"Killer Instinct" by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (The Naturals #2)

Killer Instinct by Jennifer Lynn Barnes is the second in a series about five young teens who each have a special ability to solve crimes.  In this one, a serial killer is on the loose and needs to be stopped.  This was pretty good.  I liked how all the teens had to work together to figure out how to stop the killer.  It has a good storyline with good action.  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"The Quiet Tenant" by Clemence Michallon is Really Good!

In The Quiet Tennant by Clemence Michallon, Aidan is a hardworking family man but is not a very nice man, especially toward women.  The story is narrated by those closest to him, his daughter, his girlfriend, and the one victim he spared.  I thought this book was really good!  I was into it from the first few pages.  It had good character development and the ending will have you turning pages quickly!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Karen's review:  8/14/23

The Quiet Tenant by Clemence Michallon is about a lady ("Rachel") who was taken by Aiden, a widower, and kept hidden first in his shed, then in his house for years.  Aiden has a daughter who only learned about her father's "guest" when they had to move and Rachel was brought into the house.  Rachel is the name given her by Aiden.  She discovers he has killed several other women and wonders why he hasn't killed her.  I wondered too!   I thought this book was just so-so.  It dragged along for me without much action or suspense.  It picked up at the end, but things seemed unlikely.  (Karen's review, 4 stars)

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"Notes on an Execution" by Danya Kukafka

Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka was not an easy read but was interesting.  This book covers the last 12 hours before a serial killer is to be put to death.  The author takes us through some of the women in the killer's life.  The author does a good job of telling the story.  This unique storyline makes the book go fast.  I never read a book like this one before!  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)  

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"The Judge's List" by John Grisham

The Judge's List by John Grisham is the attempt to bring a serial killer to justice.  The serial killer is a judge who is out for revenge and has no problem killing off anyone who in his mind did him wrong.  He is very patient and brilliant, waiting many years before committing the murder and leaves no hard evidence!  Jeri, the daughter of a law professor, the Judge's second victim, is the only person who is not on his trail and is out to see he is brought to justice.

Although this book is about a serial killer, it is not gory.  There is only one killing that goes into any detail.  The rest are already committed and have the method and motive in common.  I admired Jeri for her persistence but was afraid for her.  This book kept my interest but can't say it was fast-paced.  If you enjoy reading about investigations, this is a good one!  (Karen's review, 4 stars)

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"The Babysitter--My Summers With a Serial Killer" by Liza Rodman and Jennifer Jordan is a True Story

The Babysitter by Liza Rodman and Jennifer Jordan is a true story!  The story is told by Liza and Tony.  Liza was a lonely girl brought up by her single parent mom.  Her mom was busy most of the time and got whoever she could to look after Liza.  A young boy named Tony was one of those babysitters and the other person who tells the story.  Liza liked Tony because he was nice to her.  However, there was another side to Tony that Liza didn't see.  

I enjoyed this book because it moved along and was interesting.  It was like a TV crime show on Lifetime. (Gerard's review, 5 stars) 

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"When You See Me" by Lisa Gardner (Both Liked This One!)

When you See Me by Lisa Gardner is about how a small town is a center for evil.  This book focuses on the good guys following up on old murder cases when they keep finding skeletons of dead bodies buried in shallow graves in the Appalachian Mountains and stumbling on something even more complex.  One of the main characters is a young teenage girl who watched a bad man kill her mother with a bullet when she was just six that went through her throat and also hit the girl, taking away her ability to talk.  She is a big help to the task force working on solving these crimes.

This book is well written in that in spite of all the different characters, I was able to keep them all straight and never once felt confused.  I felt sad for the little girl (Bonita).  I liked that the task force included a couple civilians as well, one a computer analyst and the other a survivor of rape and kidnapping by a serial killer (Keith and Flora).  This book kept my interest from start to finish. 

(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Gerard's review 7/20/20

In When You See Me by Lisa Gardner, bodies are starting to pile up in the hills of a small town in Georgia.  Now it's up to detective D.D. Warren and her crew to find answers and put an end to it.  There are lots of characters in this book and lots of action!  It flows well with an exciting final part.

(5 stars)

Teaser from page 9:  I fly like the wind, I want to believe.  I hurtle myself into her arms.

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"Kill You Twice" by Chelsea Cain

In Kill You Twice by Chelsea Cain, Archie, a detective, can sleep better knowing Gretchen, a serial killer, is lock away.  He gets a new case and is informed that Gretchen has inside knowledge about it.  Is Gretchen just playing a game with Archie or does she really know something?

This was pretty good.  I liked Archie and Gretchen.  Some parts dragged though, but not too many and the ending is good.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 8:  He smelled something--sandalwood?  cloves?--and opened his eyes.  The butterfly was gone. 

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"Never Look Back" by Alison Gaylin

In Never Look Back by Alsion Gaylin, two teenage girls went on a killing spree before they killed themselves, so, the story goes.  But 40 years later, a podcast producer want to dig into this story to make sure it checks out.  Mean while, Robin has to deal with a husband who maybe fooling around, and could her mom have been one of those teenage girls who killed those people?

This book was okay.  I had no trouble with the story line and Robin was a good character.  It just seemed to drag in some places.  A lot of words and nothing was really going on.  I did like the ending though which was a big surprise! 
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)  

Teaser from page 24:  I made myself touch Gabriel.  I put my hand to his cheek and felt a tear.

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"2nd Chance" by James Patterson with Andrew Gross (A Women's Murder Club Novel)

In 2nd Chance by James Patterson with Andrew Gross, a serial killer is on the loose with no pattern!  Everybody is at risk.  Four women making up the Women's Murder Club is back to solve this.  To me this was a dud.  I never really got into it.  Although the story line is okay, it goes quickly to a predictable ending.
(Gerard's review, 3.5 stars)

Teaser from page 5: Then Aaron Winslow's eyes came to rest on what had made the girl hysterical.  He felt his heart sink.

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"The Family Lawyer" by James Patterson

This book has contains three stories. The first is The Family Lawyer by James Patterson with Robert Rotstein. Defense lawyer, Matt Hovanes, finds himself and his partner defending Haley, his own high school daughter for bullying another student who committed suicide. This is really good about cyberbullying and parents going to great lengths to protect their child! (5 stars)

Teaser from page 17: The lawyer in me suspects she’s hiding something. The father in me wants nothing more than to believe in her innocence.

The second story is Night Sniper by James Patterson with Christopher Charles. Practically right off the bat the reader finds out who the night sniper is and the story is all about the cops trying to catch him. He kills from a distance, shoots at the heart and kills in the early morning hours. I thought this one was okay, but liked the first story much more. (4 stars)

Teaser from page 184: He spends the ride out to Queens studying the photo behind tonight’s mission. He holds the image frozen in his mind like a slide on a stalled viewfinder.

The third story is The Good Sister by James Patterson with Rachel Howzell Hall. This one is a murder mystery about two sisters. Melissa’s alcoholic, druggie, cheating husband is shot dead in her living room and the cops naturally suspect her. When she can’t revive him, she calls her sister, Dani, to come over to help her clean up some before calling the police. I did not care much for this one because I did not like any of the characters except for the little boy. (3 stars)

Teaser from page 333: Melissa shoved her hand into Kirk’s right pocket. This time, she pulled out his cell phone. “He was texting her,” she said, “even while he was fighting with me, he was texting her.”


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"Good Me Bad Me" by Ali Land

In Good Me Bad Me by Ali Land, Annie lives with her mom who does things she should not do!  Annie goes to the police and tells on her mom, then into witness protection.  Ready to start a new life with a new name and family while waiting for the trial to begin.  Unfortunately, her new family and her do not seem to connect.  She will be good, won't she?

This is the author's first book and I must say I am impressed!  There is good pace to the book and the characters are very believable.    The trial was the best part with a surprise ending!  This is well worth reading.
(Gerard's review, 4.5 stars)

Teaser from page 6:  You turned your had to the side.  Faced me.  Your eyes never left mine, I read them with ease.  You said nothing to them, yet everything to me.

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"Close to the Bone" by Lisa Black

Close to the Bone by Lisa Black is a murder mystery that mostly takes place at the Cleveland medical examiner’s office! Theresa, acting supervisor for Trace Evidence, finds one deskman dead and the other missing when she heads into the office around 3 a.m. Upon investigation, it comes to light there is a serial killer on the loose targeting people who work at the medical examiner’s office who were connected to a murder of one of their employees ten years ago.

This is a pretty sad, gruesome book. It has several murders and an abduction in it. It is pretty good, but why Theresa is the one to solve the mystery instead of the cops was a bit puzzling to me. I liked the suspense and that it kept me guessing for most of the book.
(Karen’s review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 1:  The corpse under the sheet left her to it.  The dead are courteous that way.

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"Shoeless Child" by J. A. Schneider is a Murder Mystery with a Child Hero!

Shoeless Child by Joyce Schneider is a thriller about a serial killer whose only eye witness is Charlie, a 5-yr-old boy. Charlie manages to get away from the killer after he saw his mom get shot in their apartment and her mom’s best friend killed. The detectives, Kerri and Alex both connect with Charlie and get him to talk again as he recovers in the hospital with his mom.


This is a good murder mystery I recommend. Charlie is a brave, adorable little boy that is a hero. This one kept my interest right from the start and is a fast read.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from Loc. 75 on Kindle:  He kept seeing Mommy, lying there.  He wanted so much to scream into the night, but knew it would give him away.  The man with the gun was after him.

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"The Dead Man" by Joel Goldman is 3 Mysteries in 1!

The Dead Man by Joel Goldman is about a former FBI agent, Jack who has a movement disorder that makes him shake. He takes a job as director of security at the Harper Institute of the Mind, working for an extremely rich man who has early stages of Alzheimer’s.  With the help of his landlady, an ex-cop, Jack finds himself investigating the deaths of two Dream Project volunteers who died, one suicide, one accident but what he believes to be murders connected with the institute.   The institute tries to help people who have bad nightmares be able to take control of what happens in them.

Jack's daughter, Wendy, who overdosed was believed to be involved with a drug ring and the FBI believes Jack knows what happened to the missing five million dollars they believe she had.  The mystery is what happened to the money.

The third mystery is who killed the parents of a little 10-yr.-old girl, Maggie while they were sleeping.  She got away by jumping from her bedroom balcony two-stories high.

This is a very complex mystery!  I figured out just one of the three.  There is a serial killer on the loose and lots of deaths in this book.  The title refers to the crime scene itself which gives the most evidence.  Jack is the main character and I liked him.  This is good from start to finish--I was never bored with it and recommend it to anyone who likes a good murder mystery!
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

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"Creep" by Jennifer Hillier--A Wow Book by a First-Time Author

Creep by Jennifer Hillier is about Dr. Sheila Tao, a professor of psychology.  She has an affair with a graduate student, but breaks it off when she meets an older man who she decides to marry.  The problem is that the grad student does not want their affair to end.

This was very good, a real page-turner with a twist at the end I did not see coming.  This is the author's first book too!  I highly recommend it.

I even made a video reviewing this book for my wife's channel for her Booktube group:


(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)
 
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"Die Again" by Tess Gerritsen - Loved it!

Die Again by Tess Gerritsen finds Jane and Maura being summoned to a crime scene.  It looks like a killing by a large cat, but that cannot be, or can it?  Six years earlier, a group of tourists in Africa were killed except for one.  Now they need that one to bring the killer out in Boston.

This book is a real page turner with lots of action and a good ending.  I LOVED it!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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LOVED "Mr. Mercedes" by Stephen King

Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King centers on two men—Mr. Mercedes who mowed down people with a car and got away with it and a retired detective, Bill Hodges.  When Bill receives a letter from Mr. Mercedes taunting him for not catching him and vowing to do it again, Bill gets back into the case and wants to catch Mr. Mercedes.  I loved this book which is “vintage King.”  It kept me turning pages saying “Wow, this book is good!” over and over.  What a great book to start 2015 with. 

(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

 

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"Double Cross" by James Patterson is a Page Turner

Double Cross by James Patterson is a fast-moving, action-packed detective novel about two extremely clever but cruel, psychopaths on a killing spree who both want former FBI agent turned psychiatrist, Alex Cross dead.  The whole novel pretty much consists of DC Audience Killer (“DCAK”) trying to top his previous killing and outperform Kyle Craig, his serial killer role model.  He likes to perform the murders in front of crowds and doesn’t even get caught!  Kyle Craig, former FBI agent who Alex Cross turned in, is also a serial killer who seeks revenge on all who had a part in sending him to prison. 

The killers in this book make the detectives look foolish throughout—it seems as though the killers are always calling the shots and manipulating the detectives.  These guys have no conscience and are despicable, which makes the reader pull for the detectives all the more.  It is certainly a page-turner that kept my interest all through starting with the first page.  The ending had lots of excitement and suspense, but left me unsatisfied. 

(Karen's review, 4 stars)

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