’s other books, the unsub could do dodgy things and be believed, for things to occur in this book seemed like it could have a TV show of its own. Don’t mess with the believable line because once you’ve gone too far, you can’t come back into readers’ accepted territory.

I still enjoyed it though, and will always be a Deaver fan!

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review the book.

Fatal Intrusion by Jeffrey Deaver and Isabella Maldonado

Carmen Sanchez, a Homeland Security agent, is out for blood. She is usually by-the-book, but this time it’s personal. Her sister Selina was attacked, and it seems to be connected to another murder. The attacker was slick and her sister was lucky to fight him off. She did notice a tattoo of a spider, however.

 

As Carmen deviates from her usual procedural ways, she uncovers more about the attacker and his ties, but this now ventures into technical territory she has no clue about. Cue Jack Heron, a professor of intrusion and security expert who knows a little thing or two about finding people behind the layers of the web.

 

But layers are what they are going to find, as each clue uncovered unearths something even more sinister and the connection seems out of reach. Will procedure or by the cuff prove to be the right choice?

 

Since the story takes place over seventy-two hours, the action is full-on from the beginning. Some might even say it was a little too much and a tad unbelievable to have things figured out so easily and slotted into place so nicely. I just read it for the adventure it was meant to be and enjoyed it.

 

The relationship between Carmen and Selina was interesting as the strain between them as well as the strain between Jake and Carmen ran parallel and had to intersect at some point. I was somewhat hazy over some of Jake and Carmen’s backstory as things offered to the reader can be interpreted differently.

 

The parts about the dark sites were actually quite scary in that there are so many layers of things happening out there and no matter how much we think we keep things private, there are lots of people able to find them and have an influence over them based on their own beliefs.

 

The technical stuff got pretty intense and considering the internet (as we know it) is relatively new, technology has broadened in leaps and bounds. In some ways a good thing, in some ways not.

 

The one thing that made me raise my eyebrows was the error in the casino. Maybe it was a play on words and done deliberately, but the bet on a roulette table that covers three numbers and pays 11:1 is called a street and not a streak. If done deliberately, this will have a number of readers in the know shaking their heads.

 

I thoroughly enjoyed the story for what it was, even though some things got figured out as easily as they did. When you need to read just one more chapter, you know it’s a good thing. I’ve been a Deaver fan for years and this didn’t disappoint. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review the book.

Benetton by Francesco della Barba

Francesco della Barba is the key player in this tale of the shaping of the Benetton brand and their expansion in geographical territories and other areas like F1.

 

I was hoping for a story filled with intrigue and glamour, but I felt the story jumped all over the place. Not just with the timeline but also with the characters (some who are named but never introduced and some who appear only briefly). A lot of personal information was given in the story about the author that did not necessarily have to do with the idea behind the book. I felt it didn’t move the story forward and seemed instead like a book about the author. For example, he spent a lot of time discussing how he felt about the differences between Italian road rules and English road rules – rather odd and nothing to do with the company. And while telling the reader how people have affairs in Dubai it might have seemed interesting additional information, it came across rather flippantly and had nothing to do with Benetton itself.

 

A lot was offered about sales and stores and buyouts but the narrative did not feel cohesive. If it had followed a timeline and his involvement in the timeline, it would have made more sense. I was quite looking forward to the parts about the F1 involvement but very little was said about this. What he does explain well are the egos and decisions based on tradition instead of forward thinking.

 

What really let this book down was the grammar usage (which got worse as the book went on), punctuation errors, and incorrect words used. There was a lot of passive voice and saying things like “the car of my uncle” or “I asked to the agent”. Words were used that I couldn’t even work out the error like “he was discontinue in his behaviour” – was this meant to mean that his behaviour lacked continuity? Then there were the outright incorrect words like “weather (whether) you bought it in London” or “waving (waiving) the ticket” but the best was the “walking (walk-in) refrigerator”.

 

I had high hopes for this book but it was disjointed and since it was so short, lacked the full impact the author may have had on the brand.

 

Many thanks to Loudhailer Books for the opportunity to review the book.

 

It gets an average three out of five quills from me.

Werecats Emergent by Mark J Engels

Twins Pawly and Tommy want to finish high school and just do what typical teenagers do. But they know their lives will forever be different since the family has the ability to morph into werecats (of the lynx type) but what they don’t know is how the Affliction then breaks the body down with each morph. The twins are under the impression they won’t be able to morph, but one Halloween night Pawly jumps to Tommy’s defence, and once the red vision overwhelms her, there is no holding her back. After tasting human blood in her first morph, things can only get worse.

 

The family have entered into some shady deals in the past with mafia, gangs, and, most recently, a drug cartel while trying to figure out the morphing curse, stopping the Affliction from breaking down bodies, and just staying alive. But now the stakes are raised. With the twins’ mom, Alex, needing a breakthrough to stop her body from rapidly breaking down, and their father, Barry, swearing he will kill to keep them safe, their Uncle Ritzi needs to use all his scientific knowledge to find a cure ASAP. But of course, when an outside clan member offers assistance, hard decisions must be made. Do something for the greater good? Or keep things as close to your immediate family as possible? Sometimes all the alternatives are wrong...

 

Well, this was action-packed from start to finish, with loads of tangents to follow. Sometimes, I found that there was too much action, too much going on, and just as you were trying to figure out the whys and whens, a mother or an uncle would come roaring in to save the day or move things in a different direction.

 

The story seems to come from Pawly and Ritzi’s POV and both of these bring a very different feel. Pawly’s is young and new and innocent and learning how the world is so much more than she thinks. Ritzi’s is very scientific and calculating and trying to figure out where things went wrong and how he can fix the family he loves.

 

It was sometimes difficult to keep up with characters and their connections to the various “gangs” as well as countries (where from and where in currently) at times, as a lot of info is introduced and if you were to stop reading for a few days, you might have to begin again. I also found it difficult that sometimes foreign words were not translated so I didn’t catch the nuance that the meaning would have had on the sentence. Some characters played minor roles so you didn’t get too involved with them, and some characters were only touched on but left with a story open that obviously leads into later in the series.

 

It's interesting that the modern werecats don’t necessarily know all their history and that they are living by trial and error – probably the same as those that came before them. It seemed a blend of the old and the new – the traditions of the turn and what happens to those who taste human blood during it versus those who don’t. Yet they all lead down the same path. If the DNA problem is not sorted, then their bodies will decay. Ritzi’s exceptional turn was a little confusing but that was probably because I was trying to keep track of loads of characters and the meandering of the story. When it comes to a story where a lot of info is to be remembered it can be difficult for the reader the first time around as the author will have had this in their head for years and had all the intricacies mapped out but not necessarily allowed the reader space to breathe to absorb it.

 

I liked that werecats branched out into different species and how different types of cats were affected. I have a feeling Lim and a young one will have a big part to play in the next book. One thing about this story that made me think was how we accept supernatural areas of fiction without thinking of the processes. Werewolves have to find clothes again after turning. Vampires... well, we won’t go there. And werecats need to shed. Not just a bit, but all of it after turning. The colander in the shower not to clog the drain had me thinking. It opens a minefield of questions – like what happens to whiskers? If they can growl, do their larynxes change? Where do their claws retract to? So many logistics!

 

But back to the story. The writing was very fast-paced and sometimes I would have liked more time taken to explain and absorb the story as it felt frenetic very often. With a lot of things from the past brought in as a one-liner to explain something or a past incident alluded to. These led to questions that multiplied and it was sometimes difficult to slot everything in place. The villain was a villain and then an ally and then a villain and a hero was a hero then a villain then a hero and then it got confusing. In the end I wasn’t even sure who I was rooting for as I wasn’t sure if the person I was backing had an endgame. However, I appreciated the editing and the minimal number of errors. It made the reading a lot easier.

 

The depth of writing can be seen in places like the boat scene with the rescue and the waves. The writing was intense and the descriptions so realistic that the threats involved and the feeling of death looming were palpable.

 

The story covers more than just incidents. It covers the history of clans and what happens when clans betray each other as well as the punishment meted out from clans and human legalities alike. It gives a glimpse of what their futures hold and how they can take past mistakes and turn them into positives.

 

A fast ride with a story that has openings to lead into the second that lovers of all things supernatural and urban fantasy will enjoy. A decent four quills here (make them claw marks!).

 

Many thanks to the author for the opportunity to review the story.

Girls, Crimes, and the Ruling Body by Barry Ziman

 

Two women have gone missing. Their seemingly unrelated cases have one thing in common: Ryan McNeil. Having been the last person to see the first before she went missing, and having the second’s bloody clothes in his car makes him a person of interest indeed. However, in the political world he lives in, he can’t afford to be connected to either. One wrong move and his career could be over.

 

Now settled down and married, Ryan is initially content, but soon longs for the excitement he used to enjoy when he was single. As his connection to the cases comes under scrutiny, Ryan finds himself at odds with his marriage and his career. He’d better watch out as the web of lies within the political sphere he is in all comes down to “I’ll scratch your back and you scratch mine…”

 

The story was good even though a little farfetched in places, but definitely showed the darker side of politics and the things that people who you think are morally sound do. It highlights how puppet strings are pulled and that even when trying to do the right thing, someone behind the scenes is controlling the narrative.

 

The characters were an interesting mixed bunch. Ryan pulled you in two ways – sometimes rooting for him and sometimes pursing lips at his actions. Caroline’s character was one I felt strongly about as her dubious choices must have come from somewhere and her decline was sad to see. Tantalus was just awful and the more that came out about those in powerful political seats, the more you realised how crooked they were. It takes skill to write a good story about a bunch of not-so-great characters!

 

I had a few issues with the book. The writing, while flowing well, came across in some places as using unnecessary words for effect. Some areas were written in plain English and the reading became faster as there were fewer adjectives, while in other places words like insouciant and specious were used. It became a bit jarring as they felt out of place. There was quite a bit of head hopping and a lack of section breaks. A few grammatical errors like your/you’re and they’re/their popped up and the maths didn’t always make sense. Some dates versus ages didn’t seem right and 770k plus 330k do not make a million. The biggest problem I had, though, was I felt the story was being told at me and didn’t involve me as such.

 

The ending came from nowhere and was indeed a surprise, which, while out of the blue, was the right way to end the story, considering the tangents it had been on. A good political thriller overall that I definitely enjoyed. Many thanks to the author for the opportunity to review the book.

Killer Detective by AJ Gallant

 Joe is a serial killer and proud of it. Sometimes it feels as though he is not the one calling the shots and choosing the victims, but if he isn’t doing it who else could it be? Detective Ted Miller just wants to put criminals behind bars. And when he is offered a second chance at life with a little heavenly assistance, he knows big things are in his future. With the battle for souls raging every day, a fair fight is never guaranteed. There comes a point where support becomes downright interference…

 

I was looking forward to this book. A humorous story about good versus evil sounded like a great afternoon’s reading. Unfortunately, it was not what I expected it to be. Robert Rankin’s snark and Terry Pratchett’s wit are hard to match, and while the author tried, the jokes fell flat and the whole story seemed disjointed.

 

First, there were too many characters. It seemed a waste to introduce some of them as they didn’t drive the plot forward. Second, the story was all over the place, concentrating on certain things which then fell away. Some plot lines went nowhere, some went on tangents that felt added in for padding, and throughout it was as though the author had the beginning and end, but to get it there just stuck on accessories.

 

This book was unfortunately riddled with editing errors. From basic things like punctuation issues, to characters’ names getting mixed up or misspelt, to dangling modifiers, to mixed POVs or tenses, and even incorrect chapter numbers. Some sections had extremely short sentences where things could have been described and fleshed out more, while in others, things like a pen were described like this: Xezo Handmade Natural Paua Sea Shell Abalone Ballpoint Pen.

 

The story ends with a cliffhanger and what I thought were the opening chapters of book two landed up being for a different series. What was disappointing was the writing. I hesitate to use the word childish but many scenes were written with humour that a child would find funny. Like the devil flicking boogers, or pooping, and saying things like this: “Sit the hell down,” said Beelzebub. “Get it?”

 

So while this had the essence of a good idea, it was not executed well. The unnecessary embellishments could be chopped and the main idea and characters worked on for more substance. I always rate a book by either asking if I would read it again or buy the next in the series, and unfortunately it’s a no from me on both counts. 

Two out of five quills for me..

Thanks to Reedsy Discovery and the author for the opportunity to review the book.

https://reedsy.com/discovery/book/killer-detective-a-j-gallant#review

Murder Dogs by Karl Skinner

 The pandemic caused carnage and soon the world became a different place. No more morals and rules... now it was everyone for themselves.

Sarah’s life had taken a turn for the worse. Captured by a gang and forced into sex slavery, each day was just a mission to live. So, when a cop named Brad (who looks like he could commit murder and not think twice about it) arrives with a photo of her demanding to see her, she knows she needs to run. But out there it’s danger around every corner.

As Sarah hides from a rogue unit of cops known as the Murder Dogs, she has one thing on her mind. Survive at all costs...

 

The book has a fantastic opening scene and sets the tone for a very graphic story. The author depicts the emotions of the characters well, running from hate to despair to courage. The descriptions of atrocities committed in the name of the law as well as the loss of values that also spreads like a plague is a testament to the devastation the author has witnessed. But he has also managed to include the opposite, where basic decency and helping your fellow man still has its place.

 

The story is short but punchy and the action happens in quick bursts with the longer sections showing the desperation and loneliness. However, near the end of the story, an element was introduced that offset the authenticity of the story. No spoilers but think Terminator and the fact that the character is Sarah. Now this might lead into something as the book is left open for a sequel, but the genre change from nowhere was puzzling. As for the character’s change of heart? I think not. And when we find out the reason they are looking for Sarah, it stretched literary belief.

 

Making this book hard to read was the lack of chapters. There were some breaks thrown in but they didn’t give the reader a chance to breathe. There were also huge issues with dialogue and action tags being used incorrectly and words like feint / faint or into / in to being mixed up. Simple things like hyphens being used instead of en dashes and some backwards quotation marks stopped the flow of reading. It was also odd to use “a cup that held 500ml” or “a kettle that held 1.4l” – was it necessary?

 

Overall the author has done a good job of showing the reader the chaos that ensues when basic rights are taken away, and the story is entertaining if somewhat confusing at times. Three out of five quills for me...

Thanks to Reedsy Discovery and the author for the opportunity to review the book.

https://reedsy.com/discovery/book/murder-dogs-karl-skinner#review

Lifetimes: The Beginning by Joe McFrancis

 Sophie is just your average girl from Ireland. She has some friends, is bored at school, and wonders what life has out there for her. Well, it comes in the form of Phoebe, who turns out to be part of history (literally) and has a mission for Sophie. Unlock her powers and save the world! Just another day in the life of a soon-to-be superhero…

The synopsis sounded great and I was keen to find out how Sophie was going to unlock her powers, what they would be, and how she would save the world. Some of these are touched on, but the story ends in a cliffhanger and felt incomplete. The author has presented a great idea about mythology and where it fits in with history that has so many possibilities about where it could go, but there is a lot of telling the reader about it and not enough showing.

First we look at the story. Sophie is whisked off to a military training school in Italy where she is meant to undergo combat training and learn how she will help in the war to defend Earth. There she meets a number of non-human classmates but only one features in any of her missions. We never really get the full picture about the classes at the school and what they did to further her powers. Things are mentioned (like her accelerated mutations) but sections could be fleshed out. Yet at other times, the same thing is repeated in a number of ways. Odd things occur like having a mission debrief after her first mission days (?) after it finished. Everything was turned into banter – surely jokes were not necessary all the time? And Phoebe constantly calling Sophie “girl” became grating.

Then come the editing errors. Action and dialogue tags were completely mixed, resulting in incorrectly placed capitals and punctuation errors. Quotation marks were used incorrectly when speech runs into more than one paragraph and the writing was awkward in a number of places like this: “Hi, Sophie! I’m Bob. Bob Miller,” Said to me, a nice dude with dark hair and blue eyes. Even the footnotes had errors: “Panini: Italian plural for panino, which in Elglish is just panini.”   

This is a fantastic foundational idea for a series and with a little tweaking of the story and the editing errors, it could spawn many sequels. Three out of five quills from me... 

Many thanks to Reedsy Discovery and the author for the opportunity to review the book.

https://reedsy.com/discovery/book/lifetimes-the-beginning-pino-de-francesco#review