Dark Angel/The Investigator by John Sandford – Reviews

Dark Angel/The Investigator by John Sandford – Reviews

 

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Description:
Letty Davenport, the tough-as-nails adopted daughter of Lucas Davenport, takes on an undercover assignment that brings her across the country and into the crosshairs of a dangerous group of hackers.

Letty Davenport’s days working a desk job at are behind her. Her previous actions at a gunfight in Texas—and her incredible skills with firearms—draw the attention of several branches of the US government, and make her a perfect fit for even more dangerous work. The Department of Homeland Security and the NSA have tasked her with infiltrating a hacker group, known only as Ordinary People, that is intent on wreaking havoc. Letty and her reluctant partner from the NSA pose as free-spirited programmers for hire and embark on a cross country road trip to the group’s California headquarters.

While the two work to make inroads with Ordinary People and uncover their plans, they begin to suspect that the hackers are not their only enemy. Someone within their own circle may have betrayed them, and has ulterior motives that place their mission—and their lives—in grave danger.

 

Review:
Dark Angel by John Sandford is the second book in his exciting Letty Davenport series. Letty is an investigator for Department of Homeland Security, but her real boss is with Senator Christopher Colles. She has garnered a lot attention from her last case, with other government leaders interested; but she is asked to help with a joint operation between Homeland Security and the National Security Agency.  Letty will partner up with Rod Baxter, an NSA security computer programmer; as they will need to go undercover to infiltrate an organized cell of hackers known as “Ordinary People”.  Both Letty and Rod agree that they suspect NSA leaders are not telling them all the facts. 

Letty is smart, calm, fantastic ability with guns, and determined to find the information that they need; Baxter is the programmer/hacker guru, who is not a fan of any violence.  They are both opposites, but they each have a sense of humor and focus on what needs to be done. They make contact with some hackers, showing them, they can break down Ordinary People. After they complete the work, things turn violent, as the breakdown brings in a dangerous adversary; a Russian crew is murdering people from the Ordinary People hacker group. Letty and Baxter realize the real danger is with the Russians who are bent on revenge against the OP group, as well as fighting a battle with Ukraine.

What follows is an exciting and intense thriller in the last half of the book.  Letty asks for help bringing in her CIA friend Barbara, who also is great with guns, and Kaiser (her previous partner), as well as other help from NSA.  The hackers, who they worked with earlier, and Baxter are trying to bring down the Russian attack on Ukraine; while Letty and her team prepare for the Russian invasion.

The final attack was wild, haunting and riveting, with violence, murder, and a fantastic ending.   Dark Angel was suspenseful, fast paced, and action packed throughout, with a lots of violence, murder, espionage and hackers.  I loved Letty, who was a sensational leader, and happy to see Kaiser join closer to the end, as well as Barbara.  I also like the rest of the team and hackers who were very good characters. Dark Angel was very well written by John Sandford.

 

 

 

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Description:
By age twenty-four, Letty Davenport has seen more action and uncovered more secrets than many law enforcement professionals. Now a recent Stanford grad with a master’s in economics, she’s restless and bored in a desk job for U.S. Senator Colles. Letty’s ready to quit, but her skills have impressed Colles, and he offers her a feet-on-the-ground investigative work, in conjunction with the Department of Homeland Security.  Several oil companies in Texas have reported thefts of crude, Colles tells her.  He isn’t so much concerned with the oil as he is with the who is selling the oil, and what are they doing with the profits? Rumor has it that a fairly ugly militia group might be involved. Colles wants to know if the money is going to them, and if so, what they’re planning.  Letty is partnered with a DHS investigator, John Kaiser, and they head to Texas.  When the case quicky turns deadly, they know they’re on the track of something bigger.  The militia group has set in motion an explosive plan . . . and the clock is ticking down.

 

Review:

The Investigator by John Sandford is the 1st book in his new Letty Davenport series. This is a spin off of Sandford’s US Marshall Lucas Davenport series, with his adopted daughter, Letty taking center stage. At the age of 24, Letty is working for US Senator Colles, but she is bored and ready to quit, but Colles is impressed with her skills and offers her a job doing investigative work along side of the Department of Homeland Security. Letty learned at a young age from her father, on handling firearms, knowledge of police procedures, handling tense situations as well understanding all kinds of investigative reports.

Letty is pared with Homeland Security investigator John Kaiser; at first John wasn’t sure that Letty would make a good partner. But she quickly proved that she knew what she was doing, not to mention her sharp abilities using guns. In a short time, they began to trust each other, making them have a great working relationship.  

Their mission involves checking out recent oil thefts in small Texas towns, as a number of oil companies have reported thefts. Rumors are reported that a militia group may be involved, and what are they doing with the profits from the stolen oil?  While doing their investigations, they discover an oil company employee, and wife is murdered in their home; with some other people also being murdered. Letty and John begin to suspect that this militia group is planning a possible anti-immigration explosive attack at the Tex-Mex border. With time running out, Letty and Kaiser alert Homeland Security and local police to help stop the attack. Who will survive?

The Investigator was an exciting, intense story line, with the last third of the book had me unable to put the book down.  I really liked Letty, who was a compelling heroine, with her overall intelligence, amazing ability with guns, and so very confident and independent. The Investigator was very well written by John Sandford. I look forward to more of Letty Davenport.

Reviewed by Barb

Copies provided by Publisher

 

 

 

 

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FOREST OF SHADOWS (Alexis Forrest FBI 2) by Kate Gable-review

FOREST OF SHADOWS (Alexis Forrest FBI Mystery Thriller 2) by Kate Gable-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 28, 2024

When she finds out that the man convicted of killing her sister may be innocent, FBI agent and forensic psychologist Alexis Forrest goes on the search for the real culprit. Evidence of her sister’s murder was found in a remote cabin, along with traces of dozens more young women. A serial killer has been stalking these woods for decades and he’s still out there.

Alexis had returned to Broken Hill, the snowy New England town where she grew up, to investigate another case. But after finding the serial killer’s cabin with evidence of other victims, she will do anything to track him down.

Meanwhile, a family is torn apart when their son goes missing while they’re on a family vacation nearby. He disappears while sledding right outside of his Airbnb. The sled is found but the boy is gone. With a huge blizzard blowing in, Alexis must fight against nature and man to find the boy before all of the evidence of who took him and what happened to him is buried.

Will Alexis be able to find the boy in time? Can she find out who killed her sister before the serial killer claims another victim?

••••••

REVIEW: FOREST OF SHADOWS is the second instalment in Kate Gable’s contemporary, adult ALEXIS FORREST mystery, thriller series focusing on thirty year old, FBI Agent/ forensic psychologist Alexis Forrest.

SOME BACKGROUND: Twenty years earlier, Alexis’ older sister Maddie was abducted and murdered, destroying the Forrest family in the process. With her return to Broken Hill to investigate a series of similar abductions, Alexis will reconnect with family, and the man who once held her heart.

Told from first person perspective (Alexis Forest) FOREST OF SHADOWS follows dual pathways including the search for a missing child, and the ongoing investigation into a decades old serial killer case. Assigned to Broken Hill, the small New England town where Alexis grew up, our heroine finds herself enmeshed into an investigation with eerily similar hallmarks to her sister’s kidnapping and murder but a missing child places Alexis’ focus somewhere else, revealing secrets hidden within the walls of a quiet, vacation rental.

FOREST OF SHADOWS reveals the horrendous crimes of a twisted mind; an obsession with notoriety and death but more so the possibility that all is not as it appears to be. With several clues and outlying suspects interconnected to the ongoing investigation, Agent Forest discovers there is more work to do on a case that is larger than she could have ever imagined.

FOREST OF SHADOWS is a story of love and loss, murder and madness, obsession and intrigue. The premise is dark and dramatic; the characters are determined and desperate.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one FOREST OF SILENCE

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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Heartbeat by Sharon Sala – a Review

Heartbeat by Sharon Sala – a Review

 

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Description:
Sean Pope already lost Amalie Lincoln once. This time, he will risk everything to never have to say goodbye to her again. Amalie Lincoln moved to Jubilee, Kentucky, to start fresh, build her business, and heal the scars of her past. Little did she know she’d run into Sean Pope, a beloved childhood friend she hasn’t seen in decades. But on the day she moves to town, a helicopter explodes under suspicious circumstances, wreaking havoc on the families of Pope Mountain. As the Jubilee PD dives into their investigation of the incident, Sean and Amalie find comfort and a budding romance with each other. Life in Jubilee becomes exactly what Amalie hoped for. But as the investigators uncover the truth and the crooks behind the attack set Amalie in their sights, Sean must face the danger or risk losing Amalie forever.

 

 

Review:

Heartbeat by Sharon Sala is the 3rd book in her wonderful Jubilee, Kentucky series. We meet our heroine, Amalie Lincoln, who grew up in foster care, with no true happiness; especially as a baby being found in the woods.  She was able to go to college and became a CPA, but at the age of 25, Amalie suffered a horrific car wreck caused by a drunk driver, and was badly burned, which took at least two years to recover. Her neighbor helped her sue for damages, which she won, leaving her well-off financially. She took a trip to Jubilee, Kentucky for a vacation, and decided this is where she wants to live.

Amalie relocated to Jubilee, and opened her own shop as a CPA, and needed help to set up her computer, as well as security; she calls Sean Pope to help set her up.  Upon seeing each other, both look very familiar, which they will learn that they knew each other at school at the age of 7, as he stopped her being bullied.

Amalie’s first day in town, a helicopter explodes close to the elementary school, with terrible debris landing on the ground; Sean and his two brothers, were heroes, as well as police making sure the children and teachers were all safe.  In a short time, Sean and Amalie knew they had a bond, and were totally attracted to each other; with Sean not caring about some of the noticeable scars on Amalie.  Love was in the bloom with this wonderful couple, as the Pope family opened their hearts to Amalie, welcoming her into their big family.

Another part of this story revolves around the helicopter explosion, which turns into murder.  Amalie joined Ancestry.com to look for any DNA that might enable her finding her true family. Finally, after some time, she gets a result of a connection.  Wolf Outen, is a very successful and wealthy man, and learns that the helicopter crash was planned by someone close to him, and he suspects it was his wife; working with the police, they find evidence that eventually will identify her as the culprit.   But before this, Wolf receives an email from Amalie, claiming he is her father.  To his shock, he realizes that his in-laws lied to him 27 years ago, saying his child was stillborn and deformed, and his wife died the next day. Wolf and Amalie meet and both are thrilled to have found each other so many years later.  Wolf also is worried about the wife, who tried to kill him, and decides to send some of his trusted bodyguards to protect Amalie and Sean. 

What follows is an wonderful romance that was exciting, drama, love, fantastic family with a terrific group of characters we meet along the way, as well as suspenseful.  Heartbreak was so very well written by Sharon Sala Heartbeat was a fabulous romance suspense novel that kept us glued to our seats, as it was a thrilling ride.  I wholly suggest you read Heartbeat.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

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The Boy Who Cried Bear (Haven’s Rock 2)by Kelley Armstrong-review

The Boy Who Cried Bear (Haven’s Rock 2) by Kelley Armstrong-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 20, 2024

Haven’s Rock is a well-hidden town surrounded by forest. And it’s supposed to be, being that it’s a refuge for those who need to disappear. Detective Casey Duncan and her husband, Sheriff Eric Dalton already feel at home in their new town, which reminds them of where they first met in Rockton. And while they know how to navigate the woods and its various dangers, other residents don’t. Which is why people aren’t allowed to wander off alone.

When Max, the town’s youngest resident—taught to track animals by Eric—fears a bear is stalking a hiking party, alarms are raised. Even stranger, the ten-year-old swears the bear had human eyes. Casey and Eric know the dangers a bear can present, so they’re taking it seriously. But odd occurrences are happening all around them, and when a dead body turns up, they’re not sure what they’re up against.

••••••

REVIEW:THE BOY WHO CRIED BEAR is the second instalment in Kelley Armstrong’s contemporary adult HAVEN’S ROCK mystery, thriller series set in the fictional town of Haven’s Rock, Yukon a spin off from the author’s ROCKTON series focusing on Detective Casey Duncan and her husband Sheriff Eric Dalton.

SOME BACKGROUND: Rockton Yukon did not exist on any map, and the residents all had a questionable past, fake names and false histories. Most were once considered to be white collar crimes but with increasing regularity, hardened criminals have somehow paid their way into Rockton, seeking sanctuary against future prosecution, a safe place for two years before seeking asylum somewhere else. A serial killer destroyed the people and ultimately the town of Rockton Yukon, and with the help of some of their former friends and a big influx of cash, Detective Casey Duncan and her husband Sheriff Eric Dalton, begin the task of building a new town, known as Haven’s Rock, a town that will expose our couple to more murders and questionable inhabitants.

Told from first person perspective (Casey Duncan) and several omniscient third person perspectives including Max, THE BOY WHO CRIED BEAR follows in the wake of the possible abduction of a ten year old boy. Out for a walk in the Yukon wilderness, ten year old Max claims he saw a man-bear, a possible wild man but no one believes his story. Desperate to prove everyone wrong, Max goes into the forest alone, and doesn’t return, leading the people of Haven’s Rock to believe one of their own may have taken the ten year old boy. A search ensues under the direction of Detective Casey Duncan and her husband Sheriff Eric Dalton but a missing boy is the least of their worries. A dead man from a neighboring mining camp is just the beginning, and now there is a possibility of a killer on the loose.

THE BOY WHO CRIED BEAR is a slow building story of mystery and suspense. Like most of the townsfolk, we no very little about the individuals who have sought refuge in Haven’s Rock, but the possibility of a another killer in their midst means someone else may have lied about the who, how and why. The members of an all-male mining camp are suspect but when lines are drawn, Casey and Eric begin to suspect a much bigger issue at play.

Kelley Armstrong pulls the reader into a story of power and control, madness and obsession, family and friendships. The premise is dramatic and intense. There is a large ensemble cast of colorful, determined, and desperate characters, not all of whom will survive.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one MURDER AT HAVEN’S ROCK

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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Kelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls, much to her teachers’ dismay. All efforts to make her produce “normal” stories failed.

Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in her basement writing dungeon. She’s the author of the NYT-bestselling “Women of the Otherworld” paranormal suspense series and “Darkest Powers” young adult urban fantasy trilogy, as well as the Nadia Stafford crime series. Armstrong lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets.

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The Murder Club (Pike, Wisonsin 5) by Alexandra Ivy -review

The Murder Club (Pike, Wisonsin 5) by Alexandra Ivy -review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 20, 2024

Over the years, small-town Pike, Wisconsin, has seen its share of shady characters, murderers, and serial killers—and not all of them have landed behind bars. For some folks, solving cold cases from the safety of the virtual world is a harmless diversion—but the stakes can be deadly . . .

An online crime-solving group is just the kind of adventure Bailey Evans needs. She loves her nursing career and small-town life, but her days are predictable. Her confidence bolstered by having her sheriff cousin Zac nearby, Bailey’s up for some innocent fun and intrigue. . . . Until she starts receiving unnerving Once the game begins, there’s no backing out of The Murder Club. Then the game gets real . . .

First, Bailey is shut out at work after an elderly patient dies and leaves her a shocking inheritance. Then a priceless necklace from an anonymous source arrives in her mail—along with a bone-chilling threat. Determined not to involve expectant father Zac, Bailey contacts an expert the charming Las Vegas businessman who’s never left her mind . . .

Dom Lucier knows real gems—and Bailey is the most precious thing he’s seen since they met at her best friend’s wedding. Returning to Pike to trace the jewelry’s bloody history, Dom helps Bailey kick open a murderous cold case. But as death and disaster escalate, they’ll need a new strategy to escape a killer who won’t be satisfied until the streets of Pike are soaked in blood . .

•••

REVIEW:THE MURDER CLUB is the fifth instalment in Alexandra Ivy’s contemporary, adult PIKE, WISCONSIN mystery, suspense series . This is pawn shop owner/ television personality Dom Lucier, and registered nurse Bailey Evans’ story line. THE MURDER CLUB can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty . Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary . Bailey is Sheriff Zac Evans’ (UNSTABLE #3) cousin.

Told from omniscient dual third person perspectives (Dom and Bailey) following several intersecting paths, THE MURDER CLUB follows in the wake of the death of a local nursing home resident, a death blamed on our story line heroine. Months earlier Bailey Evans met television personality Dom Lucier at the wedding of mutual friends (Kaden and Lia: Desperate Acts #4), and his arrival in Pike, Wisconsin coincides with Bailey’s life spiralling out of control. Dom Lucier is temporarily living at Kaden’s place in Pike where he will seek out the woman who stole his heart but Pike’s reputation as the murder capital of America is about to push our couple together in more ways than one. Enter Bailey Evans. Bailey is a nurse who loves her clients but the death of a resident, and her subsequent inheritance of several thousand dollars places our heroine at the top of the list when several other items go missing, and the nursing home owner refuses to listen to reason. With the help of Dom, Bailey goes in search of the truth, a search that has more twists and turns the deeper our couple dig into the investigation. With everyone having a motive, and a potential stalker targeting our story line heroine, Dom and Bailey begin an investigation of their own only to discover there are more players and suspects than they could have ever imagined.

The world building is detailed and complex as the number of potential suspects, clues and possible red herrings enter into the investigation. As a former member of an online Murder Club, a group that re-investigates murders and deaths that were never solved, Bailey finds herself in a threatening situation when she refuses to ‘play the game’, a game playing out in Pike, Wisconsin. As the number of victims begin to amass, Bailey and Dom’s search reveals a web of vengeance for sins of the past.

The relationship between Bailey and Dom is one of friendship that will quickly turn into something more. Bailey is in need of protection, and Dom volunteers to guard the woman with whom he is falling in love. There are no $ex scenes , everything is implied.

THE MURDER CLUB is a story of secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, jealousy, obsession and murder, friendships and love. The premise is intriguing but not believable on so many levels-in this I struggled to accept the concept of our couple as the principle investigators. The characters are energetic; the romance is limited, but I felt no palpable sexual attraction.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Don’t Look
Faceless
Unstable
Desperate Acts
Redemption 4.5 (Peril Anthology)

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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Village in the Dark by Iris Yamashita – a Review

Village in the Dark by Iris Yamashita – a Review

 

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Description:
On a frigid February day, Anchorage Detective Cara Kennedy stands by the graves of her husband and son, watching as their caskets are raised from the earth. It feels sacrilegious, but she has no choice. Aaron and Dylan disappeared on a hike a year ago, their bones eventually found and buried. But shocking clues have emerged that foul play was involved, potentially connecting them to a string of other deaths and disappearances.

Somehow tied to the mystery is Mia Upash, who grew up in an isolated village called Unity, a community of women and children in hiding from abusive men. Mia never imagined the trouble she would find herself in when she left home to live in Man’s World. Although she remains haunted by the tragedy of what happened to the man and the boy in the woods, she has her own reasons for keeping quiet.

Aided by police officer Joe Barkowski and other residents of Point Mettier, Cara’s investigation will lead them on a dangerous path that puts their lives and the lives of everyone around them in mortal jeopardy.

 

 

 

Review:

Village in the Dark by Iris Yamashita is the 2nd book in her Cara Kennedy series. We meet Detective Cara Kennedy, when she stands by the grave of her husband and son; as they bring up both coffins, which looks like murder (instead of an accident). Cara is determined to find the truths; her husband and son were killed a year ago on a hike. With help from police officer Joe Barkowski, as well as other residents of Point Mettier, Cara’s investigation will lead them on a dangerous path that puts their lives and the lives of everyone around them in mortal jeopardy. Having not read the previous book, which ended in a cliffhanger, the beginning was a bit confusing, but I was able to get past it easily enough.

Cara’s investigation will lead to the bodies exhumed, which turned out that the DNA was not of her husband and son, which is why she suspected that their deaths were not an accident.  She visits Point Mettier, and meets Ellie, whose son recently overdosed, with a picture shown by Ellie, which includes her husband and son.  Cara and Ellie join together to embark on the truths, which lead them on a dangerous path of bad people, putting all of them in mortal danger.  What was the connection between them?

We then meet Mia (the third lead in this story), who lived all her life with her mother, in an isolated village, called Unity, with all women, who hide from abusive men, and work together to build a protective village; using and learning how to use weapons.  Mia decided, as she got older, she wanted to leave the village and live in a Man’s world; she changed her name (carol or Jennifer), and got various jobs along the way. Then she reaches out to help someone working at the company she worked at, which eventually leads her meet Cara, both beginning to work together, with surprising revelations.

I enjoyed all three main characters (Cara, Ellie and Mia/Jennifer), and when we reach the climax, each l finding a way to help one another.  The last third of the book was very intense, dangerous and fast-paced with surprises along the way.  With all the shocking twists and turns as we reach the climax, I will not say too much more, as it would ruin it for you.

Village in the Dark was an exciting page turner that kept unable to put the book down, as we reach the climax.  Village in the Dark was very well written by Iris Yamashita. Village in the Dark was a very compelling murder mystery, with revelations that were totally surprising.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

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Fish Out of Water by Katie Ruggle – a Review

Fish Out of Water by Katie Ruggle – a Review

 

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Description:
Why date a mountain man? Because he knows how to pitch a tent. When Dahlia Weathersby’s sister disappears on what should have been a simple day hike, Dahlia immediately heads deep into the Colorado Rockies to find her. Knowing she’ll never survive the mountains alone, she convinces the local hermit―adorably grouchy survival expert Winston Dane―to be her guide. All it takes is a good helping of Dahlia’s charm…and just the teeniest bit of blackmail…before she’s got all six-foot-something of him wrapped around her finger. But even with her very own mountain man in tow, things aren’t going to be easy. There With everything the wilderness has to throw at them, it’ll take more than charm and some city girl ingenuity to make this trek anything but a disaster waiting to happen…and an adventure she’ll never forget.

 

 

Review:

Fish Out of Water by Katie Ruggle is a fun romantic standalone novel. We meet Dahlia Weathersby, our heroine, at the start, when she receives a danger message from her sister, Rose.  Dahlia immediately leaves her California home to fly to Howling Falls Colorado to rescue Rose. Dahlia knows she needs someone to help rescue her sister, and decides to get Winston Dane, a local hermit, who is an expert survivalist. 

Winston is very private, and has many booby traps to protect his place from any visitors.  Dahlia, who is very outgoing, puts on her charm to Winston, who at first wants nothing to do with her need of help.  Using her bubbly personality, she convinces him to help her, and Winston prepares everything they will need for both of them, including survival food & water, heavy clothes/hats and sleeping bags. The next day, Winston will lead them into the wilderness, hiking through the mountains, as they follow the map to lead them to where Rose may be.

Dahlia finds herself attracted to Winston, especially with his grunts and some smiles; slowly Winston gets used to Dahlia’s constant talking and hilarious fun, becoming very comfortable in her presence.  The long trek is difficult, especially with the bitter cold and blizzard; with Dahlia pushing herself into Winston’s bigger sleeping bag to get warm. The banter and chemistry between them were great, and in no time, Winston, who turned into a sweetheart, fully falls for Dahlia.  The chemistry between them escalates, with a steamy scene in Winston’s large sleeping bag.  I really loved both Dahlia and Winston together, as they made an adorable couple.

As we get closer to the end, there is a lot of action, with them rescuing Rose, and threats on their lives. Fish Out of Water was a lot of fun and humor, with a terrific couple, a trek throughout the wilderness, as well as the dangerous rescue.  Overall, the story was hilarious and so much fun, with some steam.

Fish Out of Water was so very well written by Katie Ruggle. Dahlia was a great character, being bubbly and fun.  Winston, after a slow start, turned out to be adorable.  The banter between them turned out to be fantastic story.  I thought Katie Ruggle outdid herself with this fun and entertaining story line.  I wholly suggest you read Fish Out of the Water.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

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FOREST OF SILENCE (Alexis Forrest FBI Mystery 1) by Kate Gable

FOREST OF SILENCE (Alexis Forrest FBI Mystery Thriller 1) by Kate Gable

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 31, 2024

Forensic psychologist and rookie FBI agent Alexis Forrest returns to her hometown of Broken Hill to investigate the disappearance of a missing teenage girl. Returning to this snowy New England town is the last thing Alexis wants to do. She has a strained relationship with her divorced parents whose relationship did not survive the disappearance and murder of Alexis’ older sister, or her dad’s prison sentence.
The circumstances of this girl’s disappearance are surprisingly similar to her sister’s yet the local police aren’t exactly welcoming to an inexperienced FBI agent sent to help them solve the case. But then another girl, a wealthy student at a prestigious nearby boarding school, is found dead.
Trying to figure out if the two cases are connected and a serial killer is on the loose, Alexis finds herself getting close to all of the people she thought she had left behind forever. One of those people is a high school boyfriend, a long lost love.
The town is full of secrets that want to stay hidden. To make peace with the past, Alexis must unearth them all. What happens when she finds something that puts her in danger? Will Alexis find who did it or will she become the next victim?

•••••

REVIEW: FOREST OF SILENCE is the first instalment in Kate Gable’s contemporary, adult ALEXIS FORREST FBI MYSTERY THRILLER series focusing on thirty year old, forensic psychologist and rookie FBI agent Alexis Forrest.

Told from first person perspectives (Alexis) FOREST OF SILENCE follows FBI agent Alexis Forrest on her return to her home town of Broken Hill, a small town in New England, where she will have to face the demons from her past. Alexis Forrest has been assigned to investigate the disappearance of two teenaged girls, disappearances with similarities to the murder of Alexis’ older sister. Twenty year earlier, the murder of her sister destroyed her family, and Alexis refused to revisit what happened and why but when one girl is discovered murdered, the local schools refuse to cooperate, and the prospective list of killers begins to reveal.

The secondary and supporting characters include Alexis’ embattled parents, several students, teachers, administrators, law enforcement, as well as Alexis’ former lover Mitch Dutton.

FOREST OF SILENCE is a story of power and control, madness and murder, betrayal and vengeance, secrets and lies-in the same vein as many of her previous series.The premise is intriguing, exciting and gripping; the characters are dynamic and energetic; there is a slight romance/relationship developing between Alexis and Mitch. FOREST OF SILENCE ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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