Ask No Questions

  In this blog post, I reviewed Claire Allan’s Ask No Questions. This crime thriller is twisted and dark in nature. Twenty-five years ago, ten-year-old Kelly Doherty went missing and wounded up dead in Derry Ireland. It shocked the small village town of Creggan as they mourned the death. Now in late October 1999, Ingrid Devlin, one of Kelly’s former classmates, is reporting the anniversary of her death for the local newspaper. While she tried not to sensationalize the story by bringing up the past, she snooped around for answers on what happened to her. It all started when she talked to Jamesy Harte, who’s been released from prison, and always believed in his innocence. He became the town’s pariah when people called him vicious names like a pervert. But as Ingrid digs deeper for the truth, she’s become a target of threats to warn her to keep her mouth shut. She already felt the heat from her boss, Ryan Murray, who didn’t want her to print the story, though she believes he might be holding something back. For two brothers, Declan and Niall Heaney, it told a different story since they were the ones who discovered her dead body. It forever had changed their lives. Niall had a sober life and a successful career as a teacher, while Declan had run-ins with the law and a drinking problem. When Ingrid talked to them about the murder, one brother painted the other in a dark corner. One of them knew the whole story. As she continued to push for answers, more bad things happened to her and to the Doherty family. In the end, she discovered the truth on what really happened when she fought for her life to solve the biggest mystery of them all.
 
This twisted crime thriller would have you on your tenterhooks from start to finish. So many twists and turns and red herrings would have you guessing who had really done it.  I really cared for Ingrid, who really wanted to stop at nothing to get the truth, even if her boss stood in the way. And she wouldn’t let threats or other heeded warnings affect her integrity to get to the heart of the story. I did feel bad for Declan, who had a troubled life, while he secretly idolized his twin brother’s successes, though he might had something to hide in the end. The dual locations of Derry and Creggan  had brought some charm and mystique to the story. The theme of the story is honesty is the best policy while little white lies would find its way out into the open.

This dark crime thriller will give you goosebumps even after you finish reading the book. I couldn’t find anything to nitpick on the storyline since it had a fictional true crime vibe. I rated this book, four out of five stars since it was so good. If you love dark psychological thrillers with heart-stopping and breath-taking moments with non-stop action, plenty of suspense, and lots of nail-biting drama, Ask No Questions is the one for you. This book is recommended if you love reading Tana French’s and Tawny O’Dell’s thrillers, or watching dramatic thrillers on TV or in the movies.

No Words

  In this blog post, I reviewed Meg Cabot’s No Words, the third installment in the Little Bridge Island romcom series, this adult romcom is so fabulously funny from start to finish. Best-selling children’s author Jo Wright had received a stipend to go to a literary fest in Little Bridge Island in the Florida Keys. She’d just came out of the break-up and had hit writers block. And she needed to find a place for her father. She couldn’t forget that this day couldn’t get worse when British adult romance writer Will Price was on the board and will be on the panel with her. She haven’t forgotten what he said to her about her books after a plagiarism scandal book and hated him ever since. During this literary festival, she couldn’t stand him until sparks fly between them when she’d gotten to know him better. She wanted to know why he said those things about her, until they had a heated debate for a panel discussion. From there, her hatred turned into liking every single thing about him, when she  wouldn’t dare cross that line. While she hit the literary spark of genius for writing her next book, she became entangled with him even on social media. This magical trip on the island had worked its charm on her when she needed to decide to head back to NYC or stay on the island with him.

This laugh-out-loud romcom is delightful and amazing with a fascinating storyline that every novelist or reader can relate to in every sense of the way. The dual locations of NYC and the Florida Keys was picturesque and  romantic for Jo’s love story. The theme of the story is never judge a book by its cover when you see them in a new light.

This charming romcom is amusingly hilarious with a dash of inspiration and charming. I couldn’t find anything to nitpick on since this was picture perfect. I rated this book, five out of five stars. If you love romcoms that keep you laughing in stitches after its over with non-stop action,  plenty of romantic drama, and tons of witty humor, No Words is the book for you. This book is recommended for all writers and readers alike and those you love funny romcoms and Hallmark movies.

Under Pressure

  In  this blog post, I reviewed Sara Driscoll’s Under Pressure,  the 6th installment in the FBI K-9 thriller series. This new thriller is riveting and compelling on every page from start to finish. For Meg Jennings, a former cop and K-9 dog handler, it was nothing but a routine search and rescue mission with her dog Hawk. While things were going good with her partner Todd Webb, a firefighter/paramedic, she received a call from her boss to go on a special assignment for the FBI. They needed her to trail an undercover agent named Finn Pierce who investigated an illegal diamond trade joint on in Philadelphia. Between her and her colleague Ryan and his dog Lacey, they did a practice trail without giving themselves and his location away after a couple of tries.  When they passed, they dealt with the real thing and real big-time danger dealing with the Philly crime family and their illegal crime operations in the city. When someone attacked her and the dog, it became personal. And when danger attacked her, it hit close to home when she fought for her life. When her sister’s partner go missing, it’s up to Meg and Hawk, Brian and Lacey to find him before it’s too late to save him.

This K-9 thriller is suspenseful and daring. I cared for Meg on how she cared for her sister and for her dog Hawk. I could see the passion in her eyes and why she loved her job as a SAR dog handler. I also cared for Brian, Webb, McCord, and Cara. They were a stellar cast of characters. Hawk and Lacey were amazing dogs who took care of her owners. The locations set in Philly, Washington D.C, and Virginia were picturesque with vivid scenic settings. The theme of the story is watch your step when trouble follows you home.

This twisted K-9 thriller is captivating and keeps you wanting to read more. I couldn’t find anything to nitpick on since I love dog-themed novels. I rated this book, four out of five stars for no reason. If you love K-9 thrillers with twists and turns with riveting non-stop action, plenty of dramatic suspense, and tons of drama, Under Pressure is right up your alley. This book is recommended for those who love Margaret Mizushima, dog-centric thrillers, and K-9/FBI thrillers and dramas.