Circle of Strangers by Minka Kent New Release and Book Review

 

Help me congratulate Minka on her newest release! Here’s the blurb:

The lengths neighbors will go to protect their secrets become downright frightening in a gripping novel of suspense by Minka Kent, the Edgar-nominated author of Unmissing.

Camille and Will Prescott have relocated from San Diego to Phoenix for a fresh start in a quiet gated community. After the traumas Camille’s marriage survived, it’s just the sanctuary she needs. As for her new neighbors, there’s Sozi, seemingly well intentioned if not for her invasive meddling and her desperate overtures to make a friend. And Mara and Oscar, an unstable couple around whom troubling rumors swirl.

Patiently listening to Sozi’s gossip and watching Mara and Oscar ever so closely has become something of a hobby for Camille. But while she obsesses about the cracks in everyone else’s lives, she begins to see the cracks in her own. And when a monster from her past reaches out to reconnect, it’s all Camille can do not to snap. Then one day she finds a dead body in her garage lying in a pool of blood.

Camille is about to discover what’s really going on behind the closed doors of this cozy cul-de-sac. And the worst is yet to come.

 

REVIEW:

This book kept my neck on a swivel.

Camille and Will – the newcomers to their gated community. Camille thought it was perfect, plenty of security, plenty of fences, and plenty of secrets. Georgie and Jackson, their children.

Mara and Oscar – the trouble married couple.

I was intrigued by the lengths that Camille felt she had to go to in order to protect her family. Little did she know there was someone who was better at the ‘game’ than she was. It was also interesting to find out that Camille and Will and pretty much the same upbringing by two moms who had difficulties of their own. This just adds another layer to their story.

Oscar and Mara – could there be a more not-so-perfect couple, each of them showing what they wanted folks to see but inside trouble was always brewing, sometimes at a simmer but always there.

Sozi – A very troubled woman to say the least. It was interesting that she always talked about her husband and her son, but every time Camille suggested a playdate, Ezra (son) always seemed to be suffering from one ailment or another, and why did no one ever see Austin (husband) except that one time?

The interesting thing about these neighbors is they all harbored secrets, each one of them had something to hide, each of them had more to their personalities than they dared show to outsiders. I thought I had this one figured out but when it came to that plot twist … I was highly impressed at the turn of events in this tale of who can outdo whom. I don’t know if there will be a book three in this series, but I certainly hope so because I’d like to see what happened to Camille, what consequences she took on when she did what she did, and if there was still someone better at the ‘game’ than she thought she was.

 

Throwing Shadows by Claire Booth Blog Tour and Book Review

This is the first book I’ve read by this author, book 7 in the Sheriff Hank Worth series. It seems these can also be read as standalones, but the characters’ personalities are well developed so I suspect reading this series in order might not be a bad idea.

Sheriff Hank Worth – he’s not just dealing with the crime at hand, he’s dealing with a couple of home situations that are totally relatable. They involve his wife (Maggie), his children, and his father-in-law. There’s a deeper story there, which makes me think book 6 would be a good one to pick up for a better understanding.

Maggie, Hank’s wife – she works in the ER so every time a case comes through the ER doors, she has to admonish Hank.

Sam – Hank calls him his young pup. He’ll be a good investigator one day. And his girlfriend Brenna.

And my favorite character … Sheila. She works with Hank, she’s supposed to be his partner but it seems she outranks him, at least that was my take. There’s more to Sheila’s story as she walks around with a limp and sometimes a bad attitude, but her sense of humor … that is something I appreciated throughout this tale. She just drops these comments that are so spot on, she gave me a chuckle or two.

There is some history in the telling of this tale that involves Alf Bolin and what happened at what is called Murder Rocks. These rocks are now located on the Fackrells’ land, their family having been there for quite a long time. There’s a podcast. There are treasure hunters. There are crimes involved which is where Hank, Sheila, and Sam come in. There are innocent folks, guilty folks, and just a lot of things happening throughout the solving of the crimes. There are some backstories that include the Worth family, Sheila’s limp, and of course the podcast owner.

I liked all these tidbits of individual stories laced together, coupled with Sheila’s sense of humor, to get to the end result. I kind of figured out the whodunnit but I wasn’t sure of the why or the how. I’d be interested in reading more of Hank and Sheila’s adventures.

 

Find Ms. Booth:

Website: https://clairebooth.com/

Twitter: https://x.com/clairebooth10

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/claireboothauthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claire.booth10

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/claire-booth

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/875842.Claire_Booth

 

Purchase Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Throwing-Shadows-Sheriff-Worth-Mystery/dp/1448313880/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1E3Q0PYAOLAHN&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.qVCxSPAHfb5QQtqmicXiug.MyhLVQipwvfyBDvkmcUd3iVLK9JNi0IsNknmatz5mAE&dib_tag=se&keywords=throwing+shadows+claire+booth&qid=1751635116&sprefix=throwing+shadows%2Caps%2C192&sr=8-1

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/throwing-shadows-claire-booth/1146986151?ean=9781448313914

 

 

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The Girl Who Survived by Lisa Jackson Book Review

 

This is another book I’ve had on my Kindle for quite some time. I shouldn’t have taken so long to read it.

This book has everything I like in this genre. It started out right away with what happened twenty years ago. A very brutal, very gruesome crime against a family.

Fast forward twenty years … we are taken through Kara’s turmoil, how she meets Wesley Tate, and a couple of detectives who are assigned to reopen this very old, very cold case. We are also introduced to one of Kara’s stepbrothers, Jonas.

The other thing I liked about this one is that it takes place in my home state, Oregon, so mentions of various cities throughout Oregon took me back to my childhood for a moment.

I also liked the pacing of this one … it seemed to move rather quickly in some spots, petered out when a clue would be a dead end, and then picked up again when Detective Thomas caught an idea and had to follow it. There were quite a few turns in this one which kept me guessing. I honestly thought I had it figured out … no, I was wrong, turned out the whodunnit was someone totally different than the one I picked out. That’s another thing I liked about this one, the surprise of the whodunnit. I also liked the relationships that developed between the characters through these pages, Tate and Kara, Detective Thomas and Detective Johnson, Jonas and Kara, Jonas and Mia, to name a few.

I will warn more sensitive readers that some of the descriptions are quite vivid, not as vivid as some I’ve read, but still … there is one scene near the end that is quite ugly to say the least. If you have a squeamish stomach or have nightmares easily, just be prepared.

Red Flags by Lisa Black Book Review

 

Dr. Ellie Carr … how can she possibly have an unbiased opinion when the parents of Mason are her relatives? And, what happened to Mason? He was just a baby and couldn’t have done anything wrong. She expected the unthinkable.

Taylor – a very intelligent 11-year-old. She kept calling Mason the ‘dragon baby.’ Why?

Becca and Hunter – Taylor and Mason’s parents. Becca is also Ellie’s cousin, though they have been out of touch for quite a long time.

Rachael Davies – she works for the Locard Institute. Hunter hired the Locard to help in assisting to find Mason.

Ellie and Rachael also had their own opinions about each other. I liked those internal thoughts that were scattered throughout the telling of this tale.

There was also another crime involved that I wasn’t expecting, and the why of it made sense as I was finishing this book. As it finally did to Ellie when everything clicked into place.

I liked the fact that Becca and Hunter thought they had to be in control of everything and everyone in order to accomplish what they needed to do. I liked the fact that Hunter and Becca came face-to-face with each other when they were confronted with their wrongdoings, but yet continued to maintain a united front. Odd really, considering the depths of one of their crimes, but made for an interesting read.

And when it finally clicked for Ellie? I liked how it was all tied up and explained in the end. It all made sense when the ending came together, at least it did for me.

 

Ask for Andrea by Noelle W. Ihli Book Review

 

I wasn’t sure what to expect with this one. I’ve had it sitting on my Kindle for a while. Since one of my goals is to finish some of my eBooks, I gave this one a read.

It’s a ghost story! It’s a story with a crime or two or three involved. It’s a story that has a message behind it.

I was actually entertained with the antics of Meghan, Brecia, and Skye. As we learn from the blurb of this tale, they all had one thing in common. Since all three of these ladies were in the afterlife their way of getting around was so much easier. They haunted the guy who did them wrong.

And he thought he was oh-so smart, trying to stay three steps ahead of whatever organization was after him.

I’ve never read a book that was based on the opinions or point of view of ghostly beings. I also found myself appreciating the larger message that is in this tale. It may not always go by the name of Andrea, but read those signs … follow your instincts … ask for help if you need it.

Every Kind of Wicked by Lisa Black Book Review

Leave it to me to read book 6 of 6 in this series. I found myself really enjoying the characters of Maggie and Jack.

Having never ‘met’ Maggie and Jack before, I was taken by their relationship, one based on something that happened to Maggie … something Jack did that neither one could forget or talk about. Enter Maggie’s ex-husband Rick who wanted nothing more than to figure out Jack’s real motives. There are a couple of other police folks in the mix since this is what I would consider a police procedural.

There are crimes involving the worst of the worst and some telephone scams that Shanaya had a hand in.

What I especially enjoyed about this author’s writing is the sense of humor that came through, even in the worst of times. I also enjoyed Maggie’s inner dialogue which seemed to be spot in, not to mention her thoughts surrounding Jack, especially near the end of this tale. I also enjoyed that there was essentially more than one story spread throughout these pages, keeping my interest.

Having not read the other 5 books in this series, I have to wonder if there will be more to Maggie and Jack’s story. Certainly this can’t be the end when they are seemingly just now figuring things out between the two of them.

They Came At Night by Westley Smith Blog Tour and Book Review

 

I don’t even know where to start with this one. I could’ve easily devoured this in one sitting had I had the time. I imagine this would be a really good audio book, especially if it included different character voices and the ghoulish vibe that this book possesses.

Essentially, Sandra is reconnecting with her family after being absent for five years. She suffered a horrific trauma at the hands of another and needed to get herself back together, learn to deal with her trauma, and in the process of healing she also learned to defend herself so no one would ever hurt her again – physically or emotionally.

In her absence, her niece, Emalyn, did not understand why her Aunt Sonnie had disappeared. She was only a 9-year-old girl when Aunt Sonnie left their family. Now, five years later, at the age of 14, she wasn’t quite sure what to make of Sandra. Was Aunt Sonnie really under the tough exterior?

Sandra’s sister, Carrie, and Carrie’s husband, William, thought this family get-together was a good idea. And a surprise guest was Sandra and Carrie’s mother, Janis.

Janis – the mother Sandra had come to dislike, and seemingly Janis disliked Sandra. Wait until you find out why. Wait until you find out about the incident that dissolved their hard feelings toward one another.

Helga – what a character Helga turned out to be. You’ll find her and her boss, Richter, later in the book. This tale had to have a couple of bad guys, and Helga … she was a master bad guy.

I have to warn more sensitive readers that some of the scenes depicted throughout these pages are quite graphic. I am not a squeamish reader, but some of the scenes described made me cringe just a little bit. This is a talent that I have come to appreciate with this author’s writing style – the way he can describe something so terrible with just words alone – he paints a pretty grisly picture, beyond ugly in some cases. I liked the ghoulish vibe that I got while reading these pages, oddly enough.

There is definitely a bad vibe that hangs over this small town called Little Hope, which really is a masterful name for this small town. And the big corporation who came in to take over? Rest and Relax (R&R for short) … that just adds to the feeling that this small town would be peaceful, but it is anything but. If you like a very dark read and aren’t afraid to read past your bedtime with the lights off, I highly recommend you pick this one up.

 

Find Mr. Smith:

Website: https://westleysmithbooks.com/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0CRF6PN74/about?ccs_id=d5f4fe0a-2dd4-4e6c-9576-640fd0577f95

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/westleysmith100

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6848676.Westley_Smith

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/westley-smith

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wsmithbooks/?next=%2Fwsmithbooks%2F

 

Purchase Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/They-Came-Night-Westley-Smith/dp/196554617X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=UADR9ZJTFX61&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.6oQ5OpKhHvmekvFsYQvM6g.AFUUXRKGlqiG8vnPH4WCijFQEbAITiO0VDz7EDFcK_0&dib_tag=se&keywords=they+came+at+night+westley+smith&qid=1748788806&sprefix=they+came+at+night%2Caps%2C209&sr=8-1

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/they-came-at-night-westley-smith/1147486224?ean=9781965546178

 

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Shadowed Witness by Angela Carlisle

 

Allye what have you gotten yourself into?

Allye apparently saw something that she wasn’t supposed to when she left her studio one evening. This did not bode well for her as strange things began happening. To top it off, Allye was also dealing with some health issues that she was keeping a secret … even from her own family.

Eric … this is the kind of man you want around. Not only does he work with the police, he is also a protector. He didn’t realize that he had feelings for Allye until he was trying to piece together what was happening to her … or was anything happening to her? He also picked up on the fact that Allye just wasn’t Allye – looking tired, worn down, not her usual perky self, not the Allye he had known.

There are also some intertwining smaller stories throughout these pages – Corina and Bryce, Dion and Lucky, Chief McHenry and whether he could be trusted, Allye’s mom and Mayor Jennings, Hailey and Wesly, Allye getting ready for the annual arts festival (this endeared Allye to me as I could relate to what that entails).

Allye also had an interesting habit. Whenever she was feeling stressed, tired, or just needed to work something out, she would pick up her knitting needles. She was so talented at it and knew her patterns so well, she could knit with her eyes closed. That is a feat in and of itself and made her a relatable character, I thought.

I liked how this story progressed and that there were many other smaller stories intermixed that all blended together. There were some happy endings and some not-so-happy endings when all was said and done. And the whodunnit in this tale? Totally unexpected. It will be interesting to see what Eric and Allye get up to the next time we read about them.

 

Purchase Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Shadowed-Witness-Secrets-Kincaid-Carlisle/dp/0764242512/ref=sr_1_1?crid=4I886NB39MMS&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.elYMEAk-TM605CFP2rck4CM6UOICCVzGnLftgkiK_dR2FMKuMfDJzpMiJIgdl9wouB8t5hlrhCHS3MWKHiWXtvXOP7LEeXsDVjSwEuC1facCQfCZXfY01iVDcV65ReLgoOTiR6DzUt4CS6G16AwNqBlon6pOt3PJsYOUiE8JkDNWRTdCI25ilcsTnJMxfoX2.QSPM3sXdgEl2ISfvC3lcaZtodcOkBRsChBPssXUGq70&dib_tag=se&keywords=shadowed+witness&qid=1751634589&s=digital-text&sprefix=shadowed+witness%2Cdigital-text%2C792&sr=1-1-catcorr

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shadowed-witness-angela-carlisle/1146440692?ean=9780764242519

 

Find Ms. Carlisle:

Website: https://angelacarlisle.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AngelaCarlisle.Writer/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/secondary-target-the-secrets-of-kincaid-by-angela-carlisle

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/43655940.Angela_Carlisle

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angelacarlislewriter/

 

Interested in your own book tour?

Partners in Crime: https://www.partnersincrimetours.net/

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