A Killing on the Hill

Author: Robert Dugoni

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Release Date: April 9, 2024

A very different book by Dugoni, but still an outstanding thriller that will find a whole new audience for this fabulous author.

In Seattle in 1933, it is the middle of the Great Depression and Prohibition when William “Shoe” Shumacher is working as a reporter trying to make enough to get by and maybe send some money home to help his family. One night he gets a call about a murder up on Profanity Hill and when he arrives, he finds himself the first reporter on scene of what will be the story to change his career. Killed at the club is Frankie Ray and the owner of the club is the one on trial for murder. Shoe now works with the detectives to help uncover the truth of what happened, but the more clues he finds, the more danger he finds himself in as well in a case that is anything but ordinary.

Robert Dugoni is a master thriller writer; he is one of my absolute favorite authors and I will pick up anything he has written without thinking about it, I’m that sure I will enjoy it. While a historical read is not usually a type of book I enjoy very much, this one is written well and flows quickly keeping the reader engaged. I can’t say this is my favorite book by him, but it was an enjoyable read. I don’t think any other writer could have written a historical novel like this and made me enjoy it to the level I did. William is a great protagonist and the way he goes up against those trying to bring him down is great and inspiring. One of the things Dugoni does best is make you fall in love with characters and want to see them succeed. I would recommend this book to anyone that loves a great thriller.

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

Fatal Domain

Author: Steven James

Series: Travis Brock Thriller #2

Publisher: Tyndale House

Release Date: April 9, 2024

Another fabulous thriller by Steven James that is full of intertwined moments making for a complex and amazing story.

Travis Brock works as a redactor at the Pentagon and with his eidetic memory he is able to remember everything he reads which makes him very valuable to the wrong people. Travis is still working on getting over the pain of his wife dying in the fire at their house that left him with burns on his body. When evidence surfaces that his wife might actually be alive and be the one behind the fire, Travis and his team are pulled into a bigger plot that could mean trouble for the whole country.

Steven James has been called a “Master Storyteller” for a reason. He has a way of crafting amazing stories that are twisted and full of puzzle pieces that all fit together nicely at the end for an amazing story. His stories are not the kind you can read haphazardly and not pay attention to every detail; you will definitely miss key details needed for the rest of the story. I love the way he drops crumbs throughout that may not make sense until you get to the end and when they fit together puts a smile on my face. James is the kind of author that as soon as I know he has a book coming out I am waiting by the mailbox for it to come in and start devouring the pages. I would recommend reading the first book in this series before starting this one for sure. Fans of Steven James and anyone who loves a good suspense book will not want to miss this one.

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

Never Fall Again

Author: Lynn H. Blackburn

Series: Gossamer Falls #1

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: March 12, 2024

Lynn H. Blackburn at her best with the start of her newest series. Never Fall Again is a top-notch romantic suspense story!

Landry Hutton got out of a bad family situation with her daughter and has spent the last three years rebuilding their lives at The Haven outside of Gossamer Falls, North Carolina. She teaches art classes and gives her daughter the best life she can. Wanting to build a house close to her work, she hires Callum Shaw to do the construction and the attraction between the two is hard to deny. Cal had a hard past with dating someone with a kid that broke his heart and is hesitant to get involved with anyone at the moment. Cal is about to start construction when Landry is the victim of vandals who destroy her work and set fire to her studio. He vows to keep Landry and her daughter safe, something that proves to be harder than expected.

Never Fall Again is the newest edition in Christian Romantic Suspense and it is a great addition. While it did start just a little bit on the slow side, it picked up speed quickly and never slowed down. Landry and Cal had a great chemistry, especially when all the family got involved. Such a large extended family is going to make for an interesting series as it moves forward. The tension was tight throughout, and Blackburn did a fantastic job keeping me engaged and wanting to see a happy outcome for all these characters. At times I can get tired of romantic suspense books because they tend to end up all alike, but this one was different and had me on the edge of my seat waiting to see what the outcome would be. I’m happy to say this one hit the mark. I recommend this book to fans of Blackburn and those that love hard-hitting romantic suspense.

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

Fatal Witness

Author: Patricia Bradley

Series: Pearl River #2

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: February 6, 2024

Another great romantic suspense by Patricia Bradley that kept me up way past my bedtime.

Mae Richmond had been searching for her missing granddaughter for over two decades. When she sees a picture in a magazine of a woman she knows has to be her missing granddaughter, she sets in motion all she needs to find her. Dani Bennett saw her parents murdered when she was a child but doesn’t remember it and since that day, she has lived with her “Uncle Keith” who was always overprotective, but she never understood why. When she is contacted by her grandmother and goes back home to try and find all the memories, she can’t seem to remember. But it all goes wrong when she makes it back and finds someone coming after her for what she doesn’t know.

While this was a good romantic suspense, it had moments that left me underwhelmed. I flew through the pages but somewhere less memorable than others. Patricia Bradley is a great romantic suspense writer, but this story did fall a little flat for me. The story was a little on the more original side with the focus being more on Mae and her mission to find her granddaughter, which was what kept me connected to the story. Mae was a fun and spunky character, and it would be nice to see more from her in coming stories. Dani couldn’t remember some of her past, but she didn’t let that define her future and I liked that about her. The romance aspect came on a little strong with Mark and some at times I wasn’t as interested in seeing them come together as a couple as I would have liked. I do recommend this book to those that love romantic suspense, it is the right book for that genre.

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

Cold Threat

Author: Nancy Mehl

Series: Ryland & St. Clair #2

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: January 23, 2024

A good read that felt familiar, like an old friend, a very enjoyable read.

It’s been twenty years since a serial killer known as the snowman murdered several people in Des Moines. Things seem to have stopped until similar murders start up in a small Iowa town and a detective from the original crimes is determined they are related. River Ryland and Tony St. Clair come to help Tony’s father try and solve the case that has haunted him for years. They don’t have long before another murder happens, and they work to uncover the evil that has been around for far too long.

I have been wracking my brain for days trying to figure out why this story seems so familiar, still haven’t figured it out. Something about the storyline was like déjà vu with each chapter. The storyline itself was good and kept me interested, I just wish I could figure out why it seems so familiar, especially the part about how the bad guys subdue their targets. I do like the slow burn between River and Tony, it is so much better than when things are rushed. This is a quick read that fans of Romantic Suspense 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.

Double Take

Author: Lynette Eason

Series: Lake City Heroes #1

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: January 9, 2023

Lynette Eason starts the New Year off with a bang in her new series! Double Take is a fantastic romantic suspense read with all the right stuff!

Lainie Jackson is still trying to deal with the fact that her fiancé tried to kill her and she ended up killing him in self-defense. It’s been 18 months, and she wants to move on but when she thinks she sees him at the hospital where she works, all the bad memories come back. When an attempt is made on her life, she can’t help but think maybe he is back for revenge. She receives help from Detective James Cross, the brother of one of her longest friends. James finds his work cut out for himself trying to keep Lainie safe and the more time they spend together the more attraction they find to each other and the more danger they encounter.

I’ve read a lot of Romantic suspense and this one is by far at the top of the list. The way Lynette Eason crafted this story had me hooked and wanting nothing more than to see these characters find a safe and happy ending. The cat and mouse gam that Lainie was thrown into made the tension rise with each page turned. This looks to be the start of an amazing series and I can’t wait to see where it goes from here. A lot of authors I read have gotten into the habit of writing the same types of stories that just aren’t interesting after a while; Eason is above the rest and only gets better with each book she writes!

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

2023 Top Suspense/Thriller Reads

With one more day until the end of the year, it seems that suspense should be the next category to tackle before we got to the best of the year! Here are the picks for 2023!

Top Pick: Broker of Likes by Steven James

It has been far too long since I have had a new Steven James novel in my hands. He is one of my very favorite thriller writers for so many reasons. He has a way of crafting characters that are amazing, relatable, and so fun to read about. The plot of this book had me on the edge of my seat from the very beginning; so much tension on each page making it hard to put down until I knew if these characters were going to come out alright by the final pages.

Read the final review here.

Her Deadly Game by Robert Dugoni

Robert Dugoni is one of the best thriller writers around and this newest addition is further evidence of that. The characters and storyline flow freely with great tension that kept the pages flying and my attention until the last page.

Read the full review here.

The Housemaid’s Secret by Freida McFadden

The Housemaid hooked my from page one and when I saw there was a second book with Millie I decided I had to get my hands on it. Freida McFadden is becoming a new favorite thriller writer for me. The way she can craft a story with such twists and turns that kept surprising me was amazing. So many books I read now-a-days are predictable and somewhat boring, that was not the case with these books.

Read the full review here.

The Coworker by Fried McFadden

Read the full review here.

One Last Kill by Robert Dugoni

Fans of the Crosswhite series will enjoy the back and forth banter between the two detectives and how they go about solving this cold case. I would highly recommend reading this series in order to get the most out of it. I will absolutely be reading as many Tracy Crosswhite stories as Dugoni will write.

Read the full review here.

The Coworker

Author: Freida McFadden

Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press

Release Date: August 29, 2023

Another fantastic thriller from an author who is quickly becoming a favorite in our house.

Dawn Schiff is different and she is ok with that. Everyone at the office she works at keeps their distance even as Dawn works to get along with others. She is very structured in her routine, so when she doesn’t show up to work one morning her coworker, Natalie knows something is off. Natalie is top of the company in sales and has secrets of her own she would like to keep hidden. As she investigates the disappearance of Dawn, things get more and more complicated. It quickly turns into a game of cat and mouse that finds Natalie in the crosshairs as well.

I discovered Freida McFadden this year and have been grabbing all her books to go through. The Coworker is her traditional style of mystery and psychological suspense that readers will love. It doesn’t take long to get into these stories and once you are hooked there is no putting it down until the very last page. I absolutely loved the twists and turns throughout this one. McFadden goes about making these twists occur in such a natural manner. I recommend this book to anyone that loves a good thriller with lots of twists and turns.

2023 Top Romantic Suspense

It’s that time of year again! Time to pick our favorite 2023 reads in each genre. First up, is Romantic Suspense.

Top Pick: Brooke by Ronie Kendig

I always say suspense is my favorite genre, but honestly, I just want a well-written story that keeps me engaged with the characters and story. This series is just that and so much more. I recommend this to readers that enjoy a fast paced romantic suspense read that will keep them up far past their bedtime.

Read the full review here.

Havoc by Ronie Kendig

Ronie Kendig has blown it away with Havoc! She quickly pulls readers into the story with strong characters, both with two legs and four.

Read the full review here.

Critical Threat by Lynette Eason

The third installment in the Extreme Measures series is another romantic suspense that will give readers exactly what they have come to expect from this genre.

Read the full review here.

Into the Fire by Irene Hannon

Read the full review here.

Into the Fire

Author: Irene Hannon

Series: Undaunted Courage #1

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: October 3, 2023

Another great romantic suspense from Irene Hannon that was explosive to the very end!

Bri Tucker has put the life of being a smoke jumper behind her after an accident left her unable to stay in the job she loved. Now, she works as an arson Investigator and is looking into the death of a former colleague that had been digging into cold cases. Bri starts looking into the puzzle pieces left behind by the death of one of the investigators she looked up to. With each new piece she uncovers, she finds herself in more and more danger as the killer quickly puts a target on her back. She works with ATF Special Agent Marc Davis and together they try to put the puzzle pieces together before it all falls apart.

Irene Hannon is one of the bestselling authors when it comes to Christian fiction both with romantic suspense and contemporary fiction books. This was a great first book in her new series and I enjoyed it as much as any Christian romantic suspense I’ve read lately. There wasn’t anything negative I can say about it; it was overall a very enjoyable book with many tense moments and good wrap up at the end that also left me wanting more! I can’t wait to see what the next in the series will have to offer. Fans of Hannon’s work will not want to miss this one.

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