Tag: thriller

Book Review | Our Trespasses by Michael Cordell

Our Trespasses by Michael Cordell

Book Description:

Deliver us from evil…

Drowning in a meaningless existence flipping burgers, Matthew Davis suddenly collapses from a powerful psychic connection he shares with his twin brother, Jake. The pain is violent and immediate, and Matt knows exactly what it means… hundreds of miles away, Jake has been viciously killed. But instead of severing their connection, the murder intensifies it and Matt begins to suffer the agony of Jake’s afterlife.

Hell bent on solving Jake’s murder in order to break the connection, Matt travels to his troubled hometown of Hatchett, Nebraska, where an old lover and savage new enemies expose the festering wounds that Jake left behind.

Matt tries atoning for Jake’s sins, but when a demon infests the connection between the two brothers, Matt must find a way to sever their bond before his world, and ours, become engulfed in the flames of hell.

Fans of Stephen King’s The Outsider, Stephen Graham Jones’ The Only Good Indians, and William Peter Blatty’s The Exorcist will find this new paranormal thriller impossible to put down.

Review:

Matthew Davis is living “the life” in New York as a short order cook, but gets a sense something is wrong with his twin brother when he has a paranormal experience and actually feels connected to him. Having a physical reaction to something supernatural, he leaves for home, which is Hatchett, Nebraska, and that’s when things really get weird. His brother has been murdered, and Matthew is now questioning the psychic connection between the two of them. Even as kids, they had a strong sense of the other’s well-being, but in death? He plans to use the connection to solve his brother’s murder.

Things don’t seem to be that great when he returns home, however. His mother doesn’t have the best relationship with him, and he wasn’t super close with his twin. People in town are saying horrible things regarding Jake, and how he must have been involved in something awful. Matthew appears to have no answers to go on.

He begins to go to his old haunts, even staying at Jake’s house, hoping for clues. And little by little, things get worse as their connection begins to deepen, and Matthew is only getting bits and pieces of his brother’s life before death. At some point, they determine there is something demonic about the connection and Matthew has to work through forgiveness issues to best serve his brother and solve the mystery.

It is a great read. Matthew is a well thought out character, with boldness, but uncertainty, restraint, but compassion. I like the old timey scenarios at his ex-girlfriend’s bar and the relationship with his friend who became a pastor. The suspense was worth the ride.

Check it out now:

Our Trespasses: A Paranormal Thriller

TCK Publishing – Independent Fiction and Nonfiction Book Publisher

I would gladly read another book by Michael Cordell (https://michaeljcordell.com/)

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from NetGalley and TCK Publishing.   I was not required to write a positive review.  The opinions expressed are my own.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 (http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html): “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review | Paradox by Catherine Coulter (Book #22 in FBI Thriller Series)

paradox

Book Description:

Opening this book, it started off great! An attempted child abduction at the home of two FBI agents, a witness to a murderer who dumps a body in the body of Lake Massey, locating a man trapped in a closet who is left for dead…
And I’ll admit, I’ve not read the twenty-one books in this series beforehand. So I am not familiar with most of the characters or the plot lines leading up to this book. But I was sadly disappointed by this book.
I really felt like the action was missing. Certain events did happen where there should have been thrilling emotions and reactions, but nothing super chilling or worthy of grabbing my attention.  There was a lot of redundancy regarding a belt buckle found in the lake, and the perpetrator and his girlfriend, but even those events and details felt lacking. I wasn’t really gripped, nor did it make me want to read any of the other books in the series. Maybe I missed the boat on this one, but it ended up in my least favorite books.  However, I will give Catherine Coulter another try. She’s a NY Times Best Selling Author. We all deserve second chances.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through Gallery Threshold, Pocket Books and NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own and I appreciate the opportunity to receive an advanced reader copy to do so. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review | Lies She Told by Cate Holahan

lies she told

This book was one that I could NOT.PUT.DOWN.  It was a little slow at the beginning, but it took off within the first five chapters. If you are a reader who doesn’t mind shifting perspectives, this suspenseful book takes turns like no other.

Your main character is Liza Cole who is an author with a deadline for a new book.  Liza is married to David. Recently, his partner from work, Nick, goes missing, assumed dead in a local river. Liza begins writing her story about a woman who is named Beth, who also is married and a new mother. Beth catches her husband, Jake, cheating with a coworker of his, named Colleen.  And as Liza writes, we learn more about Beth, her complicated life, and Liza herself.

I didn’t mind the perspective shift from reality to the fiction book.  It was believable, and made me question motives, realities, and conversations between characters.  The best part is about midway through when you begin to realize that these two perspectives will align and when they do, WOW!!  This was my first book by Cate Holahan, but since I have The Widower’s Wife in my Kindle app, I’ll dive into that one in 2018.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Crooked Lane Publishing and the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own and I appreciate the opportunity to receive an advanced reader copy to do so. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

 

Book Review | The Devil’s Work by Mark Edwards (and I mean, THE Mark Edwards)

devil work

Oh, how I love Mark Edwards’ suspense novels!!  This one did not disappoint!  Sophie Greenwood is the main character who finally begins her dream job at a publishing firm, only to realize after she is hired that she has a connection with an employee’s family member.  She keeps it secret, thinking it has nothing to do with her current position, but as she begins to work there as a replacement for another employee who went missing, she begins to see that things aren’t exactly what they seem.  Workers seem to be keeping tabs on each other, a dear friend gets beaten up almost to the point of death, and she ends up getting locked in the building one night working late.

The story is told well through her perspective, and to give insight into what is really happening, it jumps back to her past which shares a lot of detail, but still keeps you guessing until the end. I had some ideas of who was behind a few of the events, but I only got one of them right!  And I don’t know about any other readers, but I couldn’t help thinking how I wanted to search the whole publishing firm building myself!

Bonus: As someone who has read multiple thriller novels by this author, I loved his nod to the draft of “The Devil’s Work” that the publishing company was reading and editing, as well as the reference to the neighbors, Lucy and Chris from his book “The Magpies”.  And he included a magpie in this book.  It felt like an inside joke between the author and his loyal fan base. 🙂

If you love suspense and reading about workplace craziness, this is a book anyone can relate to, and will keep you on the edge of your seat.  Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley, Mark Edwards and Thomas & Mercer for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.  I will definitely read another book from this author and am anxiously awaiting it.

Book Review | The Girl Before by JP Delaney

the girl before

Cannot wait to see how the movie directed by Ron Howard turns out! This book was definitely psychological! From the very picky architect who “screens” applicants to stay in his intricately-detailed home in London to the quirky applicants themselves who take the chance to live there, this book was quite a ride.

Edward Monkford has specific (and I mean, specific) ideas for the tenants who reside in his pristine home, and only after the applicant meets the requirements is SHE allowed to stay. At the beginning of the novel, I thought it was odd at first, but as I read on, the reasons why he has such high standards begins to unfold, and to say that the owner of the home is narcissistic is an understatement.

The story jumps back and forth between Jane who lives in the home now, and Emma, who lived there before, hence the title. Similarities begin to emerge in their personalities, and interactions between the owner and others who notice the women living in the home begin to shed light on what is really happening inside of the four walls. I loved the suspense and the ending. I was annoyed with Jane at some points, because her strength seems to get stripped away as the book moves forward, however it is essential to the plot line. Some of it was predictable, but some of it wasn’t, and to me, that makes for a fun read! I would read from this author again.

Thank you to NetGalley, JP Delaney and the Random House Publishing for the opportunity to read this advanced reader copy.