Blood Tide

  In this blog post, I reviewed Neil Lancaster’s Blood Tide, the 2nd installment in the DS Max Craigie crime thriller series. This gripping police procedural novel will leave you at the edge of your seat. For DS Max Craigie from Police Scotland, he received a call about a suicide jumper who mentioned his life would be ruined and hints of an ongoing police case. For Max, it started the thread with an officer who was in charge of the investigation. Before he had gotten the chance, someone arranged for his death. One by one, he talked to his probe and followed the evidence of drug smuggling and a line of police corruption. When someone decided to wipe the slate clean by killing some drug runners, it made them turn their heads with suspicion. They teamed up with the PIRC to look into a crooked cop and the other unraveling threads from their nefarious crimes.  Someone had tipped off Tam Hardie, an escaped madman who escaped prison and wanted revenge against Max Craigie for ruining his life. Max feared for his life and for his wife’s too. But due to his escape, he went after one of Max’s colleagues, Janie, who almost died.  Hardie escaped to live another day while Max tended to Janie’s medical needs. The plot thickened on who was Hardie’s contact, and how they planned to expose this line of corruption to the ultimate showdown in the end. 

This gripping police thriller is nitty-gritty and gets your heart pounding at every page. I cared for Max, who wanted to do his job right and protect his wife while he’s a man on a mission. He’s a caring police officer who wants to see justice prevail to keep everyone safe. The dual locations in Scotland and Wales were intriguing and profound.  The theme of the story is corruption may run rivers deep, but good deeds make you a better person.

This police thriller will give you chills and thrills. I rated this book, four out of five stars, for no reason. If you nail-biting police thrillers with non-stop action, heart-stopping drama, and plenty of suspense,  you'll love Blood Tide. It's recommended for fans who love police procedurals like PD James and Faye Kellerman.

The Den

  In this blog post, I reviewed Cara Reinard’s The Den. This gripping domestic suspense thriller is twisted, dark, and keeps you guessing straight toward the end. It all started for Lucinda Fox, who came home to Pittsburgh to attend a benefit to honor her mother. But when her father suffered a stroke, it caused a ripple effect for her sister Valerie, her two brothers Christian and Jeremy, and even for their former nanny, Marian Vega. While they waited to hear their father’s prognosis, they learned about the Den, a special trust fund set up by their father Stefan Fox, in case anything should happen to their father. Meanwhile it caused sparks and other concerns between them. Christian wants to contest it, while the others don’t. But when he winds up in the fatal car accident, things change. Someone began to target them, one by one, until they were wiped out to claim the money. It’s up to Lucinda and Valerie to get down to the bottom of it before it’s too late for them. In a life-and-death battle, the surprising twist will leave you speechless and spine-tingling at the climax. 

This compelling domestic suspense is dark and twisted with a gripping storyline premise. I cared for Lucinda, who was the unwanted child, and wanted so much to please the people who cared about her. I also cared for Valerie, who wanted to protect her daughter Isla, and give her a better future. The location of Pittsburgh painted the scenes well for the settings. The dual themes of the story is no one’s perfect, and greed is an evil sin when it comes to money and revenge.

This dark domestic suspense will keep you at the edge of your seat and make your head spin. I rated this book, four out of five stars for no reason.   If you love dark domestic thrillers with family issues, non-stop action, heart-stopping drama, and plenty of suspense,  you'll love The Den. It's recommended for fans who love Gone Girl and Hannah Mary McKinnon.

Still The One

  In this blog review, I read Jill Shalvis’  Still the One, the sixth installment in the Animal Magnetism contemporary romance series. This beautiful contemporary romance would sleep you off your feet and have you crying tears of joy at the end. Darcy Stone is a true survivor in every sense of the word. She survived a nasty car accident and had the scars to live to tell about it. She lost her job as a travel writer for National Geographic. But she never felt loved by her missionary parents.  She just wanted a place to call her own as her home and somewhere to belong. She worked at Belle Haven Wellness Center when she matched therapy dogs to their owners. But AJ Colten, a former Navy vet, had always ruffled her father and cared for her, even if he was her brother Wyatt’s best friend. When he needed somebody to help him land an important grant for his physical therapy, he asked Darcy to go to Boise with him. From there, they pretended to become a couple and learned to trust each other and their instincts. But during a snowstorm, all bets were off when they revealed how they felt for each other. Back home, things had changed. Would Darcy will be willing to let go of the past to love AJ? Or lose her newfound happiness altogether. 

This heartfelt contemporary romance is so moving and emotionally packed. This romance is well-written and beautiful from start to finish. I cared for Darcy who suffered so much, and needed to feel wanted and loved by the people who care about her the most. I also adored AJ who would bend over backwards to be with Darcy, his true love. The dual locations of Sunshine and Boise Idaho were picture perfect to transport you there. The theme of the story is beauty is in the eye of the beholder, when the inside counts, scars and all.

This contemporary romance is off the charts and leave you speechless.  I had no issues with this book.  I rated this book, five out of five stars, because it was a tear-jerker.  If you love contemporary romance thrillers that deals with pet rescues, you’ve love Still The One.  It’s recommended for fans who love Debbie Mason, Roxanne St. Claire, and Marina Adair. 

The Cleaner

 In  this blog post, I review Mark Dawson’s The Cleaner, the first installment in the John Milton thriller series. This thriller is riveting and would leave you jumping out of your seat. It all started for John Milton, a M15 agent who had been assigned to kill people that caused threats to his government. But with one incident in France, it had changed things and left him a marked man to leave his former job by quitting. Then he met Sharon Warriner, a single mother, who needed someone to help her son Elijah. That’s when Milton came into the picture to help him stay away from drugs and gangs and to take upon boxing with his ally, Dennis Rutherford. He also fixed up a run-down home and became Elijah’s closest friend. But with a target on his back from his former employer and a gangster leader named Bizness, he needed to stay alive and watch his step until someone wanted him as a marked man on the run.

This heart-pounding thriller is well-written and scintillating with every twisted turned. I cared for Milton who wanted a clean slate and needed a break away from his former job, though it might not be so easy. We’ve gotten to know his softer side about helping Sharon and Elijah Warriner out, though he might’ve done more than ruffled a bunch of feathers.The location of London and its surrounding cities would take you places from crime-filled streets to the suburbs. The theme of the story is you can’t run or escape from your past, no matter how hard you tried.

This gripping thriller is off to the great start for this debut. I had no issues with this book. I rated this book, four out of five stars for no reason. If you love thrillers with an espionage angle with non-stop drama, plenty of action, and lots of shocking twists, you’ve love The Cleaner. It’s recommended for fans who love Lee Child’s Reacher and espionage thrillers.

The Tanglewood Tea Shop

  In this blog post, I reviewed Lilac Mills’s The Tanglewood Tea Shop, the first installment in the Tanglewood Village contemporary romance series. This romcom is so good and will have you laughing in stitches. Patisserie chef Stevie is down on her luck. She lost her apartment, her job, and her boyfriend. Her mother and sister treated her like garbage. But when her Aunt Peggy passed away, she ended up with a huge windfall that changed her life—an inheritance in her will. By chance, she went to Tanglewood to open her own tea shop and ran into Nick Saunders, a champion show jumper. For Nick, he couldn’t believe his luck would change. He’s feeling a bit guilty for his sister Tia, who’s handicapped due to an horse-riding accident, because it was his fault. He wasn’t looking for love and felt sorry for himself. Due to some hilarious run-ins with each other in Tanglewood, the village came together due to a flood when everyone came together to join forces on that rainy night. Stevie’s business is picking up customers as everyone gets along better in Tanglewood than in London. She also made new friends and befriended a cat she named Peggy. But when her friend Leanne’s brother Saul is smitten with her, it complicated things between Nick and Stevie further. At the ball, they decided to follow their heart and made a go of it to be together.

This delightful romcom is well-written and so funny, you’ll still be laughing after you finished reading. It gave me the feels and hit all the right spots. I cared for Stevie who didn’t deserve to be treated poorly by her mother and sister. This has a Cinderella-like feel to it. I also cared for Nick, who wanted the best for his sister Tia, even if he had to let go of the past to move on. He cared for her tremendously.
  The location of Tanglewood Village was picturesque and homey to take you there from the tea shop and Nick’s horse ranch. The theme of the story is finding your happy place to follow your heart.

This wonderful romcom is a must-read on your book list.  I had no issues with this book.  I rated this book, five out of five stars since it was fantastic.  If you love romantic comedies that tickle your funny bone and warms your heart with non-stop romantic drama, plenty of romance, and lots of funny moments, you’ve love The Tanglewood Tea Shop. It’s recommended for fans who love Hallmark movies, classic romcom movies and novels, and Heidi Stephen’s Never Gonna Happen.