scknitter's Reviews (1.48k)

A story within a story, the past and the present, a haunted house, Fiona who at 50 lost her husband, her best friend and her career and who is trying to understand why her mother holds her at arms length and is so angry with her are all important to The Midnight Estate.  But the most important part is the beautiful story told in the mysterious book that Fiona finds. Even though I figured out the secret of the special book I still couldn’t wait to listen and find out the rest of the story.

Guilt, trust, secrets, and lies – so many lies – are the reasons Stella acts on her own when she thinks she has a chance to save her brother’s best friend and finally find out what happened to Max. The author ramps up the tension as little by little the lies become larger, the mistrust becomes all-consuming and one by one you will question the innocence of everyone.  This thriller will definitely get your heart rate up.

 I love a good police procedural, and this one was outstanding.  Detective Bonnie Hunter pegs Sam right away as a domestic abuser and her interactions with him are genius. The story is told from two viewpoints - the police viewpoint as they investigate and try to discover what happened to Juliet and Juliet’s point of view from the first time she meets Sam up to the day she went missing. Domestic abuse or coercive control is a hard subject to tackle, but Catherine Lee does it tactfully and in such a way that it helps explain how this can happen and perhaps give someone the strength and understanding to be able to get away and not end up a victim. 

 Who better to write a book (albeit fictional) about a serial killer of young women than someone whose own aunt disappeared and was believed murdered when in her 20s and someone who now hosts a popular true crime podcast? You will definitely want to keep the lights on as you listen to Night Watcher because the fear and suspense are definitely real! The narration made it even more realistic as I could hear the Hiding Man’s voice in my head. #NightWatcher, #NetGalley, #DaphneWoolsoncroft, #goingwest 

 Lisa Jewell has once again written a thriller that you will not be able to stop listening to. At the beginning it might be a little difficult to keep the characters straight but once you understand what is going on and who is who you will discover that Lisa Jewell has written a book with the smartest, sickest, most depraved psychopath you can even imagine.  And, I loved listening to every minute of it. 

 Shaw Connolly became a forensic scientist specializing in fingerprint analysis because she wanted to be sure that the bad guys got caught. Shaw is also a mother, a wife, a daughter and a sister who has never been able to get over the disappearance and presumed death of her 17 yo sister, when she herself was only 18. While this is a police procedural and a very interesting and detailed look at fingerprint analysis it is really an in-depth look at grief, family dynamics, and how an unhealthy mindset affects everything you do. As the title says, Shaw Connolly lives to tell (and so does the dog) but as the story reaches its very climactic end you may begin to wonder at what cost. If you enjoy slow burns and a deep look into the psyches of the different characters you will love this poignant, but sometimes dark story about Shaw Connolly and her grit and determination to finally find out what happened to her sister. 

 You will fall in love with Benny and Joy, just like their thousands of podcast listeners. You will laugh with them, you will cry with them and then you will be terrified for them. And, if you learn from their mistakes this amazing thriller might just save your life. 

As FBI director, Irene Rivers experienced corruption on the national level after bringing down the president and burning many bridges with people around her in the FBI. She thought after being forced out of the FBI and moving to a small rural town in WV with her 12 yo nephew and 17 yo daughter that she would be away from the spotlight, away from corruption, and away from danger. Instead, she finds herself in the thick of things when human remains are found on her property, when she accepts a PI job trying to prove a teenager was being framed for murder, and when her daughter becomes the victim of sexual harassment. She soon finds more corruption than even she could imagine. Burning Bridges is non-stop action from the first word to the last and filled with people who do not hesitate to do away with anything and anyone in their way and people who either help or look away. They soon come to realize, however, that Irene Rivers is a force to be reckoned with. 

 The city of Amsterdam, a five-generation family of diamond dealers, priceless diamonds, murders and 2 expat young women all come together in this complicated tale of power, greed, family, and lab grown diamonds. You will love this fast-paced and very twisty story of the House of Prins. 

Murder Takes a Vacation is a clever and witty mystery featuring Muriel Blossom, a 68-year-old widow who was an investigator working for Tess Monahan in some of Lippman’s previous books. While listed as a cozy this is not what I typically think of as a cozy. It is a beautifully written story of international intrigue, with an interesting cast of characters and a bonus look at the art world and artist Joan Mitchell.