It Began With A Lie-Secrets of Redemption Book 1

I have read several books by this author and have had this on my TBR for a while. I decided to read it during a lull in the advanced reader copies I have to review. I could not put this down. The buildup is intense, heart thumping and I could not wait to see how the story was going to end. 

Rebecca and her husband Stefan, along with is 16-year-old daughter, decided to move from New York to Redemption, Wisconsin to have a fresh start. The law firm he works for is having problems and their marriage is on life support. Rebeccas aunt, Charlie Kingsley, left her a house that they can move into, sell and hopefully get back to their life in New York, a little better off than before.

The house has a violent past and the locals believe it to be haunted. Rebecca is thrust back into a house, where 15 years before, she nearly died and lost her memory. Stefan is working in New York while she remains to get the house ready to sell and strange things start happening. She keeps misplacing things, (or is she?), losing pockets of time and her stepdaughter starts sleepwalking and acting really strange. Rebecca is having nightmares and horrible headaches and believes she is seeing ghosts. Everything comes to a head one night when her stepdaughter is found sleepwalking yet again, but this time Stefan is there, and he accuses Rebecca of trying to attack them both and has her committed. Can Rebecca find out the truth about what's really going on before it's too late?

Throughout the story I really disliked Stefan even before we find out who is really is at the end. Hes controlling, condescending and abusive. This book has it all. Its part paranormal, part horror, part ghost story and part psychological thriller. This could be read as a standalone, but it is part of a series with the next book discussing what happened during the time when Rebecca was 16 and lost her memory after a party one night with her friends. I highly recommend this story and really anything by this author. I have not read anything by her that I have not liked.

The Curse of the Blue Figurine-Johnny Dixon Book 1

This book was recommended by my husband. When he was growing up, he read a lot of books by John Bellairs and really enjoyed them. I read The House with the Clock in its Walls and really liked it, so I was looking forward to reading this one. 

The story centers around a boy named Johnny Dixon. His mother has recently passed away and his father is off to war again, so Johnny is living with his grandparents. Across the street from his grandparents is the eccentric Professor Childermass. The professor has been telling Johnny about a local legend, the ghost of a priest, Father Baart. Johnny is a smart, quiet kid who is often bullied by a boy in school named Eddie. One day while hiding from Eddie, he ducks into the church near the school and decided to wander into the basement. While down there he stumbles upon a hollowed-out book that has a scroll and a blue Egyptian looking figurine and it appears to have belonged to Father Baart. The scroll says not to remove the items from the church, but Johnny gets spooked and runs home, book in hand. The next time Johnny goes to the church he meets a man named Robert Beard. He seems odd and gives Johnny a strange ring. After that encounter, supernatural and strange things start happening and Johnny turns to Professor Childermass to help him out, fearing his grandparents won't believe him. As the days go by, Johnny is becoming more secretive and seems to be ill. Things take a turn for the worse. Can the professor help Johnny escape the curse of the blue figurine?

This is the first of the Johnny Dixon books. It is spooky, supernatural and just a really fun read. I love the character of Professor Childermass and his relationship with Johnny. Even though the book is technically for kids, it's not written in a kiddie way and there were a few times the author used words I had to look up. The author definitely doesn't water it down for kids. Adults will definitely enjoy these stories. I highly recommend any book by John Bellairs.

Grave Lies-Mercury Mediums Mystery Book 1

WOW!! What a page turner! I could not put this down and ended up reading in one day. This book is sort of a spin off from the Penny Wright series, also by this author. Penny Wright is a medium who reluctantly accepts that she is one and is always willing to help those in need. She has recently joined The Mercury Group. The Mercury Group is made up of other para-sensitives like her who use their skills to help spirits move on. Penny is partnered with Zandra, who can sort of read people's minds.

This is the first book in the Mercury Mediums series if this book is any indication, then subsequent books should be just as fantastic as this one. 

Heather Davenport was 8 when she first saw ghosts. Her dog was scratching at the door of a long-dilapidated house on her grandmother's property, when she stumbles upon the skeletal remains of a couple buried in a shallow grave. Forty years later, she is an FBI agent and is determined to solve this case before she runs out of time. After feeling like she's run out of traditional means of solving the case, she turns to the Mercury group and Penny and Zandra arrive to help her. Can Penny and Zandra help Heather find the identities of the dead couple and maybe even find the killer?

I really loved this book! The setting, the characters, the story, there wasn't one thing about this story that I didn't like. The chapters are short, and the story is very well written. I am very excited to see more from Penny and Zandra. Hopefully they'll stay together as partners but either way, this was a fantastic book! I received this book free from NetGalley for an honest review.

The Martins

The Martins, translated from French to English, is a fantastically interesting, intriguing and fun book. I wasn't sure exactly what I was getting into with this one, but I found that I actually really enjoyed it. 

The narrator who normally writes fiction has decided to branch out and write a book on the first person he encounters on the street. He often sees a young woman standing outside near his apartment, smoking and initially this is the person he had in mind when he made the decision to write a book like this. However, the young woman is not there on the day he's out walking. Instead, he sees an 80ish year old woman walking with her grocery trolley and he catches up with her and introduces himself, adding that he'd like to write a book about her. Madeline is surprised at this idea and say she needs to put her groceries away, so he follows her up to her apartment. They end up having a lovely discussion. Madeline's daughter, Valerie arrives and is not happy with his intrusion and accuses him wanting to take advantage, as her mother has early Alzheimer's. He assures her that is not the case, and she agrees to allowing him to continue-if he also writes about her and her family. Suddenly the narrator is thrust into the lives of the Martins. Valerie, her husband Patrick and their two kids, Jeremie and Lola. Hes drawn into their domestic squabbles and in the end he the catalyst for changing their lives dramatically. 

I really liked this story. I love the idea that a writer might walk up to a stranger and ask to write about them and in the end, end up changing their lives, for the better. The chapters are short, and I love the little footnotes, like memos for himself. There were antidotes about Karl Lagerfeld, whom Madeline had worked for and that was interesting too. All in all, is a clever and charming book. 

Fragrant Violation-Book 5 in the Doused to Death series

This is book 5 in the Doused to Death Cozy Mystery Series. Nati Butler is a perfumer who runs a shop called Natis Nose where she creates all kinds of different scents. She also moonlights as an amateur detective. With her boyfriend Owen and her trusty dog, Sal, she will take on yet another case in their small town of Roslyn.

Nati, Owen and Sal are once again caught up in a murder mystery. Owen has taken her to a local rodeo, and he is so excited to be getting a backstage tour where they get to meet the riders and the bulls. They meet one rider, Cooper Murphy, a rising star who ends up being partner with the most dangerous bull, Krakatoa. Unfortunately, there is a tragic accident and Cooper ends up dying. Was it just an accident or was there foul play involved? 

As with the other book in this series, I really enjoyed this story. I love the characters and I found myself tearing during one part involving Owen and Nati. The stories are clever and well written. The chapters are short, and they are all very easy reads. I received this book free from Booksirens for an honest review.

Left Without Answers

Cori Nevruz has done it again! I first heard of her last year when I discovered a book she wrote called Dirty Laundry. I was instantly hooked and was thrilled when I was chosen to read her next book Making A Killing early. Both books are fantastic (you should go read them now!) and this book is no exception. 

Alice and Mark black are reeling after the discovery of the son, Hank, in his room dead, from an apparent suicide. There were no warning signs that he might be suicidal and he left no note. Alice is desperate to find out why he took his life and she believes that his best friend Arnold may hold the key. Soon she starts to find little blue sticky notes, a favorite of Hanks, all over the place with notes she believes he is writing her from the grave. Arnold finally writes her a letter explaining that he's been grieving and that Hank was being bullied by a new kid at school. Finally, Alice has the name of the person she believes took her son from her. Can she put his death to rest before she has a complete breakdown?

This book was fantastic. I literally felt the pain from this mother oozing off the pages. As a mother myself, and someone who was bullied mainly on the school bus, this is something I have often thought of. I am very blessed to be able to homeschool my kids so they don't have much experience with bullying, but I would hope that if they were in school that I would be able to recognize signs of depression and unhappiness. I also do not allow my children to have social media, a place I believe to be toxic to burgeoning minds. Thank you, Cori, for writing such a sad and yet wonderful story. I look forward to more from you. 

My Husbands Secrets

Is the man you married everything he seems to be or are dark secrets lurking in the background? That is the question throughout this story. I think we'd all like to think we know our significant others inside and out, but can we ever truly know someone as deeply as we'd like?

After the death of her first husband, Rory, Ali is left alone with her daughter, Emma and the business they created together. After a few years her friends, Liz and Dane introduce her to Matthew, and they fall in love quickly. Fast forward a few years and they are just finishing celebrating their third wedding anniversary at a party with friends. In the parking lot, they get into an argument and as they're driving home, Matthew is speeding and he loses control of the car, plunging them in to the river below. Ali is able to escape with the help of her friends, but the car and Matthew are swept away. Matthews body is never recovered, and Ali is left a widow for a second time. What happens in the months after their terrible accident, is a complicated web of lies, deceit and betrayal. Is Matthew still alive and if he is, just what has he been hiding all these years? 

This is the first book I have read by this author. The story kept me on the edge of my seat and is a definite page turner. I found myself yelling at her for not doing things like changing her locks or getting a security system in her home. My heart would be thumping as I was quickly turning the page to see what she was about to uncover and I for one, never saw the twists coming. I really enjoyed this story and will be looking for more from this author, I received this book for free from NetGalley for an honest review.

The Taking- The Riverview Mysteries 3

I received notification through my email that Michele PW had a new book on Booksirens and I didn't even hesitate to request it. I was not disappointed; this was a fantastic read!

The town of Riverview seems to have a problem. Two women, some twenty years apart, claim fairies took the babies and left behind dead ones instead. Tori and Missy. Tori, walked into her brother's bedroom just as a black figure turned to her and said "ssshhhh", then took him away. In the crib, a baby that the coroner said, died of SIDS. Missy had her baby and her midwife whisked him away telling her he died, this time the baby died of drug overdose. But both women are reluctant to believe that the babies taken are actually dead. Tori's mother was bi-polar as is Missy, so it's just written off as two crazy women telling tales. But what if something darker and more twisted is actually happening in Riverview? And even worse, could these two events be connected?

I was able to read this is a few hours. As usual, with all the books I've read by this author, I was not able to put it down. The characters were believable, and the descriptions of these women's stories were really creepy. I love how she was able to weave the fairy story in with the actual truth that comes out once they start investigating. The twist ending is definitely not one that I saw coming. I received this book free from Booksirens for an honest review.

Harley James and The Peril of the Pirates Curse-Book 2

Sometimes you just want a quick read that is clever and fun at the same time. This series is obviously geared towards kids; however, I thoroughly enjoy them. Well written, fun, and still a good mystery, this is a series I will continue to read.

Harley James is the daughter of famed archaeologist, Russell James and he is off on another adventure, this time to Port Royal, Jamaica. Harley and her trusted dog Daisy are along for the ride too and you just never know what they're going to get into.

Port Royal is home to a famed sunken pirate city. Back in 1692, there was a massive earthquake and part of the city sunk into the ocean, intact. The youngest pirate on record, Johnny King was there, and he wrote down the events in his diary that now resides in the local museum. The locals have a legend about a blue pearl they all fear. Legend has it that if the pearl is allowed on land terrible things will happen. Harley is part of a society called S.M.A.L.L. or the Society of Mysterious Artifacts. Legends and Lore. They have sent her information on this legend and Harley must use her codebreaking expertise to uncover the truth about the pearl and stop the rest of the city from being destroyed.

This is a fantastic series for kids and adults alike. The characters are fun, smart and believable. The chapters are short yet entertaining and I definitely found myself quickly turning the pages to see if Harley could break the code in time. I look forward to the next book. I received this book free from Booksirens for an honest review.

My Little Brother

I love a good thriller and this story held my attention from the very beginning. I found myself not wanting to put the book down, desperate to find out what happened to the little brother.

Dr. Caryn Peeke has not been to her childhood home in almost 20 years. When she was 10 her little brother, Lloyd, the 6, disappeared from the playground at their school where she was supposed to be watching him, He just vanished and shortly after she was sent away to her paternal grandmother's home, never to hear from her parents again. With the 20th anniversary of her brother's disappearance looming, she suddenly receives two notes from someone in the village she is from, Moryd-oer. Both notes written her native, although forgotten, Welsh. After some struggling, she was able to decipher them. They read: Come home. Its time you learned the truth; and I know where your brother is. Caryn believes the notes may be from her parents. Little does she know the horror she about to discover as she returns to the now foreign home, she once lived in. 

The book is told in a third person perspective with flashback scenes written in as Caryn starts to unlock long forgotten and tucked away memories. We also get a perspective from someone named "the watcher" and I guarantee you'll never see coming who it is. I really enjoyed the Welsh writing thrown in. I have a long-time love of that part of the world. I felt the characters were believable and had great backgrounds. This story will definitely have you on the edge of your seat. If you love a good mystery thriller you will not want to miss out on this one! I received this book free from NetGalley for an honest review. 

Old Country

When I received this book in the mail and read the synopsis I was definitely intrigued. I have to say that I was not disappointed. This story is scary, thrilling and will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout the entire book.

Harry and Sasha are a married couple in their thirties. Harry is a veteran a who met his wife in college, and they have now decided to take the plunge and go live out their dream of living in the mountains. The find the perfect place, a small ranch in the Teton Valley in Idaho. It's a remote, 55 acre spread with just two neighbors and a national forest nearby. The perfect, secluded place they've always been dreaming of. 

They load up and take their dog Dash off to their new adventure arriving in early spring. Not long after arriving their neighbors, the Dan and Lucy, introduce themselves and start to fill them in on the "rules for surviving living in the valley".  Harry does not take kindly to them spinning what he believes to be crazy tales of a vengeful spirit that haunts the valley and how to perform seasonal rituals in order to survive. Things between Harry, Sasha and Dan and Lucy are rocky at first but soon they begin to believe the older couple about the spirit. 

Once they start to experience the spirit and the manifestations, they fall into a nice routine of living on the ranch and all that comes with that. However, Harry starts taunting the spirit and what happens next is nothing short of shocking, scary and sad. The spirit manifestations change with the seasons and with winter approaching, Harry is warned that it will be the worst one to get through and it'll be a fight for survival to say the least. 

Overall, I really enjoyed the basis of the story-an ancient spirit is haunting the valley and you must adhere to certain rules in order to live there. However, there were a few issues I had with the story. First, Harry is an ex-marine. I felt the authors went on and on about how awful the military is and how it's a construct that is unnecessary. As the daughter of a veteran, this hit hard and it was at times hard to read through. At times war is unnecessary, unless drafted, the military career is a choice and one that a person should thoroughly investigate before joining. But I digress. Second, there was another issue I had with a part of the storyline with Sasha that I felt was a bit preachy but Ill not give spoilers. The end of the story definitely had me wanting more and I really would have liked more information on a few loose ends. However, overall this a great book and you will not want to put it down. 

Gallows Hill

Its National Iced Tea Day, so here's my glass and my latest book review.

It's not often that I am thoroughly creeped out when reading a book. I have read two other books by this author and as usual I was not disappointed.  This book is spine chilling, heart pounding, and had me on the edge of my seat throughout the whole read. 

The story centers around a place called Gallows Hill. Margot has returned to her family home after the untimely death of her parents. They have left her the family home and business, a winery. At the funeral it is revealed that Margot doesn't know her parents, and thus we have the first part of this mystery. Having been sent away when she was 8, she has no recollection of ever living on the property. But now she is the sole owner, and she is about to discover not only why she was sent away but just how sinister the land she now owns can be.

As the story deepens, we find out that Margot is the last in a line that spans back over 250 years. The locals say the land is cursed and Margo very quickly finds out that it is indeed true. The truth is heartbreaking and more malevolent than she could have imagined, and it will cost her everything to rectify it. What happened on Gallows Hill, and can Margot break the curse before it claims her too?

Darcy Coates is a master of suspense and terror. She was able to convey through the pages the sheer panic and fright that Margot felt while in the house. As I was reading, I would jump at sounds and the lights played tricks on me. I found myself using my phone light to maneuver though my room, something I don't normally do. The characters are wonderfully written and the descriptions of the land and the things haunting it are so detailed you'd think you were there. It's really interesting to think about the land we walk on every day. What kind of history lies within it? This is a fantastically scary read and you will not be able to put it down. I received this book free from NetGalley for an honest review.

Breaking Seven

I won this book from a giveaway on Instagram. I wasn't even sure of what the book was about until it arrived in the mail, and I had a chance to read the blurb on the back. I was instantly intrigued by the description of the story and dove in immediately.

The story centers around David a man who wanders the country on a mission from God. He has been given the unique ability to literally take another's suffering from them and feel everything they do. From depression, to anxiety, to drug addiction, there is no suffering too much for him to take or is there? David has a secret. He is suffering from the immense weight of guilt from something in his past and there will come a time when he must face him own demons. Within the story is a woman named April. She is a lost soul, a drug addict who has given up, her encounter with David will not only change her life but his as well. 

As a Christian myself I really felt this book. There are several chapters with bible verses, I found myself taking notes on the ones I'd like to read more in-depth. The idea that someone has such strong empathy that they could literally take on someone's pain is intense and interesting to say the least. One of my favorite quotes is " How do I believe it? I don't know. I guess at some point I recognized it as truth, somewhere deep inside me and have never lost that." This is exactly how I have felt. I was not raised in the church, and I cannot describe why I believe in God, I just do. This is a story about forgiveness, redemption and faith. A story you will not want to put down. 

Hungry Hill-K.J. Sargeant

This book opens with a an extremely disgusting crime scene. Setting us up for all the disgusting and disturbing things that will happen in the next 70 chapters. This book is truly a horror story, and I could not put it down. 

The story takes place mostly around a nonfunctional, dilapidated farm where a man, Dominic and his Aunt Violet live in basic squalor. The place is called Cherry Tree Farm, but the locals have named it Hungry Hill because of the amount of people that have gone missing around it, like it has some kind of appetite. The locals are not far off from their assessment. The farm holds a deep family secret and a house of horrors and the two inhabitants, definitely have a hunger.

The author does a really good job of conveying the depravity that the aunt and nephew take out on their victims. The story has a "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" or "Hills Have Eyes" type vibe. The aunt, Violet is an extremely sick individual, she is violent, and her level of involvement with the nephew's proclivities is terrifying. If I say too much more, I'll spoil it. All in all, I really liked the story. The setting, the gore, the characters. I do wish there was a little more to the ending but overall, given the circumstances, the ending was a good one.  

Burning Bright-Book Two in the Rise and Fall of Dani Truehart Series

This is book number two in the Dani Truehart series. I finished the first book and was very excited when the author offered to send the second book to read and review also. Both books end on a cliffhanger so I was excited to see what Dani has been up to since the last book. To say I was not disappointed is an understatement. Although this is not my typica genre, I can honestly say that I really enjoy these books and definitely had a hard time putting it down to go do life things.

Dani Truehart is a teenage singing sensation. At the end of the last book, Dani is 15 and has just finished recording her first album and is off to do a crazy world concert tour. There will be interviews, publicity photos, and of course, concerts for her amazing fans The Truehart Nation. This book picks up with her leaving for said tour and all of her hard work and sacrifice is about to be worth it, or is it?

In this book, Dani is now 16, far from a typical teenager, she is starting to see just how there can be a dark side to stardom. Her schedule is so packed she's lost almost all contact with her friends, family and her boyfriend, Sean. Shes having a hard time staying grounded and at times loses her cool in way that is really unprofessional. Despite having those around her who have been in her shoes before and are there to help her, Dani starts to act out and it could cost her everything, literally.

Dani is thrown into a world I feel she is unprepared for in a lot of ways. I know her manager Martin does his best but there were so many times I was screaming at him to do something more. Throughout the series we see just how awful and toxic Danis mother is. Dani even questions herself saying "she's my mother. I just cant stop talking to my mother, can I?" I was thinking, yes you can. She is a toxic, selfish, hateful person and just because she's your mother doesn't mean she has to a part of your life. 

The author has created a very real world here with real characters that are likeable and relatable. With all the attention to detail you will literally feel as if you are a part of the backstage, behind the scenes life of a teenage singing sensation. I cannot even begin to imagine what it would be like to be in Danis shoes. The pressure to perform perfectly, the pressure from friends for not being there for them, from family to provide money now that you are making tons, from fans to be exactly who they think you should be and from yourself to not let everyone down. Its no wonder that Dani starts down a path that I am very much hoping is not very long. This is a fantastic series, a huge thank you to the author for sending me both books and I am very much looking forward to the next book!

When The Moon Turns To Blood

Anyone who knows me, knows that I love a good true crime story. From books to tv, I will watch or read just about anything when it comes to true crime. Unfortunately, this book just fell flat for me. 

The book focuses on two missing kids, seven-year-old, J.J. Vallow and his sister, sixteen-year-old Tylee Ryan. Lori Vallow is elusive as to where the kids are and after obtaining a search warrant, she disappears. Where are the kids? There is a larger mystery going on here and her life will begin to unravel as the police close in. 

I felt the book was too much information on the origins and goings on when it comes to the LDS church. I could really feel that the author thinks the LDS is church in is nothing more than a bunch of backwards, religious nuts that have weird ideas. Now, I am not in the LDS church, but I am a Christian and although some of their beliefs are a tad out there, there are some things I agree with like not relying on the government to give you handouts and that income tax should be abolished. 

I didn't actually finish the book, which isn't typical, but I felt the book was just droning on about too much that had very little to do with the actual true crime part of the story. I would have rather the author just focused on Lori and her role in the disappearances of her kids, with small mentions of her religious beliefs. Yes, I am aware that the reason for her kids missing does have something to do with her religious beliefs, I just feel there was a better way to convey why this happened.