"Then She Vanished" by Carla Kovach

 

Thirty years ago, Ruth Pritchard’s sixteen-year-old daughter, Elissa, went missing. Police were called, neighbours were interviewed, and even Ruth’s own husband was investigated, but the case went unsolved. Elissa disappeared forever.

Now, Ruth watches the local news and hears about another girl gone from the same streets where her beloved daughter was last seen, and her heart races. A distinctive red scarf was found at a crime scene, and she recognises it instantly. It belonged to Elissa.

After Ruth alerts the police, they rush to speak to her, but nobody answers the door. Her small home stands eerily quiet. Just like her daughter before her, Ruth has vanished into thin air. 

Friends say that Ruth suspected someone close to home took Elissa. Others say she never trusted her husband again after he was questioned by police. Did she finally discover the truth behind her daughter’s disappearance? And will her friends and family ever see her again? ~taken from Goodreads

Here we are at book 17 of Carla Kovach's Gina Harte Series

and this book might be the best one yet! 

We once again are are swept up in the private life drama of Detective Gina Harte. Her past still haunts her, but recently someone is threatening to expose her secrets to her friends and coworkers. She is sure this will be the downfall of her career.  Her head needs to be in this very complicated and urgent case, but this life matter can't seem to wait and keeps her preoccupied and distracted. 

This storyline has so many characters and elements to it, it is a bit hard to keep sorted but believe me- it's worth it in the end! Told from multiple points of view makes this even more complex and gripping. Kovach has a way with words and this story flows nicely and easily. I read the majority of it in just 24 hours. 

When you think you might have it all figured out you realize you aren't even close to the end of the book. Then the author throws a twist you didn't even see coming. It's truly a one-of-a-kind storyline. It kept me guessing to the end and surprised me even after I thought it was all wrapped up. 

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for allowing me an advanced digital copy to read and give my honest review. This was a 5+ star read!

"Then She Vanished is set to be released March 17, 2025 here in the U.S. so reorder you copy today! 

Happy Reading! 

"Gothictown" by Emily Carpenter

 

The email message that lands in Billie Hope’s inbox seems like a gift from the universe. For $100 she can purchase a spacious Victorian home in Juliana, Georgia, a small town eager to boost its economy in the wake of the pandemic. She can leave behind her cramped New York City rental and some painful memories. Plus she’ll get a business grant to open a new restaurant in a charming riverside community laden with opportunity.

After some phone calls and one hurried visit, Billie and her husband and daughter are officially part of the "Juliana Initiative." The town is everything promised, and between settling into her lavish home and starting a new restaurant, Billie is busy enough to dismiss misgivings.

Yet those misgivings grow. There’s something about Juliana, something off-kilter and menacing beneath its famous Southern hospitality. No matter how much Billie longed for her family to come here, she’s starting to wonder how, and whether, they’ll ever leave. ~taken from Goodreads

I first fell in love with author, Emily Carpenter, back in 2016 with her debut book, "Burying The Honeysuckle Girls", which I cannot recommend enough. I also enjoyed reading "Until The Day I Die" and have other novels of hers on my TBR list. 

This latest one caught my eye because I love a good southern gothic story. When I saw it was by the author I couldn't say no. The premise for this book was truly unique and one of a kind: a family offered a chance to restart their life in an idealistic town for practically nothing. A chance for them to own a house and get a loan to start a business seemed like a dream come true. 

Right away, something seems off about the people of this town. On the outside they are all so friendly and eager to help their new neighbors and friends. What secrets are they hiding about this town? Why is it so perfect? How are they able to offer houses so cheap and give out money to fund new businesses on town? 

This was labeled southern gothic mystery/horror and I think that is wholly incorrect. This is a mild thriller and cozy mystery at best. It has a slight paranormal aspect to it, maybe? 

While I was disappointed in the genre, I did enjoy the story as a whole. The characters, although plentiful & at times confusing, where all unique and unforgettable. There were also times where the plot seemed to drag on and move too slowly, and I think the ending came a bit too swift and wrapped up a bit too neatly. 

Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Publishing for allowing me an advanced digital copy to read and give my honest review. It was a 4 star read for me, as I am still thinking about it days later. 

"Gothictown" by Emily Carpenter is set to be released on March 25, 2025 here in the U.S. so pre-order your copy now! 

Happy Reading! 

"The Memory Ward" by Jon Bassoff

 

They say it’s always beautiful in Bethlam, Nevada. No place you’d rather live. The people are friendly, if a little nosy, and there’s no crime to speak of. Life is pretty perfect.

But postal worker Hank Davies has started to suspect something is off in this idyllic little town. And he’s certain of that when he realizes the letters he’s been delivering are just blank pages.

Hank isn’t the only one who’s noticed the oddities in Bethlam. One such person knocks on his window in the middle of the night, urging him to investigate his bedroom wall. When Hank pulls back the wallpaper, he discovers dozens of sheets of paper, full of a story that is either complete madness or unbelievable truth. As he begins looking beyond the veneer of his smiling neighbors and their white picket fences, Hank is drawn further and further into a disturbing new reality …

Told in Bassoff’s lyrical and evocative style, The Memory Ward is a disquieting page-turner that examines the nature of identity, trauma, and what it means to be human. ~taken from Goodreads

This was my first introduction to author Jon Bassoff. The premise sounded so intriguing and truly one of a kind. It will be hard to give this review without spoilers, so this will be short and sweet. 

I could feel the eerie vision this plot was trying to put off, but the writing style and overall delivery was so repetitive and boring that I lost interest and checked out of the story before the "explanation".

Honestly I was left confused and questioning if I missed important elements of the story, but it honestly wasn't even worth re-reading to double check my misgivings. The reveal was so anticlimactic I thought I missed it. 

Thanks to Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for allowing my an advanced e-copy to read and give my honest review. It was a 3 star read. 

"The Memory Ward" is currently available for purchase. It has plenty of 4 and 5 star reviews, so clearly many people enjoyed it. 

Happy Reading!    

"Cross My Heart: by Megan Collins

 

She has his dead wife’s heart; the one she wants is his. The author of The Family Plot brings her signature prose to a twisty novel about a heart transplant patient who becomes romantically obsessed with her donor’s husband.

Rosie Lachlan wants nothing more than to find The One.

A year after she was dumped in her wedding dress, she’s working at her parents’ bridal salon, anxious for a happy ending that can’t come soon enough. After receiving a life-saving heart transplant, Rosie knows her health is precious and precarious. She suspects her heart donor is Daphne Thorne, the wife of local celebrity author Morgan Thorne, who she begins messaging via an anonymous service called DonorConnect, ostensibly to learn more about Daphne. But Rosie has a secret: She’s convinced that now that she has his wife’s heart, she and Morgan are meant to be together.

As she and Morgan correspond, the pretense of avoiding personal details soon disappears, even if Rosie’s keeping some cards close to her chest. But as she digs deeper into Morgan’s previous marriage, she discovers disturbing rumors about the man she’s falling for. Could Morgan have had something to do with his late wife’s death? And can Rosie’s heart sustain another break—or is she next? ~taken from Goodreads

This is the third book I've read from author, Megan Collins and like the other two, this one had it's thrilling moments. "Behind The Red Door" and "The Family Plot" were previous books I read and enjoyed, so I was excited about this latest novel. 

I will admit this started out a bit slow for me. The chapters are told in a weird, alternating perspective that I didn't quite understand until almost halfway through. Once I realized what was happening and the twist "clicked" I was completely hooked! 

This is a story about obsession and secrets, and is full of twists. It is full of characters, each one more mysterious than the next. Every single character could be a suspect and it wasn't until the very end that I knew who the killer was. 

I am glad I went into this book knowing very little about it, and I think every reader should too.  It made for a fun and exciting read. 

Thanks to Netgalley, Edelweiss, and Atria books for the advanced digital copies to read and give my honest review. It was a 4 star read!

"Cross My Heart" is available today, January 14, 2025 here in the U.S. so get your copy today!  

Happy Reading! 

"The Lake Of Lost Girls" by Katherine Greene

 

Using suspenseful podcast clips to weave a twisty tale of a missing student and her sister who is desperate for answers, The Lake of Lost Girls is perfect for fans of I Have Some Questions for You.

It's 1998, and female students are going missing at Southern State University in North Carolina. But freshman Jessica Fadley, once a bright and responsible student, is going through her own struggles. Just as her life seems to be careening dangerously out of control, she suddenly disappears.

Twenty-four years later, Jessica's sister Lindsey is desperately searching for answers and uses the momentum of a new chart-topping true crime podcast, Ten Seconds to Vanish, that focuses on the cold cases, to guide her own investigation. Soon, interest reaches fever pitch when the bodies of the long-missing women begin turning up at a local lake, which leads Lindsey down a disturbing road of discovery.

In the present, one sister seeks to untangle a complicated web of lies.
In the past, the other descends ever deeper into a darkness that will lead to her ultimate fate.

This propulsive and chilling suspense is a sharp examination of sisterhood and the culture of true crime. ~taken from Goodreads

Told in alternating timelines and dual points of views, The Lake of Lost Girls had so much potential. I think it started out lackluster from the get-go by being labeled a thriller because a thriller it is not. This is a murder mystery. A slow moving one. 

Remains are found near a lake, 24 years after Jessica went missing. Could it be her? Her family never got any answers and feel like the police botched the whole investigation. 

Her sister, Lindsey, starts learning about her sister's past thanks to a new Podcast that is shedding light on similar murders that happened in the same area around that time and also via a very weird and shady reporter who is poking around.

I figured out the suspect pretty early on in the book. It was very clear. The writing style of this story is very choppy. I couldn't get into the flow. The characters are all sad and angry; there wasn't a single person I liked.  

Despite the negatives, it was a fast read. Given the podcast aspect it is a modern-type mystery. 

The Lake Of Lost Girls is set to be released November 5, 2024 here in the U.S. so pre-order your copy now. Thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for allowing me an advanced digital copy to read and give my honest review. It was a 3 star read. 

Happy Reading! 

"Absolution: A Southern Reach Novel" by Jeff VanderMeer

 

Ten years after the publication of Annihilation, the surprise fourth volume in Jeff VanderMeer’s blockbuster Southern Reach Trilogy.

When the Southern Reach Trilogy was first published a decade ago, it was an instant sensation, celebrated in a front-page New York Times story before publication, hailed by Stephen King and many others. Each volume climbed the bestsellers list; awards were won; the books made the rare transition from paperback original to hardcover; the movie adaptation became a cult classic. All told, the trilogy has sold more than a million copies and has secured its place in the pantheon of twenty-first-century literature.

And yet for all this, for Jeff VanderMeer there was never full closure to the story of Area X. There were a few mysteries that had gone unsolved, some key points of view never aired. There were stories left to tell. There remained questions about who had been complicit in creating the conditions for Area X to take hold; the story of the first mission into the Forgotten Coast—before Area X was called Area X—had never been fully told; and what if someone had foreseen the world after Acceptance? How crazy would they seem?

Structured in three parts, each recounting a new expedition, there are some long-awaited answers here, to be sure, but also more questions, and profound new surprises. Absolution is a brilliant, beautiful, and ever-terrifying plunge into unique and fertile literary territory. It is the final word on one of the most provocative and popular speculative fiction series of our time. ~taken from Goodreads

I'm not even sure where to start with this. It has been so long since I finished the third book, yet it seems like yesterday. The Southern Reach Trilogy (or what was previously a trilogy), were books that stuck with you. If you are a fan of the books, this is a must. There is no way to NOT read this. That being said, if you haven't read any of the previous books, this is not the book to start with. Pick up book number one and start there. 

This book is written into short novellas- three to be exact. These three parts are actually a prequel to when we were first introduced to Area X. 

Part One takes place 20 years prior to Area X's barrier. Part Two takes place 18 months before the barrier and Part Three takes place during the first expedition and 1 year after the barrier was erected and Area X was sealed off. 

At first I was bored with this book but then it picked up and everything became so unexpected in true VanderMeer fashion. If you think you know what to expect from this book because you read the previous ones, think again. Author, Jeff VanderMeer, is a brilliant mind and a master of words. 

We get points of views from characters that we didn't even know we needed. We are introduced to new characters that were there at the beginning and a look at the infamous first expedition. We get answers to previously unanswered questions, but we are left with so many more. 

Thanks to Netgalley and Farrar, Straus, and Giroux for allowing me an advanced copy to read and give my honest review. It was a 4 star read! 

Absolution is available now so pick up your copy now! 

Happy Reading! 

"One Last Prayer" by Carla Kovach

 

She races home, her young son clasped tightly to her chest, glancing over her shoulder at every face she passes. She reaches the safety of her home, closing the door behind her. Little does she know the danger that awaits her inside…

When local vicar, Sally, packs away the brightly coloured toys and dog-eared books left over from a morning parent and toddler group, her heart pounds as she discovers a note left

‘Help me.’

Sally knows the mother who sat in that spot. Rushing to Nell’s small house nearby, her feeling of dread grows. Her frantic knock goes unanswered. Inside, she hears Nell’s one-year-old son Alfie crying, but still Nell doesn’t come.

Running to the back of the house, Sally’s breath catches at the sight of Nell’s lifeless body laid out in the garden.

When police investigate the young mother’s tragic death, rumours start to spread. Some say Nell had enemies. Some say she wasn’t telling the truth about who she really was. And some say she was running from a dark past.

With reports of a mysterious figure seen watching Nell’s house, it’s clear whoever took her life is close by. And when a break-in at the church ends with a brutal attack on Sally, the vicar who found Nell’s body, it’s clear that this killer isn’t finished yet… ~taken from Goodreads

"One Last Prayer" is number 16 in the Gina Harte detective series. I started reading this series pretty well into it. These can be read together or as a stand alone. I had no problem jumping right in and getting to know the characters and their backgrounds half way through the series. 

All of Kovach's mysteries are well written with great character and plot development. This narrative has the perspective of several different points of views, giving the mystery a bit of a twist for the reader. There's also diary entries from an unknown character that adds to the thrill. 

There are several people who make for good suspects, so as more information is known, and the the plot thickens (LOL) the mystery deepens and the thrill builds. 

On the subject of several suspects, there were a lot of people to keep track of in this storyline. I was very confused and at times frustrated trying to figure out who was who from previous chapters. 

Then, of course, there is the continuing storyline of Detective Gina Harte. This book's involvement in Gina's personal life seemed a bit unexpected yet boring at the same time. 

All in all, this was another good read from Carla Kovach! One Last Prayer is out now here in the U.S. so pick up your copy at your favorite book retailer or local library! 

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for allowing me an advanced e-copy to read and give my honest review. This was a 4 star read! 

Happy Reading!