Fire Mountain

Author: Dana Mentink

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: July 1, 2025

A great contemporary read with beautiful setting and issues the characters face that readers will resonate with.

Ana Leigh Watkins has been through her share of trauma lately and going to spend the summer in Bitter End Tennessee to help her great-aunt clear out her house to move to a retirement home is just what she needs. When she gets to Bitter End, she finds out her Aunt has planned a trip and is leaving Ana Leigh to handle the house details herself. While cleaning it out she meets a group of bird watchers in the mountains and finds herself enjoying the time with them and taking her mind off her past problems. Along with the solace of the group Ana Leigh also finds her share of family drama she didn’t know about and finds herself transformed by the journey she goes through in Bitter End.

Amanda Cox is a phenomenal contemporary author and I always find myself excited when she has a new release coming out. While I have loved all her books I would not say The Bitter End Birding Society was my favorite. The story itself was good and the characters were engaging, just not as much as some in the past. Ana Leigh is a great protagonist and I enjoyed the way her story played out. A few of the secondary characters were a bit much for me and tended to take me out of the story at times, which is not fun. Other than those minor frustrations, I will say it was a very enjoyable read that I can recommend to anyone who enjoys a good contemporary story.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

A Dead Draw

Author: Robert Dugoni

Series: Tracy Crosswhite #11

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Release Date: May 27, 2025

The newest addition in the Tracy Crosswhite series does not disappoint and will leave fans aching for more from one of the best writers out there.

Tracy Crosswhite has dealt with killers and the worst of the worst without losing her cool. Now she must deal with Erik Schmidt, a sociopath worse than she has ever dealt with who is a suspect in two cold cases she is trying to solve. Schmidt has connections to Tracy’s past that are cause her haunting nightmares and flashbacks to Cedar Grove, her hometown and the death of her sister. When Schmidt gets out on a technicality, Tracy is afraid he is going to come after her and her family, something she refuses to let happen.

The Tracy Crosswhite series by Robert Dugoni is one of my very favorites. I have enjoyed all the books in the series but none have been able to compare to the first one and how amazing it was. That is until now, A Dead Draw is the closest to My Sisters Grave, and that’s saying something being Book 11 in the series. Dugoni is a fantastic storyteller and the way he ties elements together from previous books is amazing. With each additional book he has managed to make Tracy relatable to readers, especially now that she has a family and has changed courses in her career that could make her and the series slow down, instead it takes it up a notch. A lot of series get boring after a few books but Dugoni has found a way to keep the fire alive in this one and I can’t wait to see how things will continue to play out in the next book in the series.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

The Summer Guests

Author: Tess Gerritsen

Series: The Martini Club #2

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Release Date: March 18, 2025

A high stakes thriller with the perfect mix of tension and drama on every page.

Maggie Bird was looking for a quiet life after retiring from being a spy. She settles in Purity, Maine and tries to move on but her old life won’t leave her behind. She has a group of friends that have a past like hers and together they work to help the local police chief, Jo Thibodeau, in finding a local missing teenager. The case isn’t going to be easy with twists and turns at every new clue, Maggie and her friends are going to have to work fast in order to discover the truth before more lives are lost.

The second book in the Martini Club is a slam dunk of a thriller by Tess Gerritsen. Maggie and her book club friends are the perfect get away for readers wanting a good read to get away from the everyday life. As they tackle this new mystery Maggie and police chief are going to have to learn to trust each other and that isn’t always the easiest. I liked the interactions between these characters and the way they each used the skills they learned over the years to help the people around them. Even though Maggie wants a quiet life she can’t help but get involved when others are in danger, and she just might be the only person able to solve the case. This is a great addition to a fun series that thriller fans will not want to miss.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

The Boomerang

Author: Robert Bailey

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Release Date: May 1, 2025

A fast-paced thriller full of all kinds of twists and turns making for a super-fast and fun read.

Eli James has worked for the president as his Chief of Staff and seen him through all kinds of trials, including his secret battle with cancer. Just when things look bleakest, they take a turn as his condition improves, but as the president shows signs of improvement Eli finds out his daughter is now sick. At each new turn of events, he finds a crazy cover up going from the top of Big Pharma all the way through the White House and with each new piece of evidence he finds himself and his family in more danger. Only wanting to save his daughter Eli and his family flee and find themselves in a crazy war to survive.

Now this was a fun read! I enjoyed the fast-paced thrill ride with each page and new danger the characters faced. This book pulled me in and didn’t let go until the last page finished, I loved the characters, especially Eli and the love he had for his family. For me, that is what drove the story, the strong sense of family connection and protection Eli had kept me wanting to see him have a safe and successful outcome. After several reads that have been lackluster in the past few months it was nice to have this one be quick and enjoyable. So many books have become the same old same old and it is getting a little harder to find good entertaining ones. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy the fast-paced action with great character connections throughout.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Two Seconds Too Late

Author: Dani Pettrey

Series: Jeopardy Falls #2

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: April 29, 2025

Dani Pettrey is back with a great addition to one of her best series yet.

Set in northern New Mexico at a couples retreat when a woman vanishes, Riley MacLeod is on the lookout for her along with PI Greyson Chadwick. Riley and Greyson pretend to be a couple and go to the resort looking for clues to the missing woman and end up uncovering more than they bargained for. As more clues come to light, they also find themselves in more danger. The more the two work together to find the missing woman the harder it becomes to deny the feelings they have for one another. Secrets from their past make it hard for each to trust the other fully until that might be all they have to survive.

Dani Pettrey is a fan favorite in the Christian fiction world for a good reason; her writing is a beat above most everyone else. She has a way of crafting stories that will not only pull readers in and keep them hooked book after book. Two Seconds Too Late is a great addition to her latest series and leaves the door open for more to come with these great characters. Of all her books Riley isn’t my favorite female protagonist, but Greyson ranks high on the list, there was something loveable about him and how he was portrayed. The missing woman at the resort made for good storytelling with a great setting, especially since it is close to where I live it pulled me into the story. This is one that fans of Pettrey will not want to miss.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Serial Burn

Author: Lynette Eason

Series: Lake City Heroes #3

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: January 21, 2025

A great romantic suspense that will give readers encouragement, faith and a good escape into a great book.

Jesslyn McCormick lost her family in a fire when she was young and now works as the fire marshal to help others going through what she did. It has almost been 20 years since the fire that took her family and when the church she attends catches fire, all the feelings from her past come back with a few new memories and evidence. No one was ever charged in the fire that started her on the journey she is on now and she wants answers. After the church fire, FBI Special Agent Nathan Carlisle gets involved and helps Jesslyn with her case. The past and present collide as she comes face to face with all she wanted to get past in order to move on with her future.

Serial Burn is the third book in the Lake City Heroes book and is a good romantic suspense. It is good, not great. It had good potential but several things felt off for me. First off, I had an issue with the name, Jesslyn, it didn’t flow and it felt completely off for me. Maybe it is the name of someone the author knows and decided to use it, but I couldn’t get passed the oddness of it, which took me out of the story. In the grand scheme of things, it isn’t a big thing but it was enough for me to have trouble with the story. If you can get past that then the rest of the story is done well with lots of tension and great character relations. There is plenty of suspense and the romantic tension is done really well. Readers that enjoy suspense, romance and a clean read will not want to pass this one up.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

The Silent Watcher

Author: Victor Methos

Series: Vegas Shadows #1

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Release Date: December 1, 2024

The Silent Watcher takes the phrase, Deadly Silent, to a whole new level with this crazy thriller.

Piper Danes is an attorney who has had to take a step back from being a lawyer and is now a guardian ad litem with her first case. She wanted this change, knowing how a GAL helped her when she was young and needed it most and wants to help youth that need her now. When she is assigned to help 15-year-old Sophie Grace, the only survivor of her family’s murder, she has the help of Judge Hope Dawson and Detective Lazarus Holloway. With each clue they uncover more and more danger pointed at not only Sophie but each of them as well as they hunt a serial killer that hides in the shadows.

The Silent Watcher has a fantastic ending, but you must be patient for the great build up. The first chapter starts with good tension and then it dies out for a while before it picks back up and gradually takes off. It will help readers to know that this is the first book in the start of a series so the buildup will be worth sticking with. Piper is a great character with a lot of heart, and I found myself really wanting to see her come out safe and happy by the end. Lazarus got on my nerves for some reason, not even sure if I can pinpoint what it was about him that annoyed me, just something didn’t sit right with him as a character. I do think I will pick up the next in the series to see what is going to happen with these characters. The Silent Watcher is a good book for fans of suspense thrillers.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Lone Wolf

Author: Gregg Hurwitz

Series: Orphan X #9

Publisher: Minotaur

Release Date: February 13, 2024

The next installment in the Orphan X series is a not to be missed thriller!

Evan Smoak was once known as Orphan X and worked as a black ops agent for the government. When he had enough, he left the program and set out on his own to help those who needed him and his special set of skills. His latest mission finds him helping a little girl who has lost her dog. This is not the usual mission Evan agrees to go on but helping this girl turns into one of the biggest jobs he has ever had to tackle. Set out to find an assassin known as the Wolf, who is hunting Evan, might just be more than he can survive.

The Orphan X series is a great read for readers that are fans of The Grey Man, Bourne Society and other types of books and movies. They are all full of action, suspense and Evan getting out of impossible scenarios. In Lone Wolf, I enjoyed Evan having to slow things down a little to help the girl find her dog and the way that lead into a much bigger and harder problems for him to solve. There was still plenty of interaction between him and Joey, which is always a fun dynamic for the story. There was also more twists and surprises in this one than some of the previous installments. Overall this is a great addition to the series that fans of Hurwitz will not want to miss.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Deadly Revenge

Author: Patricia Bradley

Series: Pearl River #3

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: November 5, 2024

A good finish to a romantic suspense series that fans of Bradley’s writing will enjoy.

Jenna Hart came back to her hometown of Pearl Springs and became a deputy just as city officials are in the bullseye of a killer. The town itself has problems of its own. Decades ago, a construction company took over land that belonged to others and now someone is coming after revenge. When the former mayor of Pearl Springs is up for a spot in the US Senate and in danger, Jenna gets help from Agent Maxwell Anderson who she used to work with at the Chattanooga Police. The attraction that they once had for each other comes back quickly as they work on this new case tracking down a killer.

This is the third book in the Pearl River series and a good finish up to a fun romantic suspense series. Patricia Bradley has made a name for herself as a top romantic suspense author in the Christian fiction market. These stories are enjoyable but predictable. The romance was nice but didn’t make me swoon. The tension was probably the nicest part of the story, it was tight and enough to keep my interest. All of those are enough to make this a good story, not a great one. Fans of the series will enjoy it as it wraps up the

storyline.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Specters in the Glass House

Author: Jaime Jo Wright

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: October 1, 2024

Jaime Jo Wright is back with her best yet! She continues to fascinate me with her ability to craft the most amazing and touching stories.

After both of her parents pass away, Marian Arnold returns to her childhood home and her mother’s butterfly house. In 1921, prohibition shut down her family’s brewing empire and left Marian with very little. Shortly after she returns home, Marian starts having nightmares and wonders if she is going crazy as dead butterflies appear along with a dead body in the butterfly house. Marian finds solace in her childhood friend Felix who is also dealing with ghosts from his past. Together they must work past the ghosts and butterflies to find a future.

In the present-day timeline, Remy Shaw is a researcher coming to help an elderly biographer looking into the murders and mystery behind Marian Arnold and all that happened at the manor. One of Marian’s decedents shows up at the manor wanting to make sure the story is told correctly. But mystery and danger haven’t strayed far from the manor and yet another generation might be in for more than can take.

Jaime Jo Wright gets better with each novel and this newest one is no exception. I have loved all of her books but this one was by far the best. When you think of butterflies, the next step is not serial killers and ghosts. The dual timeline is something Wright has just about perfected after so many books and she does it better than almost anyone else. It doesn’t matter if it is the past or present timeline, I found myself connected with the characters and the storyline. Usually, a story with a historical timeline is not my “cup of tea” but when Wright is creating the story I know I’m going to connect with the story and characters. If I can connect with characters, then I am hooked into the story till the end. This is the kind of story that is perfect timing coming out right around Halloween. I would recommend this story to readers that love a little spooky with their romantic suspense but also just a fantastic story with great characters.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.