Wordhunter - Stella Sands

Wordhunter is the latest book from Stella Sands.

I picked it up as the premise caught my eye. The lead character is Maggie and she is studying to qualify as a forensic Linguist. When the police ask for her help she is thrilled. I did find the 'how to' of this field really interesting. I can see how this could be used as a tool in so many ways.

I wasn't as enamored of Maggie. She's loud, abrasive, she has issues with pills and alcohol and more. I felt like I should be behind her as she's had a hard life in many ways. Losing her best friend was one of those hard ways. Her dialogue and pushy ways annoyed me. As did using that 'c*** word in the first few pages.

Maggie ends up working a second case with the police and is paired up with a Detective. Cue up the fractious relationship. Throw in another crime, no, make that two at least. Maybe three. Perhaps too many threads. 

There is a crack in the door for a follow up to this book. I have to be honest and say that I won't be looking for it. But, see for yourself - read an excerpt of Wordhunter. I also encourage you to check out the other reviews for this book on Goodreads.

The Five Year Lie - Sarina Bowen

The Five Year Lie is Sarina Bowen's new novel. 

Bowen's previous books are romantic fiction. But, with this new book, suspense takes the driver's seat. The romance is still a big part of the plot, but in a supporting role - not overpowering the suspense. 

Ariel had a whirlwind affair with Drew - but he left her without a goodbye. That was five years ago, and she still doesn't know why. But a computer glitch sends her on a last chance hunt to find answers. And what she finds is frighteningly real. I'm not going to spoil what that is, but I'm sure it's already in place somewhere.

I liked Ariel as a lead character. She's the antithesis of her family, living life on her terms. Bowen gives us some chapters from the past - from those chapters we come to know Drew through Ariel's eyes. There one clear cut 'bad' player, and a few others that I couldn't quite decide on.

Bowen does a good job with the plotting of The Five Year Lie. Again, the catalyst for the plot is quite believable. (If you're like me, you might ask yourself...) The action ramps up as the final pages turn. And the ending? Just right!

The Five Year Lie would be perfect for a beach bag this summer. See for yourself - read an excerpt of The Five Year Lie.

Five Bad Deeds - Caz Frear

I love psychological suspense books! If you do as well, you're going to want to pick up Caz Frear's new book - Five Bad Deeds. That cover drew me in before I even turned a page. A house burning down? Hmm...

The residents of Ellen's neighborhood are a friendly bunch, helping each other out with childcare, a friendly face, meals and so much more. 

Or so Ellen thought. She's confused when she receives a note telling her that "People have to learn there are consequences, Ellen. And I’m going to teach you that lesson. Right under your nose." Is it a joke? Who would do something like this?

And that's where things get going. We meet Ellen, her sister, her neighbors, her daughter and a few more - all through their own chapters. So, as readers we have access to that information and we're able to start putting the pieces together ahead of Ellen. But are we really putting them in the right places? 

Frear plays with the reader, providing clues, twists and turns along the garden path to the final whodunit it. One minute I thought I had the who, how and why, only to be proven wrong again the next minute. I love not being able to figure out the answers before the final pages.

Now, the characters. I admit it - although I thought I should like Ellen, I couldn't. Or most of the cast of characters for that matter. I'll let you find out why - but suffice to say - everyone has secrets. Even in the nicest neighborhoods. 

Frear has penned an excellent suspense book. If you too like this genre, Five Bad Deeds is a great choice. See for yourself - read an excerpt of Five Bad Deeds. 

We Love to Entertain - Sarah Strohmeyer

Hands up if you like to watch House reno shows. I've got both hands waving!

Well, house renovations and contests are the vehicle for Sarah Strohmeyer’s latest book. We Love to Entertain. But it’s not all fun and games - there’s murder in the mix. 

Is this a cozy mystery you ask? I would say yes, to a degree it is. But, instead of a retired librarian who loves tea and scones, we have we have Kim the town clerk and her (not so often helpful) assistant Doreen. Kim’s daughter Erika is working on the set of the reno. We Love to Entertain is told through alternating chapters from Kim and Erika. Kim sees things as they and worries about her daughter who comes up with excuses time and time again for what's happening. There’s definitely trouble on the set. Strohmeyer plants a number of red herrings along the path to the final whodunit. And what is happening you ask? Well, I'm not going to spoil the book for you, so I'll leave it for you to find that out. Suffice to say, it's a clever plot that I think takes inspiration from Strohmeyer's own life. She too is an elected town clerk in a small Vermont town. 

I really enjoyed the skewering of the whole house reno/decorate thing.  The reno couple, Holly and Robert, have the funniest (and spot on) newsletters and blog post.  We also get a behind the curtain look at what it takes to achieve that final reveal. And I bet Strohmyers depiction isn’t that far from the truth! 

We Love to Entertain was a fun read with lots of humor, a good plot - and a few bodies. 

See for yourself - read an excerpt of We Love to Entertain. 

The Girls Who Disappeared - Claire Douglas

The Girls Who Disappeared is new from author Claire Douglas.

Journalist Jenna Halliday wants to make her mark as a podcast host. She's found a cold case that she thinks will be perfect - the twentieth anniversary of the disappearance of three young woman. Four went out on the town and only one - Olivia - came home. Not a sign of the other three. Were they abducted? By something otherworldly? By someone? Could they still be alive? The small village that was home to the girls is not overly welcoming to Jenna. But she is determined to find the answer....but at what cost?

I liked the premise - having so many options for what might have happened keeps the reader guessing. 

Jenna was an interesting lead - braver than I think I would have been in some situations. She's quite pushy at times. Douglas worked as a journalist herself and I think that the book and character benefit from that inside knowledge. 

There's a dual narrative with the other voice being Olivia's. She has secrets and memories that she has kept quiet about, for all of those twenty years. Seeing the same supporting characters through different eyes and experiences again gives the reader more information than Jenna has.

There's an italicized group of short chapters that focuses on a number of unknown people. What is their story and connection to the book? And last, but not least - there's also a fairly large group of supporting/suspect players, each with a role to play. I did find some of these players a bit caricaturized.

The plotting of The Girls Who Disappeared is quite busy and does ask the reader to suspend disbelief at a number of junctures, including the police investigation and Jenna's involvement in it. But on the flip side, that brings our protagonist closer to the whodunit. Just go with it. The final whodunit wasn't who or what I had thought it was going to be. Douglas also adds one more twist in the final pages that was also unexpected. Nicely done.

The Girls Who Disappeared is another good read from Douglas. See for yourself - read an excerpt of The Girls Who Disappeared. 

The Last Party - Cassidy Lucas

The Last Party is Cassidy Lucas's new book. 

It's a first read of this author for me. And quite honestly after reading the first chapter, I thought it might not be. 

Each chapter is prefaced with a date and a confirmation of whose point of view we're reading. The first chapter introduces Raj (the Drifter). Raj is mentally ill and/or high as a kite. Or both. I finished that first chapter and wondered about what I'd just read. Did I want to keep going?

It was curiosity that had me picking up the book again. The setting is the Celestial Ranch in the Topango Canyon. Seven old friends get together to celebrate Dawn's fiftieth birthday. Okay, friends might be a stretch. They used to have a connection, but something went wrong many years ago. But it's all good now - right?

Each and everyone of the guests is unlikable, dysfunctional and honestly quite cruel. The ranch staff is only Twyla, her husband and a friend of Twyla's who is a psychic. I liked Twyla and that's about it. Everyone else has their own agenda. And the birthday activities? Seriously? I won't reveal them in case you do choose read The Last Party. Bad decisions abound. Peer pressure at fifty. 

The connections and behaviour of each and every player was patently ridiculous. I still kept reading, because I simply had to know what the ending would bring. Why did the author give Raj the final pages? And end it the way they did? Why not tie up the loose ends of the group of seven? What happened after the basement?

On looking at the Cassidy Lucas webpage, I learned that Cassidy Lucas is actually the pen name of writing duo Julia Fierro and Caeli Wolfson Widger. Maybe too many ideas between the two? It felt like every last one seemed to make it into this book. There were some good ideas that would have benefitted from focus, instead of so much and so many. On turning the last page, I felt a kinship with Raj - what the heck just happened....