Category: Thomas & Mercer

The Promise by Teresa Driscoll

On By JolieIn ARC, book review, NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer3 Comments
The Promise by [Driscoll, Teresa]

4 Stars

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Date of publication: February 7th, 2019

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

Where you can find The Promise: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | BookBub

Book synopsis:

The chilling new psychological thriller from the #1 bestselling author of I Am Watching You.

It was their darkest secret. Three schoolgirls made a promise – to take the horrible truth of what they did to the grave.

Thirty years later, Beth and Sally have tried to put the trauma behind them. Though Carol has distanced herself from her former friends, the three are adamant that the truth must never come to light, even if the memory still haunts them.

But when some shocking news threatens to unearth their dark secret, Beth enlists the help of private investigator Matthew Hill to help her and Sally reconnect with estranged Carol ­– before the terrible act they committed as teenagers is revealed.

Beth wishes she could take back the vow they made.

But somebody is watching and will stop at nothing to ensure the secret stays buried. Now, with her beloved family in peril, can Beth still keep the promise

My Review:

Beth, Sally, and Carol became best friends when they met in boarding school. Their friendship was tested one fateful night when something horrible happened. Something that they vowed never to speak of again.

Thirty years later, the boarding school is being demolished. Terrified that their secret will be exposed, Beth and Sally try to contact Carol. Instead, Beth is warned to leave it alone. She is finally ready to face the past. But someone doesn’t want the past brought up. Someone is prepared to kill to keep the secret. But who is it? And what lengths will they go to ensure Sally and Beth stay quiet?

The plotline of The Promise did take some time getting going. Like I said in my WWW Wednesday post, I wasn’t a fan of the book at first. There was so much going on that I had an issue keeping storylines/characters straight. The author merged everything down to two main storylines. What happened to the girls at boarding school in the past and what was happening to them in the present. She was able to merge the two at the end of the book.

My dislike of Beth didn’t turn to like immediately. But, she acknowledged that she needed help. She also knew that telling people about the secret would be a weight lifted off her shoulders. I didn’t like how she handled what Carol told her. I thought that she could have handled it better. But when push came to shove, she was there for Carol.

Carol sideswiped me. I was with the majority of people in the book. I thought that Carol was being a snot. Talk about something that came out of left field. I also was taken aback by her confession to Beth in the hotel room. Again, out of left field.

I liked Sally. The secret she had to keep affected her more than she let on. Her home life when she was younger was awful. The tidbits that she told Matthew and what I read in Beth’s flashback, she didn’t have it good. I did have a good cry about her news at the end of the book. All I have to say about that is that she deserved it.

The Promise fit right in with the mystery/thriller/suspense genre. The author was a master at throwing out red herrings and false leads. I would have never of guessed at who was sending the messages to Beth and who ran Adam off the road. Never would have guessed at all. And what happened at the end of the book. That all came out of the blue for me.

The end of The Promise was one of the more intense ones that I have read to date. The author had a couple of huge plot twists thrown in there that made me go “WTH.” Like I mentioned above, I didn’t see them coming. I also liked that the author was able to wrap up all the storylines. Everyone got what they deserved and then some. Loved it!!

I would give The Promise an Adult rating. There is language. There is violence. There are mentions of sexual acts but no graphic sex.

I would reread The Promise. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

I would like to thank the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Promise.

All opinions stated in this review of The Promise are mine.

Have you read The Promise?

What were your thoughts on it?

What are your thoughts on huge twists in stories?

Let me know?

The Lost Ones by Ben Cheetham

On By JolieIn ARC, book review, NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer1 Comment
The Lost Ones: A psychological thriller full of twists and turns by [Cheetham, Ben]

4 Stars

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Date of Publication: October 25th, 2016

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

Where you can find this book: Amazon |Barnes & Noble

Book synopsis:

Some secrets are better left undiscovered.

When a nine-year-old girl goes missing in Harwood Forest, the search for her brings back memories of an unsolved double murder some forty years earlier. Could the key to Erin Jackson’s disappearance lie in the bloody fate of Elijah and Joanna Ingham, bludgeoned to death while their young daughters slept? Were the Inghams really the victims of opportunistic burglars—or a more sinister fate?

The woods are combed for signs of the child, but Erin’s brother, Jake, mounts his own investigation, uncovering evidence that puts the Inghams’ daughters—vanished Rachel and ‘crazy’ Mary—in the frame. Meanwhile, Erin’s father suspects that the ragtag army of eco-warriors besieging his quarry development may have something to hide.

As devastating secrets and betrayals are revealed, the Jackson family is brought to a breaking point. But time is running out. Erin is still missing and Jake’s unorthodox inquiries have left him dangerously exposed. They must find Erin and lay the past to rest—before they become its latest victims.

My review:

Tom Jackson started off having a good day. He had won the approval of his village’s council to reopen an abandoned quarry near a historical site, over the objections of a group of eco-warriors and Druids that are objecting to them even opening the quarry. Then he gets a phone call that is the beginning of the end. His 9-year-old daughter, Erin, has gone missing while on a walk in the woods with her mother, Amanda.

While the whole town starts a search party and the local police launch an investigation, Jake, Erin’s older brother, decides to go into an abandoned house where two people were murdered over 40 years ago. After being attacked by a rook, killing it, and rescuing its babies, Jake is drawn into an awful confrontation with his mother and father. That sends him running back to the house, and what he finds there is something that can unravel the world as he knows it.

Tom and Amanda, in the meanwhile, are having struggles of their own. Secrets come to light during the investigation. Those secrets threaten to destroy their marriage and commitment to each other.

Seth is a young man who happens to be in town at the same time that Erin disappears. He has his agenda and wants to right a wrong that occurred over 40 years ago. He is caught up in the search, and his plan is taking a back seat to the search and rescue.

Mary is the surviving daughter of the people who were murdered over 40 years ago. Called “Crazy” Mary, she never talks, lives in a secluded bungalow with her cats, and acts weird. She knows who killed her parents but is rendered mute due to that trauma.

Everything is tied together in an explosive ending!!!

This book is very fast-paced right from the get-go. I mean, I scorched through 1/2 of the book within a day and the other half the next day. The book had me that sucked into it.

I did figure out who killed the Ingham’s about halfway through the book, but even though I figured it out, I was surprised at why that person did it and how this person would go to cover their tracks.

The multiple storylines in the book were wonderfully brought together at the end of the book. The ending was a bit of a shock, actually a huge shock. I wasn’t expecting what happened to happen.

I would give The Lost Ones an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread The Lost Ones. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Mortom by Erik Therme

On By JolieIn book review, Non ARC, Thomas & Mercer1 Comment
Mortom by [Therme, Erik]

4 Stars

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Published: April 28th, 2015

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis:

Andy Crowl barely knew his recently deceased cousin, Craig Moore, so he’s especially surprised to be named as the sole beneficiary in Craig’s will. Not that there’s much to inherit: just an empty bank account and a run-down house.

Andy Crowl barely knew his recently deceased cousin, Craig Moore, so he’s especially surprised to be named as the sole beneficiary in Craig’s will. Not that there’s much to inherit: just an empty bank account and a run-down house.

Once Andy arrives in the town of Mortom, however, he’s drawn into his puzzle-obsessed cousin’s true legacy: a twisted and ominous treasure hunt. Beckoned by macabre clues of dead rats and cemetery keys, Andy jumps into the game, hoping to discover untold wealth. But unsavory secrets–and unanswered questions about Craig’s untimely demise–arise at every turn, leading Andy to wonder if he’s playing the game…or if the game is playing him.

Revised edition: This edition of Mortom includes editorial revisions.

My review:

I am not one to be creeped out by a book. To be honest, the last book that genuinely creeped me out was “It” by Stephen King. So, I wasn’t expected to be as creeped out as I was by Mortom. It wasn’t scary but any means but Andy’s actions and his obsession creeped me out. By the end of the book, all he thought about was getting the prize.

The story starts off with Andy Crowl and his sister, Kate, traveling to the town of Mortom to settle the estate of their late cousin, Craig. Craig had died a couple of weeks earlier what many people, including Andy and Kate, considered an accident. He drowned in a local lake. While they are waiting for the bank manager to show up, they explore the house. While in the kitchen, Andy discovers a huge rat, dead under the refrigerator. When he pulled it out from under the fridge (it stunk), he discovered that it had a key stuck down its throat with a note wrapped around it. All the note said was “Follow Me”.

From this point on, Andy is following the clues left for him and is growing increasingly erratic in his behavior and his obsession with following the clues to whatever prize it at the end. According to a note that Andy found, as part of a clue, Andy has until Friday to find the prize. They also discovered Craig’s death wasn’t accidental….that is was planned because….Craig had a brain tumor, it wasn’t operable and he wanted to die on his own terms.

I did feel bad for Kate after this point because of how Andy was acting. He was becoming more and more obsessed with finding whatever Craig hid. He was assuming it was money. Also, Kate was dealing with her own issues but you really need the book to find out what.

Andy annoyed me. He was acting like a man-child and would throw fits when Kate tried to talk sense into him. His obsession with finding the prize did almost have some disastrous consequences for him and for Kate. But does he realize that? No, he doesn’t and he keeps at it.

The suspense that built throughout the book was great. I knew that the book was heading towards something bad but I didn’t know what, where, who or why. When the climax did happen, it happened with a bang and definitely didn’t let me down. I was sufficiently creeped out by Andy by the end of the book.

Speaking of the end of the book, oh boy did what was revealed take me by surprise. Now, I will say that looking back, there are hints dropped throughout the book but they kinda took a back-burner to the main story.

I would give Mortom an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Mortom. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Livia Lone (Livia Lone: Book 1) by Barry Eisler

On By JolieIn ARC, book review, NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer1 Comment
Livia Lone (A Livia Lone Novel Book 1) by [Eisler, Barry]

5 Stars

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Date of publication: October 25th, 2016

Genre: General Fiction, Mystery, Thriller

Series: Livia Lone

Livia Lone – Book 1

Where you can find this book: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis:

Seattle PD sex-crimes detective Livia Lone knows the monsters she hunts. Sold by her Thai parents along with her little sister, Nason; marooned in America; abused by the men who trafficked them…the only thing that kept Livia alive as a teenager was her determination to find Nason.

Livia has never stopped looking. And she copes with her failure to protect her sister by doing everything she can to put predators in prison.

Or, when that fails, by putting them in the ground.

But when a fresh lead offers new hope of finding Nason and the men who trafficked them both, Livia will have to go beyond just being a cop. Beyond even being a vigilante. She’ll have to relive the horrors of the past. Take on one of the most powerful men in the US government. And uncover a conspiracy of almost unimaginable evil.

In every way, it’s an unfair fight. But Livia has two advantages: her unending love for Nason—

And a lifelong lust for vengeance.

My review:

I am going to warn you all, this book is not an easy read. Not an easy read at all. The subject of human sex trade trafficking is awful and I am sure it was not easy for the author to write about, much less research.

Labee/Livia was a 13-year-old girl living with her parents, brother and 11-year-old sister Nason in her Lahu village in Thailand. The Lahu people live in the mountainous forests along the Burmese and Laotian borders. Labee has no clue about modern technology and lives a simple, but happy, life. That happy life ends when Labee and Nason’s parents sell the girls to human sex trade traffickers. That’s when her happy, carefree life ends.

She is put into a van with her sister and several other children and is driven to Bangkok and put into a shipping container (yes, one of those metal ones but this one seems to be open at the top?) that is put on a ship. While she is on the ship, the unthinkable happens. The people guarding the shipping box chooses Nason to go with them. Labee offers herself up to them, to protect Nason, and is forced to do unthinkable things to the men. But that isn’t enough and Nason is taken. Only to be brought back in a canonic state (use your imagination here).

She is soon separated from Nason and is eventually rescued when a SWAT team raids where her box is being kept and finds her. She is adopted by the prominent Lone family and soon realizes that her life with them is far from perfect. The only thing keeping her going is her quest to find Nason and her desire to get back at the men who hurt her and Nason. She becomes a master at jiu-jitsu and used it as self-defense one horrible night. That’s when she was sent to live with Mrs. Lone’s brother, Ralph.

While that story is being told, there is also a parallel story of a grown-up Labee, now called Livia Lone. She is a sex crimes detective with the Seattle PD. But she is more than that. She is a serial killer, a vigilante killer, who tracks down the rapists and child molesters and kills them. She has a name for her itch to kill. She calls it her dragon and it was formed during her imprisonment and her time with the Lone family.

She is trying to hunt down leads on where Nason could be. I am not going much into the book from here but let’s just say that there is a huge twist in the book. There were hints as to what it was after Livia came to America but I was still very surprised when it was revealed.

I honestly felt bad for Livia. She was shaped into the person she was because of events in her life. I am sure if her father decided against selling her or Nason, it would have been a different story. But it wasn’t.

The end of the book was gory. Not going to lie. vengeance was served and it wasn’t pretty. There really wasn’t a happy ending, not that I was expecting it there to be one.

Like I said above, this was a very hard book to read. But, in a way, I am glad that the author chose to write so honestly about child sex trafficking (heck human sex trafficking period). More light needs to be shown on the atrocities committed against men, women, and children. If you are interested, here is a link to a site that could really make a difference in eradicating it

Polaris

I would give Livia Lone an Adult rating. There is mention of sex. There is mild language. There is mild violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Livia Lone. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Exhume by Danielle Girard

On By JolieIn ARC, book review, NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer1 Comment

Exhume (Dr. Schwartzman Book 1) by [Girard, Danielle]

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Date of publication: October 1st 2016

Series: Dr. Schwartzman

Exhume – Book 1

Excise – Book 2 (expected date of publication August 22nd, 2017)

Genre: mystery, thriller, suspense

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis:

Dr. Annabelle Schwartzman has finally found a place to belong. As the medical examiner for the San Francisco Police Department, working alongside homicide detective Hal Harris, she uncovers the tales the dead can’t tell about their final moments. It is a job that gives her purpose—and a safe haven from her former life at the hands of an abusive husband. Although it’s been seven years since she escaped that ordeal, she still checks over her shoulder to make sure no one is behind her.

Schwartzman’s latest case is deeply troubling: the victim bears an eerie resemblance to herself. What’s more, a shocking piece of evidence suggests that the killer’s business is far from over—and that Schwartzman may be in danger. In this pulse-pounding thriller from award-winning writer Danielle Girard, a woman must face her worst nightmare to catch a killer.

My review:

When I read the blurb, I was intrigued by this book. I love anything to do with medical examiner’s/CSI. I was a huge fan of Dr. G when it was on the air and CSI. It was a no-brainer that I was going to read this book.

Annabelle’s character touched me. She got her medical degree when being stalked by her ex-husband. She was paranoid about going out. She would never know when he would call and tell her that he knew what she was doing. No matter, how many times she called, the police couldn’t tie anything to Spencer MacDonald. Even worse, they didn’t believe her. “He’s an upstanding citizen,” “You must be imagining it,” “He would NEVER do anything like that.”

The story itself was fantastic. I didn’t know where it was going to take me, even though I knew who the bad guy was. I was kept wondering until the end if karma was ever going to catch up with Spencer and I did a fist pump when it did.

The subplots were brought together mid-book and merged into the main one. I was amazed that the author was able to do it so seamlessly. Usually, there is a lag in the plot, but not here. The suspense was kept up until the last pages of the book.

The ending was what I expected but with an extra twist to it. While things weren’t resolved, they were on their way to be, and the book was left open for the second book.

How many stars will I give Exhume? 5

Why? A great thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat and glued to the book. I couldn’t put it down!!

Will I reread? Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends? Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Murder (graphic but the main character is an M.E.), spousal abuse and offensive language.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Girl Number One by Jane Holland

On By JolieIn book review, NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer1 Comment

Girl Number One: A gripping page-turner with a twist by [Holland, Jane]

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Date of publication: September 27th, 2016

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis:

There’s a body in the woods. At least, there was. Eleanor Blackwood saw it on her morning run: a young woman, strangled to death.

But the police can find nothing—no body, no sign of a crime—and even Ellie has to wonder if it was a trick of her mind, a gruesome vision conjured up by grief. It’s eighteen years to the day since she witnessed her own mother’s murder on the same woodland spot. But what if she really did see what she thinks she saw? What if the body was left there for Ellie alone to find?

And there’s one detail Ellie can’t shake: a deliberate number three on the dead woman’s forehead. When she discovers a second body, this one bearing the number two, Ellie is convinced they are not messages but threats. The killer is on a countdown: but who is girl number one?

My review:

Eleanor was six years old when she saw her mother’s murder on a path in the woods by her farm. She was so traumatized that she couldn’t remember who the murderer was. Even though she looked him right in the face. She spent years in therapy trying to remember who the “shadow man” was.

Her childhood from that day on wasn’t that great. Her dad turned into an alcoholic mess. She struggled with the stigma of being the girl who couldn’t remember her mother’s murderer. She went to university with the plan to stay away. She ended up coming back and teaching physical education at one of the primary schools in the area.

Her life is going great, and she decides to take a run on the path in the woods where her mother was murdered. During her run, she sees that the main path is blocked off. The secondary path, the one her mother was killed on, is the only one available. Going down that path, she feels like someone or something is watching her. Then she stumbles upon a body of a naked woman with the number 3 on her forehead. Upset, she books it out of the woods and calls the police. Only to find the body has disappeared and people are looking at her like she has lost it. Even her father says as much before telling her to leave and never come back to see him again.

Not going to go into the rest of the book but it was great and kept me guessing who the killer was. I did think that I had him/her pegged at one point in the book. Boy, I was wrong.

I did feel bad for Ellie, but she was immature. Her temper seemed to get the best of her at times. Body slamming the student who was being rude to her and calling her a freak was a little much. I was shocked that she only got talked to and not fired.

The ending was fantastic. So much was revealed, though, that my head was spinning.

How many stars will I give Girl Number One? 3-3.5

Why? While it was a great psychological thriller, I was a little taken aback by Ellie’s immaturity and the fact that she acted like she was 19 (she is 24 in the book). It took away from the book, in my eyes.

Will I reread? yes

Will I recommend to family and friends? Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Sex, drinking, violence

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

At Risk by S.G. Redling

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At Risk by [Redling, S.G.]

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Date of publication: September 20th, 2016

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis:

Colleen McElroy grew up wealthy and pampered, the daughter of a prominent society family in Lexington, Kentucky. But her privileged upbringing could not prepare or protect her from her cruel and abusive first husband. Although her calamitous marriage left her with physical and emotional scars that have yet to heal, they haven’t prevented her from doing her best to rebuild her life.

Charismatic Patrick McElroy has scars of his own from his traumatic childhood in the foster care system, but with his business partner, John, he has built a celebrated, state-of-the-art home for at-risk youths. When one goes missing, Colleen is plunged into a nightmare of uncertainty about the girl’s disappearance. Is she paranoid, seeing disasters where there is just bad luck, or does an unspeakable evil lurk behind the new life she’s made for herself? No longer sure of whom she can trust, Colleen will have to rely on herself to discover the truth.

My review:

This book was fantastic!! Mysteries are usually not my cup of tea; I can generally figure out who the murder was by the middle of the book and then get bored reading. But not this book. The bad guys are clearly stated from the get-go. One emerges at in the middle of the book, and the last couple of bad guys appear at the end of the book.

It is the build-up that got me going. The book starts slow and picks up steam as I get deeper and deeper into the book. By the end, its full throttle to the climax of the book. I rarely read a book that can keep that momentum going. So bravo to the author!!!

The beginning of the story was great. It starts with Patrick, Colleen, Bix, and John at a fundraiser for Patrick and John’s project, a state of the art home for at-risk youth. I got a sense of the strange dynamics among the foursome. Colleen is newly married to Patrick and considers herself an outsider to the trio. Patrick and John met when they were children at a group home, and then they met Bix when they were teenagers in another group home.

Colleen notices that something is off with Patrick. He is being secretive and he keeps telling her that he doesn’t want her involved with what he was doing. Big red flag there. One day, Bix approaches Colleen with a phone that she cloned from John and someone texts a list of names. Colleen agrees to play detective and stumbles into something that goes beyond a cheating husband.

As for the characters, I did like Colleen the most. She started as a timid mouse of a woman, still getting over her ex-husband’s abusive ways. By the end of the book, she blossomed into this woman who wasn’t going to take crap from anyone.

I didn’t understand her friendship with Bix. It was a love/hate relationship between them, with the hate being on Bix’s part. If someone ever talked to me the way Bix talked to Colleen, I would have laid them out flat. She was an abrasive, unlikable character.

I didn’t like John either. He came across as slimy, secretive and was always drunk. He rubbed me the wrong way from the first time he appeared in the book.

Patrick was OK. He seemed to be easily influenced/pushed around by Bix and John. He keeps dismissing their behavior and the way Bix treats Colleen as leftover mannerisms from when they were in foster care.

The ending was explosive and it showcased how strong Colleen was. It showed that you never truly know a person, no matter how close you are to them.

How many stars will I give At Risk? 5

Why? This is a true mystery that keeps you guessing until the end of the book.

Will I reread? Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends? Yes

Age range? Adult

Why? No sex but there is mention of a forced sexual situation. Also a ton of violence and language.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Brain Storm (Angela Richman, Death Investigator: Book 1) by Elaine Viets

On By JolieIn ARC, book review, Thomas & Mercer1 Comment
Brain Storm (Angela Richman, Death Investigator Book 1) by [Viets, Elaine]

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Date of Publication: August 2nd, 2016

Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Crime, Fiction, Medical, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook

Series: Angela Richman, Death Investigator

Brain Storm — Book 1

Fire and Ashes—Book 2

Ice Blonde—Book 3

A Star Is Dead—Book 4

Death Grip—Book 5

Life Without Parole—Book 6

Purchase Links: Amazon | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks |

Goodreads Synopsis:

The ultrawealthy families of Chouteau Forest may look down on a woman like death investigator Angela Richman, but they also rely on her. When a horrific car crash kills a Forest teenager, Angela is among the first on the scene. Her investigation is hardly underway, however, when she suffers a series of crippling strokes. Misdiagnosed by the resident neurologist, Dr. Gravois, and mended by gauche yet brilliant neurosurgeon Dr. Jeb Travis Tritt, Angela faces a harrowing recovery.

It’s a drug-addled, hallucinating Angela who learns that Dr. Gravois has been murdered…and the chief suspect is the surgeon who saved her life. Angela doesn’t believe it, but can she trust her instincts? Her brain trauma brings doubts that she’ll ever recover her investigative skills. But she’s determined to save Dr. Tritt from a death-row sentence—even if her progress is thwarted at every turn by a powerful and insular community poised to protect its own.

Before reading Brain Storm, I had never been disappointed in a book. I had such high hopes for it by the Goodreads descriptions and all the 4 and 5-star reviews. I was like, “Yes, this is going to be awesome to read,” and it was for the first few chapters.

I enjoyed reading about Angela’s job, her community, and her friends. The author did a great job setting up her backstory. Then the misdiagnosis and stroke happened, and this is where the book took a nosedive. We got to read all about Angela’s recovery and her hallucinations. That wasn’t bad, but there was so much going on in the backstory!!!

Like the Angel of Death working at the hospital, the little boy dying because Dr. Gravois testified before the insurance company that he didn’t need treatment, and the romance between Monty and Kate. The focus, instead,  was on Dr. Tritt and the accusations that he killed Dr. Gravois. Which was silly.

The ending was anticlimactic, and I didn’t have that “Aha” moment when the bad guy was caught. Because the said bad guy didn’t show up until 3 chapters before the end.

There were some redeeming qualities to this book. The author knew how to make a character come off the page, and she knew how to make you care about the main characters. Which is huge in a book.

I would recommend Brain Storm to anyone over 16. There is minimal violence, no sex, and a gruesome car accident description.

If you enjoyed reading Brain Storm, you will enjoy reading these books:

In The Clearing (Tracy Crosswhite: Book 3) by Robert Dugoni

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In the Clearing (Tracy Crosswhite Book 3) by [Dugoni, Robert]

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Date of publication: May 17th, 2016

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Crime, Suspense, Contemporary, Detective, Adult

Series: Tracy Crosswhite Series

The Academy—Book 0.25

Third Watch—Book 0.5

My Sister’s Grave—Book 1

Her Final Breath—Book 2

In the Clearing—Book 3

The Trapped Girl—Book 4

Close to Home—Book 5

A Steep Price—Book 6

A Cold Trail—Book 7

In Her Tracks—Book 8

The Last Line—Book 8.5

What She Found—Book 9

Purchase Links: Amazon |Audible

Goodreads synopsis:

Detective Tracy Crosswhite has a skill, and a soft spot, for tackling unsolved crimes. Having lost her own sister to murder at a young age, Tracy has dedicated her career to bringing justice and closure to the families and friends of victims of crime.

So when Jenny, a former police academy classmate, and protégé, asks Tracy to help solve a cold case that involves the suspicious suicide of a Native American high school girl forty years earlier, Tracy agrees. Following up on evidence Jenny’s detective father collected when he was the investigating deputy, Tracy probes one small town’s memory and finds dark, well-concealed secrets hidden within the community’s fabric. Can Tracy uphold the promise she’s made to the dead girl’s family and deliver the truth of what happened to their daughter? Or will she become the next victim?

Want a book that you can devour in one sitting? Then read In The Clearing. I was glued to this book and couldn’t put it down.

The storyline and sub storyline was fantastic. The author did a great job alternating between the cold case and the one that Tracy was working on. He did a fantastic job going between past and present and different personas. That is something that I have issues with when reading books like this, and the author nailed it. Also, the way he brought both cases together, in the end, was chilling. I got goosebumps from reading it.

I did figure out who killed Kimi about halfway through the book. It wasn’t like the author was hiding it. There were enough red herrings and what seemed like dead ends that when it was revealed, I was shocked. But there is a major twist that I didn’t see coming.

What surprised me the most about this book is that even though it is part of a series, you could read it alone. I do not read books out of order because sometimes characters intertwine from one book to another. Not this one. What goes on in the previous books stays in the previous books.

If you enjoyed reading In the Clearing, you will enjoy these books: