Publication Date January 27, 2026 I am certain I have read at least one book by Thrity Umrigar, but can’t remember a THING about it…which won’t be the case with her latest, Missing Sam, which I just read (thanks to Algonquin Books and NetGalley for providing a copy in exchange for this honest review). The …
Publication Date August 26, 2025 In 2021 and 2022 I read two books by Joe Hart that were solid four star reads: Or Else and Where They Lie. Then, in 2023, Never Come Back was a solid five stars, and I was eagerly awaiting more from Hart. Not sure if I missed something, but thanks …
Publication Date June 25, 2025 Joseph and Summer McStay and their two young sons disappeared from their home in Fallbrook, California, in February 2010. Video footage of a family resembling the McStays crossing the border led sheriff’s deputies to initially conclude they had left voluntarily and gone to live in Mexico. I admit, I have …
Publication Date May 6, 2025 I started listening to the Crime Junkie podcast waaaay back in 2017 (true crime has been my friend for years – when I worked in a public library, I could frequently be found in the 364.1523 section. I have mostly enjoyed it (due to Ashley more than Brit, TBH) except …
Publication Date March 25, 2025 Nobody’s Fool by Harlan Coben Over the past several years, I have read and reviewed several Harlan Coben books, and with the exception of Win, all were four or five stars (although it may have been that Covid screwed up my ability to enjoy my usually reliable authors’ releases). Hmmm. …
Publication Date January 28, 2025 Next month, it will have been five years since I read and reviewed a book by Joseph Finder…that one was 5-star House On Fire, #4 in the Nick Heller series (note to self: go back and read 1-4!!) During the pandemic, I read a ton of books, including lots of …
Publication Date May 20, 2025 Here I go again, with my secret pleasure reading: true crime. Rich Cohen, a well-known author and journalist (columnist for The Wall Street Journal, contributing editor at Vanity Fair and Rolling Stone) has written the amazing story of Jennifer Dulos, a wealthy Connecticut woman who dropped her kids off at …
Publication Date April 8, 2025 Much to my husband’s puzzlement, I am a big fan of true crime. I listen to podcasts, watch TV shows like Dateline and 48 hours, and read true crime books (another great thing about reading on a device rather than a printed book: you don’t have to cover up odd …
Publication Date January 14, 2024 I have been a diehard fan of Robert Crais/Elvis Cole/Joe Pike for over THIRTY YEARS. Seriously, when The Monkey’s Raincoat was published in 1987, I was working in a public library, grabbed it as soon as it came in, and was HOOKED. Since then, this has been one of the …
Publication Date January 14, 2025 When I reviewed James Grippando’s Twenty (in 2020), I noted that I couldn’t recall reading any of James Grippando’s books. And when reading about that title, Jack Swyteck wasn’t a guy I felt like I knew (despite that one being #17 in Grippando’s Jack Swyteck series). Jack Swyteck, the protagonist …
Publication Date January 7, 2025 I first read Alafair Burke because she is James Lee Burke’s daughter, and my husband LOVES JLB’s books. I was happy to receive a copy of The Note, thanks to Knopf and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.Described in the blurb as an “irresistible page-turner” that would make a …
Publication Date July 16, 2024 “Things Don’t Break On Their Own” by Sarah Easter Collins is one twisty, well-written, character-driven thriller! There are many characters and various timeframes, so it seemed like actual work for me to keep everyone straight at first. But trust me, this one is worth the effort! The three main characters …
Publication Date July 30, 2024 I loved “Something In The Water” by Catherine Steadman, but found her next two that I read, “Mr. Nobody” and “The Disappearing Act,” to be less than I had hoped. Nonetheless, I was happy to receive a copy of her latest, “Look In The Mirror” from Random Mouse/Ballantine and NetGalley …
Publication Date June 18, 2024 Riley Sager, I’ve done it again! About four years ago I reviewed Home Before Dark, and noted that I had requested it because I misread the author’s name and thought it was a different author whose work I had enjoyed. Oops. Oh well, I enjoyed it…enough. Now, thanks to Penguin Group …
Publication Date June 25, 2024 A few years ago, I read Chris Whitaker’s book We Begin At The End, and I liked it a LOT, so I was happy to receive a copy of his new book All The Colors of the Dark, which I received from NetGalley and Crown Publishing in exchange for my …
Publication Date June 11, 2024 Elin Hilderbrand is well-known for being the “queen of beach reads.” About three years back, I read and reviewed her novel Golden Girl, and…was NOT impressed, in fact it was one of my very rare DNFs. But her string of books with titles like Summer of ‘69, 28 Summers, Trouble in …
Published 2020, 2024 Earlier this year, I read and reviewed Freida McFadden’s book The Teacher, and noted that “I enjoy psychological thrillers, but had not previously read anything by Freida McFadden… I loved this book, and stayed up for HOURS to finish it. It is just good entertainment. Five stars.” So I was excited when, thanks …
Published March, 2024 I don’t recall reading anything by Dervla McTiernan, but I will probably check out some of her other books after spending much of the past couple of days engrossed in her novel What Happened to Nina? – which grabbed me from the start. Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley, I received a …
Publication Date May 28, 2024 I’m a big fan of well-done true crime. I also read WAY too much not-so-well-done true crime, and I occasionally get very curious about stories where someone just VANISHES off the face of the earth. (Bryce Laspisa or Patti Adkins come to mind). I had heard of the disappearance of …
Publication Date July 9, 2024 I live in a beach town, and every year there are a few books that I see LOTS of people reading as they relax on the beach. Well, good luck this coming summer relaxing while reading Kimberley McCreight’s Like Mother, Like Daughter! I remember in May of 2020, it was …