It’s Not Her by Mary Kubica #AudiobookReview #crimethrillers #TuesdayBookBlog

Book Blurb:

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER AND GOODREADS TOP THRILLER OF 2026!

A scream shatters the silence…
Courtney Gray’s peaceful vacation turns into a nightmare when she discovers her brother and sister-in-law dead in their lakeside cottage. Her niece Reese is missing. Her nephew Wyatt is asleep upstairs—unharmed.

A town full of secrets…
As police swarm the quiet resort, dark truths about Courtney’s family—and the town itself—begin to surface. Is Reese a victim… or the killer?

A truth no one saw coming…
With everyone hiding something, Courtney races to uncover the terrible mystery. But the closer she gets, the harder it is to know who—or what—to trust.

My Review:

Is this Mary Kubica trying too hard? Okay, well, when I read She’s Not Sorry in 2025, I said I’d try another, but the hook at the beginning didn’t live up to the level at the end.

Getting into the heart of the story where multiple twists started happening was a bit deja vue. The POVs suggested contradictions meant to lead to suspicious narrators.

While the plot kept my attention well enough, I kept thinking, wait—Courtney just lost her brother and sister-in-law (also her best friend) in a horrific murder scene. Her brother! I couldn’t get past that she didn’t react in a normal way that would or should have elicited. And a missing teenage niece, yes, bad enough. And the nephew slept through it? Really?

Can’t trust the narrators or apparently anyone else in this narrative. They are all highly suspicious, made to appear more so with unexpected actions or inappropriate dialogue. I didn’t trust Courtney either, for that matter.

I guess the plot moved fast enough to provoke mountains of skepticism, confusion, secrets, and too many twists for me. The main characters are well developed, to the point where they generate a healthy distrust of any motive. The lake and cabins, remote location, generate a creepy vibe and it’s all engaging and entertaining.

Then the last twist hits. Way OTT. At least for me. If you’re a fan of Kubica, then you may very well enjoy the tension-filled novel, at least until the end.

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: Psychological Fiction, Crime Thrillers, Domestic Thrillers
Publisher: Park Row Books
Narrators: Jennifer Jill Araya, Brittany Pressley, Gary Tiedemann
Release Date: February 3, 2026

Title Links:

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

The Author: Mary Kubica is a New York Times bestselling author of suspense thrillers including The Good Girl, The Other Mrs., and Local Woman Missing. Her books have been translated into over thirty languages and have sold over two million copies worldwide. She’s been described as “a helluva storyteller” (Kirkus) and “a writer of vice-like control” (Chicago Tribune), and her novels have been praised as “hypnotic” (People) and “thrilling and illuminating” (L.A. Times). She lives outside of Chicago with her husband and children.

Visit Mary at http://www.marykubica.com/

Audiobooks

Broken Country, Whistler, Nothing Ventured, Surviving Savannah–Audiobook Mini-Reviews –– #LiteraryFiction #HistoricalFiction #TBT

Here are four more short reviews of audiobooks that will hopefully pique your interest. (Links on individual covers are to Amazon.)

Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall

A Reese Book Club selection
A 2026 Audie Award Finalist for Fiction
Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Readers’ Favorite Historical Fiction (2025)
Nominee for Readers’ Favorite Audiobook (2025)
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Narrator: Hattie Morahan

Ah, first love, now a thing of her past. Gabriel Wolfe was Beth’s first love and is now a successful writer who moved back to her rural community where she is married to Frank. Frank is a hard-working, caring, and devoted man who unfortunately bears the searing guilt of the loss of their son.

It’s also unfortunate that Gabriel has a son who is at the age that her son would have been, had he lived. She can’t help but be drawn to him. The problem that might foster, however, will weave an emotional, tension-filled storyline that grows with each chapter as it recreates that first love affair in a balancing act with the love she feels for Frank.

There is a split timeline, eloquently describing that earlier time with the present as secrets unravel a tale of tragedy and guilt and, ultimately, forgiveness.

The characters are fully developed, full of nuance, and the plot flows smoothly. The love triangle brought out a less attractive side of Beth and my sympathy went to Frank.

Whistler by Ann Patchett
Publisher: Harper
Narrator: Ann Patchett

Amazon Charts #9 this week

Sometimes those random happenings are not coincidences. Maybe it’s true—there are no coincidences. Everything happens for a reason. Such is the plot of this beautifully written story about Daphne Fuller and Eddie Triplett. Eddie was her step-father for two years during her childhood, whom she had come to love as deeply as a biological father.

It was purely by accident that Daphne was visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art when he happened to be there and recognized the adult of the child who had truly been his daughter for such a short time.

The profound impact of their shared relationship stayed with both and now won’t be separated. Ever again. It’s a story of found familial relationships and the story of a horse named Whistler.

The characters feel real and as they share their stories of the past forty years, the narrative layers successes and losses, secrets and revelations. Daphne discovers the sudden absence of Eddie was not her fault..

It’s a lovely celebration of the memories and histories that shape us, the people who make a sincere and lasting impact, and that love never truly fades.

Nothing Ventured by Jeffrey Archer
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Narrator: George Blagden

I struggled with this one. Big time. Somehow the character of William Warwick just didn’t click with me. Warwick joins London’s Metropolitan Police Force instead of being a lawyer like papa.

Lucky or well connected, he starts his first big case in Scotland Yard’s arts and antiquities squad. A blessing really as he has an uncanny knowledge of fine art. What follows is a romp in the art world, which did interest me, and the world of forging and art traffickers. Goodness!

Throw in the romance and a light-hearted, fast-paced almost tongue-in-cheek police procedural and you have the making of a new series for the author.

While the world of art history and forgery kept my attention, it tended to seriously wane with the balance of the book, creating some implausible situations or threads not tied off. Not sure this is one for me although I understand the author has quite the history and fan base. You might well enjoy.

Surviving Savannah by Patti Callahan
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Narrators: Brittany Pressley, Catherine Taber, Patti Callahan

Love it when I get into the history of these old ships! The Pulaski, then known as “the Titanic of the South,” sank off the coast of North Carolina in 1838. She was carrying some well-known and wealthy residents of Savannah. The novel is written with a dual timeline—1838 and the present.

Everly Winthrop is a curator and will help in the museum collection consisting of artifacts recovered from the sunken steamship. It’s been 180 years, but there are a lot of mysteries surrounding the sinking and the loss of so many passengers and crew.

Everly’s research uncovered a known survivor and her niece. Is it possible she can combine a human story to add to her curation of artifacts? The storylines of both timelines kept my interest, especially the older one with Augusta and Lily, the explosion and their survival in such detail it’ll have you gasping sea water.

I really enjoyed the details of the Pulaski and the stories of the women of the era. Everly is approached by Oliver, engaged to Mora when she died, a best friend of Everly who has not gotten over the accident that killed Mora and is deeply conflicted to be working with Oliver on the project, with whom she must admit attraction. The narrative is well paced and plotted, though once again, I could have done without the requisite romance, which side-tracked somewhat the main plot theme for me.

Whistler was released June 2, 2026; one of the other three in 2025, and the others are older.

Many thanks to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to these audiobooks. Any opinion expressed here is my own.

Audiobook heaven

Long Road to Mercy by David Baldacci #AudiobookReview #ThrowbackThursday

Atlee Pine Book 1

Book Blurb:

Eeny, meeny, miny, moe. Catch a tiger by its toe.

It’s seared into Atlee Pine’s memory: the kidnapper’s chilling rhyme as he chose between six-year-old Atlee and her twin sister, Mercy. Mercy was taken. Atlee was spared.

She never saw Mercy again.

Three decades after that terrifying night, Atlee Pine works for the FBI. She’s the lone agent assigned to the Shattered Rock, Arizona resident agency, which is responsible for protecting the Grand Canyon.

So when one of the Grand Canyon’s mules is found stabbed to death at the bottom of the canyon-and its rider missing-Pine is called in to investigate. It soon seems clear the lost tourist had something more clandestine than sightseeing in mind. But just as Pine begins to put together clues pointing to a terrifying plot, she’s abruptly called off the case.

If she disobeys direct orders by continuing to search for the missing man, it will mean the end of her career. But unless Pine keeps working the case and discovers the truth, it could spell the very end of democracy in America as we know it…

My Review:

One thing you must say about a Baldacci book. They are uniquely his style. This one is the first in a new series. As eager as I was to start a new Baldacci series, I struggle to write the review now, and as a book released back in 2018, not sure it matters.

Whether or not this one introduced a new trope or not, I’m becoming weary of the seriously damaged protagonist, particularly a female protagonist. Must they all have suffered some horrible childhood trauma? Are all female detectives or FBI agents carrying scars for which there is no recovery?

Long Road to Mercy by David Baldacci — Long Road to Mercy – UK cover

The description of the Grand Canyon and surrounds is fun, and as we’ve had the privilege of seeing that Wonder of the World, interesting and engaging. The storyline started out strong and held interest until it severely veered off the rails and went looking for action that didn’t compute, pushing disbelief. Then it catapulted into implausibility and no longer rang close to reality, although given that politics and leaders are appearing to go for broke, perhaps it could be remotely conceivable.

On which level then would that be? Those nations work together? Russians, Chinese, Koreans? Mercenaries? That a possible Olympic weight-lifter, FBI experienced, could pull along a female associate for help after being called off looking into the matter by her superiors. (Aren’t they always?) That a missing person, after hiding out for days (weeks?), with a sophisticated bomb can now help her climb out of the Grand Canyon with it? Really? What was he going to do if she hadn’t found him?

Atlee Pine is smart, macho, and a bit over the top with all that brooding over her twin sister, Mercy, which is apparently going to be the thread that weaves into Book 2.

I’ve read a number of Baldacci books. Another author hit or miss for me. I really enjoyed my last, A Calamity of Souls, picked a Best Book of the Year 2024, but this one missed the mark for me. Too much reaching here and it just didn’t work for me. Maybe it would for you.

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 Stars

Book Details:

Genre: International Mystery & Crime, Action Thriller & Suspense Fiction, Small Town & Rural Fiction
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Narrators: Brittany Pressley, Kyf Brewer
Release Date: November 13, 2018

Title Links:

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

The Author: David Baldacci has been writing since childhood, when his mother gave him a lined notebook in which to write down his stories. (Much later, when David thanked her for being the spark that ignited his writing career, she revealed that she’d given him the notebook to keep him quiet, “because every mom needs a break now and then.”)

David published his first novel, ABSOLUTE POWER, in 1996. The feature film adaptation followed, with Clint Eastwood as its director and star. In total, David has published 50 novels for adults; all have been national and international bestsellers and several have been adapted for film and television. His novels have been translated into over 45 languages and sold in more than 80 countries, with 150 million copies sold worldwide. David has also published seven novels for younger readers.

David is also the cofounder, along with his wife, of the Wish You Well Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting literacy programs across the United States.

Grab those earbuds! — Graphic from Bitmoji

Two Audiobooks and an eBook – Listen While You Work #BookReviews

Mini-Reviews – Catching Up on the TBR*

Still catching up on the reviews of my audiobooks and an eBook, here are three more, two of which might be good candidates for #ThrowbackThursday and one very recent release. I love finding an author or new series that I can binge on, so I’m usually willing to look back—in this case, way back.

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My Thoughts

Triptych – This one starts out the Will Trent series and doesn’t pull any punches. It’s obvious by the first that it will be in-your-face raw, descriptions not for the faint of heart. If you’ve read any Slaughter books, you know her mind can picture and describe in details things you’d rather not know or see. Getting past that, the well-paced novel pushes into a deeply complex narrative, peering into the minds of several main characters who are well developed but definitely damaged. And don’t tell me you don’t delight in her little surprises. 4 stars

Book Details

Genre: Psychological Fiction, Serial Killer Thrillers, Police Procedurals
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Author: Karin Slaughter
Narrator: Michael Kramer
ASIN: B000JMKRAW
Listening Length: 13 hrs 15 mins
Publication Date: August 11, 2006
Amazon
Goodreads

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My Thoughts

Murder Road – EEK! Creepy. If you’ve read this author before, you are aware she can conjure up some pretty sinister stuff, pushing the supernatural buttons and the hair on the back of your neck. My first reaction was the over-the-top jump on this newlywed couple as persons of interest. Then as the story begins to lay out, putting one disturbing fact after another, the chills begin to add up. Why does the couple act guilty? 4 stars

Book Details

Genre: Supernatural Thrillers, Horror Fiction
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Author: Simone St. James
Narrator: Brittany Pressley
ASIN: B0CB99YKLY
Listening Length: 9 hrs 10 mins
Publication Date: March 05, 2024
Amazon
Goodreads

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My Thoughts

Desert Heat – Joanna Brady Mysteries Book 1 – Introduction to the small desert community of Bisbee, Arizona and the woman who will fill the shoes of her hubby, died while running for Sheriff. Yeah, doesn’t sound like a suicide, but that’s what they claim. While it’s true the area is an enclave of drugs and smuggling, that doesn’t mean all cops have to be dirty. Joanna works to clear his name—and hers—which will hopefully give her some serious cred. I like Arizona, not necessarily the unrelenting, incessant heat—but the beauty, so I enjoyed the atmospheric quality of the novel. 3 stars

Book Details

Genre: Read & Listen, Police Procedurals
Publisher: Avon
Author: J A Jance
ASIN: B000FC11DS
Publication Date: March 17, 2009
Amazon
Goodreads

Summary

Triptych is one of those whose characters are all damaged, one way or another, and are busy trying to find a serial killer. Kinda makes you nervous, huh! Actually, I liked the Angie Polaski character. Several perspectives. I like the way the author builds into the storyline, adding layers and twists—adding tension. Pay attention or you’ll miss the last hint. Generally, I don’t think you can go wrong with this author, just be prepared for a mind that no way can you see it connected to the bio picture of her. She looks so…normal. 4 stars

Murder Road is one of those that has you screaming at the characters. You know those commercials where they run and hide where the axe murderer is waiting? Ack! I advised them more than once to just leave. And when they did, did they stay gone? Also, I wondered by the B&B lady did such a flip from wanting to refuse them a room to actually befriending them. Huh? This is an Amazon Editors’ pick for Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense. Yeah, if you like disturbing, paranormal, tension and suspense—this would appeal. 4 stars

Desert Heat is a work-in-progress. Lots of groundwork laid for Book 1. The main character is not wholly developed and, at this point, I found her a bit difficult to fully engage. She begins the story as a devastated widow but quickly becomes a chief. Also, sometimes it feels like the reveal just defaults to the obvious. 3 stars

I received a copy of these audiobooks and the digital from my local library that in no way influenced my reviews. These are my honest thoughts.

Book Reviews - check

*To Be Reviewed

All Good People Here by Ashley Flowers – #Audiobook Review – #FlashbackFriday

Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Goodreads Choice Awards

Book Blurb:

Everyone from Wakarusa, Indiana, remembers the infamous case of January Jacobs, who was discovered in a ditch hours after her family awoke to find her gone. Margot Davies was six at the time, the same age as January—and they were next-door neighbors. In the twenty years since, Margot has grown up, moved away, and become a big-city journalist. But she’s always been haunted by the feeling that it could’ve been her. And the worst part is, January’s killer has never been brought to justice.

When Margot returns home to help care for her uncle after he is diagnosed with early-onset dementia, she feels like she’s walked into a time capsule. Wakarusa is exactly how she remembers—genial, stifled, secretive. Then news breaks about five-year-old Natalie Clark from the next town over, who’s gone missing under circumstances eerily similar to January’s. With all the old feelings rushing back, Margot vows to find Natalie and to solve January’s murder once and for all.

But the police, Natalie’s family, the townspeople—they all seem to be hiding something. And the deeper Margot digs into Natalie’s disappearance, the more resistance she encounters, and the colder January’s case feels. Could January’s killer still be out there? Is it the same person who took Natalie? And what will it cost to finally discover what truly happened that night twenty years ago?

Twisty, chilling, and intense, All Good People Here is a searing tale that asks: What are your neighbors capable of when they think no one is watching?

My Review:

So few books actually take place in Indiana that when I saw this did, I bit. Also, because it is mystery, thriller. And, the premise sounded good. Liked the cover. Did the book deliver?

Gees, it’s a debut novel by a true crime podcaster. Gotta be good, right? Some people thought so—many others did not.

Not to beat a dead horse, but it does sound strikingly familiar with another (real life) story that refuses to leave the hearts and minds of the people of another beautiful little girl. In this case, the stories of two little girls, twenty years apart and Margot Davies, the former little girl’s neighbor.

Margot returns to help take care of her uncle in Wakarusa. She is now a journalist and soon after her return another little girl goes missing—found days later under similar circumstances to January Jacobs, twenty years before. Coincidence? Maybe. Maybe not.

Naturally, Margot feels compelled to solve the mystery, find the perp, possibly put an end to it happening again. And, of course, it would appear her career could very well depend on the story she would reap from the reveal.

It’s amazing the doors and info Margot can glean from those who would not normally speak with a journalist. She goes about it step by step, after all, she’s done this before, crime beat reporting. Only this time it’s much more personal.

There are twists, a build-up of suspense with the story of the girls and their family circumstances as well as her own struggle with her uncle, diagnosed with dementia. I enjoyed the deep dive into the people and the rural countryside creating a depth to the bucolic nature of the area.

What I didn’t enjoy, as so many others noted, was that abrupt ending and multi-tasking as I generally do with an audiobook, thought I’d missed something. Apparently not. So yes, strongly suspected the who—but then what went down? I guess it’s up to you.

Did you read this one? I thought the audiobook was well done, kept my interest, with the author herself participating in narration. Still…

I downloaded a copy of this audiobook from my local well-stocked library. These are my honest thoughts.

Book Details:

Genre: Murder Thrillers, Women Sleuth Mysteries
Publisher: Random House Audio
ASIN: B09QQVLPJC
Listening Length: 10 hrs 35 mins
Narrators: Ashley Flowers, Brittany Pressley, Karissa Vacker
Publication Date: August 16, 2022
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Link: All Good People Here [Amazon]

Rosepoint Publishing: Four Stars

The Author: Ashley Flowers is the Founder and Chief Creative Officer of audiochuck, the award-winning, independent media and podcast production company known for its standout content and storytelling across different genres, including true crime, documentary, fiction, comedy, and more. Ashley is the author of New York Times Bestseller, All Good People Here, a fiction crime thriller released in August, 2022.

As CCO, Flowers works with her team to create an overarching content strategy and vision for the network of shows and company growth. She also hosts several audiochuck podcasts, including Apple Podcast’s #1 show of 2022, Crime Junkie, The Deck, and The Deck Investigates. At the core of the company and all its podcasts, Ashley and her team are committed to developing responsible true crime content.

Through her work at audiochuck, Ashley is passionate about advocacy work and established the nonprofit Season of Justice to provide financial resources to both law enforcement agencies and families in order to help solve cold cases.

Ashley Flowers was born and raised in Indiana, where she lives with her husband, her daughter, and their beloved dog, Chuck. She received a Bachelor of Science in Biological Services from Arizona State University.

Have a good Weekend!

Dream Town (An Archer Novel) by David Baldacci – #Audiobook Review – #TuesdayBookBlog

Dream Town by David Baldacci

in Historical Mystery

Book Blurb:

It’s the eve of 1953, and Aloysius Archer is in Los Angeles to ring in the New Year with an old friend, aspiring actress Liberty Callahan, when their evening is interrupted by an acquaintance of Callahan’s: Eleanor Lamb, a screenwriter in dire straits.

After a series of increasingly chilling events—mysterious phone calls, the same blue car loitering outside her house, and a bloody knife left in her sink—Eleanor fears that her life is in danger, and she wants to hire Archer to look into the matter. Archer suspects that Eleanor knows more than she’s saying, but before he can officially take on her case, a dead body turns up inside of Eleanor’s home . . . and Eleanor herself disappears.

Missing client or not, Archer is dead set on finding both the murderer and Eleanor. With the help of Callahan and his partner Willie Dash, he launches an investigation that will take him from mob-ridden Las Vegas to the glamorous world of Hollywood to the darkest corners of Los Angeles—a city in which beautiful faces are attached to cutthroat schemers, where the cops can be more corrupt than the criminals . . . and where the powerful people responsible for his client’s disappearance will kill without a moment’s hesitation if they catch Archer on their trail.

My Review:

Okay, yeah, it’s Archer, Book #3. I did catch the first in the Archer series, One Good Deed, and found it…compelling, dispassionate, unusual. Somehow, I missed Book 2 but seems I didn’t miss much. This is the same Archer I remembered from Book 1.

Perhaps what I notice immediately is that 50s style delivery. Not quite Friday-esque, but almost. It’s rather black and white that tends to turn gray sometimes.

But this entry to the series didn’t quite grab me. Perhaps there were just too many characters. Archer has a lady friend, Liberty Callahan—perfect for the 50s Hollywood set. Back then it was easy to visualize Bogey, Sinatra and his cronies wielding their Hollywood power and mining the darker side of LA for opportunity. Archer, as a private eye is contacted by Eleanor Lamb who is worried about recent threats. Then she promptly disappears leaving a body in her home. (If it’d been me, I’d have dropped it right there.)

Between the mob-riddled Las Vegas scenes and LA, Archer works with Liberty and his partner Willie Dash (a character in his own right) to hunt for the missing Eleanor and the murderer—or is that one and the same?

While the male narrator’s delivery of the storyline was geared toward the period, it just didn’t light a fire, the characters remained a bit blah for me, and the female narrator at times seemed to have phoned the whole thing in, sometimes lagging or slightly disjointed in the dialogue. I suspected she read her part from a remote location.

It’s a bit of a slow burn, noir crime fiction. There are the usual themes in noir fiction of gangsters, drugs, secrets, smuggling, and murder; entertaining if not engaging.

I received a complimentary review copy of this audiobook from the publisher and NetGalley. These are my honest thoughts. 3.5 stars

Book Details:

Genre: Historical Thrillers, War & Military Action Fiction
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
ASIN: B09Q89CMLT
Listening Length: 11 hrs
Narrators: Edoardo Ballerini, Brittany Pressley
Publication Date: April 19, 2022
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Link: Dream Town [Amazon]

Rosepoint Publishing: Three-point Five Stars

David published his first novel, ABSOLUTE POWER, in 1996. A feature film followed, with Clint Eastwood as its director and star. In total, David has published 44 novels for adults; all have been national and international bestsellers and several have been adapted for film and television. His novels have been translated into over 45 languages and sold in more than 80 countries, with 150 million copies sold worldwide. David has also published seven novels for younger readers.

David is also the cofounder, along with his wife, of the Wish You Well Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting literacy efforts across the United States.

V Williams