#psychologicalfiction – Rosepoint Publishing

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

Head Case by Bonnie Traymore – #BookReview – #DomesticThriller

Book Blurb:

A heartbroken teacher in need of a change gets more than she bargained for in this page-turner thriller.

Never make a major life decision in the wake of emotional turmoil. Cassie Romano learned this the hard way, leaving sunny San Diego for a teaching position at a private school in the Catskill Mountains in upstate New York after a painful break-up left her heartbroken and in need of a change.

It all seemed so perfect in June when she came to interview. But now it’s December, and she’s stranded on top of a mountain surrounded by snow, ice, and acres of wilderness, lonelier than ever and bored out of her mind.

When a fellow teacher turns up dead and Cassie receives an unsettling letter from her a few days later, it’s clear to Cassie that something twisted is going on at Falcon Ridge Academy. Everyone seems to be writing the death off as a tragic accident, but she’s not so sure.

Cassie has secrets of her own, though, so she’s initially reluctant to get involved. Torn between the urge to protect herself and the desire to investigate further, she decides on the latter.

And the consequences could be deadly.

His Review:

Kimi is excited to have a new position at a prestigious finishing school in the mountains of central New York. She is a little uneasy about the competition for the coveted position of Headmaster but feels she has an open path to the position. An assisted fall down a steep staircase shatters that dream and takes her life.

Teaching summer classes is always a pain. The students are less than motivated and some of them are here from foreign countries learning English as a second language. The passing of Kimi puts everyone on edge including the entire staff of the school. Such a tragedy, a young life dying in such a tragic accident. The question on everyone’s mind, “Was it an accident”?

Compensation is good for this position and housing and food are supplied to the educators. A year or two in the position and there will be enough saved to buy a house back in California. Cassie hates the winters in upstate New York and cannot wait to get back to the beaches of southern California. She will leave as soon as the winter break at the school commences but being one of the newer teachers she is stuck with staying and teaching the students who cannot go home for break.

Madeline wants to be the head of the school’s administration. She has worked towards this goal and will let nothing stand in her way! Kimi seemed to have an inside track to the position but Madeline feels better qualified and worthy of the title. Why should an upstart get this plumb when Madeline has worked so hard?

This tale embraces the politics of a small teaching institution that caters to the very rich and foreign students. The characters are well developed and the plot simple but tragic. Avarice is a terrible taskmaster. Mix that with a mental condition and you have the ingredients for an interesting and heartrending tale. 4 stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Domestic thrillers, Psychological Fiction
Publisher: Pathways Publishing
ASIN: B0CGQ2QCMN
Print Length: 253 pages
Publication Date: September 23, 2023
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Author: Bonnie Traymore is the award-winning author of suspenseful, page-turner, domestic and psychological thrillers that hit close to home. Her books consistently hit the hot new release page on Amazon. Her thrillers have been described as entertaining page-turners. They aren’t overly graphic and sometimes include occasional touches of romance and humor, but all in service of a fast-paced thriller read. The plots touch on disturbing topics such as sexual assault, revenge, murder, psychological disorders, and the complexities of human behavior, so they aren’t exactly cozy either. She aims to entertain and engage readers, and maybe freak them out a bit, but not give them nightmares. FYI, she likes to include multiple points of view in her books. If you like that, her books might be for you.

Originally from the New York City area, she lives in Honolulu with her family but frequents Hudson Valley, New York City, and the Bay Area. She has been reading mystery and thriller novels her entire life, and she’s been writing short stories and non-fiction for decades. She is also an award-winning non-fiction writer, historian, and educator. She’s taught at top independent schools in Honolulu, Silicon Valley, and New York City, and she’s taught history courses at Columbia University and the University of Hawaii.

Mystery Writers of America, Active Member

International Thriller Writers, Active Member

Rosepoint Reviews – July Recap – Wild Weather and Scorching Temps

Rosepoint Reviews - July Recap

July in the upper Midwest is a volatile month with sudden, violent thunderstorms or tornadoes or highs in the low seventies with a cool breeze. You can’t accuse the area of boring weather. Still, I shouldn’t be grousing as with the sudden drenching rains and warm to hot days, the lawn has gone nuts—you can almost literally watch grass grow here—and my garden is loving it. Well, my sugar snap peas didn’t love it so much.

Late start with the garden, slow spring, and just now beginning to get some tomatoes trying to ripen. The baby deer are beginning to venture out—still have their spots. They look sweet until they get into my garden—squash being the current favorite. The CE is happy about that though.
Fawns with spots

We are trying to get in some steps, got the bikes all pumped up—and walking or riding any semi-cool mornings we can get. Still we managed fourteen books in July. These are mostly from NetGalley and also my local library with both audiobooks and digital. (As always, links below are to my reviews that include purchase info.)

Rosepoint Reviews - July Recap
Drowning in the Desert by Bernard Schopen (CE review)
The Night We Burned by S F Kosa
The Last to Vanish by Megan Miranda (audiobook)
Splinter by Paul McHugh (CE review)
Trotting Into Trouble by Amber Camp
How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix (audiobook)
The Last Ranger by Peter Heller (CE review)
Home at Night by Paula Munier
The Wrong Victim by Allison Brennan (audiobook)
Night Owl by Andrew Mayne (CE review)
Some of Us Are Looking by Carlene O’Connor
Unwrapped by Lynda McDaniel
All Good People Here by Ashley Flowers (audiobook)
The Cove by Gregg Dunnett (CE review)

These included historical fiction, literary fiction, psychological fiction, cozy mysteries, and thrillers.

Favorite Book of the Month

I was gifted two ARCs from favorite authors in July, one being Unwrapped by Lynda McDaniel and the other, Some of Us Are Looking by Carlene O’Connor, both of which earned my five stars. I really like that slightly darker turn in Ms O’Connor’s Irish mysteries and Unwrapped proved to have a sweet Hallmark type of ending–timed perfectly for the Christmas season. The CE also had a couple he particularly enjoyed, one for the sense of humor (The Last Ranger) and another because of that totally off-the-wall wallop of a surprise ending (The Cove). There were several others hovering in the 4.5 star range for both of us–it was one of those great reading months. But in the end, I’ll have to go with–

Book of the Month for July—Unwrapped.

My Reading Challenges page… I have 88 books of a goal of 145 in Goodreads (one book ahead of schedule) and still riding at a 97% feedback ratio in NetGalley. As always, I’m struggling to keep up with the rest. *Sigh* Maybe after the summer months…

First the death of the Instagram feed—then Musk messed with Twitter—and there went that feed. I’d boycott that stupid “X” but need to Twitter away my reviews. Is anyone getting around this (other than adding another job to the post) so they can show both feeds on their blog? All I’ve got now are the blank spaces where those feeds used to show up in my right column. Any suggestions, help, or ideas? I’d welcome them all!

Welcome to my new subscribers and thank you, as always, to those who read and comment. I love hearing from you!

k-luv-u-bye

Rosepoint Reviews – June Recap – Summer is a Perfect Time to Read!

Rosepoint Reviews-July Recap

June is usually a lovely month with Summer Reading Challenges being the perfect excuse for staying indoors and reading. While our temps were pretty mild in the upper Midwest, it can get muggy and staying indoors to read or write posts is a good alternative to working in the gardens. The veggie garden, oh so slow to take off this year, the flower garden not much better, and the fairy garden (my son refers to it as “the swamp”) just a wild mess as usual. Perhaps I’ve lost that fight and now the goal is to keep the weeds down.

June is also birthday month, our son being born on the CE’s birthday—double celebration. We took the opportunity to run to Indianapolis to catch the Indiana State Museum exhibit.

All to say, we enjoyed June, and still managed fourteen books between us. These are from NetGalley but more now from my local library both audiobooks and digital. (As always, links below are to my reviews that include purchase info.)

Rosepoint Reviews-June Recap

The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlain (audiobook)
The Water Tower by Amy Young (CE review)
Iwo, 26 Charlie by P T Deutermann (CE review)
The Mountains Wild by Sarah Stewart Taylor (audiobook)
Mainely Wicked by Matt Cost (CE review)
Need You by Blake Pierce
Overkill by Sandra Brown (read by both of us)
Hard Country by Reavis Z Wortham (CE review)
Before It’s Too Late by Sara Driscoll
Should the Tent Be Burning Like That? By Bill Heavey
The Final Frame by Harmony Reed (CE review)
A Sagebrush Soul by John Isaac Jones (5 star CE review)
The Caretaker by Ron Rash (5 stars)
The Swiss Nurse by Mario Escobar (audiobook)

These included historical fiction, literary fiction, psychological fiction, biographical fiction, crime thrillers, and mysteries.

Favorite Book of the Month

I loved The Caretaker (a new author to me and one I will follow) and gave it five stars, the CE gave five stars to the biographical fiction, A Sagebrush Soul. I’m sure it was great and he thoroughly enjoyed it, but I was totally captivated by The Caretaker. It haunted me and continued to resonate after I finished reading it.

Book of the Month for June—The Caretaker.

My Reading Challenges page… I have 73 books of a goal of 145 in Goodreads (one book ahead of schedule) and slipped a percent to 97% feedback ratio in NetGalley. As always, I’m struggling to keep up with the rest.

Summer is usually such a good time to finally get out and about! My heart goes out to the Canadians, however, with 259 uncontrolled wildfires (as of this writing) in a total of 503 active wildfires. I can’t even imagine all the personnel trying to fight that conflagration. The smoke has given us cloudy skies with dangerous levels of particulates in the air. As with all the yearly fires in California, however, I also worry about the coming winter and the devastation the lack of trees will produce. Let’s hope for a mild winter for our neighbors to the north.

Welcome to new subscribers and thank you, as always, to those who read and comment. I love hearing from you!

All That Is Mine I Carry With Me by William Landay – #BookReview – #legalthrillers – #Bantam

Book Blurb:

One afternoon in November 1975, ten-year-old Miranda Larkin comes home from school to find her house eerily quiet. Her mother is missing. Nothing else is out of place. There is no sign of struggle. Her mom’s pocketbook remains in the front hall, in its usual spot.

So begins a mystery that will span a lifetime. What happened to Jane Larkin?

Investigators suspect Jane’s husband. A criminal defense attorney, Dan Larkin would surely be an expert in outfoxing the police.

But no evidence is found linking him to a crime, and the case fades from the public’s memory, a simmering, unresolved riddle. Jane’s three children—Alex, Jeff, and Miranda—are left to be raised by the man who may have murdered their mother.

Two decades later, the remains of Jane Larkin are found. The investigation is awakened. The children, now grown, are forced to choose sides. With their father or against him? Guilty or innocent? And what happens if they are wrong?

A tale about family—family secrets and vengeance, but also family love—All That Is Mine I Carry With Me masterfully grapples with a primal question: When does loyalty reach its limit?

His Review:

Jane Larkin had been in love with Dan since high school. They had three lovely children with their youngest being Miranda in the seventh grade. The family did everything together with Dan being a very successful attorney. When Jane goes missing in November 1975, the family is frantic.

The police start an investigation into the disappearance and are unable to find anything regarding Jane’s whereabouts. The case lingers and the first suspect is Dan. There is no evidence to connect him with the crime but a dogged investigator, Mr. Glover, continues to investigate the whereabouts. Surely a loving mother like Jane Larkin would not simply leave and abandon her children.

This novel is very well structured and developed with a number of twists and turns. I developed a real empathy for the characters and their sudden loss of a very beloved mother. Would a devoted mother and wife suddenly decide that she can no longer stay with her husband and care for her family?

William Landay has written a very interesting novel about a family torn apart by the disappearance of the wife and mother and subsequent turmoil of ongoing suspicion. I found the novel disturbing and sad. 4.5 stars – CE Williams

[Note from V: When I listened to the audiobook Defending Jacob, I was blown away by the heart-pounding and gripping novel with that unbelievable twist at the end. Of course, the audiobook was narrated by one of my favorite authors, Grover Gardner. No question the author writes a chillingly hard domestic thriller.]

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Legal Thrillers, Psychological Fiction
Publisher: Bantam
ASIN: B0B3HZQD1Z
Print Length: 336 pages
Publication Date: March 7, 2023
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: William Landay‘s latest novel is the New York Times bestseller “Defending Jacob.” His previous novels are “Mission Flats,” which won the Dagger Award as best debut crime novel of 2003, and “The Strangler,” which was an L.A. Times favorite crime novel and was nominated for the Strand Magazine Critics Award as best crime novel of 2007.

Visit the author at http://www.williamlanday.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/williamlanday

The Devil’s Own: A tantalizing historical mystery by Maria McDonald – #BookReview – #TuesdayBookBlog

Rosepoint Rating: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

A set of century-old diaries found in an attic draws an Irish couple into a tale of murder and madness, in this absorbing new suspense.

After forty years in the Irish army, Brian is looking forward to retiring and spending time with his wife—though he worries about adjusting to civilian life. While clearing the attic before they move house, he makes a discovery: three journals dating back to the early twentieth century.

One was written by Arthur, an ex-Connaught Ranger; another by Arthur’s wife, Edith, a colonel’s daughter; and the third by Henry, a British soldier and Arthur’s best friend.

Brian and his wife are soon engrossed in reading the diaries and following the intertwined stories of these three people from the past. But it soon becomes chillingly clear that these diaries contain more than the daily adventures of ordinary lives. Because one of the three is a killer . . .

My Review:

Well, how much fun was this?

This is one of those that I continued to read, fascinated, while my breakfast cereal became soggy.

A dual timeline novel that begins approximately 1880 to 1924 and the other present day. The main POV is that of Brian, retiring after spending forty years in the Irish army. His wife is thrilled with the new digs they’ve planned for years and eagerly looking forward to retiring with her hubby. It’s when Brian tackles the attic of the home previously occupied by myriad military families that he discovers journals hidden in a covered chest that date back a century where the real mystery suspense begins.

Brian and Jean become engrossed in reading what must have been the separate diaries of Arthur and his wife Edith, and that of Henry, Arthur’s best friend. The journals, however, turn rather dark and Henry’s diary becomes shocking.

The journals take turns as the narrative progresses through the story of Arthur as an orphaned child and his eventual history with the Connaught Rangers. Edith has given up being the privileged child of an officer stationed in India at the Curragh Camp with all the privileges attendant to the British military of the time. Their union is marred by Arthur’s drinking encouraged by his army buddy Henry.

I loved the chapters with Arthur and Edith; Henry’s chapters turn grisly as he describes his exploits. The descriptions of the bases or camps are vivid with detail and include interesting tidbits of military life of the time. The characters are fully developed and evoke immersion into the storyline, creating a bond between both the current angst-filled Brian and the tragedy of Edith’s marriage.

So engrossing the laying out of the backstory of the individuals, it’s easy to be fully invested in them by the time the well-plotted and paced storyline plays out. I suspicioned Henry’s story early on, but the novel is so absorbing I had no problem burying myself in the pages in a race to the conclusion.

Gripping, it is indeed tantalizing and a particularly satisfying read. As with most journeys, the fun is not always in the destination—it’s the ride.

I previously read Charlie Mac back in May 2018 and enjoyed it. The author outdid herself this time–loved it. I received a complimentary review copy of this book from Bloodhound Books and the author that in no way influenced this review. These are my honest thoughts. This is one that will make my suggested favorites list for #readingirelandmonth in March.

Book Details:

Genre: Historical Thrillers, Psychological Fiction
Publisher: Bloodhound Books
ASIN: B0BQ6LP15Y
Print Length: 348 pages
Publication Date: January 11, 2023
Source: Bloodhound Books and the author

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Originally from Belfast, Maria McDonald lives in Kildare, with her husband Gerry.

Maria is an avid reader who loves to write but only indulged in her passion for writing fiction after retirement. Since then, her short stories and articles have been published in Woman’s Way and Ireland’s Own, as well as numerous anthologies; Intermissions, Grattan Street Press Melbourne; Same page anthology, University College Cork; Fragments of Time, Amber Publishers. Maria is a founder member of Ink Tank Writing Group, based in Newbridge library and contributed to their anthologies, Timeless in Kildare and Let Me Tell You Something.

#TuesdayBookBlog

Defending Jacob by William Landay – #Audiobook Review – #throwbackthursday

Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

Andy Barber has been an assistant district attorney in his suburban Massachusetts county for more than 20 years. He is respected in his community, tenacious in the courtroom, and happy at home with his wife, Laurie, and son, Jacob. But when a shocking crime shatters their New England town, Andy is blindsided by what happens next: his 14-year-old son is charged with the murder of a fellow student.

Every parental instinct Andy has rallies to protect his boy. Jacob insists that he is innocent, and Andy believes him. Andy must. He’s his father. But as damning facts and shocking revelations surface, as a marriage threatens to crumble and the trial intensifies, and as the crisis reveals how little a father knows about his son, Andy will face a trial of his own – between loyalty and justice, between truth and allegation, between a past he’s tried to bury and a future he cannot conceive.

Award-winning author William Landay has written the consummate novel of an embattled family in crisis – a suspenseful, character-driven mystery that is also a spellbinding tale of guilt, betrayal, and the terrifying speed at which our lives can spin out of control.

My Review:

I must admit that I chose this audiobook because I saw that it was narrated by Grover Gardner and I’m a huge fan of Mr. Gardner—the “Andy” of the Andy Carpenter series (by another author). His artistic rendition carries most any book to new heights, not just reading the book, but making the characters come alive—flesh and blood—along with their foibles. Such is the Andy in this book.

The hook at the beginning manages to jump what will become the meat and potatoes of this book—the POV by Andy Barber. Andy is happily married and they have a fourteen-year-old son, Jacob. Every now and then, the POV jumps over the catastrophic event in the family’s life that propels the legal thriller to a heartbreaking family drama.

Jacob is accused of the murder of a classmate. Andy becomes convinced that Jacob would not—could not—commit the heinous crime—stabbing three times the chest of the boy found murdered and left in the park. He is temporarily suspended from his position as ADA and becomes convinced beyond all reason (and mostly circumstantial evidence) that his son is innocent.

Meanwhile, Laurie, his wife is becoming alarmed at her crushing emotions and conflicting beliefs—then guilt over her thoughts. Could her son have killed that boy? The atmosphere in the air becomes increasingly contentious, Andy defending his son beyond reason. Jacob declaring his innocence. His mother no longer so positive—doubts seeping into the bedrock, loosening her private shocking fears and revelations to her husband.

Meanwhile, as Andy works second chair with the attorney they hired to defend Jacob, they are confronted with Andy’s own history—dark secrets he’d never shared even with Laurie. She becomes horrified and as her experience with her baby boy begins to shed more light on him, Andy continues the unreasonable and dogged resistance to the possibility.

The reader is first left with a child—yes, sometimes children can be cruel—but this is far beyond bullying—and increasing questions as to the veracity of Andy’s arguments. The toll on the family is unimaginable, threatening to ruin the marriage, his mother’s belief in Jacob’s innocence flailing wildly in the wind. While Andy is a well-developed main character, Laurie is more a strong periphery character and Jacob only known through the insight of Andy and his mother.

I’m a fan of legal thrillers and the courtroom dance in the narrative proceeds with all the drama a reader could want, the push-pull, win-lose. Written by a former ADA, the author knows the timing, the procedure, the lingo—it’s high drama in itself.

The family appears to survive the process albeit briefly when another event sends the reader back into high-pressure territory, gasping with shock at the turn of events.

And then; the final twist. I don’t care who you are. You never saw this coming. Yes, I know you’ve heard that before. No, trust me. This one is so beyond what you might have imagined it echoes over and over in your head, leaving you with a book hangover. The unthinkable. No do-overs here. You can run it over in your mind. It won’t change. I was almost sick.

Does that mean I wouldn’t recommend it? Are you kidding? This is crazy unique, gripping, heart-pounding, and unquestionably a novel both engaging and entertaining. The narration by Gardner is mesmerizing. (I guess it was turned into a TV series released in 2020.)

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

Book Details:

Genre: Psychological Fiction, Legal Thrillers, Psychological Thrillers
Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.
ASIN: B0073OGZNM
Listening Length: 12 hrs 24 mins
Narrator: Grover Gardner
Publication Date: January 31, 2012
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Link: Defending Jacob [Amazon]

The Author: William Landay’s latest novel is the New York Times bestseller “Defending Jacob.” His previous novels are “Mission Flats,” which won the Dagger Award as best debut crime novel of 2003, and “The Strangler,” which was an L.A. Times favorite crime novel and was nominated for the Strand Magazine Critics Award as best crime novel of 2007.

Visit the author at http://www.williamlanday.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/williamlanday

Narrator: Grover Gardner is an American narrator of audiobooks. As of May 2018, he has narrated over 1,200 books. He was the Publishers Weekly “Audiobook Narrator of the Year” and is among AudioFile magazine’s “Best Voices of the Century”. Wikipedia

Born: 1956 (age 66 years).

#ThrowbackThursday

The Girl Who Escaped (Jake Wolfe Book 7) by Mark Nolan – #BookReview – #kidnappingthriller

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

One month ago, four college girls were abducted. Three were brutally murdered. One girl escaped.

Angie Taylor was traumatized and shocked speechless.
The police think she killed her friends, and then had a mental breakdown.
Her psychiatrist believes she has an emotionally unstable personality disorder.
Can she ever speak up and describe the killer’s face to a police sketch artist?
Is the murderer stalking her right now, eager to finish what he started?
Everyone in the city is on edge, fearing the worst, not sure what to believe.

A visit from a determined FBI agent shakes things up and raises the stakes. FBI Special Agent Brenda Reynolds of the VSRT must investigate whether the mysterious silent girl is a victim, a killer, or has gone insane.

Grab your copy of the suspense thriller everyone is talking about, and start reading right now.

His Review:

Young coeds are missing during spring break and cannot be found anywhere. Angie and her friends have enjoyed parties but the night is winding down. She has a strange feeling that someone is stalking them. She does not know why but as the designated driver for the group she stays vigilant. However, the attack on the girls is quick, disabled by a strange substance. They are taken on a remote road in the country and the outlook is desperate.

Jake and his faithful dog Cody are called in to assist the FBI and local law enforcement to help crack the case. This book introduces us to a division of the FBI called VSRT (The Victims Special Response Team). This group of dedicated agents work with victims who have been traumatized by vicious criminals.

Wealth seems to cause an altered reality for some billionaires. A remote island is owned by just such a man who prefers a harem of very young and attractive women. He pays large sums to a bounty hunter who finds and brings him the girls. He keeps them for a while and then sells them when he feels they have outlived their usefulness for his depravities.

Jake and Cody work with the hospital to assist in resolving the issue of the young woman charged with murder, restrained in the hospital. Charged with the murder of her three friends, she has been spread-eagled in the bed for the month but is slowly coming out of her catatonia by the love and attention of the dog.

Mark Nolan has written a superb and at times exasperating tale of friendship and heartache. Can this heinous crime be unraveled? The adversary is a very devious and persistent despot who wants to avenge the escape of Angie. The novel is well-paced and held my attention throughout. As always, Cody shines as the co-protagonist. Enjoy the latest as the author’s dynamic duo help to close another edge-of-your-seat thriller. 5 stars CE Williams

Between us, we’ve read most in this series, with Book 6, Key West Dead in 2021, and Deadly Weapon in 2020 most recent. Always a gripping plot and my favorite dog and his person. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me the opportunity to read and review this book. Available now.

Book Details:

Genre: Kidnapping Crime Fiction, Kidnapping Thrillers, Psychological Fiction
ASIN: B0B5MCGQKS
Print Length: 318 pages
Publication Date: July 29, 2022
Source: Author request
Title Link: The Girl Who Escaped [Amazon]

The Author: Mark Nolan is an Amazon Bestselling Author and Kindle Unlimited All-Star. Subscribe to his reader newsletter at marknolan.com for updates, specials, and news.

Mark Nolan is the author of the Jake Wolfe thriller series.

Book 1: Dead Lawyers Don’t Lie
Book 2: Vigilante Assassin
Book 3, Killer Lawyer
Book 4: San Diego Dead
Book 5: Deadly Weapon
Book 6: Key West Dead

Website: marknolan.com

Click FOLLOW under Mark’s author photo, and Amazon will notify you when a new book is available.

Have a Nice Weekend!