#audiobookreviewer – Page 3 – Rosepoint Publishing

Gone Before Goodbye by Reese Witherspoon and Harlan Coben #AudiobookReview #crimethrillers

Amazon Charts #10 this week

Nominee for the 2025 Goodreads Choice Awards [Vote Now]

Book Blurb:

A full-cast recording featuring Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine, Saskia Maarleveld, Peter Ganim, Suehyla El-Attar Young, Kiff VandenHeuvel, and James Fouhey

An unforgettable suspense novel that combines the storytelling talents of Academy Award-winning actor Reese Witherspoon and internationally bestselling author Harlan Coben, Gone Before Goodbye is the story of a woman trapped in a deadly conspiracy—where uncovering the truth could cost her everything.

Maggie McCabe is teetering on the brink. A highly skilled and renowned Army combat surgeon, she has always lived life at the edge, where she could make the most impact. And it was all going to plan…until it wasn’t.

Upside down after a devastating series of tragedies leads to her medical license being revoked, Maggie has lost her purpose, but not her nerve or her passion. At her lowest point, she is thrown a lifeline by a former colleague, an elite plastic surgeon whose anonymous clientele demand the best care money can buy, as well as absolute discretion.

Halfway across the globe, sequestered in the lap of luxury and cutting-edge technology, one of the world’s most mysterious men requires unconventional medical assistance.

Desperate, and one of the few surgeons in the world skilled enough to take this job, Maggie enters his realm of unspeakable opulence and fulfills her end of the agreement. But when the patient suddenly disappears while still under her care, Maggie must become a fugitive herself—or she will be the next one who is…

My Review:

Wow, I love the name of this book! That title will stick in the brain and roll easily off your tongue when you speak about it. So how does the rest of the book stack up?

First, I guess we might have expected that Reese would narrate protagonist Maggie McCabe. That decision might have weakened the character somewhat without a professional narrator in the translation from written to spoken word by inflection often either over the top or insufficient. Nowhere did I expect a book authored by Reese to include women cosmetic surgeons, Russian baddies, and biker gangs. (Although I must confess I liked Pork Chop.)

Did Harlan add his drama and suspense only to have Reese decide it was a good thing, so repeat it with her edits? It bogged down somewhere in the middle for me and several times rehashed scenarios we’d already visited before. The dialogue appears to have a difference in origination and is uneven in character.

Goodreads shows more three and four-star reviews than five with a deeply divided reaction to the characters and the pacing. There are as many narrators as characters, including Reese herself as well as one of my favorites, Saskia Maarleveld. Amazon notes in her bio that it is Reese’s debut novel, co-authored.

But What Did AI Say?

For those burning to know (as was I) just how much Reese contributed to that obvious Harlan Coban writing style, AI says it was a true collaboration “where both were involved in the writing process…”

Writing process? Aren’t we also talking plot?? Isn’t that a signature Coban plot and pace?

No, says, AI.

Noted that it was originally Witherspoon’s idea, pitched to Coben who ran with it, obviously “contributing his expertise in plotting and structure…signature twists and suspense. “

But hey, you know how AI can, and often does, make mistakes. You read it? Did you read Coban or Witherspoon?

Many thanks to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Three point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Crime Thrillers, Mystery Action & Adventure, International Mystery & Crime
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
ASIN: B0DJ9K5CLM
Listening Length: 10 hrs 34 mins
Narrators: Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine, Kiff VandenHeuvel, Suehyla El-Attar Young, Peter Ganim, Saskia Maarleveld, James Fouhey
Publication Date: October 14, 2025
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Links: Amazon-US
Amazon-UK
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

The Authors:

With over 80 million books in print worldwide, Harlan Coben is the #1 New York Times author of thirty five novels including WIN, THE BOY FROM THE WOODS, RUN AWAY, FOOL ME ONCE, TELL NO ONE and the renowned Myron Bolitar series. His books are published in 46 languages around the globe.

Harlan is the creator and executive producer of several Netflix television dramas including FOOL ME ONCE, STAY CLOSE, THE STRANGER, SAFE, THE FIVE, THE INNOCENT and THE WOODS. He is also the creator and executive producer of the Prime Video series Harlan Coben’s SHELTER, based on his young adult books featuring Mickey Bolitar. Harlan was the showrunner and executive producer for two French TV mini-series, UNE CHANCE DE TROP (NO SECOND CHANCE) and JUST UN REGARD (JUST ONE LOOK). KEINE ZWEIT CHANCE, also based on Harlan’s novel, aired in Germany on Sat1.

Harlan’s novel TELL NO ONE (NE LE DIS A PERSONNE) was turned into the renowned French film, directed by Guillaume Canet and starring Francois Cluzet. The movie was the top box office foreign-language film of the year in the USA, won the Lumiere (French Golden Globe) for best picture and was nominated for nine Cesars (French Oscar) and won four, including best actor, best director and best music.

Winner of the Edgar Award, Shamus Award and Anthony Award – the first author to win all three – international bestselling author Harlan Coben’s critically-acclaimed novels have been called “ingenious” (New York Times), “poignant and insightful” (Los Angeles Times), “consistently entertaining” (Houston Chronicle), “superb” (Chicago Tribune) and “must reading” (Philadelphia Inquirer).

In his first books, Coben immersed himself in the exploits of sports agent Myron Bolitar. Critics loved the series, saying, “You race to turn pages…both suspenseful and often surprisingly funny” (People). After seven books Coben wanted to try something different. “I came up with a great idea that simply would not work for Myron,” says Coben. The result was the critically acclaimed New York Times bestseller TELL NO ONE, which became the most decorated thriller of the year. Two books later, Bookspan, recognizing Coben’s broad international appeal, named NO SECOND CHANCE its first ever International Book of the Month in 2003 – the Main Selection in 15 different countries.

Harlan was the first writer in more than a decade to be invited to write fiction for the NEW YORK TIMES op-ed page. His Father’s Day short story, THE KEY TO MY FATHER, appeared June 15, 2003. His essays and columns have appeared in many top publications including the New York Times, Parade Magazine and Bloomberg Views.

Harlan has received an eclectic variety of honors from all over the world. In Paris, he was awarded the prestigious Vermeil Medal of Honor for contributions to culture and society by the Mayor of Paris. He has won the El Premio del Novela Negra RBA in Spain, the Grand Prix de Lectrices in France, and the CWA/ITV3 Bestseller Dagger for favorite crime novelist in England. On the other end of the spectrum, Little League Baseball inducted Harlan into their Hall of Excellence in 2013, and Harlan is also a member of the New England Basketball Hall of Fame from his playing days at Amherst College.

Harlan was born in Newark, New Jersey. He still lives in New Jersey with his wife, Anne Armstrong-Coben MD, a pediatrician, and their four children.

Reese Witherspoon is an award-winning actress, producer, founder and New York Times bestselling author. She won an Academy Award® for her portrayal of June Carter Cash in Walk the Line and was later nominated in that same category for Wild in 2014, which she also produced. Witherspoon also starred in beloved films Sweet Home Alabama, Legally Blonde, and Election, as well as the award-winning television series Big Little Lies, Little Fires Everywhere, and The Morning Show. Her other film credits include Disney’s A Wrinkle in Time, Universal Pictures’ animated musical comedy Sing and Sing 2. In addition to her acting and producer roles, Witherspoon is an author and founder. In 2018, Reese released her first book, Whiskey in a Teacup, which was an instant bestseller. In 2016, she established the media brand Hello Sunshine. Hello Sunshine puts women at the center of every story it creates, celebrates and discovers. Hello Sunshine tells stories across all platforms–from scripted and unscripted television, feature films, animated series, podcasts, audio storytelling, and digital series–all shining a light on where women are now and helping them chart a new path forward. Hello Sunshine is also home to Reese’s Book Club, Reese’s YA Book Club and newly launched Gen-Z focused brand Sunnie. Hello Sunshine is part of Candle Media, an independent, creator-friendly home for cutting-edge, high-quality, category-defining brands and franchises. She’ll soon release her first novel, Gone Before Goodbye, a thriller, co-authored by Harlan Coben on October 14th.

Audiobooks with earphones and earbuds

This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger #AudiobookReview #bookclub #TBT Banner

Goodreads Choice Award nominee (Also Goodreads Choice Award nominee 2023 for Best Mystery & Thriller

The selection for the October read of the Y Book Club was This Tender Land. Not the first experience with this author as I read Iron Lake last year, the kick off to his popular Cork O’Connor series. The book club meets once a month (except for December) and is very popular.

I must admit that Krueger is an extraordinary storyteller and it’s only nitpicky that I don’t feel a five star.

There might be a bit of déjà vu reading the plot line, that feeling of familiarity, borrowing from a couple masters perhaps, except that it’s not, creating a plot line of its own. The narrator is a twelve-year-old and the author does an exceedingly good job at standing in the youth’s shoes, at times mature beyond his age, and then a gentle reminder by his decisions and actions—no—he’s only twelve.

It’s the depression. The loss of Odie’s mother and then his father lands him and his brother Albert in an orphanage—not a white orphanage—one meant for the transition of Native Americans to white society. It’s cruel. Depressing. And unfortunately, historically accurate.

And it’s the cruelty that forces Odie to a wretched act forcing him and his brother, along with mute Native American Mose, and little girl Emmy to flee. Possessing knowledge of the capture and return or disappearance of previous attempts, they elect to catch a local river (rather than the train) with hopes it’ll take them far away from the brutality of the orphanage and it’s owners.

The epic novel follows them through the experiences of their venture down the river where they meet a whole world of people, the good and bad, in their bid to find their home, now a destination to St. Louis and a surviving aunt.

It’s a multi-layered plot, complex, alternately heart-wrenching and joyous. Even the support characters are so well developed and engaging, you’ll want to know what happens to them.

A breath-taking conclusion, however, may not answer all your questions. Are there some you must decide for yourself? Perhaps. For the most part, it’s satisfying, and though it leaves an impact, allows you to close the chapter and the tale.

An epic saga working on becoming a classic. Many thanks to our local well-stocked library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Book Club Thoughts

The publisher provides pointed questions for discussion at the book club, ably kept on topic (for the most part!) by the moderator. Some of the questions this time, however, just didn’t jive with our own areas of lively interest, with points of view generally in agreement.

We all found it amazing that a twelve-year-old could or would proceed with maturity sufficient to survive in a world heavily poverty stricken and starving. Of course, there was little question that thrust into the world at large these days, a child of twelve, virtually without any resources, would not find the same level of success.

Items specifically examined were:

►The individuals in the vagabond group: Odie’s older brother the oldest, Emmy, the girl, and the youngest.

►The sad state of those Native Children being torn from their families, their way of life, even their languages.

►Those who managed to hang on to their properties, farms or ranches, but without any resources to manage them.

►Revival tents and the level of religious fervor as well as the money generated.

►Hoovervilles—the hopelessness generated by the loss of everything and the lack of governmental intervention.

A look back at a sad time in this country beautifully laid in prose, emotion, well-developed characters, and atmospheric scenes. Well-paced, engaging, and thoughtful. I can recommend this novel. Narrated by Scott Brick who brings a special kind of emotion to the narrative.

Book Club and my star ratings

Book Details:

Genre: Indigenous Literature, Coming of Age Fiction
Publisher: Recorded Books

Narrator: Scott Brick
ASIN: B07S85YLDY
Listening Length: 14 hrs 19 mins
Publication Date: September 03, 2019
Source: Local Library

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Raised in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon, William Kent Krueger briefly attended Stanford University—before being kicked out for radical activities. After that, he logged timber, worked construction, tried his hand at freelance journalism, and eventually ended up researching child development at the University of Minnesota. He currently makes his living as a full-time author. He’s been married for over 40 years to a marvelous woman who is a retired attorney. He makes his home in St. Paul, a city he dearly loves.

Krueger writes a mystery series set in the north woods of Minnesota. His protagonist is Cork O’Connor, the former sheriff of Tamarack County and a man of mixed heritage—part Irish and part Ojibwe. His work has received a number of awards, including the Minnesota Book Award, the Loft-McKnight Fiction Award, the Anthony Award, the Barry Award, the Dilys Award, and the Friends of American Writers Prize. His last five novels were all New York Times bestsellers.

“Ordinary Grace,” his stand-alone novel published in 2013, received the Edgar Award, given by the Mystery Writers of America in recognition for the best novel published in that year. “Manitou Canyon,” number fifteen in his Cork O’Connor series, was released in September 2016. Visit his website at http://www.williamkentkrueger.com.

The Narrator: Scott Brick (born January 30, 1966, in Santa Barbara, California) is an American actor, writer and award-winning narrator of over 800 audiobooks.

Brick studied acting and writing at UCLA before embarking on his professional career in 1989.

In 1999, Brick began narrating audiobooks and found himself a popular choice for top publishers and authors. After recording some 250 titles in five years, AudioFile magazine named Brick “one of the fastest-rising stars in the audiobook galaxy,”^[1] and proclaimed him a “Golden Voice,” a reputation solidified by a November 2004 article on the front page of the Wall Street Journal. Publishers Weekly then went on to honor Brick as Narrator of the Year in 2007 and 2011. To date, he has won over 50 Earphone Awards, two Audie Awards and a nomination for a Grammy Award.

He opened his own audiobook recording studio and publishing company, Brick By Brick Audiobooks, with the goals of streamlining production and ensuring consistency throughout his body of work. [Courtesy Wikipedia]

The YMCA Book Club

Dogged Pursuit by David Rosenfelt #AudiobookReview #animalfiction

An Andy Carpenter Mystery Book 31

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

In Dogged Pursuit, David Rosenfelt takes listeners back to the start of this beloved series as Andy Carpenter begins his career as a defense attorney in Paterson, New Jersey.

Andy Carpenter has spent the three years since graduating law school working as a prosecutor in Paterson. But having seen how the system never looks out for the little guy, he leaves to start his own practice as a defense attorney. His office might be a little bit of a dump, but he’s excited to make a change.

Andy goes to the shelter to adopt a dog, where he meets his beloved golden retriever, Tara, for the first time and feels an immediate connection. The shelter is crowded and Tara’s been sharing space with a dog named Sunny; Andy hates to break them up and so asks to take Sunny, too, but since there’s a pending criminal case involving the owner, he’ll need to get written permission for temporary possession.

Andy discovers that Sunny’s owner, Frank Tierney, has been arrested for the murder of his ex-boss. But he takes an immediate liking to Frank and his clear dedication to his dog, and ends up with his first case along with the two dogs.

This prequel to the long-running and perennially popular Andy Carpenter mysteries is a gift for fans and a terrific entry-point for newcomers.

My Review:

I never get tired of the Andy Carpenter Mystery series and haven’t missed many since discovering them in 2016. In this case, I shared the wealth with the CE back in June of this year. Have to admit, however, he got gypped when he read the ebook, as you can’t beat one of my favorite narrators as the wise-cracking but extremely effective defense attorney.

This is actually a prequel to the popular series, introducing the reader to his first marriage, then to Tara, the Golden Retriever who starts it all. Additional support characters are gradually brought in and we see how the team is formed.

The prequel starts a fledgling criminal attorney position, having left the prosecution side of the court. Tara comes with a buddy, a little dog belonging to a man arrested for murder. Taking on the case of a person accused of blowing up a car resulting in multiple deaths also deals a blow to his already shaky marriage. It is also the introduction to Laurie, an ex-cop investigator.

As he is making friends and influencing people, the stakes are rising to deadly heights. The “I didn’t do it” mantra becomes centrally significant and begs the question, “then, who did?”

It gets complicated and there are no Carpenter books that aren’t. Combined with a snarky sense of humor, lively courtroom scenes, and heart-melting doggy vignettes, it’s a perfect launch for someone who hasn’t started the series. For those who have, but didn’t actually start with Book 1 (when do I ever?), it answers a number of questions.

Grover Gardner became Andy Carpenter a long time ago, but those discovering the series through the prequel will understand how and why he’s now the voice of the quintessential attorney. I always recommend Gardner’s narration over an ebook.

Many thanks to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Book Details:

Genre: Animal Fiction, Animal Cozy Mysteries
Publisher:
Macmillan Audio
ASIN: B0DFRLWNHG
Listening Length: 6 hrs 30 mins
Narrator: Grover Gardner
Publication Date: July 1, 2025
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Links: Amazon-US
Amazon-UK
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

The Author: David Rosenfelt, a native of Paterson, New Jersey, is a graduate of NYU. He was the former marketing president for Tri-Star Pictures before becoming a writer of novels and screenplays. “Open And Shut” was his first novel; “First Degree,” his second novel, was named a best book of 2003 by Publishers Weekly. He currently lives in Southern California with his wife and 35 dogs.

Facebook
Website

The Narrator:

Grover Gardner’s narration career spans twenty-five years and over 550 audiobook titles. AudioFile Magazine has called him one of the “Best Voices of the Century” and features him in their annual “Golden Voices” update. Publishers Weekly named him Audiobook Narrator of the Year for 2005. His recordings have garnered 18 “Golden Earphones” awards from AudioFile and an Audie Award from the Audio Publishers’ Association.
http://grovergardner.blogspot.com/

Have a Happy Thanksgiving

Rosepoint Reviews – October Recap – Can Holiday Books Be Around the Corner?

Rosepoint Reviews - October Recap

October harkens not just a change of season or weather for us, but personally, the mad dash to the end of the year beginning with our daughter’s birthday the middle of October. Then it’s on to Halloween, followed in quick succession with Thanksgiving in November and Christmas and end of year holidays.

Our trip to southern Illinois for her birthday found us exploring a botanical garden in Springfield, somewhat disappointing with not only the size but end of season flower displays. Usually, we love botanical gardens this time of year as they yield some interesting seeds (shush!), but there weren’t many of those yet either. We loved the bell tower though, the sound much like an active cathedral. Unusual trees—but unfortunately no name plates to tell us what they were. Also, our granddaughter arrived with her family to celebrate her mother’s birthday so we got to see our great-grandchildren. Good grief, have they grown!!

The CE and I joined the “Summer Sizzle” promo at our Y, attended extra exercise classes and were awarded our free t-shirts. Keeping with the social interaction, the Y also started a Bingo get-together once a month, using the holiday theme (Halloween for October, of course) for prizes and lunch (pumpkin pie—I suspect we’ll also have the pie again in November). Lunch was delicious and the Bingo (although it gave me flashbacks to the years I worked the Bingo kitchen for our kids’ high school bands) was fun.

October 8^th marked our second year with our little rescue Pomeranian, Punkin, now seven years old. She’s pretty much housebroken at this point. She’s allowed me to pet her a couple times—but not approach her unbidden. Unfortunately, she’ll likely never understand what a toy is. She enjoys going outside now—but only when she’s ready. Also, she’s decided my treadmill is a good place to relax. At least it gets some use.

Well, needless to say, I didn’t get a lot of clean-up done on my garden—still trying for one last harvest, but with the consistent cool weather, nothing is ripening. That’s the end of the garden this year. (sad face)

Also, as you might have guessed, October saw more audiobooks than ebooks. We reviewed a total of thirteen books in October—for the first time the majority in audiobook form–with the CE contributing two (ebooks). As always, the major source of our books is the library (audiobooks as well as ebooks), NetGalley, author and publisher requests. The links on titles are to our reviews that include purchase information.

Rosepoint Reviews - November Recap

The Never Game by Jeffery Deaver (audiobook)
Asa James by Jodi Lew-Smith (CE review)
After You by Jojo Moyes
Our Souls at Night by Ken Haruf (book club-audiobook)
Imposter Syndrome by Andrew Mayne (CE review)
Crime Writer by Vinnie Hansen
The Winemaker’s Wife by Kristin Harmel (audiobook)
Swan Song by Elin Hilderbrand (audiobook)
The Night Fire by Michael Connelly (audiobook)
I Know How This Ends by Holly Smale (audiobook)
Every Last One by Carolyn Arnold
Allied Flames by Jean Grainer
The Intruder by Freida McFadden (audiobook)

Favorite Book of the Month

The CE gave five stars to Asa James, one of only two he read in October. I did enjoy several books, but only one to the extent of five stars—and that is Michael Connelly’s book, The Night Fire.

Favorite for October – The Night Fire by Michael Connelly

My Reading Challenges page…Another extremely busy month. Family, traveling, the last of the outdoor activities for the season. I’ll try to catch up with Challenges next month.

Yes, I’m still behind on catching up on reviews and my Goodreads landing page shows 159 of a goal of 150, so I’m at 105% of the challenge. I’ll have to catch the others up to figure out what I need to do to win the challenges for Audiobooks, Historical Fiction, and NetGalley, although I suspect the Audiobooks Challenge has been met.

Holiday Books

Are They Just Printed Hallmark Romances?

Yes, the holidays are quickly gaining on us and I usually have a spate of blogging buddies who read and review Christmas or holiday books—not something I usually read! So I wanted to include a shout-out to those who do. There are so many different kinds of holiday novels from romance to cozy mysteries that I thought it would be fun to highlight a few that I run across beginning with the post by Carla at Carla Loves to Read. You might find a whole new reason to check out a holiday book. Please read her blog tour review of Missing at Christmas by Deena Alexander.

Thank you sooo much for your visits and comments. I do appreciate your comments and apologize if I’m slow to respond. Keep those likes and comments coming—and I thank you for each and every one!

Happy Autumn Weekend to you from Rosepoint Publishing

The Intruder by Freida McFadden #AudiobookReview #PsychologicalThrillers

#2 this week

Book Blurb:

There’s someone at your front door—should you let them in? Find out in a riveting new thriller from global sensation and #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Housemaid, Freida McFadden!

Who knows what the storm will blow in…

Casey’s cabin in the wilderness is not built for a hurricane. Her roof shakes, the lights flicker, and the tree outside her front door sways ominously in the wind. But she’s a lot more worried about the girl she discovers lurking outside her kitchen window.

She’s young. She’s alone. And she’s covered in blood.

The girl won’t explain where she came from, or loosen her grip on the knife in her right hand. And when Casey makes a disturbing discovery in the middle of the night, things take a turn for the worse.

The girl has a dark secret. One she’ll kill to keep. And if Casey gets too close to the truth, she may not live to see the morning.

In this taut, deadly tale of survival and desperation, #1 New York Times bestselling author Freida McFadden explores how far one girl will go to save herself.

My Review:

I love books with a creepy factor. This one checks that box, though maybe not entirely for the reason you are thinking.

I’m beginning to worry about McFadden’s mind though, she appears to excel in the sick and twisted. At the beginning of the book, it can be assumed Casey is a normally intelligent person, but then she lets a young girl into her cabin in the woods during a massive storm who’s cover in blood. (Yeah, I know, don’t get me started.)

You only think that the girl has a secret. That’s because you are still sifting through the first two-thirds of the book. You have to wonder why a young woman with a decent education and a formerly appropriate job is out of work and in the woods. The back and forth gets you closer to the truth.

The girl with all the blood? Yeah, we’ll get to it. Interesting character development here, but can you allow yourself to lend sympathy with either character? Maybe not. The men, peripheral, support characters give you just enough background to think, “run, Forest, run.”

You might have caught on to the author’s tricks, her twists. The novels are well plotted and paced, engaging and entertaining. Might be compelled to just keep reading. But what you absolutely know you can count on is that one last zinger (really, you expected that?), the one you may not have seen coming. Good for you. This one caught me by surprise.

Again. (Kudos to the narrators for keeping the suspense going.)

Yeah, I’m beginning to catch on, having read two recently, The Housemaid’s Secret and The Boyfriend in August this year. There’s just something about watching a train wreck…

Many thanks to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Psychological Thrillers, Domestic Thrillers
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
ASIN: B0F94KB253
Listening Length: 8 hrs 19 mins
Narrator: Joe Hempel, Patricia Santomasso, Tina Wolstencroft
Publication Date: October 7, 2025
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)

Title Links:

Amazon-US
Amazon-UK
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

The Author: #1 New York Times, Amazon Charts, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Sunday Times, and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author Freida McFadden is a physician who has penned multiple bestselling psychological thrillers and medical humor novels. Freida’s work has been selected as one of Amazon Editors’ best books of the year, she is the winner of the International Thriller Writers Award for best paperback, and she is a Goodreads Choice Award winner. Her novels have been translated into 40 languages.

Freida lives with her family and cat in a centuries-old three-story home overlooking the ocean, with staircases that creak and moan with each step, and nobody could hear you if you scream. Unless you scream really loudly, maybe.

To hear Freida talk about herself more in the third person, check out her website freidamcfadden.

Halloween

I Know How This Ends by Holly Smale #AudiobookReview #FamilyLifeFiction

Book Blurb:

If you knew how your life would turn out, what would you change now?

The second brilliantly uplifting and thrilling novel from the multi-million bestselling author of Geek Girl and Reese’s Book Club Pick Cassandra in Reverse.

Margot Wayward is in manically gleeful self-destruct mode. Following the implosion of a ten-year relationship, she’s wilfully derailing her successful career, joyfully taking down men on dating apps, and living in total chaos.

Until one day, when Margot has a vision of herself with a man she’s never met before. She doesn’t believe in fate. But when Margot meets single-dad Henry, the vision comes true: exactly as she’d foreseen it.

As her future continues to reveal itself, a glimpse at a time, Margot realises she knows exactly what’s going to happen, and when. And there’s nothing she can do to change any of it.

So Margot has to decide how to live, how to love again, and how to be herself… Because if you can’t change your destiny, how on earth do you live your present?

My Review:

Determined to prove to her friends that she’s not totally crushed or ended by her devastating end to a ten-year relationship that was to have made her a wife, Margot has subscribed to a dating service.

By the time she is at date #16, she’s seen them all, the tricks; the guy who shows up not looking at all like his app pic, and the married ones looking for a fun fling to name just a couple. After all, she has a list of positives she’s looking for and a huge male ego isn’t on it.

So she’s down to counting red flags and begins numbering them as soon as the guy shows up. I love how she separates truth from fiction and puts them in their place!

Margot is a thirty-something, sharp, witty, independent main character. She is a meteorologist who left her position after the breakup to create a successful podcast. She is sharply critical and outspoken, but she loves her grandfather and checks in with him often. Doesn’t like cats, but discovers one can be a pleasant pet. And has a loving and close friendship group.

And then the magic happens. The novel introduces just a bit of magical realism, more than déjà vu, a vision. She’s had them before. He’s definitely not on her approved list—so why does he make her heart flutter? Laugh?

If you’ve read my reviews very often, you no doubt know I’m not big on romance. This is more than that. It’s a story of love, loss, destinies. It’s an intriguing and compelling read, the dialogue between characters bitter-sweet, frank, and realistic.

And, of course, I’m always up for a bit of magical realism! This one checked a box I usually avoid. Predictable—but not. Twists you don’t expect. Disappointed at one point then buoyed by another. If I can recommend it, you just might love it. (<half star F words)

Many thanks to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to and review this book. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Family Life Fiction, Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Harlequin Audio
ASIN: B0DK44Z7TY
Listening Length: 11 hrs 15 mins
Narrator: Alix Dunmore
Publication Date: August 12, 2025
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Links: Amazon-US
Amazon-UK
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

The Author: Holly Smale has been writing stories since she was four years old: constructing her own books from cereal boxes and a lot of sticky-tape, then forcing family readers to give her glowing reviews by standing in front of the television.

Her path to publication included teen-modelling, factory-work, PR, teaching in Japan and a chaotic stint as the world’s worst waitress, along with a BA in English Literature and an MA in Shakespeare from Bristol University. She uses neither of these qualifications on a daily basis, but still brings them up at parties.

Her debut children’s novel, GEEK GIRL, became the No.1 Young Adult title in the UK and won the Waterstones YA Book Prize, selling 3.4 million books in 30 languages. It is currently in development with Netflix.

At the age of 39, Holly was diagnosed as both autistic and dyspraxic. She writes and speaks passionately about neurodiversity and a lot of random topics she’s not really qualified to talk about yet does anyway.

Her debut adult novel, THE CASSANDRA COMPLEX (UK)/ CASSANDRA IN REVERSE (US) is out now, and is a Reese’s Book Club Pick, a BBC Radio 2 Book Club pick and the Aardvark Book Club pick.

She lives in Hove, England.

Happy Thursday!

The Night Fire by Michael Connelly #AudiobookReview #ThrowbackThursday

A Ballard and Bosch Novel: Harry Bosch Book 22

Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Nominee for Readers’ Favorite Mystery & Thriller (2019)

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

A finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize
A New York Times Book Review Best Crime Novel of the Year
A CrimeReads Best Crime Novel Notable Selection

Harry Bosch and LAPD Detective Renee Ballard come together again on the murder case that obsessed Bosch’s mentor, the man who trained him – new from number one New York Times best-selling author Michael Connelly.

Back when Harry Bosch was just a rookie homicide detective, he had an inspiring mentor who taught him to take the work personally and light the fire of relentlessness for every case. Now that mentor, John Jack Thompson, is dead, but after his funeral his widow hands Bosch a murder book that Thompson took with him when he left the LAPD 20 years before – the unsolved killing of a troubled young man in an alley used for drug deals.

Bosch brings the murder book to Renée Ballard and asks her to help him find what about the case lit Thompson’s fire all those years ago. As she begins her inquiries – while still working her own cases on the midnight shift – Ballad finds aspects of the initial investigation that just don’t add up.

The bond between Bosch and Ballard tightens as they become a formidable investigation team. And they soon arrive at a disturbing question: Did Thompson steal the murder book to work the case in retirement, or to make sure it never got solved?

Written with the intense pacing and masterful suspense that have made Michael Connelly “the hard-boiled fiction master of our time” (NPR), The Night Fire continues the unofficial partnership of two fierce detectives determined not to let the fire burn out.

My Review:

I’m a big fan of Harry Bosch whether TV series, ebook or audiobook and usually prefer the audiobook as narrated by Titus Welliver as Bosch and Christine Lakin as Ballard if I can find it.

These two MCs work so well together, both experienced, strong and intelligent, and manage to juggle a number of balls while working on their shared case. They both have a rather singularly driven personality.

The Night Fire by Michael Connelly — The Night Fire – US cover

Ballard works the LAPD’s “Late Show,” the midnight shift in this series installment while Bosch, retired detective is still wrestling with cold cases as well as support for Ballard, as he handles the wilds of LA as well as his personal life. He is currently battling health issues. Ballard continues to fight for equality and frequently clashes with male superiors while Bosch also works as a private investigator for his brother, attorney Mickey Haller (a spin-off series I also follow).

The character development fleshes out each protagonist and gives each a level of sympathy. They are characters you want to root for. The episodes are well plotted and build tension while pushing police procedures.

Always complex, each installment brings a fresh storyline (so many stories in LA) and keeps a strong pace that doesn’t lag in the middle. Neither character is above slightly bending rules when the case warrants whether or not they’ll face consequences.

Each installment can be read as a standalone, you get enough character development to bring them alive in your imagination. It doesn’t hurt, either, that both Bosch is seen in a TV series and Haller his own.

I’ve had just a small issue in prior audiobooks regarding what seems a slight lag in the conversations between Ballard and Bosch and happy to say, I thought this installment fixed it. Bosch’s voice on the audiobook creates a vivid mind picture. What’s not to love?

Many thanks to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to and review this book. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Book Details:

Genre: Renée Ballard and Harry Bosch, Book 3 of 6
Publisher: Hachette Audio
ASIN: B07SM14SXT
Listening Length: 10 hrs 4 mins
Narrator: Christine Lakin, Titus Welliver
Publication Date: October 22, 2019
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Links: Amazon-US
Amazon-UK
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

The Author: Michael Connelly is the bestselling author of more than forty novels and one work of nonfiction. With over eighty-nine million copies of his books sold worldwide and translated into forty-five foreign languages, he is one of the most successful writers working today. A former newspaper reporter who worked the crime beat at the Los Angeles Times and the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, Connelly has won numerous awards for his journalism and his fiction. His very first novel, The Black Echo, won the prestigious Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award for Best First Novel in 1992. In 2002, Clint Eastwood directed and starred in the movie adaptation of Connelly’s 1998 novel, Blood Work. In March 2011, the movie adaptation of his #1 bestselling novel, The Lincoln Lawyer, hit theaters worldwide starring Matthew McConaughey as Mickey Haller. His most recent New York Times bestsellers include The Waiting (2024), Resurrection Walk (2023), Desert Star (2022), The Dark Hours (2021), The Law Of Innocence (2020), Fair Warning (2020), and The Night Fire (2019). Michael is the executive producer of Bosch and Bosch: Legacy, Amazon Studios original drama series based on his bestselling character Harry Bosch, starring Titus Welliver and streaming on Amazon Prime/Amazon Freevee. He is the executive producer of The Lincoln Lawyer, streaming on Netflix, starring Manuel Garcia-Rulfo. He is also the executive producer of the documentary films, “Sound Of Redemption: The Frank Morgan Story’ and ‘Tales Of the American.’ He spends his time in California and Florida.

The Narrators:

Titus Welliver - actor, narrator — Titus Welliver–Compliments of Wikipedia–thank you!

Titus B. Welliver is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayals of the Man in Black in Lost, Silas Adams in Deadwood, Jimmy O’Phelan in Sons of Anarchy, and the title role in the television series Bosch. Wikipedia Born: March 12, 1962, New Haven, CT.

Christine Lakin - narrator — Christine Lakin – narrator – AI generated search

Christine Lakin is an acclaimed audiobook narrator known for her versatile performances in a wide range of genres. Best known for her acting role on Step by Step, she has narrated over 150 audiobooks and won awards for her work, including a Best of 2024 award for Just for the Summer. Her narration has been praised for its ability to capture character nuances and create atmosphere. [AI generated search]

#TuesdayBookBlog

Swan Song by Elin Hilderbrand #AudiobookReview #ThrowbackThursday

Nantucket #4

Best Literature & Fiction

Book Blurb:

The beloved #1 New York Times bestselling author brings her Nantucket novels to a brilliant finish: when rich strangers move to the island, social mayhem and a possible murder follow. Can Nantucket’s best locals save the day, and their way of life? Includes special audio content!

Chief of Police Ed Kapenash is about to retire. Blond Sharon is going through a divorce. But when a 22-million-dollar summer home is purchased by the mysterious Richardsons—how did they make their money, exactly?—Ed, Sharon, and everyone in the community are swept up in high drama. The Richardsons throw lavish parties, flirt with multiple locals, flaunt their wealth with not one but two yachts, and raise impossible hopes of everyone they meet. When their house burns to the ground and their most essential employee goes missing, the entire island is up in arms.

The last of Elin Hilderbrand’s bestselling Nantucket novels, SWAN SONG is a propulsive medley of glittering gatherings, sun-soaked drama, wisdom and heart, featuring the return of some of her most beloved characters, including, most importantly, the beautiful and timeless island of Nantucket itself.

The audiobook edition features an interview between Elin and her longtime narrator Erin Bennett.

My Review:

I guess I get a bit tired of the uber-rich stories. Those poor people have no clue how the masses live. That must be a serious problem as they have nothing left to do but gossip about each other.

Still, the star of this novel, the major character is Nantucket, a tiny island off Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and a summer destination of storied history. Settled in 1641, it was a 19th-century whaling hub that evolved into an exclusive, high-end resort, replete with five-star restaurants, quaint cottages, and cobblestone streets.

I loved the descriptions of the area, the town, the coast, and the food. The characters—not so much.

When the mysterious Richardsons purchase a long vacant mansion and begin deep restoration while hosting exclusive parties, the island inhabitants take notice. Who they were, their history, and where they came from produced speculation that ran the rumor mill for weeks. Mrs. Richardson, in particular, invited the deepest and awestruck circumspection.

The lavish parties and themed beach swims managed to finally produce a twist not seen coming—the fire. A big one. And it happens when holding another party out on the yacht. The personal assistant goes missing.

Finally. Some excitement!

I guess this is the final installment of a series and the first I’ve read and I may not have missed much. I wasn’t thrilled with the characters and tired of the parties. The police chief (I think), looking at retirement, was intended to have a stronger voice but was left in the background. There really wasn’t much of a mystery, not sure it is intended as such or a sub-plot left in layered storylines.

Just could not get into this one. I see mixed reviews from both those new to the author (as I am) to die-hard fans…and many of the latter also disappointed. You may love it for the atmospherics and it does enjoy that aspect.

Many thanks to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to listen and review this audiobook. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Three Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Friendship Fiction, Small Town & Rural Fiction
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
ASIN: B0CMFBSVY9
Listening Length: 13 hrs 31 mins
Narrator: Erin Bennett, Elin Hilderbrand
Publication Date: June 11, 2024
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Links: Amazon-US
Amazon-UK
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

The Author: Elin Hilderbrand first discovered the magic of Nantucket in July 1993. Her recipe for a happy island life includes running, writing at the beach, picnics at Eel Point with her three children, and singing “Home, Sweet Home” at the Club Car piano bar. Here’s to Us is her seventeenth novel. [Amazon]

Elin Hilderbrand lives on Nantucket with her husband and their three young children. She grew up in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, and traveled extensively before settling on Nantucket, which has been the setting for her five previous novels. Hilderbrand is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and the graduate fiction workshop at the University of Iowa. [Goodreads]

Enjoy Your Sunday!