#WallStreetJournalbestsellingauthor

Impostor Syndrome: A Thriller by Andrew Mayne #BookReview #TerrorismThrillers

The Specialists Book #2

Book Blurb:

Two fearless investigators unite to stop a media-savvy serial killer from carrying out a cataclysmic crime for all the world to see in a riveting thriller by a Wall Street Journal bestselling author.

The FBI calls on former agent Jessica Blackwood to look at a puzzling crime. A wildlife officer has found the body of a popular YouTuber encased in an obelisk made of salt in a remote refuge. When the agency is tipped off to a second body, that of a TikTok star chained to the bottom of Nevada’s Pyramid Lake—her hands clasped in prayer—Jessica recruits a trusted colleague of her own: Floridian underwater investigator Sloan McPherson.

It appears to be the work of a ritualistic serial killer preying on influencers. That tracks when a third victim—a fantasy-game live streamer—barely survives a pipe bomb attack. But in navigating the social media world of instafame, manipulation, and deception, Jessica and Sloan know how illusory appearances can be. As the threats multiply across the country, they fear they’re playing with something more extreme than they imagined: a killer’s endgame that could be nothing less than apocalyptic.

His Review:

Bodies are showing up in very unusual places! Two are found in Pyramid Lake area east of Reno, Nevada. One of the two bodies was found in the lake, and one was encased in a couple of tons of salt! Why would anyone encase a body in a couple of tons of salt and then dump it where it could be found? Could this be a sign of witchcraft or a cult?

The FBI calls in Jessica Blackwood to help the investigation into this bizarre event and she in turn calls underwater investigator Sloan McPherson. Has a new cult been formed to fight perceived witches in the West? Why would the FBI be called in to this remote area of Nevada to help with such an investigation? And can the purchase of such a large amount of salt be easily tracked?

The author has developed a very interesting insight into some of the strange rituals that are secret. Old ranches and barns dot many areas in this part of the country, but some of these events cannot be hidden by burning the evidence or facilities.

The investigation leads to a faction cloaked in mystery with Jessica and Sloan working together. Then a third victim is found—alive. The victims do have a connection and the team works solidly to build a suspect pool. Plot and pacing move smoothly and the storyline is clever and keeps interest.

This tome is well written but begs the question, why? I found myself wanting more answers to this and other questions! Secrecy is a main pillar of any cult and many religions. This seems true and the story raises more questions than it presents answers. Read and be bewildered! 4 stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. Any opinion expressed here is my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Terrorism Thrillers, Conspiracy Thrillers, Police Procedurals
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
ISBN-13: 978-1662522499
ASIN: B0DSLW8Z39
Print Length: 287 pages
Publication Date: October 21, 2025
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble

The Author: Andrew Mayne is a Wall Street Journal bestselling author whose books include The Naturalist, a Thriller Award finalist and Black Fall an Edgar Award finalist Black Fall. He’s the star of the Discovery Channel’s Shark Week special Andrew Mayne: Ghost Diver, where he swam alongside great white sharks using an underwater invisibility suit he designed and also was the star of A&E’s Don’t Trust Andrew Mayne. He currently serves as the Science Communicator for OpenAI, the creators of ChatGPT and GPT-4.

@AndrewMayne
AndrewMayne.com

Mature man with glasses reading a book on his cell phone. — AI graphic courtesy Gemini

Two Audiobooks Mini-Reviews – The Housemaid’s Secret and The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden #psychologicalthrillers

Two Audiobooks Mini-Reviews by Freida McFadden

Well, I’m not sure how, but I seem to be caught up in Freida McFadden books, this time The Housemaid’s Secret, a Goodreads Choice Award Winner released February 20, 2023, and The Boyfriend a #1 Amazon Best Seller in Crime Thrillers released October 1, 2024. (Links on individual covers are to Amazon.)

Member of Goodreads since March 2012, McFadden is a #1 New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Publisher’s Weekly, and Amazon Charts bestselling author Freida McFadden is a practicing physician specializing in brain injury who has penned multiple Kindle bestselling psychological thrillers and medical humor novels. She lives with her family and possessed 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. [Goodreads]
https://www.freidamcfadden.com/

The Housemaid’s Secret

ASIN: B0BSVFGW4M
Date Released: February 20, 2023
Narrator: Lauryn Allman
Publisher: Hachette UK – Bookouture
Three point Five Stars

My Thoughts

Okay, wait a minute. Haven’t I read this before? Or certainly something very similar. But this one is definitely written in McFadden style.

Millie has definitely come up in the housecleaning world, securing employment for an uber rich couple in a penthouse apartment in the Upper West Side of New York. It’s a good trick if you can do it as you know in your heart that Millie has some secrets that must be kept mum for now.

Douglas is not too bad for a super rich guy, but wife Wendy keeps to herself and her room is off-limits. Douglas relays anything that Wendy needs or wants and except for a few meals, the sources for which are pretty darn exclusive, and odd bits of uh ohs, it’s not a bad gig.

Needless to say, whether or not she’s been told to leave Wendy alone to rest peacefully, she just can’t seem to do it, and it gradually flips the plot to one you no doubt saw coming. I only thought I did, but remember, this is a McFadden novel.

So yes, the twists will kick in. Maybe it’s a good thing that Millie has a hot Italian groundskeeper on the side with an even more super hot boyfriend, rich lawyer type guy that’s crazy about her. I don’t know what circles she was in when their paths crossed, but he’d love to have her move into his sweet apartment by Central Park and take good care of him.

Are you following along?

It’s that final twist that finally got me and I had to throw my hands up. Talk about not seeing that coming! Well, after that, you have to try another just to see if this one was a fluke, yes? So, I did.

The Boyfriend.

The Boyfriend

ASIN: B0D3QNT4T2
Date released: October 1, 2024
Narrators: Victoria Connolly, and Robb Moreira
Publisher: Hollywood Upstairs Press
Four Stars

My Thoughts

Oh my goodness, the characters in this book! How many times did I want to slap the FMC, Sydney, up the side of her head? Is it possible to be that obtuse? Then the other POV in this one, Tom, reaches back to the birth of his problem with women. How could he be that fake with Sydney and she not see through that façade?

Tom, supreme creep that he is, really keeps the storyline moving, doesn’t he? Something fascinating about a truly sick and twisted individual that the reader has to keep reading to confirm just how nutsy he is. Not like his teen years were filled with academic accolades. He was head over heels in love with Daisy and his best friend’s name is Slug, if that gives you any clues. I must say, however, that Slug had such significant character development that little vignettes that included him were enough to turn your stomach.

Meanwhile, poor little Sydney plods along in her own little world, just adrift and off course. So frustrating to be forced along on some of her dumber decisions and then watch her crash and burn. Of course, that hasn’t taught her anything, so she gets to hit the repeat button.

Yeah, it’s twisty. And just crazy enough that it edged over The Housemaid’s Secret for me. Also, glad I listened to the audiobook and didn’t read it. Those voices gave it quite the spice.

Frieda McFadden fan? Then you may enjoy this one. I’m not sure—there appears to be quite the division of opinion, but you can’t fault it for being both engaging and entertaining.

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

Have a good one

Her Cold Justice by Robert Dugoni #BookReview #TuesdayBookBlog

Keera Duggan Book 3

Book Blurb:

To save a client accused of murder, defense attorney Keera Duggan must fight a complex web of corruption in a riveting novel of suspense by New York Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni.

In a quiet South Seattle neighborhood, a suspected drug smuggler and his girlfriend are murdered in their home. When a young man named Michael Westbrook is accused of the brutal double homicide, his uncle JP Harrison turns to Keera Duggan to defend him. JP is Keera’s trusted investigator, and he desperately needs Keera to save his nephew against escalating odds.

The evidence is circumstantial—Michael worked with one of the victims, drugs were found in his possession, and he bolted from authorities. Ruthless star prosecutor Anh Tran has gotten convictions on much less. With the testimony of two prison informants, the case looks grave. But Keera never concedes defeat. To free her client, she must dig deep before Tran crushes both of them.

As the investigation gets more twisted with each new find, Keera is swept up in a mystery with far-reaching consequences. This case isn’t just murder. It’s looking like a conspiracy. And getting justice for Michael could be the most dangerous promise Keera has ever made.

My Review:

The CE doesn’t get to have all the fun! I got Book 3 of the Keera Duggan series, Her Cold Justice and Book 2, Beyond Reasonable Doubt. Between the two of us, however, we’ve read a number of Dugoni’s books, particularly Tracy Crosswhite, his last, A Dead Draw, early this year.

Keera was a chess champ as a girl, often played with her dad, who taught her the strategies of the board that could parallel her work as an attorney, facing off in high-stakes cases with equals in court room drama. She followed in her father’s legal footsteps, now often recognized as the daughter of the “Irish Brawler,” known for his unexpected and swift courtroom gotchas.

No question Michael Westbrook has all the circumstantial evidence stacked against him, made more credible by a few small omissions he failed to divulge until the twists caught up with him. Still, it appeared he was an innocent pawn in a game of power, broken justice, and weak kings.

You might guess that the plot gets complex, sussing out conspiracy, secrets, and an end game you might not have imagined. The plot is well paced.

No question I’m a fan of the author and feel all his books are great, with varying degrees of great, of course. I’ve come to love the Keera Duggan series, the characters relatable with complicated personal lives. This series hints at the possibility of a blooming relationship between Keera and Rossi, a good thing.

If this were read as a standalone, I’d wish for more character development of Keera, whereas we got a clear and definitive picture of Kim Tran, described beautifully down to the cold, impervious stare. There may have been a deeper dive into Keera and family in Book 1, but the CE caught that one, and I came into the series with Book 2.

As the book weaves its way through the twists and revelations, the storyline moves smoothly into the conclusion with, at this point, some predictability. Any reader who enjoys legal thrillers, though, will certainly appreciate the Dugoni writing style. It’s intelligently written, gripping, and entertaining.

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

Rosepoint Rating: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Legal Thrillers, Murder Thrillers
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
ISBN: 978-1662524646
ASIN: B0DFZ47Z2B
Print Length: 380 pages
Publication Date: January 27, 2026
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble

The Author: Robert Dugoni is the critically acclaimed New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and #1 Amazon bestselling author of the Tracy Crosswhite police series set in Seattle, which has sold more than 10 million books worldwide. He is also the author of The Charles Jenkins espionage series, the David Sloane legal thriller series, the Keera Duggan legal thriller series, and several stand-alone novels including the literary novel, The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell – One of Newsweek Magazines Best Books of All Time and Suspense Magazine’s Book of the Year. Dugoni’s narration won an AudioFile Earphones Award. He has also written critically acclaimed historical novels based on true events: The World Played Chess a coming of age story and the Vietnam War; Hold Strong an untold story of WWII; and A Killing on the Hill, about a 1933 killing and trial in Seattle. HIs nonfiction exposé The Cyanide Canary, was a Washington Post Best Book of the Year. His novels have been optioned for movies and television series. Dugoni is the recipient of the Nancy Pearl Award for Fiction and multiple awards for best novel set in the Pacific Northwest. He has also been a finalist for many other awards including the International Thriller Award, the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction, the Silver Falchion Award for mystery, and the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award.

Robert Dugoni’s books are sold in more than forty countries and have been translated into more than thirty languages.

Visit his website and follow him on Amazon, Goodreads, twitter, Facebook, Tik Tok and other social media sites.

#TuesdayBookBlog

A Dead Draw by Robert Dugoni #BookReview #policeprocedurals

Tracy Crosswhite Book 11

Book Blurb:

An Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling series.

A killer fueled by revenge. A detective haunted by the past. They are headed for a high-stakes showdown in this bone-chilling new Tracy Crosswhite novel by New York Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni.

Detective Tracy Crosswhite isn’t one to lose her cool. Until her interrogation of the taunting and malicious Erik Schmidt, a suspect in two cold case killings. Schmidt also has unnerving ties to the monster who murdered Tracy’s sister, stirring memories of the crime that shaped Tracy’s life. After a critical mistake during a shooting exercise, Tracy breaks.

Haunted by nightmares and flashbacks, Tracy heads to her hometown of Cedar Grove to refocus. Just a peaceful getaway with her husband, her daughter, and their nanny at their weekend house. But Tracy’s sleepless nights are only beginning. A legal glitch has allowed Schmidt to go free. And Tracy has every reason to fear that he’s followed her.

Forced into a twisted game of cat and mouse, Tracy must draw on all her training, wits, and strength to defeat a master criminal before he takes away everyone Tracy loves.

His Review:

A detective can never be certain that someone he/she tracks down and arrests will not seek revenge. This is the umbrella that Tracy Crosswhite lives under every day. She had been relentless in hunting for her sister’s killer and making sure that he would spend the rest of his life in prison.

A really good defense attorney will work to free his/her clients no matter what egregious crimes they have committed. Erick Schmidt had killed her sister as well as a number of young women. The killings were cruel and messy and he made sure that they suffered the maximum amount before they expired. Meanwhile, he languished in jail as appeal after appeal was filed on his behalf. The process is exacerbated by a judge who feels that every convict is harassed by the officers who hope to get them off the streets and put away.

Tracy’s twin sister had been one of Erik’s playthings. Her body was mutilated and buried in a shallow grave. He had hoped to put Tracy in a similar grave but was caught instead. This story exemplifies the problems faced by the police and the judicial system and the horrors that result. 4.5 stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. Any opinion expressed here is my own.

[The author is nothing if not prolific. Together we’ve read five of his novels since 2022 and probably missed a few including Book 10 of the Tracy White series. The last few were intros to new series or standalones such as my last two reads, The Cyanide Canary in June last year, and Beyond Reasonable Doubt in July. Regardless the genre, series, or standalone, you can always count on his books to deliver. VW]

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Police Procedurals, Women Sleuths
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
ASIN: B0D7NPY2ST
Print Length: 395 pages
Publication Date: May 27, 2025
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble

The Author: Robert Dugoni is the critically acclaimed New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and #1 Amazon bestselling author of the Tracy Crosswhite police series set in Seattle, which has sold more than 10 million books worldwide. He is also the author of The Charles Jenkins espionage series, the David Sloane legal thriller series, the Keera Duggan legal thriller series, and several stand-alone novels including the literary novel, The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell – One of Newsweek Magazines Best Books of All Time and Suspense Magazine’s Book of the Year. Dugoni’s narration won an AudioFile Earphones Award. He has also written critically acclaimed historical novels based on true events: The World Played Chess a coming of age story and the Vietnam War; Hold Strong an untold story of WWII; and A Killing on the Hill, about a 1933 killing and trial in Seattle. HIs nonfiction exposé The Cyanide Canary, was a Washington Post Best Book of the Year. His novels have been optioned for movies and television series. Dugoni is the recipient of the Nancy Pearl Award for Fiction and multiple awards for best novel set in the Pacific Northwest. He has also been a finalist for many other awards including the International Thriller Award, the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction, the Silver Falchion Award for mystery, and the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award.

Robert Dugoni’s books are sold in more than forty countries and have been translated into more than thirty languages.

Visit his website and follow him on Amazon, Goodreads, twitter, Facebook, Tik Tok and other social media sites.

#tobereleased in May, #ADeadDraw by #RobertDugoni

AI Graphic courtesy Canva.com

Hold Strong: A Novel by Robert Dugoni, Jeff Langholz, Christ Crabtree #BookReview #HistoricalBiographicalFiction

Rosepoint Rating: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

From Robert Dugoni, Jeff Langholz, and Chris Crabtree comes an epic and inspiring novel—based on true events—about love, heroism, and resilience during the darkest chapters of World War II.

Sam Carlson is a projectionist in small-town Minnesota, where fantasies unspool in glorious black and white—for him and for his sweetheart, college-bound math whiz Sarah Haber. When the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor, Sam is sent to the Philippines and captured as a POW. Brutalized but unbroken by the Bataan Death March and POW camps, Sam is one of eighteen hundred starved and weakened prisoners herded into the cargo hold of a barbaric hell ship called the Arisan Maru, his survival doubtful.

Determined to use her math skills on the home front, Sarah is recruited to Washington, DC, into the covert field of code breaking. When Sarah intercepts a message about a Japanese convoy, the US Navy’s mission is clear: sink the Arisan Maru and send it to the bottom of the South China Sea. Now, the lives of the two young lovers are about to inadvertently collide in one of the most shocking acts of World War II.

Anchored in an extraordinary true story and breathlessly re-created, Hold Strong is a one-of-a-kind novel that explores faith, courage, survival, and coming home against insurmountable odds.

His Review:

The United States was neutral before the WW II. Our military was at peace and the port of Pearl Harbor was enjoying leave for the majority of its sailors and soldiers. The Philippines had a large contingent of U.S. military stationed near Clark Air Force Base and the island of Corregidor. After the attack at Pearl Harbor, the Japanese immediately attacked the bases in the Pacific and in the Philippines.

The bases were quickly overtaken because the military lacked shells and bullets. The entire contingent of men was forced to march nearly 3,000 miles in extremely hot and humid weather. Many of the men collapsed from the lack of food and water and were shot or bayonetted where they lay. Also, the prisoners were beaten and stabbed on the march. The Japanese were cruel and ruthless.

This story chronicles the terrible conditions they faced both during the “Battan Death March,” and the trip aboard the Arisan Maru. Eight thousand troops were forced into the ships’ hold with no place to sit or lay down. No fresh air was piped into the hold and many died of starvation or thirst. The Japanese commander was educated in the United States and loathed the Americans from Bataan and Corregidor.

Many perished aboard this terrible Japanese freighter and were simply thrown overboard without ceremony. Burial at sea duties were carried on by the prisoners without any coverings for the bodies. The Japanese allowed the prisoners half a cup of watery rice per day as food. All of the prisoners lost weight until they looked like walking skeletons. Many tried to help their fellow prisoners of war until they were so emaciated they could hardly walk themselves.

This novel highlights the plight of these 8,000 troops and the brutality that was inflicted by their Japanese captors. The Japanese felt the Americans were not good soldiers and sailors and would cave under the pressure. The average walk per day was around 30 miles. Food supplied by the Red Cross was enjoyed by the Japanese and never shared with the captives.

This novel would be enjoyed by anyone who appreciates historical biographical fiction or biographical fiction of WWII. There are times you can feel the heat and the desperate attempt at life, knowing the odds are against you. The descriptions bringing the scene to life are all too real. It’s crushing. Look for the release of this one in late January or pre-order now to enjoy massive savings. 5 stars – CE Williams

I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author and publisher through @NetGalley that in no way influenced this review. These are my honest thoughts.

Book Details:

Genre: Historical Biographical Fiction, Biographical Fiction, Historical World War II Fiction
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
ISBN:1662516304
ASIN: B0CW1FVMPG
Print Length: 503 pages
Publication Date: January 28, 2025
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble

The Authors:

Robert Dugoni is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and Amazon Charts bestselling author of the Tracy Crosswhite series; the Charles Jenkins series; the David Sloane series; several standalone novels, including A Killing on the Hill, The World Played Chess, and The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell; and coauthor of the nonfiction exposé The Cyanide Canary, a Washington Post Best Book of the Year. Dugoni is the recipient of the Nancy Pearl Book Award for fiction, a multi-time winner of the Friends of Mystery Spotted Owl Award for best novel set in the Pacific Northwest, and a finalist for many other awards [including the International Thriller Award, the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction, the Silver Falchion Award for mystery, and the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award.

Robert Dugoni’s books are sold in more than forty countries and have been translated into more than thirty languages and have reached millions of readers worldwide.

Visit his website and follow him on Amazon, Goodreads, twitter, Facebook, Tik Tok and other social media sites]. For more information, visit robertdugonibooks.com.

Dr. Jeff Langholz is an award-winning teacher, researcher, entrepreneur, and writer whose work has appeared in more than 250 media outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, National Geographic, and the Economist. His adventures span five continents and include stints as a rice farmer in West Africa with the Peace Corps, a Fulbright Scholar in South Africa, a salmon fisherman in Alaska, a tree farmer in Central America, and a mediator in New York. He lives along Monterey Bay in California [with his wife, dog, and two semiferal cats].

Chris Crabtree teaches middle and high school English language arts and literature at Costa Rica International Academy in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Chris and his wife, Vera, live in a rustic, rural town on the outskirts of Santa Cruz, Costa Rica, with their dogs Bety and Bruno.

From Indiana, Chris Crabtree attended the Indianapolis high school named after one of Hold Strong’s most heroic characters. His personal connection to the story also includes time spent in The Philippines, where the story starts. Chris served as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Sierra Leone, West Africa, where he and Jeff forged their decades-long friendship. He is an award-winning high school History and Literature teacher at Costa Rica International Academy in Guanacaste, Costa Rica.

Enjoy Your Sunday with a good book!

Death Stake by Andrew Mayne #BookReview #financialthrillers

Trasker Book 2

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

The trail of missing coders leads a spy into an international underworld of treachery, double agents, and digital espionage in a propulsive thriller by a Wall Street Journal bestselling author.

Retired intelligence operative Brad Trasker heads security at a remote aerospace facility when there’s a major breach. A photo of their top-secret AI-designed hydrogen engine has surfaced online. Trasker’s investigation into who did it soon leads to a start-up in Bangkok, where its three software developers have disappeared, along with nearly a million dollars in investment money.

Following their tracks, Trasker hits a dead end. The start-up’s HQ is a padlocked crime scene. No one—not the cagey locals, the mobbed-up gangs, or the Royal Thai Police—is keen on answering Trasker’s questions. But their message is clear: get out of Bangkok or die.

Hunted by assassins, Trasker is drawn into the same complex high-tech underworld of cryptocurrency, digital espionage, and betrayal that swallowed up the runaway coders. As the line between ally and enemy blurs, and the stakes become life and death, Trasker must navigate the dangerous intersection of modern intelligence and old-school spy games to survive.

His Review:

This book reads like a primer for espionage. With the advent of crypto-currencies, the world has been besieged by crooks who are very computer savvy. Getting into the system and emptying crypto accounts is resulting in billions of dollars in crypto-currency suddenly vanishing. The crimes are being perpetrated against some of the world’s foremost crime syndicates and they are not amused.

A group of young American students have mastered the system of infiltrating these crypto accounts and emptying them. However, any computer hacker knows that using a computer always leaves a trail. Three of four young men are found brutally murdered in an apartment in Thailand and a fourth computer whiz is on the run and hiding. Trasker must find him before the owners of the accounts do.

I found this story extremely informative and educational. The monetary and crypto world has become so sophisticated that Harvard graduates have difficulty figuring out what is going wrong. The FBI, CIA, MI6 and other governmental agencies are searching for these criminal masterminds, but finding them brutally slaughtered is a waste of governmental resources.

Who are the good guys and bad guys? The water gets very murky in this novel. The players are often not what they seem. Staying in a country like Thailand is not easy because their law enforcement agencies are sometimes as corrupt as the criminals. I learned a great deal as I read this book. Crime is not always by the criminals and law enforcement is often jaded and corrupt. Staying alive and trying to solve the crimes can be very difficult. I enjoyed this book and the can of worms it opens. 5 stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. These thoughts are my own.

Book Details:

Genre: Financial Thrillers, Espionage Thrillers, Political Thrillers
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
ASIN: B0CKJ9CN3P
Print Length: 311 pages
Publication Date: October 29, 2024
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble

@AndrewMayne
AndrewMayne.com

Have a good one

Beyond Reasonable Doubt by Robert Dugoni #BookReview #TuesdayBookBlog Keera Duggan Book 2

Keera Duggan Book 2

Book Blurb:

A master manipulator accused of murder. An attorney sworn to defend her. Keera Duggan returns in a riveting novel of suspense by New York Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni.

When Jenna Bernstein, disgraced wunderkind CEO of a controversial biotech company, is accused of murdering her former partner and lover, she turns to Seattle attorney Keera Duggan to defend her. Keera is more than a master chess player who brings her intuitive moves into court—she’s Jenna’s childhood friend. But considering their history, Keera knows that where Jenna goes, trouble follows.

Five years earlier, Keera’s father successfully defended Jenna when she was tried for the killing of her company’s chief scientist who threatened to go public with allegations of corporate fraud. Keera knows Jenna too well. When she was a kid, Keera saw Jenna for what she was: a manipulative and frighteningly controlling sociopath. Now, with only circumstantial evidence against Jenna, Keera is willing to bury any trepidation she might have to defend a woman she believes, this time, to be innocent.

As the investigation gets underway and disturbing questions arise, Keera puts her trust in a client who swears that this time she’s telling nothing but the truth. If this is all just another devious game, Keera might be working to set a murderer free.

My Review:

The second in the series, the first Her Deadly Game read by the CE in October 2022, was my turn and I had no problem reading it as a standalone.

Keera’s father taught her to play chess and play very well. She uses many of those techniques as she takes on Jenna Bernstein, an old childhood friend turned nemesis. Jenna will never tell the truth when a lie will do and at this age doesn’t seem to be able to distinguish between the two. She declares her innocence, however, when her business partner is found murdered. And what do you know? She clearly has motive, means, and apparently opportunity. Or was the latter just more manipulation to play the all too obvious?

“…any kind of SODDI defense–some other dude did it.”

As always with Dugoni’s complex plots, it won’t be easy to get to the bottom of the disturbing premise. Jenna is a deeply unlikable character. Keera comes off as smart, quick-witted, and street-smart savvy. She was taught by the best, her dad, the “Irish Brawler.” I appreciated her character as she turned a jaundiced eye on Jenna, who clearly appeared to be a sociopath. There is the promise of what might be a romantic thread with open-minded Detective Rossi, who appears may be strong support in coming series episodes.

Of course, it is a legal thriller and as always I love those courtroom scenes, the jousting, the timing, and the use of the nuances of the law—so like chess moves—with an eye on plays well down the line.

As the book weaves the way through the mysteries, twists, and revelations, the storyline moves smoothly into the conclusion. Any reader who enjoys legal thrillers will certainly appreciate the Dugoni writing style. It’s gripping, entertaining, and well paced.

I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author and publisher through @NetGalley that in no way influenced this review. These are my honest thoughts.

Rosepoint Rating: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Legal Thrillers, Murder, Murder Thrillers
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
ISBN: 166250022X
ASIN: B0CRWV4125
Print Length: 365 pages
Publication Date: October 22, 2024
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble

The Author: Robert Dugoni is the critically acclaimed New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and #1 Amazon bestselling author of the Tracy Crosswhite police series set in Seattle, which has sold more than 10 million books worldwide. He is also the author of The Charles Jenkins espionage series, the David Sloane legal thriller series, the Keera Duggan legal thriller series, and several stand-alone novels including The 7th Canon, Damage Control, the literary novels, The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell – Suspense Magazine’s Book of the Year, for which Dugoni’s narration won an AudioFile Earphones Award and the critically acclaimed, The World Played Chess; historical novels based on true events: A Killing on the Hill about Seattle during the great depression and Hold Strong, a WWII novel; as well as the nonfiction exposé The Cyanide Canary, a Washington Post Best Book of the Year. Several of his novels have been optioned for movies and television series. Dugoni is the recipient of the Nancy Pearl Award for Fiction and multiple awards for best novel set in the Pacific Northwest. He has also been a finalist for many other awards including the International Thriller Award, the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction, the Silver Falchion Award for mystery, and the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award.

Robert Dugoni’s books are sold in more than thirty countries and have been translated into more than thirty languages.

Visit his website and follow him on Amazon, Goodreads, twitter, Facebook, Tik Tok and other social media sites.

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Best House on the Block: A Thriller by T R Ragan #BookReview #TuesdayBookBlog

Book Blurb:

Revealing a neighbor’s deep secrets and dark obsessions turns to murder in a shocking novel of psychological suspense by a New York Times bestselling author.

Aspiring investigative journalist Shannon Gibbons and her family have moved into a beautiful house in the Fabulous Forties of East Sacramento, where Shannon finds a fast connection with a new neighbor. Renowned journalist Rosella Marlow appears to have a genuine interest in giving Shannon’s own career a boost―as personal assistant on Rosella’s new project. Appearances are deceiving.

Bitter, resentful, and consumed by excruciating grief, Rosella is obsessed with wiping the smiles off her contented neighbors’ faces. Now she’s watching closely, ready to expose their secrets. Secrets dark enough to destroy lives. In Shannon, Rosella has a trusting and unwitting accomplice. But Rosella is being watched, too. And when someone is found murdered, everyone on this quiet block is a suspect. Because everyone has a motive.

With the help of a friend, Shannon begins an investigation into the death of a person she just met. As neighbor is pitted against neighbor, the truth is much scarier than anything they imagined.

My Review:

“If it’s too good to be true, it probably is.” Yup, and investigative journalist Shannon Gibbons should have remembered that old quote when she responded to the inquiry from Rosella Marlow. Rosella was a renowned journalist in the day and one of Shannon’s heroes. Excited about the prospect of being mentored by Rosella, she moves her family to the very neighborhood where Rosella lives.

Unfortunately, Rosella doesn’t live up to the hype and instead turns out to be a bitter, nasty woman who is the scourge of the neighborhood. It’s also unfortunate that the neighborhood is square in the Fabulous Forties of East Sacramento which is definitely not a fictional upscale historical area but certainly breathtakingly rich, impressive, and gorgeous.

Shannon is almost immediately introduced to the clique of the neighborhood but then before she can even start emptying boxes, the neighbor is murdered. One of the lady’s has a keen interest in figuring out which of her friends is responsible and Shannon sees an opportunity for collaboration and a story.

Okay, but what do all these busy-bodies have to do with the prologue? There is a plethora of suspects. Everyone disliked the woman intensely and all had a motive and opportunity.

After the hook, the pace slows somewhat to introduce all the support characters—and there are a lot.

For an aspiring journalist, Shannon seems a bit clueless where or how to begin the investigation and is directed by the neighbor-turned-friend. Of course, her friend knows everyone and pretty much their business and it doesn’t take long before they begin to uncover some interesting secrets. Throw in a twist or two.

The denouement is neatly drawn together with one final douzy that was one too many and just didn’t work for me.

I noticed a couple places where even the author or editor used a name incorrectly, but no problem. I also stumbled on non-gender names used for either boy or girl and confused which gender we were talking about more than once (i.e., Mac, Ridley, Blake, Rowan), already having trouble with the sheer number of support characters. Interesting plot. I waited to see where the prologue ties in, but after getting a few more clues, I knew.

I did, however, get a small chuckle out of the reference to an old Volkswagen van. “It was orange and Stephanie called it Pumpkin, as if it were a beloved pet.” Funny, because we recently adopted an orange, white, black, and brown Pomeranian we named Punkin. (Yeah—adopted her in October.)

I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author and publisher through @NetGalley that in no way influenced this review. These are my honest thoughts.

Rosepoint Rating: Three point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Domestic Thrillers, Kidnapping Thrillers, Murder Thrillers
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
ISBN-10: ‎ 1662517300
ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1662517303
ASIN: B0CWF9Z1MB
Print Length: 287 pages
Publication Date: November 5, 2024
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble

The Author: T.R. Ragan (Theresa Ragan) has sold over four million books and is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling mystery and thriller author.

Readers interested in signing up for a monthly newsletter or getting their name in a TR RAGAN book should check out her website at http://www.trragan.com

Facebook • Twitter • Instagram: @trraganauthor

LIZZY GARDNER SERIES
Abducted
Dead Weight
A Dark Mind
Obsessed
Almost Dead
Evil Never Dies

FAITH MCMANN TRILOGY
Furious
Outrage
Wrath

JESSIE COLE SERIES
Her Last Day
Deadly Recall
Deranged
Buried Deep

SAWYER BROOKS SERIES
Don’t Make a Sound
Out of Her Mind
No Going Back
Count to Three
Such A Beautiful Family

Theresa Ragan Novels: Return of the Rose, A Knight in Central Park, Finding Kate Huntley, Dead Man Running, Having My Baby, An Offer He Can’t Refuse, Taming Mad Max, and Here Comes the Bride!