Mind Me, Milady

Jane Larson is an attorney on the Upper East Side of New York City, and the Gentleman Rapist has chosen her to receive his calls announcing each conquest. He also reminds her in chilling terms that he will one day twist his wire around her throat and bend her to his will.

Jane has professional and personal problems of her own, but she is forced to try to catch this monster when he stalks her newest client. Susan is a sweet young woman who cannot remember large time periods of her past and who has dreams about a prior life in which she was raped. Soon, the Gentleman escalates to murder, and Jane wonders if he was involved in Susan’s forgotten past, or if Susan is simply a means to get to Jane. Either way, Jane is caught in the deadly game of stopping the Gentleman before another woman feels the wire at her throat and hears his sinister whisper to Mind Me, Milady.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Jane Larson has returned with an array of new clients in Mind Me, Milady, by Anne Rothman-Hicks and Ken Hicks. In this mystery, a young woman is targeted for memories of a past life while Jane is also fighting back against a serial rapist who soon ups his crime spree to include murder. If Jane can figure out how it's all related, then maybe she'll have a chance at stopping the monster who keeps her informed of his every misdeed. 

Jane Larson was first introduced to me in Weave a Murderous Web and her character is just as persistent and determined as before. Maybe even more so now that she's cleaning up her mother's client list. What connected me most to Jane was her emotional realization that she was both proud of her mother and more inclined to be like her mother in terms of being a lawyer. As the book progressed, so did Jane's emotional evolution. She learns that she likes helping people who need it rather than helping businesses or people who are assigned to her by her boss. And in this story, there are lots of people who need help. Jane's emotional strength and intelligence work in her favor as she tries to help the young and inexperienced Susan. Though Jane can be a little harsh, she has her client's best interests in mind. Couple that with her other likable personality traits and Jane becomes a character that can be respected. 

The storyline of this novel begins with Jane finishing her mother's cases after her death. While doing so, Jane becomes entwined in several plot lines that do get a bit confusing at times. There is a wide cast of characters that frequently come and go, making them a bit hard to remember. The main story involves Susan and the inheritance of her Aunt's estate and a serial rapist who keeps contacting Jane after every incident. Jane feels the two are related somehow but doesn't know exactly. The only thing a bit bothersome about the book was it's incredibly heavy focus on detail. I usually like having all the details but I felt bogged down by the systematic info dumps that didn't seem to contribute to the plot of the book. I feel like that kept me from seeing this book as un-put-down-able. The main reason I think this bothered me so much was because when the criminal was revealed at the end, I didn't remember him being a part of the book. That disappointed me the most. 

Though I would recommend this book to lovers of the mystery genre and to those who have read the previous books about Jane Larson, I think I'd accompany the recommendation with a warning that it moves slowly because of the heavy explanations. I'd also include that the Kindle version (at least the one I received) did have a few errors in it that were a bit distracting, like Jane being called Kate, just to point out one example. Overall, I did feel the connection with Jane initially established in the previous novel was built upon and that the storyline was intriguing, while just confusing enough to not be predictable.

Rating: 3/5 Cups

Read the review of Weave a Murderous Web

Teaser Tuesday (315)

Welcome to Teaser Tuesday, the weekly Meme that wants you to add books to your TBR, or just share what you are currently reading. It is very easy to play along:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Everyone loves Teaser Tuesday.

Mind Me, Milady (Kindle 33%)

    - Anne Rothman-Hicks and Ken Hicks

"Did it work? Were you able to learn anything?"

...

"Your name was Sarah. You lived as some sort of servant, many years ago, at the time of the American Revolution." 

What's Next, Wednesday (103)

•  To play along share a book you've been looking forward to reading, whether it's new or has been on your reading list for a while.

I'm looking forward to... 

Mind Me, Milady by Anne Rothman-Hicks and Ken Hicks. Switching gears after my current read to another thriller/mystery. In this book, an attorney has been chosen to be the social contact of a serial killer, with the promise that one day she'll also be his victim. I'm excited to get to this one but I feel like it's going to be one of those books that demand breaks because of the fear factor. 

Everything She Lost

After suffering a mental breakdown that nearly destroyed her marriage, Nina Taylor works hard to maintain her tenuous hold on sanity and be a good mother to her two young daughters. Despite her best efforts, she questions the possibility of a full recovery.

Single mom Deja Johnson struggles to overcome her troubled past and raise her young son. But her friendship with Nina brings more complications. What Deja is hiding could not only destroy relationships but endanger lives.

One traumatic night threatens to shatter Nina’s mind. With Deja’s help, she strives to maintain her mental balance. But as events spiral out of control, the women must find out if Nina is losing her sanity or if someone is plotting against her.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Alessandra Harris creates a confused and creepy web of deceit in her novel, Everything She Lost. Splitting the narrative between two main characters, Nina and Deja, give readers two sides of the same story... but one is untrustworthy while the other is mentally ill. This creates a story that readers doubt from the very beginning. 

Nina is a woman who is still recovering from a mental breakdown. As a reader, I liked Nina for her persistence, her focus, and the love she has for her children. She truly wants to be healthy so she can take care of her children. However, the situation she is in is not conducive to mental health. Her husband, Rodney, is cheating on her and she isn't aware of it. What makes it worse -- he's cheating on Nina with Deja, Nina's only friend. This sets up readers to immediately dislike Deja and it worked for me. Though I can see that she's trying to make a better life for her and her son, Miles, she's going about it the wrong way. When a person from her past threatens her, she reverts back to her previous way of handling things. 

Both of these characters do elicit sympathy from the reader, creating a connection from the beginning. Though as the story continues, readers can see the confusion mounting and a feeling of wrongness seeps from the pages. Suddenly it's Nina against reality and she doesn't know who to trust or who is telling her the truth. This is how Harris takes her novel to the next level, making the book suspenseful and the reader a little afraid to know the truth. The only downside was that the outcome was a bit predictable. There are only so many characters and once the reader starts narrowing it down, then there's only one solution that makes sense. 

The plot begins by introducing the relationships between the characters: Nina and Deja are friends while Deja is having an affair with Rodney, Nina's husband. A single text message prompts Nina to burst into Deja's house where she's being attacked by an ex-lover. In an effort to help, Nina accidentally kills the man. And all sorts of trouble follows layered with various side-plots and supporting characters. I think readers who enjoy suspense, thrillers, and unreliable narrators will enjoy this book. (It even has hints of a mystery.) I would definitely recommend for an entertaining read. 

Rating: 3.5/5 Cups

Teaser Tuesday (310)

Welcome to Teaser Tuesday, the weekly Meme that wants you to add books to your TBR, or just share what you are currently reading. It is very easy to play along:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Everyone loves Teaser Tuesday.

Everything She Lost (Kindle 69%)

    - Alessandra Harris

"I didn't go to the police because you said you didn't want to be an accomplice. You helped me hide the body then told me to keep my mouth shut. We are both guilty now."

Teaser Tuesday (302)

Welcome to Teaser Tuesday, the weekly Meme that wants you to add books to your TBR, or just share what you are currently reading. It is very easy to play along:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Everyone loves Teaser Tuesday.

Liar, Liar (Kindle 49%)

   - Sarah Flint

Powell's guilt was absolute. The presence of the red roses, the stems devoid of thorns at each murder scene connected them irrefutably. However, the significance of the roses remained unknown, and the only reason for the removal of thorns appeared to be the avoidance of inadvertent DNA contamination. The team wanted more... 

If You Only Knew

A wife, a mother, a killer.

One wrong decision, one terrifying night, leaves student Elizabeth with a stark choice – kill or be killed. And the consequences of that choice will shape her whole life.

Now a wife, a mother, and a lawyer, she must find a way to outrun her past, protect her family and live with her secret. But is it really possible to live a happy life with such a huge shadow cast by the past? And as it becomes clear that someone else knows her secret and is hunting her down, time is running out for Elizabeth to keep her family safe.

In the bestselling tradition of Clare Mackintosh and Jenny Blackhurst, Cynthia Clark has written a heart-stopping story about the choices we make and how far we'd go to protect our families. Even if it means deceiving the people we love most...

*May Contain Spoilers*

Cynthia Clark shares a story of survival and secrecy with her book If You Only Knew. When Liz was a young girl in college, she was kidnapped and raped. In saving her own life, she killed the man who attacked her and ran away - keeping what happened, and the baby that was a result of it, a secret. But now, the truth is about to come out. 

First off, I know that Clark writes Liz's actions in a way that readers certainly are able to understand her motives. But, that being said, it is definitely not okay that she didn't contact the police, especially when a man's life was taken after what he did to her. I think not involving the police just made the whole thing even harder for Liz. It became a secret shame that she kept from everyone, even her husband, and I think it just made her life harder when she could have dealt with it. I understand why she did it -- she was afraid -- but it was definitely not the right move. 

Now, years later, Liz is still trying to hide it - her past and her true self - from everyone she knows. And if this isn't bad enough, she forced her husband to move into the same neighborhood as the daughter she gave up for adoption. Though Liz is an interesting character and the story is quite thrilling, I just don't understand why Liz builds her life out of lies. Even though Liz is a likeable character, I think the fact that she has the reader's empathy from the very beginning is the main reason readers would hope she didn't get caught. But what kind of story would it be if she didn't? The fact that she does get caught is what forces her to move forward in her life and deal with her past and her issues. 

Though I may be the only one who looks at Liz this way, I can't help but think she made a huge mistake in not trusting the police when it would have been obvious what happened. Though I did want her story to resolve happily, I kind of wanted her to get caught so it would all just be out in the open. I don't think using self-defense to protect oneself makes someone a murderer or a killer in the way that Liz seemed to think. 

Besides that disagreement I had with how Liz handled things, I really enjoyed the book. It was a little nerve-wracking and a little scary. I felt like everything was going to come crashing down at any moment and when it did - it was almost a relief. I was actually more interested in what Liz would do and what would happen after her secret was out and I think it pushed me to read a little bit faster towards the end of the book. I think readers who enjoy thrillers, women's fiction, and like being pushed to their nail-biting limits will enjoy reading this book. 

Rating: 3.5/5 Cups

Teaser Tuesday (293)

Welcome to Teaser Tuesday, the weekly Meme that wants you to add books to your TBR, or just share what you are currently reading. It is very easy to play along:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Everyone loves Teaser Tuesday.

If You Only Knew (Kindle 47%)

    - Cynthia Clark

This could have been me, getting ready for Maya's sixteenth birthday. Instead, I'm sitting on the sidelines, a spectator, as Ellen prepares to shower the child I'd given birth to with love and gifts.

Teaser Tuesday (293)

Welcome to Teaser Tuesday, the weekly Meme that wants you to add books to your TBR, or just share what you are currently reading. It is very easy to play along:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Everyone loves Teaser Tuesday.

If You Only Knew (Kindle 21%)

    - Cynthia Clark

The investigation had moved on from John Larkin's death to the girls who had been found. The bodies had started to be identified and police were trying to determine what had happened to them.

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

What's Next Wednesday (81)

•  To play along share a book you've been looking forward to reading, whether it's new or has been on your reading list for a while.

I'm looking forward to...

If You Only Knew by Cynthia Clark. I've been a little slow on my reading list lately, but I did just add this one to the review list. This book promises suspense in the form of a secret that one woman needs to keep from everyone in her life - including her husband and children. But she was wrong in assuming she was the only one who knew what she has done. Can't wait to get to this one! 

Teaser Tuesday (291)

Welcome to Teaser Tuesday, the weekly Meme that wants you to add books to your TBR, or just share what you are currently reading. It is very easy to play along:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Everyone loves Teaser Tuesday.

Career of Evil (p.150)

    - Robert Galbraith 

He knew this was almost certainly a fool's errand, but if -- if -- they had been followed by the man who had sent the leg, he was clearly a reckless bastard who might not have been scared away from Robin's vicinity by Strike's ungainly pursuit. 

Teaser Tuesday (290)

Welcome to Teaser Tuesday, the weekly Meme that wants you to add books to your TBR, or just share what you are currently reading. It is very easy to play along:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Everyone loves Teaser Tuesday.

The Room by the Lake (Kindle 51%)

    - Emma Dibdin

"I do feel more stable here. The structure, the activity, but then I worry I'm just distracting myself from whatever's going on in my head. Maybe I'm just a time bomb." 

Teaser Tuesday (289)

Welcome to Teaser Tuesday, the weekly Meme that wants you to add books to your TBR, or just share what you are currently reading. It is very easy to play along:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Everyone loves Teaser Tuesday.

The Room by the Lake (Kindle 9%)

    - Emma Dibdin

My friend Sophie told me this, once, trying to persuade me to think less. 'It's not about thinking of nothing,' she explained, hands resting cool on mine. 'It's just focusing on something external, so you can sort of quiet down the noise.' 

Weave a Murderous Web

No good deed goes unpunished. When Jane Larson—a hot-shot litigator for a large firm in New York City—helps out a friend, she is sucked into the unfamiliar world of divorce and child support.

Jane's discovery of the deadbeat dad’s hidden assets soon unravels a web of lies, drugs, and murder that keeps getting more dangerous.

Soon, Jane is involved in a high stakes race to recover a missing suitcase of cash and catch the murderer before she becomes the next victim.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Murder victims, a long list of suspects, enough motives to go around... Welcome to the delicate legal world of NYC. Anne Rothman-Hicks and Ken Hicks share the next case of Jane Larson in their fast-paced thriller, Weave a Murderous Web. 

Jane Larson is a hard-hitting lawyer who does not back down. She's persistent, intelligent, and knows which questions to ask. Readers will enjoy her ability to stand up for herself and remain relatively calm in the face of danger. Her kind heart is revealed when she takes a case, basically pro-bono, to help out the daughter of Gail (a woman who only cares about herself) and Larry (a drug dealing lawyer who had his license revoked) at the request of her friend, Francine. Jane's only motivation is to make sure that Courtney gets the money she needs to live, after her father is murdered. I think readers will relate to Jane's passion to help, like her tough personality (a required trait in NYC law firms), and understand why she can't let this case go, even if it puts her life in danger. 

The plot of the novel revolves around the divorce case of Gail and Larry. Though Larry claims that he is completely broke, Gail believes that he's hiding money and she's prepared to do whatever it takes to stake her claim to that money. This is where Jane Larson comes in, but the case is not that simple. Especially when Larry is murdered. Jane is forced into a race to find the money, and a little digging connects a lot of people to Larry's side-job as a drug dealer. This creates a chaotic web of suspects and motives that will give readers a little mystery to solve along with Jane. The most entertaining part of the book is that any of the suspects could have done this and it creates a feeling that Jane cannot trust anyone. This brings readers closer to Jane as she slowly focuses in on the villain. It's always intriguing and entertaining to try to discover the murderer before the main character, and the authors give readers a few clues that could help them. And of course, the pressure built into the story makes the book even more thrilling because readers will undoubtedly want Jane to make it out alive. I would highly recommend this book for those readers of mystery and crime thrillers. 

Rating: 4/5 Cups

What's Next, Wednesday (66)

•  To play along share a book you've been looking forward to reading, whether it's new or has been on your reading list for a while.

I'm looking forward to... 

Weave a Murderous Web by Anne Rothman-Hicks and Ken Hicks. This book promises to be a thrilling mystery and crime novel. Lawyer, Jane, soon finds herself not just helping out a friend, but trying to track down a murderer before she becomes his next victim. I'm really looking forward to a fast-paced mystery novel that will hook me from the first page, so hopefully this is it. 

Girl on Point

Alexandra Campbell’s life comes to a crashing halt the night her younger sister is killed during a convenience store robbery. Shattered by guilt, Alex distances herself from her friends and family. Months later, with the police investigation stalled, she fears justice may never be served.

Determined to avenge her sister’s murder, Alex disguises herself and joins the gang responsible for the shooting. To identify the one who pulled the trigger, Alex must put her own life at risk in a world of dangerous criminals. But the longer she plays her new game, the more the lines blur between loyalty and betrayal.

*May Contain Spoilers*

This book was terrifying -in a real life, I can't believe this happens, kind of way. Cheryl Guerriero tackles a very intense topic with her novel, Girl on Point - gangs, murder, drugs, robbery. A topic, a world, that we all know exists, but a world that some of us don't experience everyday, or never experience at all. And that makes this book a terrifying representation of a real world problem, thrilling and frightening and heartbreaking. 

Alex is a teenage girl who loved basketball and planned on going to college. But when her sister is shot in a shady convenience store while their team is at an away basketball game, everything changes for Alex. She falls into a deep depression and dreams of escaping the pain of her grief. Yet, she can't let go because whoever killed her sister is still out there somewhere. Though it was difficult, I can totally understand how someone would refuse to let the death of their family member go. Especially when it's a gang related murder. I couldn't imagine anyone I know going to the extremes that Alex goes to in this book, but with her psyche so damaged and overshadowed by injustice and depression, I can't say I wouldn't believe that someone would do this. Alex is determined to find what the police missed so she decides to do anything she can to be a part of the gang who killed her sister with the hope that she'll uncover some actual evidence. 

After Alex becomes a part of this violent world, who she is and who she is pretending to be blend together, until her character is so blurry it's hard to see the real her. She starts participating in crimes in order to become closer to this gang of young girls. She starts doing drugs and drinking because they do -- and she wants to fit in with them. Alex wants them to trust her. She doesn't kill anyone, but she takes part (and sometimes the leading role) in these crimes. And then she realizes that she is a criminal. She has become one of them. Alex sacrifices everything to find out who killed her sister down a rabbit hole that, to me, could only end two ways. One possibility, Alex is killed by the gang she tries so hard to bring down. Or two, Alex is arrested right along with the girls, as she is no longer the innocent. This all adds up to an incredibly intense novel that is moving, heart-wrenching, down right scary, and confusing. The main question I couldn't stop asking myself was: can I blame her for trying this? The police had reached a seemingly dead end and instead of suicide, Alex chose to try to find her own answers. In a lose-lose situation, can we, as readers, see the justification of this behavior? I think so. And I think that's why anyone who reads this book will understand and connect with Alex. We may not like her choices or her actions, but we can see how the death of a sister and a police case that's quickly going cold could push someone to that edge. Which makes it all the more terrifying. 

Because of the drug use, the criminal activity, the cursing, and the violence in general, I can't recommend this book to everyone. It feels too real, which is a good thing with this topic. The author did an amazing job at capturing this part of the world, making it feel legitimate and believable. It provides a view of a part of the world that tends to be ignored, except for those who live in it. That gives this book power, evoking sadness, a sense of unfairness, and a hope that future generations find a solution to this kind of violence. 

Rating: 4/5 Cups