Served Him Right by Lisa Unger

 

Title:  Served Him Right

Author:  Lisa Unger

Narrated by:  Kristen Sieh, Vivienne Leheny, Brittany Pressley, Soneela Nankani, Tim Paige, Petrea Burchard

Publisher: Harlequin Audio

Length: Approximately 12 hour and 8 minutes

Source: Review copy from NetGalley.  Thank-you!

How do you feel about revenge stories?  My favorite is The Count of Monte Cristo.

Ana Blacksmith has recently broken up with her boyfriend Paul.  She organizes a celebration brunch with her sister and best friends.  When Paul is found dead, Ana is a suspect. When one of her friends falls deathly ill after the brunch, Ana rises to the top of the suspect list.  Will Ana and her sister Vera be able to prove her innocence?

My thoughts on this book:

·       This was a very engaging thriller.

·       This was great on audiobook.  It captured my attention and made it so I didn’t want my drives to end.  I loved the cast of narrators.

·       Paul is shown to have many enemies and to be a terrible person.  Why is it that people like that are able to keep hurting people?

·       I liked that the story had the ladies be a part of a family that practices “magic” through the use of herbalism.

·       The book had a riveting and scary intro for a poor woman who is r$%^ed by a boss who drugs her after staying late at work.

·       This book made me ponder the question of taking justice into your own hands – when are you justified?

·       I liked the naughty romance between Ana and the detective on the case, Timothy.

·       There were many point of views in this story.

·       I kept guessing until the end.

Overall, Served Him Right by Lisa Unger was a riveting and engaging thriller.

Shattered by Dr. David Jeremiah and Sam O’Neal

 

Title:  Shattered

Author:  Dr. David Jeremiah and Sam O’Neal

Narrated by:  Roger Wayne

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Length: Approximately 10 hours and 58 minutes

Source: Purchased from Audible.com with a physical book review copy from @drdavidjeremiah @thomasnelsonfiction @TLCBookTours.  Thank-you!

What is the last action-adventure book that you’ve read or one that you would recommend?

Shattered starts right where book one, Vanished, ended and tells the story of what happens for the first three year after the rapture. The story continues to follow Dr. John Haggerty as he seeks vengeance for the loss of his wife and daughter.  It also follows Abigail who recognizes her own failures and has turned to Christianity. She is gathering the Christian believers still left that are now turning to God.  As the Antichrist takes over, will Abigail and John be able to stay true to God?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This book was an action-packed thriller.

·       The book contained a lot of Biblical prophecy and interpretation of the prophecies.

·       It has a different take on the rapture and prophesies than the popular Left Behind series and is worth reading to see this different story.

·       This is Book #2 is the Vanished series.  I enjoyed Book #1, Vanished.  You should read this series in order to know what is going on.

·       It was interesting to ponder in this book after the rapture when so many have disappeared, how will the world react?

·       It was an interesting look into misinformation and how evil can use misinformation to tell people that it was not the rapture.  People are already conditioned to listen to false information and believe it.  It’s a sad, but true commentary on our current state of affairs in the world and how it can be used for evil.

·       It was an intense story and not a happy one.

·       It was an exciting audiobook to listen to.  I liked the narrator’s voice.

·       This book ends on a cliffhanger.

Overall, Shattered by Dr. David Jeremiah and Sam O’Neal was an exciting end of the world thriller.

 

False Witness by Karin Slaughter

 

Title:  False Witness

Author:  Karin Slaughter

Narrated by:  Kathleen Early

Publisher: Blackstone Publishing

Length: Approximately 18 hour and 39 minutes

Source: Review copy from NetGalley.  Thank-you!

What book has gotten a mixed reaction in your book club lately?

False Witness was my April pick for the Rogue Book Club and it got a mixed reaction, although that is with myself being the only person that read the entire book.  One other person liked it and was almost through it, and another couldn’t get into it.  That was it for readers of this book at book club.  I am hoping the one person finished it so that we can have a good discussion about it as there was a lot to discuss in this book!

Leigh Collier is a defense attorney at a fancy law firm in Atlanta.  She is currently separated from her husband Walter, but they both work together to co-parent their beloved daughter Maddy.  One night she gets called to work on a case for a man from her past which brings up a lot of traumatic memories involving her estranged sister Callie.  Why did he come back into their lives after all this time and how can they move forward?

·       I have greatly enjoyed Karin Slaughter’s books in the past which is why I picked this book. It did have a very jarring start with a traumatic prologue involving the r%3e of a teenage girl and a murder.  This is what was very off putting to one book club member, but it was a very shocking way to start the story and made me want to figure out what the heck was going on.

·       I liked the references to one of my favorite novels, Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier.

·       This book looked into the underside of life with drugs, abuse, r%3e, etc.  It was hard topics to read about.

·       It also explored the relationships between parents and children, between sisters, and between spouses.  What would you be willing to do to save your family?

·       There was grief for past bad decisions and the life that could have been.

·       I loved Dr. Jerry.  He is an old vet who employs Callie as a vet tech.  He is so understanding and caring.  I loved when he finally let Callie know that he knew what was going on and still cared for her.

·       There were great multi layered characters in this novel.

·       It was interesting that living through the Coronavirus Pandemic with the masks, quarantine, etc. is a part of this story with the book coming out in 2021.

·       The story really made me think about justice and whether some of the bad people in this world get justice.  When is it okay to take justice into your own hands?

·       The ending was perfect.

Overall, False Witness by Karin Slaughter was a gritty thriller that delved into tough topics, justice, and what one is willing to do to project one’s family.  I couldn’t stop listening to this audiobook.

Murder Bimbo by Rebecca Novack

 

Title:  Murder Bimbo

Author:  Rebecca Novack

Narrated by:  Jennifer Pickens

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Length: Approximately 7 hours and 20 minutes

Source: Review Copy from Simon & Schuster Audio. Thank-you!

What is a book you’ve read lately that was out of your comfort zone?  Murder Bimbo is a thriller told through the eyes of a sex worker and is out of my typical comfort zone for reading.

Murder Bimbo is a 32-year-old sex worker, and she has just murdered a political extremist, Meat Neck.  She thought she was working under cover for the government, but things may not be what they appear to be.  She begins writing her story to Justice Bimbo who writes and produces a popular podcast series to get her story out and goes into hiding. Will she be able to save herself?

My thoughts on this audiobook:

·       This book was weird and funny.  It was just what I needed to capture my attention over a long drive on bad roads.

·       The book does try to explain away sex work as just another job, but the nature of the story shows the dangers, disadvantages, and abuse of sex workers.

·       It is told as a first-person narrative story through emails.  The narrative shifts and changes as she tells it. Murder Bimbo is an unreliable narrator that tells her own story with a humorous, snarky, light tone.

·       Trigger warning in that there is s@#ually explicit material and r#pe. 

·       You think you know what is going on with the story, but then it is told differently to a different audience.  The first part are emails to Justice Bimbo where Murder Bimbo is an unwitting part in assassinating Meat Neck.  Part 2, she is emailing her lover what happened, and the story is a lot more complicated.  Part 3 she may be telling the true story of what has happened to the audience. 

·       I was looking for a crazily entertaining novel and this book met the need!

·       The book was full of terrible people, but it was fun, which seems weird to say.

·       What is true?  How do we change our narratives depending on who we are telling our story to?

·       I liked it on audiobook and the narrator captured the tone perfectly.

Overall, Murder Bimbo by Rebecca Novack was a unique political thriller that captured my attention that explored the nature of storytelling and truth.

Sorry for Your Loss by Georgia McVeigh

 

What is a thriller novel, show, or movie that you have enjoyed lately?

Iris has recently lost her fiancé and has joined a local grief group to work through her loss.  While there, she meets the very handsome Jack who has recently lost his wife to cancer.  As Iris plots ways to win Jack’s affections, she discovers things are not what they seem.  What is real and what is deception in Iris and Jack’s world?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This is a contemporary psychological thriller.

·       It’s hard to write a review for this one as I don’t want to give anything away.  It’s best to go in not knowing much about the story.

·       There were many twists and turns in this one, some I figured out, and some where a surprise.

·       The story alternates between the present and the past.  Iris lost her twin sister, Marcie, growing up and it details their relationship and Marcie’s fate.

·       The story is set in London.

·       Iris is not a very likeable person, but I was intrigued to see what she would do next.  I also felt sorry for the losses that she had in life.

·       The novel was very action packed at the end and I couldn’t put it down.

·       The story is told as Iris’s inner monologue.

·       I can’t believe this is a debut novel.  I’m interested to see what Georgia McVeigh writes next.

·       The ending did leave me wondering what could happen next. 

Overall, Sorry for Your Loss by Georgia McVeigh was an intriguing contemporary psychological thriller. 

Book Source:  Review copy from Penguin Random House.  Thank-you!

Vanished by Dr. David Jeremiah with Sam O’Neal

What is the last action-adventure book that you enjoyed?

John “Haggs” Haggerty is the leader of a special military unit in charge of stopping pandemics before they spread.  After COVID-19, deadly disease is on the rise as is famine, wars, and earthquakes.  Haggs’ best friend, Caleb, is sure it’s a sign of the approaching rapture, but Haggs isn’t so sure.  Haggs relationship with his wife has fallen apart, but he is trying to rebuild his relationship with his daughter, Sonya.  Will he be able to be a better person and repair his relationships while also helping the world as it falls apart?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This was a very readable, intriguing action-adventure story.

·       This is the first in a new series.  I am looking forward to the next book.

·       I loved the characters in this book, especially Haggs, Sonya, and Caleb.

·       I enjoy end times fiction.  If you liked the Left Behind series, you would enjoy Vanished.

·       A lot happens in this book.  It is very action packed and fast paced.

·       Haggs has past pain from the death of a child and abuse as a child from his alcoholic father.  He works through this pain and finally tells the story to Sonya of what happened to her brother.

·       Haggs hires Sonya has an Italian translator. While father and daughter can now spend more time together, it also puts her in danger.

·       There is a great discussion of faith as Caleb and Sonya are believers and try to talk to Haggs about his faith.

·       Genres:  Christian apocalyptic thriller, adventure, suspense, inspirational.

·       There are great book discussion questions at the end for a book club to use.

 Overall, Vanished by Dr. David Jeremiah with Sam O’Neal was a riveting Christian apocalyptic thriller with great characters and story.  I am looking forward to book two!

Book Source:  Thank you to @drdavidjeremiah @thomasnelsonfiction @tlcbooktours for the review copy of this novel as part of the TLC Book Tour.

Anatomy of an Alibi by Ashley Elston

 

What is your favorite mystery/thriller? Recommendations please.

Camille Baylis is unhappy in her marriage to lawyer Ben.  He tracks her every move.  She is sure he is hiding something from her so she comes up with a plan with Aubrey Price to have Aubrey take her car and spend a day as her so that Camille can figure out what Ben is up to.  Aubrey is sure Ben knows something about her parents’ deaths.  When Ben is found dead the next day, only one woman has an alibi.  Who murdered Ben and why?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I don’t want to give too much away in my thoughts so they will be brief.

·       The plot is intricately woven and entertaining.

·       I was guessing up until the very end and I was surprised by the ending.

·       I loved the romantic subplot with Aubrey and her protective housemate, Duncan.

·       I enjoyed the alternating viewpoints between Camille, Aubrey, and Hank (Ben’s law partner).

·       I loved The First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston.  Anatomy of an Alibi was good, but not as good as The First Lie Wins.  I think the story was tighter in First Lie Wins.  There was a lot of characters to keep straight in this one. 

Overall, Anatomy of an Alibi by Ashley Elston was an enjoyable contemporary thriller.

Book Source:  Review Copy from NetGalley.  Thank-you!

Retreat by Krysten Ritter with Lindsay Jameson

 

Title:  Retreat

Author:  Krysten Ritter with Lindsay Jameson

Narrated by:  Krysten Ritter

Publisher: Harper Audio

Length: Approximately 8 hours and 41 minutes

Source: Thank you, Partner @bibliolifestyle @harperperennial for the review copy of the physical book.  Audiobook purchased from audible.

Who is your favorite con artist in book or film?  I love Thomas Crown in the Thomas Crown Affair.

Liz Dawson is a beautiful and smart woman who has lived her life as a serial con artist.  She takes an easy job installing a piece of art in Isabelle Beresford’s vacation villa in Mexico.  When she is mistaken for Isabelle, Liz takes over her life.  She soon finds out, “Oh what a tangled web we weave when we first practice to deceive.”  What secrets did the real Isabelle have and will Liz make it out alive?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I liked that the main character, Liz, is a con artist and it was interesting to hear her story and how she can pretend to be high class people and scam them.  Even thought she was a con artist; I find myself liking her and rooting for her.

·       This was riveting to listen to on audiobook.

·       This was a fun book to read.

·       I loved the beautiful Mexico setting.  It was nice this week especially with the giant blizzard we had in Northeast Wisconsin.

·       I don’t want to give away the plot, but I sort of guessed the end, but not quite all the way.  There was a great twist!

·       There were a lot of rich people behaving badly in this story.  It was a good escapism read.

·       This was a fast-paced suspense thriller and a quick read.

·       The story is contemporary and a psychological thriller. 

·       The ending was open ended and has kept me thinking.   I do wish it had been a clear ending. 

Overall, Retreat by Krysten Ritter with Lindsay Jameson was a great escapism thriller read.

 

It’s Not Her by Mary Kubica

 

Happy #bookbirthday to It’s Not Her by Mary Kubica!

What is the best thriller or mystery that you have read lately?

Courtney Gray is vacationing with her family and her brother’s family in the Northwoods of Wisconsin.  The mostly peaceful family vacation is shattered when she discovers that her brother and sister-in-law have been murdered and her niece Reese is missing.  Did Reese have anything to do with the murders?  Where is Reese? Why were her parents murdered?

My thoughts on this book:

·       The story is told with short chapters from alternating viewpoints that keep the action moving.  It was a very engaging story.

·       Reese’s point of view (POV) is from the start of the vacation moving forward while Courtney’s POV is from the murder forward.  It was an interesting way to change the viewpoint.

·       Reese hates Wisconsin and describes everything at the resort as terrible.  I thought Mary Kubica did a great job of getting into the mind and character of a sullen teenage girl.

·       There were a lot of twists, turns, and red herrings that kept me surprised up until the end. 

·       I have enjoyed other Mary Kubica books in the past and this one was another great one by her. 

·       This novel was a great suspense thriller and domestic drama.

·       Courtney really starts to wonder if she can trust anyone.

·       I don’t want to spoil the book by going into more details, but it was excellent, and I couldn’t put it down.

Overall, It’s Not Her by Mary Kubica is a riveting suspense thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Book Source:  NetGalley.  Thank-you!

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

 

Title:  The Housemaid

Author:  Freida McFadden

Narrated by:  Lauryn Allman

Publisher: Bookouture

Length: Approximately 9 hours and 46 minutes

Source: Purchased from Audible

Have you watched any good movies lately based on a book?  I am looking forward to watching the new Housemaid movie soon!

Millie Calloway has just recently been released from prison and feels lucky to have found a job as a housekeeper to the Winchester family.  On the surface, they appear to have the perfect life, but as things keep getting weirder, will Millie be able to figure out what is going on and stay alive?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       The Housemaid by Freida McFadden was the Rogue Book Club selection for January.  We all read the book and enjoyed it.

·       The plot moves along and is very engaging in this book.

·       I really enjoyed that the audiobook narrator has a New York accent.  The audiobook made my drives to work go by fast.

·       I did sad sigh while reading this book about some very poor decision making by characters.

·       There was great suspense this novel that kept me on the edge of my seat.

·       This was great escapism reading.

·       I want to read the rest of the series.

·       There was dark humor in this book.

·       I really liked the ending much more than I thought I would.  I guessed the twist but was pleasantly surprised by the ending.  I don’t want to say too much and ruin the story for someone else.

·       I felt like this was a grown-up version of the Fear Street or Christopher Pike novels I read as a teen.

·       This was my first Freida McFadden novel and I know she is well loved.  Do you have a favorite?

Overall, The Housemaid by Freida McFadden was a fast-paced thriller and good escapism reading. 

Kill Your Darlings by Peter Swanson

 

What was the last book that stunned you?

Thom and Wendy Graves live in a beautiful house by the sea in Massachusetts.  They have been married for over twenty-five years and together raised one son, Jason.  Everything looks perfect from the outside, but there are cracks in their marriage.  Thom likes to drink and have affairs.  They both share a secret from early in their relationship which holds them together.  What is this secret?  What is the heart of the problem with their marriage?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This was a very cleverly written story and was unique.

·       I loved the references to “I Know Where I’m Going” and “Dial M for Murder” amongst other classic movies.

·       The reader really gets to know the characters backwards through time which was interesting.

·       I really wanted the details on the mystery from early in their relationship, so it was interesting to read it backwards through time and finally get those details.

·       The ending was perfect.

·       This is a toxic love story.  It was interesting that the demise of the love story was at the beginning of the novel and then it worked backwards to how their love story started.

·       The story goes from 2023 to 1982 when Wendy and Thom met at age 14.

·       This is a domestic suspense novel and a slow burn thriller.

·       Thom and Wendy are not particularly likeable characters. 

Favorite Quote: “The first attempt at killing her husband was the night of the dinner party.” This was a great first line.

Overall, Kill Your Darlings by Peter Swanson is a unique, and clever domestic suspense novel and slow burn thriller.  I enjoyed reading it.

Book Source: Thank-you to NetGalley for a review copy of this novel.