Liar, Liar

A faithful dog lies wounded beside the mutilated body of its owner.

A woman is discovered bound and gagged, dead in her own bed.

Both are police officers.

Both have a red rose at their side... worryingly more will follow...
Lies and accusations abound but who is behind the murders and why are the victims being targeted?

Charlie, Hunter and the team must find the killer targeting their own before another body is found.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Liar, Liar by Sarah Flint is the third novel in the DC Charlotte Stafford series. In this installment, set in London, Charlie and her team of detectives are up against a killer who is targeting police officers and killing them in overly gruesome ways. Up against the clock, Charlie must figure out not only who is committing these murders, but why they're doing it, in order to save her team. 

Though I haven't read the first two books in this series, I liked Charlie's character and felt that the details Flint shares make it easy to form a connection with her. Charlie is a hopeful character with a creative mind and a caring heart. She assigns importance to the people in her life and tries to ensure she's always there for them, even when it's a struggle for her to do so. She's an intelligent detective who wants to uncover the big picture before calling it a success and she's someone who doesn't give up easily in the face of a little backlash. I think readers will connect with Charlie through both her persistence and drive as well as her questioning mind and will respect Charlie for her work ethic and thorough personality. 

The plot of this novel follows both the killer (though unknown to the reader) and Charlie's team as they discover a serial murderer who is targeting officers. The reason why the officers are being targeted was a very interesting aspect of the book to me - they all had complaints from the public that were being investigated. I think this adds a little controversy and true life circumstance to this fictional crime thriller, which makes the book a bit more engaging. Though there were slow periods in between the investigative sections due to in-depth detail and procedural explanation, I really enjoyed reading this book. I would definitely recommend it to readers who enjoy crime thrillers, mysteries, and a race against the clock. However, I do have to admit that I was a little disappointed by the killer as it was a bit easy to guess once I hit the halfway point of the book. I like being stumped on a mystery and this one didn't get me. Maybe I'm watching too many crime dramas and reading too many thrillers... Regardless, I would definitely continue to the series. Or go back and start it for that matter. 

Rating: 3/5 Cups

Career of Evil (Cormoran Strike #3)

When a mysterious package is delivered to Robin Ellacott, she is horrified to discover that it contains a woman’s severed leg.

Her boss, private detective Cormoran Strike, is less surprised but no less alarmed. There are four people from his past who he thinks could be responsible – and Strike knows that any one of them is capable of sustained and unspeakable brutality.

With the police focusing on the one suspect Strike is increasingly sure is not the perpetrator, he and Robin take matters into their own hands, and delve into the dark and twisted worlds of the other three men. But as more horrendous acts occur, time is running out for the two of them…

Career of Evil is the third in the series featuring private detective Cormoran Strike and his assistant Robin Ellacott. A mystery and also a story of a man and a woman at a crossroads in their personal and professional lives.

*May Contain Spoilers*

I just love reading detective novels and Robert Galbraith exceeds every expectation with his book, Career of Evil, the third in the Cormoran Stike series. This installment revolves around Cormoran's past as someone is determined to see Strike taken down from his role as premiere detective. 

Though readers already know Strike and Robin pretty well, I'd say Galbraith takes it a step further in this book as we learn more about both of these main characters through their pasts. Readers learn more about Strike through the three suspects he reveals could have sent the leg and, thus, is committing the murders. Strike's mother and step-father are discussed in detail as Strike's hatred for Mr. Whittaker is bluntly demonstrated. This hatred stems from the way Whittaker treated Strike's mother and how Strike blames him for his mother's death. Both Donald Liang and Noel Brockbank are horrible men from Strike's past who both blame Strike for the way their lives turned out. Even though Noel is a child molester and Liang is severely unhinged as well as violent, Strike knows they blame him for their reputations and jail time. From these three men, Strike's past and mental state are further opened for the reader. However, I think readers will make a deeper connection with Robin in this book as something heartbreaking from her past is revealed. 

Robin's interest in detective work has never made sense to her fiance Matthew or her family. Yet, with this book, Robin's experience with sexual assault is revealed and therefore, readers will come to better understand her interest not only in detective work but in self-defense and sleuthing in general. This book also revolves around the fear of Robin being hurt as the initial severed leg is sent to Robin and not to Strike. With glimpses into the life of the killer, readers learn that his whole plan revolves around murdering Robin and disgracing Strike completely with the added hope that Strike is arrested for the murderer's crimes. This important aspect gives the entire book an air of trepidation as readers fear for Robin's every step as the killer stalks her. 

Overall, of course, the plot is engaging, intriguing, and, at times, downright disturbing. Galbraith leaves no gritty detail unwritten and the images are a bit extreme. This book kept me reading past my bedtime many nights and even inspired me to not start a new series on Netflix. If that doesn't say it's good, I don't know what will. I would highly recommend this to readers who like detective novels, the previous books in the series, or want to give a really well-written mystery a go. I'll also add that even though there were only three suspects, I did not figure out which one it was before it was revealed. Galbraith really keeps readers on their toes. 

Rating: 4.5/5 Cups

Note: Robert Galbraith is the penname for JK Rowling

The Dog Walker (The Detective's Daughter #5)

Stella and Jack must reawaken the secrets of the past in order to solve the mysteries of the present.

January, 1987. In the depths of winter, only joggers and dog walkers brave the Thames towpath after dark. Helen Honeysett, a young newlywed, sets off for an evening run from her riverside cottage and disappears.

Twenty-nine years later, Helen's body has never been found. Her husband has asked Stella Darnell, a private detective, and her side-kick Jack Harmon, to find out what happened all those years ago. But when the five households on that desolate stretch of towpath refuse to give up their secrets, Stella and Jack find themselves hunting a killer whose trail has long gone cold.

*May Contain Spoilers*

The Dog Walker, by Lesley Thomson, is a detective novel that delves into the cold case of Mrs. Helen Honeysett, a young woman who disappeared thirty years ago on the Thames river towpath. Stella, the owner of Clean Slate, a cleaning company, is hired by the victim's husband, Adam Honeysett, to clear his name after all these years. With a community full of suspects, some living and some deceased, Stella and her partner Jack must turn over old stones, and open old wounds, to find out what happened on January 7, 1987. 

Stella Darnell seems to be a born detective. She's calm under pressure, doesn't mind pushing the wrong (or right) buttons, and is open minded enough to not cast blame prematurely. Her father, Terry, was also a detective and his instructions on how to ask questions or get suspects to open up guide her actions. Stella is a trusting woman, but she doesn't allow that to cloud her judgement. She seems to accept people exactly how they are, which allows her to see others from a unique, nearly outsider, perspective. Though Stella is one of the main characters, not a lot of the book's detail is about her. This might seem like it would be difficult to connect to her character, but Thomson's writing style makes up for this. The details that build Stella's character come out in her delicate actions and thorough thought process, as well as her spontaneous soirees led by intuition and interest. With her web of trusted allies, readers learn a lot about Stella from the background. There isn't just one main trait about Stella that brings readers to feel a connection with her, it's a combination of attributes that work to make her three-dimensional. For example, the fact that she owns a cleaning company says a lot about her personality. Stella likes when things make sense, when the dust is cleared away and the truth can be seen in the clutter that makes up a person's life. 

Though Jack's character offers readers a different sort of connection. Jack is Stella's partner in detective work and also works for her at Clean Slate, along with working on the London underground. Jack is a character connected to the supernatural. He believes in ghosts and True Hosts and gives off the sense that he's being haunted. Though he's truly only haunted by his own memories, or lack thereof. Jack likes to keep secrets and walk the streets during the midnight hours. If Stella were light and air, then Jack would be darkness and shadow. Jack balances Stella out, especially in their detective work. He has a sense about people, though it isn't always correct, that guides him to search for meaning in signs and discover the unseen. Readers will witness his wanderings and want to understand his haunting. His protective nature in regard to Stella will bring readers to his side while his emotional or sensed perceptions of the suspects will help lead them to the novel's conclusion. 

The Dog Walker revolves around the cold case file of Helen Honeysett. She disappeared on a winter night in 1987 while running, an act she did every night at precisely eight o'clock. Helen's character haunts the novel as her husband and the neighbors that live in the Thames cottages open the door to the past. Her husband, Adam, was the main suspect in the murder investigation until a neighbor's daughter told police that she saw her father follow Helen to the towpath that night. Though Helen's body was never found and no arrest was ever made. The details that the suspects share with Stella and Jack all add up to an un-obvious conclusion. Though I would love to say I had it all figured out, I was wrong in my suspicions, which makes the detective novel that much more fun. As readers join Stella and Jack on this cold case, they will undoubtedly be intrigued by the characters that make up the Thames Cottage community as well as the relationships that work between them. Let the title of this book be the first clue for this interesting and intriguing story of love, loss, judgement, and mystery. 

Rating: 4/5 Cups

Death by Diploma (Chalkboard Outlines #1)

Emma Lovett leaves her philandering husband and crosses the country to begin her teaching career at a high school in Pinewood, Colorado.There, she meets Leslie Parker, a fellow teacher given to quoting Shakespeare to fit all situations, and the two become fast friends.

Arriving at work early one morning, Emma discovers the body of the school custodian, a man who reminds her of her late father. When the police struggle to find the killer, the ladies decide to help solve the murder. Their efforts lead them to a myriad of suspects: the schizophrenic librarian, the crude football coach, the mysterious social studies teacher, and even Emma’s new love interest.

As Emma Lovett discovers the perils of teaching high school, she and Leslie learn more than they ever wanted to know about the reasons people kill.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Southern Belle meets Colorado murder mystery in Kelley Kaye's Death by Diploma, the first in her Chalkboard Outline series. Emma begins teaching at Pinewood High School just before the school is struck by a tragedy -- one of the Janitors, Melvin, has been murdered. Leslie, Emma's first friend, is convinced that Detective Carl is too much of an idiot to close the case. This problem obviously has only one solution. Leslie and Emma: Pinewood High Detectives. 

Emma Lovett is a Southern girl who knows how to use her twang to get exactly what she wants. After leaving her husband, Emma decided to become a teacher and now she's living in Colorado with the rest of her life ahead of her. Emma's brave in a cautious way and readers will enjoy reading her internal mini-monologues. She has a good sense of humor, a big heart, and a love of teaching. Her sunny disposition is respectable because Emma has experienced things that could have taken away that smiling sincerity. but she doesn't allow that to happen. It seems to only increase her ability to care. 

Leslie becomes Emma's partner in crime solving and though she doesn't share the main character spotlight, she's very important to the story. Leslie has been teaching for a few years and she becomes a mentor of sorts for Emma. She's also a big comic relief and quotes Shakespeare quite often. Leslie also pushes Emma outside of her comfort zone, which I think helps Emma begin to really take charge of her new life. Readers will enjoy Leslie's attitude and laugh at her strict dispositions and random acts of cursing. 

It seems at odds with itself, but Death by Diploma is a rather light-hearted murder mystery. Emma and Leslie form a strong friendship, both develop love-interests, and they uncover the story of Melvin McManus, which is an interesting story by itself. There's lots of laughter in this novel as well as serious moments of sadness. It even has a bit of action and a surprise ending. Death by Diploma is a uniquely fresh murder mystery crossed with chick lit that will have readers quoting, or at least wanting to quote, Shakespeare by the final page.

Rating: 3/5 Cups

Braineater Jones

Braineater Jones wakes up face down in a swimming pool with no memory of his former life, how he died, or why he’s now a zombie. With a smart-aleck severed head as a partner, Jones descends into the undead ghetto to solve his own murder.

But Jones’s investigation is complicated by his crippling addiction to human flesh. Like all walking corpses, he discovers that only a stiff drink can soothe his cravings. Unfortunately, finding liquor during Prohibition is costly and dangerous. From his Mason jar, the cantankerous Old Man rules the only speakeasy in the city that caters to the postmortem crowd.

As the booze, blood, and clues coagulate, Jones gets closer to discovering the identity of his killer and the secrets behind the city’s stranglehold on liquid spirits. Death couldn’t stop him, but if the liquor dries up, the entire city will be plunged into an orgy of cannibalism.

Cracking this case is a tall order. Braineater Jones won’t get out alive, but if he plays his cards right, he might manage to salvage the last scraps of his humanity.

*May Contain Spoilers*

When a man wakes up without a pulse and a lot of questions, his only real option is go into the detective business. Well, at least when it's Braineater Jones by Stephen Kozeniewski. The novel, set in 1934, covers a little more than a month in the life of a zombie private eye that will have you dying with laughter. I know, I know, obvious pun. I couldn't resist.

Jones is a talk first, shoot directly after kind of zombie. He's a bit naive when it comes to trusting certain people and with the entire undead thing completely. He was shot and left to die in a mansion's outside pool. This being the only thing he knows, Jones is determined to get revenge on whoever murdered him. He's a likeable guy with a bit of a forceful attitude. Readers may struggle with forming a connection with Jones, whose real name is not Jones by the way, based on his after death status and desire to uncover his murderer. However, that won't stop anyone from enjoying this book, which is written as the journal of Jones. 

The plot of the novel follows Braineater's awakening, his stumble into the detective business, and the uncovering of a rather large deceitful bootlegging system. Kozeniewski keeps the book at a quick pace, revealing pieces of the mystery in exactly the right way, keeping readers from seeing the bigger picture until the end. Though, this book is not for everyone. It's definitely full of inappropriate, crude language and adult zombie-style situations. This writing style fits the storyline and book perfectly, but young readers or those who don't enjoy this specific type of humor may want to pass. 

Rating: 3/5 Cups

One Kill Away

Halifax homicide detective Allan Stanton's walked away from his job to reconnect with his young son, until a killer starts methodically carving his way through the city's underbelly. His ex-partner needs help, and Stanton reluctantly returns.

The killer is definitely working through a list of victims, and he's leaving cryptic clues at his grisly crime scenes. Are they there to confuse the police? Or is there something more to them? As Stanton unravels this shocking central mystery, he becomes the target of an unexpected enemy--those next on the killer's list.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Halifax detective Allan Stanton is back in Alex MacLean's novel, One Kill Away. Stanton has no doubt earned his right to time off and visiting his son Brian is exactly what he needs. While on a little vacation, a hideous murder takes place and Alex's partner Audra is called to the scene. 

Because of the vacation time, readers are introduced to both Detective Audra Price and a new side of Detective Stanton, the side that loves his son more than anything in the world. The bond that initially formed between Stanton and readers will solidify when they witness Allan in family mode. It's obvious how much he adores his son. Detective Audra Price is another officer that readers will respect and sympathize with. Audra is strong, intelligent, brave, with a side of hotheadedness. As the murder case sets up, it's Audra's responsibility to move it forward. However, heartbreak arrives for the Price family when Audra's daughter attempts to take her own life after experiencing how cruel teenagers can be. Thus, Audra is off the case and Allan is called back from Toronto to finish the puzzle. 

The plot of One Kill Away has two sides, just like every story. The first side is Seth. He's immediately depicted as the murderer. He's a broken man who is full of rage and regret, looking for revenge. The other side of the story involves the detectives, their suspects, and their families. With the first murder, the police hit a solid dead end, but with the second murder everything starts to fall into place. Will Seth finish his revenge or will Stanton put the clues together leaving Seth one kill away from success?  

This novel was just as thrilling as MacLean's first. Once I started it, I couldn't put it down. The story is so fast-paced with many different things happening to both main characters and supporting characters. It's hard to find a stopping place, not that I was looking for one. The new murder mystery is meticulously pieced together. Very impressive how MacLean linked the present to Stanton's past. The little twist at the end blew me away and changed my perspective completely. Funny how a single detail can do that... One Kill Away is gunpowder after the spark, definitely recommended for mature murder mystery lovers. 

Rating: 4/5 Cups

The Missings

Aspen Falls, Colorado.
Secrets.
Secrets within a community.
Secrets within a family.


Detective Chase Waters finds himself working the most interesting case of his career—one that comes closer to home than he could ever imagine.

Are the mutilated bodies of young men and women the result of cult… or commerce?

*May Contain Spoilers*

Peg Brantley sets the Hispanic community up against, what looks to be, an experienced serial killer in her novel, The Missings. With a passionate detective and a sister who speaks out, the city of Aspen Falls may be able to survive this string of murders. 

Chase Waters is the leading detective and main character in this book. A haunted past motivates him to better the community of Aspen Falls and readers will enjoy his Twizzler addicted personality. He's highly passionate about his job and when the murder cases start piling up, he is determined to save his neighbors. Readers will connect with the loss he's endured in his life. The sympathy evoking situation pulls readers to Chase's side almost immediately. The love for his family will solidify the connection Brantley creates as will his internal strength and bravery. 

The plot is gripping with short chapters that will have readers promising themselves "Only one more" until the end. Not only will readers hope that Chase's family will weather their latest storm, they'll be praying he catches the killer before the killer catches his family. The lines that Brantley blurs together in this novel are elegantly twisted as if by fate, bringing readers to their knees with hope and fear.

Rating: 3/5 Cups

The Missings

Gone Girl

On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer?

As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn’t do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet? - Goodreads

*May Contain Spoilers*

I have no excuse as to why I waited this long to read Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn except that it was out of stock everywhere until last week. And now I can see why. This is the most psychotic, demented, unpredictable novel that I have ever read. Period. 

As my reviews revolve around character connection, I'm not sure what to say exactly. Mainly because Flynn didn't write the characters as likeable people. I honestly don't like Nick or Amy one bit. Author success. But I loved the story  she crafted with cobwebs of deceit and rolling waves of raging revenge. 

Nick's main problem was that he was too scared of what everyone was thinking about him. He lost focus of the man he wanted to be and let his sociopathic wife steer him towards demise. And Amy. Oh, Amy. I loved the diary version Amy. Just like she (Amy/Flynn) wanted. I fell in love with the diary version of the loving-stay-at-home-supportive-forever-wife. I was so drawn to this "Amy" that I legitimately wondered if Nick suffered from multiple personality disorder. 

Then Flynn introduced a new "Amy." A more hated version. A character that betrays the reader and leaves them reeling. At that point, I started to like Nick. His good qualities came floating to the surface. Though I feel as if I was tricked somehow, because those characteristics weren't even "good." He was playing the role of the man Amy wanted him to be. And I suppose when it's that or the death penalty... you must choose wisely. 

I devoured this book. I cannot believe that I'm already finished with it, as I had planned on it being my weekend read. But Amy and Nick got their claws into me and with the last period in sight I let out a slow sigh of relief. It was over. Though it's not. At all. Flynn leaves the last chapter wide open, allowing readers to create their own ending for Nick and Amy. I know I've already thought about how I'd like it to really end. 

I very highly recommend this novel as it will figuratively slap you in the face with surprise. Though, as a warning, it does have some gruesome details and a heap of inappropriate language. Also, I have chosen not to rate this novel because my scale doesn't include the correct amount of variables to be able to put a number on it. It has broken my rating scale which is both exciting and terrifying. Perhaps I need a new scale? 

Gone Girl: A Novel 

 I would love to hear thoughts on this novel! Feel free to share yours if you'd like. :) 

Humanity Disappearing

Dove right in to the third novel in J. R. Rain's series, American Vampire, and of course, I absolutely loved it! Read the entire thing in one sitting (again).

Samantha Moon is juggling another two cases in this book as the leading Vampire Detective in California. As a reader, I found myself facing the same hard decisions that Samantha faces throughout the story. I love how Rain keeps the connection between the reader and the main character going strong in every book.

This novel, however, is a heart breaker and a soul searcher. Samantha's son is sick... very sick. The black aura that shrouds her little boy becomes thicker with each breath he draws and Samantha must search for a way to help him, while also saving a young girl and tracking down a stolen piece of art. As a woman who can't go out in the daytime, Samantha certainly has her hands full!

As she searches her humanity for an answer to how she can help her son, Samantha fears that the human side of her is slowly disappearing.

Can the vampire detective save everyone she cares for? Or is the unfairness of life a worse monster than she is?

Previous blogs on the Vampire for Hire series:
[x] A.K.A Vampirism
[x] The Woman Beneath the Vampire 
[x] Reality in a Fictitious World 
[x] Succumbing to Vampires

American Vampire on Amazon

rating: 5/5 cups

Elderly Citizen turns Crime-Stopper

Ivy Malone is a church going elderly lady and an upstanding citizen. But when a close friend is murdered, Ivy decides to take things upon herself to help track down a killer. Traveling across state lines, checking up on old aliases, and piecing the clues together may sound like too much for an aging woman, but Ivy isn't giving up.

 * *

Invisible, by Lorena McCourtney, is an absolute whirlwind of elderly detective-ness that had me laughing out loud. The writing style was delightfully unique with a charm that my grandmother would be proud of. The plot was decidedly put together, but wasn't easily predicted (which was wonderful!). The twists that McCourtney strategically placed in her novel created a maze with hidden corridors that demanded the perfect clues before allowing entry. 

Ivy Malone was a great, deeply real character who could, in all actuality, be living next door to me. I have to admit that I was a bit skeptical at the beginning of the novel - thinking that an elderly woman could be a crime stopping detective. Needless to say, by the middle of the novel (perhaps even before that) McCourtney had me overly convinced. Her spin on the mystery genre was refreshing, engaging, and definitely entertaining. 

When you get a chance, perhaps on another rainy Thursday, pick this book up and spend the day with Ivy. You will not regret the journey she takes you on, and you may even want to read the sequel... :)

 Invisible on Amazon

rating: 5/5 cups

Hiding in the Closet

Maddie Springer as two problems:
1. She's late. As in late... (but is too scared to take a pregnancy test)
2. Her boyfriend is missing, and has been for a few days.

Scared that she's carrying Richard's child, Maddie, the main character in Spying in High Heels, plans on talking to him about it before she can handle the results of a pregnancy test. Only he cancels their lunch date and then fails to keep his promise of calling her later that night.

The weekend passes and no still no word. So she does what any normal-perhaps-pregnant woman would do. She breaks into his house. Maddie finds the house empty with a stale air. She searches the condo for any sign of where her boyfriend disappeared to when another man enters the house.

With a gun. 

Hiding in the closet, Maddie manages to stay clear of the gunman, but now she has a third problem. What is a man with a gun doing rifling through her boyfriend's condo?

The writing in this book is fresh and hilarious. Gemma Halliday does a wonderful job in placing the reader right in the high heels of the narrator. At only chapter 2, I am delighted with this novel! Kick off your favorite pair of slingbacks and cuddle up with this book!