If I Die Tonight

If I Die Tonight Author: Alison Gaylin

Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks

Release Date: March 6, 2018

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

Things are never as open and shut as they seem!

The quiet town of Havenkill, New York rarely sees any action. In fact, the most action that Officer Pearl Maze has seen has been when dealing with some teenagers who were pool hopping in the dark. But that all changes one stormy night when a washed up 80s pop music icon crashes through the police station doors claiming that someone hijacked her precious green jaguar and then ran over a teenage boy.

As Liam Miller fights for his life, the town’s teenagers take to social media. Liam traverses from being a spoiled rich kid to all American small town hero. And those who were ever opposed to the status quo start to become a target. Can the state police get to the bottom of the case? Was it the pop star? Could it be another teenage boy who ran Liam over? As Pearl works to find the truth, even one of her fellow officers begins to ignore the facts and trust his gut. The ugliness of social media is brought on full display for all of Havenkill to see.

After reading this book, I’m wondering why I have never picked up an Alison Gaylin book before. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was quickly hooked and couldn’t put it down until I knew the full truth. Throughout the book, the reader has the opportunity to form opinions about several of the characters to determine who ran over Liam. Gaylin did an expert job of leading the reader down certain paths only to suddenly take a hard left turn of out nowhere, which left me reeling several times as I thought I had the mystery solved.

One of the things I loved about this book was the ability to read the behavior of the characters. They way there were acting was very realistic and I could figure out what was going on behind the scenes, particularly with two of the main characters. It is not often that you have an author talented enough to make you fully immersed into the book in a way that you feel like you are witnessing it in person. Gaylin also did a great job showing the power of social media in both a positive and negative way. So many teens today take to social media when things happen and it can create an ugly monster, just like it witnessed in this book.

There is some strong language throughout, so I recommend this book to older mature teens and an audience that enjoys such a story as this.

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

If I Live

If I live Author: Terri Blackstock

Series: If I Run #3

Publisher: Zondervan

Release Date: March 6, 2018

Rating: 5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

One of the best conclusions to a series I have read in a long time! Blackstock does not disappoint!

Casey Cox is still running for her life and trying to prove she is not a murderer. She has been indicted for murder, but has information that proves she isn’t a killer, if she can only find someone to believe her. Her face is all over the news and even with changing her appearance she still fears being recognized. Dylan Roberts may have been tasked with finding Casey and bringing her to justice, but after discovering all the information Casey has to prove her case, he is now the only one to help her. The more they work together the closer they become and Casey’s enemies use that to lure her out by putting Dylan’s life in danger. Neither of them want to put the other in danger, but is it worth staying safe if it means the real killer goes free?

Terri Blackstock is one of the premier Christian fictions writers for a reason. With her latest installment in the If I Run series, she shows what it takes to write a story readers will want to not just read but devour. This series is by far her best yet and the conclusion will make readers ecstatic. Both Casey and Dylan are characters that are flawed and trying to figure things out as they go. They don’t have it all together and make it easy for readers to picture themselves in their shoes. I was surprised halfway through the book at the direction the story was going. I didn’t see it being able to stay worthwhile if it continued along this course. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised with how well Blackstock worked things out to bring the story to an entirely new level of suspense.

These days it is hard to find writers that are able to bring things to a new level. When you discover a writer with the caliber of Blackstock, you want to hang on tightly and remember her. The only negative aspect of the book is how sad I am that this is the last in the series. I’m not saying this because the story wasn’t wrapped up but because I would love to see more with these characters and more by Blackstock. I’ve learned a lot from reading books written by Terri Blackstock, not just how well written novels actually look, but also from the stories themselves. Research is key to making key points believable and it is obvious an immense amount of research went into making these novels what they are. While this is the last book in the series, I recommend reading the series in order for the story to be at its fullest. I highly recommend If I Live to fans of Blackstock new and old that want an incredible read.

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

The Escape Artist

The escape artist Author: Brad Meltzer

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Release Date: March 6, 2018

Rating: 4 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

Who is Nola Brown and why is she supposed to be dead? Throughout this book, readers will be left stunned and salivating for answers for these two questions in addition to many, many more!

When a plane falls from the sky with seven passengers, one of them very important to the President of the United States, all of the bodies are sent to Jim “Zig” Zigarowski at Dover Air Force Base. However, one body causes a problem or him. The ID tag says she is Nola Brown but Zig can’t believe that is true. He hasn’t seen Nola in years but will never forget the night she saved his daughter at a campfire. That same night, she got a scar on her ear that would be unmistakable, the body in the morgue has no such scar. Zig feels he owes Nola a debt and is now on a mission to find out what happened and why her death is being faked. Nola works for the army as their artist-in-residence, a painter who goes into battle and shares a different point of view of what has happened than most. On her last mission, she witnessed something nobody was supposed to see that set in motion a course of events leading to the plane crash and her running for her life. Nola doesn’t know if she can trust Zig but she is running out of options and time. Together they will work to unearth the mysteries dating back to Harry Houdini and a mystery bigger than they could have ever imagined.

This book had a lot going on, between the military aspect to the story, the magic and Harry Houdini references and the actual mystery itself, so readers are going to need to pay close attention to all that is going on. I liked the way Meltzer made the characters memorable, Nola was a unique character in not only her attitude and mannerisms but also the physical features that set her aside making Zig know she wasn’t on that plane. There were a few points throughout the book when it was hard to believe the characters could do what they did without any others becoming suspicious or asking questions, but if you can look past that is still makes for a very enjoyable read. All questions were not tied up until the very last page keeping the reader engaged until the very end. In order to tell the whole story, Meltzer has to give Nola’s backstory in flashbacks. These can sometimes take the reader out of the story because it can stop the progression of what is happening in the present time and the back and forth can leave readers scratching their heads. I understand the need for this and think overall it was done fairly well but would have liked a little less flashbacks and a little more time spent in present tense, especially towards the end. I recommend this book to readers that like a thriller that will leave them thinking,, but not too hard because if they do the realism of the story will seem a little unbelievable.

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

Deborah Calling

Deborah Calling Author: Avraham Azrieli

Publisher: Harper/Legend

Release Date: July 25, 2017

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

As the saga continues, will Deborah finally fulfill her personal wish to be a man? And will it impact her true calling?

Deborah has overcome loss, hardship, and physical labor to seek out the elixirist and become a man. After finally locating him at a tannery, she agrees to work for him will he prepares all of the doses of the male elixir. Now that she has completed the first two doses, she is ready for the final task. But first they must return to Edom to retrieve the final ingredients. On the way, they must pass through her hometown and collect Kassite’s old friend that runs the basket factory for the judge. This trip proves to be even more deadly than Deborah could have considered. Will anyone recognize her? If they do, will her quest be over? And what of her true calling as one of Yahweh’s prophets?

This book picks up directly where the first book ended. And the excitement picks up even more. After being pursed throughout much of the first book, Deborah must now face some of her past demons. Her remarkable character shines throughout this book as does the enjoyable banter between her and Kassite. What happens will surprise many readers as it is not expected, but with more twists also come more turns. I keep thinking that the story will be over and it will be where it is picked up in the bible, but it just keeps on continuing. I’m not sure which direction it will go next, but you can bet I’ll be reading it!

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

Deborah Rising

Deborah Rising Author: Avraham Azrieli

Publisher: Harper/Legend

Release Date: September 27, 2016

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

Based on biblical events, this story has the potential to be the prequel to the passage many have heard.

Deborah lost her parents a year ago, so the local judge took her and her sister in to live with them. The judge’s son chose her sister to marry and things were beginning to look positive. But the night of the wedding, her sister was slandered a nonvirgin since she did not bleed and must go through a trial. Throughout the trial, Deborah must watch her sister in the pit of shame while her husband speaks for her since she has no father or male relative. She is sentenced to death and Deborah must watch as her sister is stoned to death and finds herself suddenly engaged to the same man who killed her sister. In an attempt to run away, she hears the story of an elixirist from Edom who managed to turn women into men to win a war. After being returned to the camp, she works in the basket factory and the foreman is a slave from Edom who confirms the story of the elixirist. With help from a guilt ridden priest, Deborah escapes and sets off on a journey to find this mysterious figure to turn her into a man so that she can avenge her sister’s death and reclaim her family’s land. But will she ever manage to get away successfully?

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started reading this book other than a story about Deborah the prophet. Did I ever get more than what I bargained for. This story took me for a wild ride in directions I never expected. The way the story was told was exceptional and I was hooked from the first page. Deborah’s desire to be a man defined her very character and when she set her mind to a task, she accomplished it. It was interesting to see her personality develop into a leader as well. She got into some perilous situations, but was always able to work them out, sometimes with a little help.

There is always a lot of interpretation left to the imagination on biblical stories, so don’t go thinking this is debunking the bible or anything. Just enjoy the story for what it is. With no language or anything graphic, I flew through this book ready to jump into next one!

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

Girl Unknown

Girl Unknown Author: Karen Perry

Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.

Release Date: February 6, 2018

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

A twisting, gritty tale that isn’t over until the very last word, building to an incredibly tight finale that no one will see coming!

David and Caroline Connolly have had their share of marital troubles over the years, but with work and patience, they have worked through their problems. With two kids, having to care for David’s aging mother, and both trying to advance their careers, the stress can be overwhelming at times. But nothing prepares them for their biggest trial of all when one day a student of David’s at the university comes and says she is his daughter. David’s past of the fleeting romance he had before he met and married Caroline comes rushing back at him. Now he finds out that out of that romance came a child, a child he never had a chance to know until now. The entire family is thrown into the chaos that ensues from the announcement and the ripple effects are more than any of them could have imagined.

This story had so many twists and turns, and just when I thought I had it all figured out, I was wrong. The back and forth point of views between David and Caroline really give the reader extra insight into the story and wouldn’t have been the same had it been focused solely on only one of their points of view. It can be confusing going back and forth like this, but the author did a great job tying up loose ends and showing the different sides to the characters. The family had a very complex dynamic and even though they had problems, they were dealing with them all realistically. I think that was one of the best parts for me; it was very believable and didn’t have moments that made me roll my eyes in disbelief that can so often happen. It took until the very last page, but all loose ends are taken care of and there are even some surprises thrown in that readers will have no idea they should have been expecting, which was a nice touch. I recommend this book to mystery and suspense lovers that enjoy a book about a family that isn’t what it seems from the outside.

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

High Treason

High Treason Author: DiAnn Mills

Series: FBI Task Force #3

Publisher: Tyndale House

Release Date: February 6, 2018

Rating: 4 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

The FBI Task Force faces its toughest case yet trying to protect a Saudi Prince from assassination and keep feelings professional at all times.

When FBI Special Agent Kord Davidson is assigned to the protection detail of his friend, Saudi Prince Omar bin Talal, he hopes to enjoy some time with his friend and also help strengthen relationships between the two countries. He doesn’t expect to be chasing an assassin and finding treasonous members of the prince’s staff out to see him eliminated. CIA agent Monica Alden is called in to help Kord. Their first impressions of each other are not favorable making it difficult for them to work together. After showing her skills, Kord decides that maybe Monica could be an asset to their team and the two work tirelessly to protect the prince. Finding the assassin and those working with him prove to be more difficult than either imagined as they always seem to be one step behind. As the danger increases and more lives are put on the line, Kord and Monica have to dig deep to keep all alive.

Over the years I have come to really enjoy the writing of DiAnn Mills. She writes strong characters, male and female alike, that have to deal with seemingly impossible situations gracefully. Throughout the course of her novels, readers see characters put aside their differences and work together to solve their cases. High Treason has all the makings for a great romantic suspense novel, but it didn’t pull me in like the previous in the series. I think the problem for me was having such a diverse group of characters, not that I’m against diversity in any way, I just had a hard time connecting with these characters. I did enjoy Monica as she was a great character and I think her strengths were played too well, especially towards the latter half of the novel. Kord and Prince Omar were harder for me to connect with. Mills did a great job of portraying the cultural differences the characters had to be aware and respectful of. While it was hard for me to connect with the prince, I still feel he was written well, along with his sisters and the men working for him.

I would recommend this novel to those that like romantic suspense novels with a sprinkling of faith and characters that, even though not always easily relatable, are written well and will give you something to think about. While this wasn’t my favorite DiAnn Mills novel, I still enjoy her writing and will be looking forward to her next work.

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

The View from Rainshadow Bay

Rainshadow bay Author: Colleen Coble

Series: Lavender Tides #1

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Release Date: January 23, 2018

Rating: 5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

The start to this new series is a page-turner from start to finish that left me aching for more.

Being a single mom and raising her five-year-old son alone is not something Shauna ever expected to happen to her. After her husband Jack dies in a climbing accident, she is left to provide for herself and her son while always fearing she will lose the little she has left. When another loved one close to her dies mysteriously, Shauna is convinced her life is in danger. She thinks she has no one to turn to when her late husband’s best friend, Zach Bannister, comes to help. She hasn’t forgiven him for always pushing Jack to the next big risk, which she blames for his death. Zach wants to do anything he can to prove to Shauna that he feels horrible about what happened to Jack and wants to be in her and her son’s lives. The more they uncover the more someone wants things to stay hidden and the more danger they all end up in.

Colleen Coble is one of the best Christian romantic suspense writers out there. The start of this new series is a perfect set up for what I expect to be a great series. Shauna and Zach have an obvious connection that both try to avoid and fight for as much of the novel as possible. It’s not something they take lightly after what happened to Jack; the appropriate emotion is displayed by both and at the right times. The protagonist’s identity is reveled at the end but enough clues are given throughout that it doesn’t come as a surprise or seem out of place. One of the best aspects of the novel was the emotional connection with the characters. When any of the characters ended up in a dangerous situation, the emotional connection drove the story more than any other tension would have. I can’t wait to see how this series continues. I recommend this to readers that like a strong emotional connection to their characters that will drive the story to the last page and leave them aching for more.

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

Losing Brave

Losing Brave Author: Bailee Madison & Stefne Miller

Publisher: Blink YA

Release Date: January 30, 2018

Rating: 5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

Such an intense, exciting, & suspenseful read that will leave readers with the feeling that no matter how good the next book they read is, it will have no chance of being as good.

Almost a year has passed since Payton Brave’s twin sister went missing and there are still no clues as to what happened. Payton fears she is losing her memories of Dylan and will do anything she can to hold on to that piece of her. Even though she was with her sister when she disappeared, she has no memory of what happened. Payton was always the popular one while Dylan didn’t care for things like that, now Payton is taking on Dylan’s characteristics and setting herself as an outsider in the only way she knows to keep her sister alive for herself. She grows closer to her sister’s boyfriend, Cole and starts wondering how she will survive with the feelings building inside of her. As more girls similar in appearance to Dylan go missing, the case takes on a new life and Payton starts her own investigation to find out what happened to her sister and if she is in danger also.

As I was reading Losing Brave, I had two thoughts as to how the story might go. And even though I figured out the chain of events before they unfolded, it didn’t bother me, which is a very unusual thing to happen. It didn’t make the story predictable, it just made the characters act as they should have and I was following along in sync with the characters. I want to confess something, when I first saw this book and read about it I thought it looked interesting but almost didn’t read it. I thought Bailee Madison was just another actress trying to use her fame and name to get a book out there without knowing anything about writing or telling a story in this way. Good grief am I happy I didn’t stay with that train of thought; this book was so good I feel certain it will make my best of the year list and it is only the beginning of January. This story was especially good for me because I am an identical twin just like Payton and Dylan. I remember doing some of the things they did that only twins can get away with and can see what happened in the story actually happening, and it is scary. The back and forth between what was happening in the present and what happened when Dylan disappeared was played out well, just enough of the past to give the present timeline the credit it needed for everything to make sense. I recommend this book to teens, young adults, and adults alike that love a story full of twists, turns and characters that will dive deep within and tug at your heartstrings.

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

The Woman in the Window

Woman in the Window Author: A.J. Finn

Publisher: William Morrow

Release Date: January 2, 2018

Rating: 5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

I think Stephen King says it best when he described The Woman in the Window as unputdownable!

Anna Fox has kept herself locked away in her house for almost a year, unable to be a part of the world outside. With a glass, or many more, of wine, spying on her neighbors, and watching old movies, her days are full. Things get a little more interesting for Anna when the Russell’s move into the house across the street. A father, mother, and their teenage son seem like the perfect family until secrets start to reveal the dark truth. When Anna discovers some of these dark secrets and tries to get to the bottom of what is going on, others think she is just being her crazy drunk self and dismiss her claims. Anna starts to doubt herself and what she has seen along with her own past she fears she isn’t remembering correctly. What is real? How much danger is she in? Who can she trust? Who will believe her? All questions that if not answered carefully might just get her killed.

It is a rare feat for a book to be optioned as a movie before it has even been released. The Woman in the Window lives up to the hype. Debut author A. J. Finn has done what few are able to accomplish, even after a long career of writing, create a spectacular thriller that will leave the reader on the edge of their seat until the very last page. Anna is a deeply troubled, more so with every page turned, and her troubles are relatable in one way or another to all readers. I loved the way Finn brought about the dark past that is haunting her slowly throughout and didn’t just throw it all out at the very beginning. As the story unfolds and the truth comes out, each character becomes more complex driving the story. Finn put a lot of effort into crafting characters that were not only intriguing but also easy to follow. As each twist and turn played out I found myself giving a silent nod when it unfolded as I suspected. I have to say this one pleasantly surprised me, the story flowed well and I really did have a hard time putting it down. I recommend this to readers that love a good Alfred Hitchcock thriller and might just want to keep a light on at night.

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