Untouchable by Jeffery Deaver

Description from Amazon:

For Special Agent Constant Marlowe, a quiet college town hides a nest of malice and revenge in this twisty novella by New York Times bestselling author Jeffery Deaver.

 

Special Agent Constant Marlowe is passing through the charming college town of Prescott, Illinois, when a chance encounter with a terrified student stops her in her tracks. Kathleen Delaine thought she was doing the right thing when she demanded an inquiry into traumatic brain injuries among the university’s football team. But after a manosphere shock jock picks up the story on his radio show and makes it personal, the online uproar bleeds into the real world. As Constant works to identify which of the host’s fanboys is threatening Kathleen, she discovers that behind the bullying campaign lies a vast and deadly conspiracy.

 

This is another quick read for Deaver, and even though Constant has popped up in previous novellas, this can be read as a standalone.

 

Constant is quite the spitfire and sometimes her ability to take down threats seems a little off the charts, like not calling for backup when in a dangerous situation but rather deciding to have a boxing match? After seeing Kathleen being harassed on the streets, she quickly intervenes even though Kathleen insists she doesn’t need help. But Kathleen’s good work in requesting an inquiry into brain injuries of football players seems to have been blown out of proportion when a caller named Sam phones in to Brad Phillip’s toxic “man show” to ridicule her and make her out to be some sort of easy lay. Constant now needs to find out who this Sam is and help Kathleen to get to the bottom of why this all started.

Brad’s character is written really well and gives you the icks immediately. He is slimy and judgemental and believes that his views are right no matter what and that women shouldn’t be offended by what he has to say because they should know their place.

There is another side plot to the story and initially it’s difficult to put them together, especially when a character enters whose motives are questionable.

Without giving any of the plot away, you can guess that Constant follows a rather unorthodox plan to try to solve it all.

I liked the fast pace of the novella and the idea behind the plot, but I found the ending rather rushed and didn’t really feel the connection that Constant’s love interest had to this book. It just seemed a bit easy and convenient. It’s one of those fabulous reads while you are in it, but besides the main plot I’m not sure if I’ll remember much else a week later.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to review this arc copy.

Good Girl, Bad Girl by Michael Robotham

Description from Amazon:

A girl is discovered hiding in a secret room in the aftermath of a terrible crime. Half-starved and filthy, she won’t tell anyone her name, or her age, or where she came from. Maybe she is twelve, maybe fifteen. She doesn’t appear in any missing persons file, and her DNA can’t be matched to an identity. Six years later, still unidentified, she is living in a secure children’s home with a new name, Evie Cormac. When she initiates a court case demanding the right to be released as an adult, forensic psychologist Cyrus Haven must determine if Evie is ready to go free. But she is unlike anyone he’s ever met—fascinating and dangerous in equal measure. Evie knows when someone is lying, and no one around her is telling the truth.

Meanwhile, Cyrus is called in to investigate the shocking murder of a high school figure-skating champion, Jodie Sheehan, who died on a lonely footpath close to her home. Pretty and popular, Jodie is portrayed by everyone as the ultimate girl-next-door, but as Cyrus peels back the layers, a secret life emerges—one that Evie Cormac, the girl with no past, knows something about. A man haunted by his own tragic history, Cyrus is caught between the two cases—one girl who needs saving and another who needs justice. What price will he pay for the truth?

 

This was a great story! It does leave it open at the end to go into the next book, but this can still be read and enjoyed on its own.

Cyrus’s character was truly intriguing and the tattoos definitely need some explaining. Plus, we really need to find out more about the tragic murders in his childhood.

The fact that we were able to see things from Evie/Angel Face’s POV gave us a great insight into the change in her feelings throughout the book and helped us to see her growth. There are still questions we need answers to when it comes to her imprisonment, but the fact that she was able to share what she could was a huge leap for her.

There were many red herring routes offered and we were taken on a ride to see how Jodie’s case would all pan out.

The writing flowed really well and kept me hooked all the way through. Great descriptions, fascinating characters (Felix gave me the creeps), and a gripping story. I’m definitely going to find the second book asap.

Revenge Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger

Description from Amazon:

Almost a decade has passed since Andy Sachs quit the job “a million girls would die for” working for Miranda Priestly at Runway magazine—a dream that turned out to be a nightmare. Andy and Emily, her former nemesis and co-assistant, have since joined forces to start a high end bridal magazine, The Plunge, which has quickly become required reading for the young and stylish. Now they get to call all the shots: Andy writes and travels to her heart’s content; Emily plans parties and secures advertising like a seasoned pro. Even better, Andy has met the love of her life. Max Harrison, scion of a storied media family, is confident, successful, and drop-dead gorgeous. Their wedding will be splashed across all the society pages as their friends and family gather to toast the glowing couple.

Andy Sachs is on top of the world. But karma’s a bitch. The morning of her wedding, Andy can’t shake the past. And when she discovers a secret letter with crushing implications, her wedding-day jitters turn to cold dread. Andy realizes that nothing—not her husband, nor her beloved career—is as it seems. She never suspected that her efforts to build a bright new life would lead her back to the darkness she barely escaped ten years ago—and directly into the path of the devil herself... Featuring all new scenes with the villainess we love to hate (hate to love?), Miranda Priestly.

 

I enjoyed the first movie and when I saw this book on the shelf, I thought I’d give it a go, expecting it to be about Miranda’s revenge on Andy for the stunt she pulled. But oddly enough, Miranda hardly plays a role in this.

 

The book starts with Andy’s wedding to Max and her finding a letter from his mother warning him away from her and mentioning a chance encounter with his ex before the wedding. Instead of doing the mature thing and speaking to him, she completely freaks out, assumes he is cheating, and wants to break off the wedding. Well, the wedding eventually happens, but Andy is constantly puking and is tired all the time. Food poisoning? Really? Those signs are kinda obvious. And then as we move through the book, it’s all about Andy and her immaturity and not facing things head-on.

 

In the interim between the time she left Runway and now, she and new bff Emily have created and are running a bridal magazine called The Plunge. I thought it was a joke at first as it sounded like a bra catalogue. But not, apparently it’s meant to cater to the elite wedding. Okay then. Now it seems that someone wants to get their hands on this magazine and Emily is all for it, but Andy not so much. Guess what Andy does. Runs away from it all. Won’t talk about it. Can’t deal with it because it’s too much to handle.

 

And because of this something drastic happens. Now I didn’t agree with that part at all. I think the whole behind the back thing was really being traitorous, but the entire story and the way it plays out is just silly. I was interested to see what other reviewers thought and one said that because Miranda only appeared four times in the book that it was obvious she didn’t want revenge so the title was misleading. I’m on the fence. Miranda seemed like the type of person who wouldn’t waste five seconds of her time thinking about if it didn’t do anything for her, but also the type of person who, if they could get their revenge somehow, then would.

 

The path you want in life might not be the path you land on, but ten years later Andy could really have let go of the fear of Miranda (we have all had hell to work under). And her character was incongruous where she was petrified her then fiancé had cheated on her yet was happy to advise a person in her “mommy group” to cheat on her boyfriend. Not the Andy we admired from before.

 

I was really excited for this but it was just a beach read at best. And one to forget.

21st Birthday by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

Description from Amazon:

Detective Lindsay Boxer vows to protect a young woman from a serial killer long enough to see her twenty-first birthday in this thrilling Women’s Murder Club novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author James Patterson.

When young wife and mother Tara Burke goes missing with her baby girl, all eyes are on her husband, Lucas. He paints her not as a missing person but a wayward wife—until a gruesome piece of evidence turns the investigation criminal.

While Chronicle reporter Cindy Thomas pursues the story and M.E. Claire Washburn harbors theories that run counter to the SFPD’s, ADA Yuki Castellano sizes Lucas up as a textbook domestic offender ... who suddenly puts forward an unexpected suspect.

If what Lucas tells law enforcement has even a grain of truth, there isn’t a woman in the state of California who’s safe from the reach of an unspeakable threat.

 

I have read numerous James Patterson books, but when it was rumoured he was using a ghostwriter and they started becoming the same story over and over, I decided enough was enough. I’m really glad this was from the library and I didn’t buy it.

 

It started off well with the missing woman’s mother asking for help from Cindy, which eventually gets Lindsay involved. The fact that a baby is missing was also concerning. With the husband being the prime suspect, it starts off rapidly but soon turns into a bizarre set of he said/he said. I say bizarre as there is no plot twist as such, but rather info being fed to you bit by bit supporting two possibilities right until the end when the story finishes and you go: “Huh?”

 

The 21^st birthday premise didn’t even play out for an actual storyline, and there is a scene that maybe should have come with a trigger warning at the beginning. The girls in the club are becoming quite annoying too. Their dinners and what they eat and drink are really not that interesting to me, so do not need to be harped on as much. The courtroom scenes were weak, the reasoning and evidence were sketchy, and the rushed ending didn’t work at all. It’s difficult not to give away spoilers, but some of the girls’ reactions were not normal considering what happened.

 

It just feels like the reader is being fed that the girls can do no wrong and we must just accept the stories as they will be solved and all will be fine with everyone. Patterson stories used to be light but fulfilling. This one was light and had no substance. I am rather disappointed.

The Julius House by Charlaine Harris

Description from Amazon:

Aurora Teagarden is happily preparing for her wedding to dashing business executive Martin Bartell. As a wedding gift, Martin buys her the house of her dreams: the “Julius house,” infamously named after the family who vanished from the house without a trace six years ago. As Roe sets about renovating and decorating her new home, she’s never felt happier.

Then Martin suddenly rents the small apartment on their new property to an old army buddy and his wife, who seem to be more bodyguard than tenant, and Roe is sure her husband-to-be is keeping secrets. To take her mind off her suspicions, she opens her own unofficial investigation into the Julius family cold case. But when an axe-wielding stranger attacks her, Roe must determine whether it’s her husband’s secrets, the mystery of the Julius family’s fates, or both, that have put her own life on the chopping block.

 

I had read the Sookie Stackhouse novels before, so thought I’d try out this one in the series (in the wrong order again) that I’d heard were Hallmark movies.

 

The premise here is quite different, so with people going missing and an axe-wielding stranger, I figured this would be full of action. It turns out not really. Sure, it has its moments, but for the most part it’s Aurora being in love with her new husband but questioning whether she actually knows him or not. And we really never get to find out that much about him.

 

The first thing that blew me away was the ease with which he just buys her a house as a gift. A house. Who does that? And since she has inherited a large sum of money, she buys him a farm. A farm? I know there was a sentimental reason behind it, but wow – that’s a bit ostentatious. And weirdly enough, even though she has all this money, she baulks at getting room service at a hotel later as it’s expensive??? Hmmm.

 

The investigation into the missing persons was a good one, and that along with the introduction of her husband’s new “friends” to “help” at the house (read into it: bodyguard) made this story only slightly better than the under average book it was. It was really slow with so much time spent on Aurora wondering if she married the right person and vacillating between thinking her husband is an Adonis and they are soulmates to not trusting who he is. Even when she meets (stalks) his ex-wife who warns her he keeps secrets, she decides not to ask about them. Um, really? Oh, and then the best reveal of all. He comes clean and tells her he is an arms dealer. An illegal gun smuggler. Her response? Oh well, at least it’s not drugs. OH MY WORD!!! And who goes to their ex for couple counselling? This was all very strange.

 

Not my cup of tea so this will be my one and only Aurora Teagarden mystery.

Darkness Within the Forest by Matthew Neighbours

Description from Amazon:

Shadows of recent events follow James as he leaves Alaska, traveling through Canada with a group of strangers until a detour brings them to a house nestled deep in the forests of British Columbia. Haunted by his failures, conflict and mystery threaten to pull James into the very thing he’s been trying to run from.

When the fate of other people’s lives are affected by the choices James makes, will he take a side in a conflict he doesn’t fully understand, or will he look to the road again, distancing himself from any involvement, and the potential consequences it brings.

 

This book became confusing immediately as I didn’t realise it was the second in a series, and the book seems to be in two major parts with only a slight connection at the end.

The descriptions of places were great and I did love how the author seemed passionate about the outdoors. But the story itself made me feel no connection to it or the characters. Maybe knowing more about James from the first book would have helped.

Straight away I questioned the wisdom of deciding to go on a roadtrip to a different country with a group of strangers. Where I come from, that would be like sending in your photo for Police File before you have left as you’ll know the outcome. James seems quite fine to have someone uninvited in the car with him who has been whispering secrets with one of the others and won’t tell him what it’s about. Red flag anyone? All this while he is working out what to do about a murder and a death and how he is involved in it all.

They arrive at a house that has questionable people inside and James proceeds to join the party. His life choices at this stage really surprise me. Anyway, it seems James has been recruited to help broker a peace deal between those who want to embrace forward movement and those who want to hold on to traditions. The problem comes in when a family member is aligned with both sides and there might be no winner here. James finds out that not choosing sides sometimes his its own consequences.

The grammar issues really got me in this book, though. Yes, even in edited books typos sneak through and often we can turn a blind eye to a few of them or even continuous ones if it’s the same “rule” over and over. But here we had missing commas before direct address, missing quotation marks, missing words, and numerous others.

Unfortunately, this book did not speak to me and I wouldn’t go back to see the first book to find out how they fit together. There was a glimmer of hope when James was in the wilderness, but not enough to draw me in.

The Girl in the Van by Helen Matthews

Description from Amazon:

Now you see her. Now you don’t…

A haunted mother. A missing girl. A lethal game of deception…

A few years ago, Laura lost her daughter in tragic circumstances. Now, she is running from her past, but a chance encounter with a frightened teenager, Miriana, drags her back into a web of secrets and danger.

As Miriana’s cryptic story unravels, Laura realises the threat is closer than she ever imagined. Someone is hunting Laura, determined to bury the truth about what really happened to her daughter.

A predator is watching. Waiting. Ready to strike again.

Trapped between fear and fury, Laura must confront her darkest suspicions and uncover the terrifying truth before the hunter closes in. Because this time, it’s not just her past on the line—it’s her life.

 

Laura is ready to face life again and goes on a singles campervan trip. When leaving, she discovers a young girl stowed away in her van and must make the decision of believing her story and helping her or tossing her out since she doesn’t need this in her life. Straight away this grabbed me as I wanted to know how this would play out. And then it became a hit and miss for the rest of the book.

There was a lot to unpack in this – Laura’s new relationship, her relationship with her mother and how her mother didn’t understand why Laura would not get back together with her ex, the relationship Laura had with her flatmate/neighbour, the relationship Laura had with her feelings about her daughter’s disappearance and her disagreement with her ex that he should keep looking, and her relationship with Mariana and the stories she was weaving. Couple this with a dual timeline and it became a bit much at times.

It felt less like a psychological thriller to me than a general thriller as even though psyches are being manipulated, there really isn’t anything that made me grab the edge of my chair and sit there wide-eyed as though I could never have seen it coming. In fact, the ending had me rolling my eyes a little even though the reasons were given. It’s like characters have watched too much Dexter and think they can stage crime scenes now.

There are some hard hitting areas in here like grooming, sexual exploitation, immigration issues, grief and depression, and drugs, so it’s a lot to take in. I feel I should have enjoyed this more, but in the end, I just felt it wasn’t a standout to me as I don’t remember a whole lot about the book now a few days later.