BLOG TOUR - Black Crow Cabin

DESCRIPTION:

Rachel wakes up, gasping for breath, and immediately knows her children are in danger. The scent of magnolias is heavy in the air, which means the Collector is coming…

Schoolteacher Rachel Logan is living an ordinary life in a small community at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. As a single mother still reeling from the sudden death of her husband, she refuses to allow her life to be shaken by whispers of a local thief called the Collector. But when a little boy and girl are taken, everything changes.

On her isolated ranch on the edge of the forest, Rachel feels someone is watching her. The scent of magnolias clings to her bedsheets each morning, which her family’s gift tells her is a bad omen. And when a photograph is stolen from her house with a tarot card left in its place—the Collector’s twisted signature—she knows her children will be his next victims.

Terrified, Rachel is relieved when her husband’s best friend Hank offers to move in to protect her family. Especially because she can feel something dark stirring in the woods just beyond her ranch. But it soon becomes clear that the Collector isn’t after her children, and has instead set his sights on Rachel…

Can Rachel outwit an unimaginable evil before time runs out for two innocent children? And even if she does manage to save their lives, can a monster like the Collector ever be stopped?

The first book in the thrilling Logan Sisters series, this utterly gripping small-town thriller is perfect for fans of Rachel Caine, Melinda Leigh and Mary Kubica, and anyone looking for a page-turner packed with unguessable, gripping twists.

MY THOUGHTS:

Title. Black Crow Cabin

Author:  Peggy Webb

Series: Logan Sisters Thrillers #1

Publisher:  Bookouture

Genre:   Psychological Thriller

Format:  Kindle ARC

No. of Pages:   325

Date of Publication:   April 30. 2024

My Rating:   4 Stars

Evil is about when residents in Rachel Logan’s small town just might be in danger. This is especially the case when two of the town’s children disappear without a trace. Still reeling from the sudden loss of her husband, with the disappearance of the children, Rachel’s concern for her own family raises her stress levels significantly.

Living in fear is certainly not easy, especially when caring for her two young children. Rachel cannot help but to wonder if they are in danger. Is it the town itself? Perhaps it is because there is talk of someone local, a thief referred to as the Collector. Rachel is more than worried that this person could come after her family.

Rachel soon learns that she is not alone. She is rather relieved when her husband’s best friend Hank steps in to protect them. To make them feel safe. Hank even goes so far as to plan on moving in to protect the family. That eerie feeling that Rachel just cannot let go of? Well, things begin to happen that are just too close to home.

What a thrilling story! This is the kind of book that will have you reading with bated breath. Eager to know what fear is really lurking, and how much danger is actually present. 

As Rachel has two sisters, Black Crow Cabin is the first book in the Logan Sisters Thriller series. As Rachel’s story was utterly intriguing and truly impossible to put down, I am eager to continue this series.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Peggy Webb is the USA Today Bestselling author of more than 100 novels in numerous genres, including the reader favorite crime thriller, Snow Brides, and the acclaimed literary fiction novel The Sweetest Hallelujah - written under her pen name Elaine Hussey and compared to Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. Her current crime thrillers combine the addictive quality of Snow Brides with the lyrical writing of her literary works the late, great Pat Conroy called "astonishing." Peggy is a former adjunct instructor of writing at Mississippi Sate University and has won numerous awards, including a prestigious Pioneer Award for creating the sub-genre of romantic comedy, numerous Reviewers Choice Awards, multiple WordWeaving Awards for Excellence, and a submission for the Pulitzer.

With more than three million books in print in numerous languages and countries, Peggy's love of writing goes back to her roots in northeast Mississippi where she grew up on a farm and fell in love with words by reading everything she could get her hands on while sitting in her daddy's hayloft. Peggy is an accomplished pianist and singer, and has starred in numerous roles in her local community theater, including M'Lynn (the Sally Field role) from Steel Magnolias, and The White Witch from The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. Her love of theater and music shine through her novels .She is known for her chilling, filmic scenes, and her latest crime thriller features blues lyrics she composed and credited to one of her characters. She has co-written screenplays for two of her novels, and is active with the Film Festival in her hometown of Tupelo, Mississippi, which is also the birthplace of Elvis. 

Peggy's love of both writing and music is so strong, she says, "I hear the music of words in every novel I write." You can hear her discuss the link between the two arts in her music videos on Facebook and visit her at her website.

Social Media Links:

Website: https://peggywebb.com/ 

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/PeggyWebbAuthor

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/peggy.webb.92/

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/peggy.webb.92/

Bookouture Email Sign Up: https://bookouture.com/subscribe/peggy-webb/

Review - The Swans of Harlem

 

Title:  The Swans of Harlem

Author:  Karen Valby

Publisher:  Pantheon

Genre:   Memoir

Format:  Kindle ARC

No. of Pages:   304

Date of Publication:   April 30, 2024

My Rating:   

DESCRIPTION:

The forgotten story of a pioneering group of five Black ballerinas and their fifty-year sisterhood, a legacy erased from history—until now.

At the height of the Civil Rights movement, Lydia Abarca was a Black prima ballerina with a major international dance company—the Dance Theatre of Harlem, a troupe of women and men who became each other’s chosen family. She was the first Black ballerina on the cover of Dance magazine, an Essence cover star; she was cast in The Wiz and in a Bob Fosse production on Broadway. She performed in some of ballet’s most iconic works with other trailblazing ballerinas, including the young women who became her closest friends—founding Dance Theatre of Harlem members Gayle McKinney-Griffith and Sheila Rohan, as well as first-generation dancers Karlya Shelton and Marcia Sells.

These Swans of Harlem performed for the Queen of England, Mick Jagger, and Stevie Wonder, on the same bill as Josephine Baker, at the White House, and beyond. But decades later there was almost no record of their groundbreaking history to be found. Out of a sisterhood that had grown even deeper with the years, these Swans joined forces again—to share their story with the world.

Captivating, rich in vivid detail and character, and steeped in the glamour and grit of professional ballet, The Swans of Harlem is a riveting account of five extraordinarily accomplished women, a celebration of both their historic careers and the sustaining, grounding power of female friendship, and a window into the robust history of Black ballet, hidden for too long.

Link to purchase the book

MY THOUGHTS:

“Starting a Black ballet company at the end of the civil rights era.” This was no easy task for Arthur Mitchell, who, with sheer determination proved a harsh, and effective, taskmaster as he worked with and trained Black classical dancers. These would-be ballerinas mostly unheard of in the world of classical ballet.

It was 1969, and the Dance Theater or Harlem (DTH) was founded by Mitchell, and featured Black ballet dancers. This involved breaking the color line Fighting racism. Even fighting colorism. Where did Black dancers belong? Mitchell wanted to pull them from modern dance and turn them into ballerinas.

The DTH began with five ballerinas, among men also being trained by Mitchell. We have Lydia Abarca, who achieved more than a bit of success. This success included being the first Black ballerina on the cover of the now defunct Dance magazine, popular with Essence, and even cast in the Wiz. Then she was cast by Bob Fosse and was on broadway. This in no way was a life of ease for Lydia. Pain came in a close second, often even first when it came to fame. Lydia was only one of the five ballerinas Mitchell worked hard to gain recognition. However, without research resources, their names are largely hidden in history.  

Karen Valper and Pantheon do a fabulous job of celebrating these five women, even correcting popular history when it needs correcting. Mitchell became a ballet dancer of some fame himself - breaking the stereotype often expected of Black dancers during that era. As this led to him creating the DTH, he broke that stereotype. These Black dancers were pioneers and they really belonged in classical dancing

Arther Mitchell was hard on his female ballet dancers. Strict beyond belief, he wanted these young ballerinas to get the notoriety they deserved. In most cases at the beginning, at least, these young Black ballerinas went mostly unnoticed. A lonely world to be sure. But these young people had artistry and, although time ran out for most of them, the AIDS crisis really hitting the dance world hard, it was a true epidemic that ended many careers. 

Lydia Arbaca was only one of the five ballerinas featured in this book. There were also Gayle McKinney-Griffith, Sheila Rohan, Karlya Shelton and Marcia Sells. These women belonged on the classical stage. Of that there was no doubt. Their lives and careers hit a lot of stumbling blocks, but with great research having gone into this book, it was easy to connect to each dancer. This was made possible by some of the dancers’ own words at times. These women deserve to be celebrated, honored and are due our respect.

Many thanks to Pantheon and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

BLOG TOUR - The Baby

DESCRIPTION:

There’s a baby in your house. It isn’t yours…

The day I was told I’d never be able to have a child, my world came crashing down. My husband says he still loves me but I lie awake at night, wishing we could have a family.
One morning, my husband’s side of the bed is cold and empty. I hear a noise and head downstairs.

In the middle of the rug in my living room is a wooden drawer. Swaddled inside, with perfect rosy cheeks and beautiful round blue eyes, a baby gazes up at me.
I shiver. It’s all I’ve ever wanted, but this baby is not mine…

An absolutely addictive page-turner with heart-pounding twists from beginning to end. Fans of The Woman in the Window, Freida McFadden and Lisa Jewell won’t be able to put this jaw-dropping psychological thriller down!

Buy Link(s):  
https://geni.us/B0CW1K8W27social
Audible:
UK: https://ow.ly/i0bm50RgUZG
US: https://ow.ly/cNIP50RgUZJ
Listen here: https://ow.ly/pEu750RgUZI’

MY THOUGHTS:

Title:  The Baby

Author:  A. J. McDine 

Publisher:  Bookouture 

Genre:   Psychological Thriller 

Format:  Kindle ARC

No. of Pages:   312

Date of Publication:   April 23, 2024

My Rating:   4 Stars

With alcohol-induced amnesia often ending up with confusing memories for Lucy, her most recent experience rocks her at her core. When she awakes after being passed out after another night of drinking and discovers a baby in her living room, she tries to reach the furthest part of her brain to try and remember whose baby it is and how the baby go there. With her husband Miles away while working on an oil rig, Lucy panics when she thinks of him coming back home to discover the presence of a baby. 

Here’s the thing. Miles always said that he did not want them to have children. But, with no news alerts popping up about a missing baby, Lucy fantasizes about keeping it. As this is a psychological thriller, the tension in this book kept me riveted to my Kindle screen. The twist was a jaw-dropper that really surprised me. One thing I will say, Miles reaction was a surprise, both to Lucy and to me as well. I love how this book was written and how compelling it was to read. Kudos to Ms. Mcdine. I will be back for more. 

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

 A J McDine was a journalist and police press officer until she realised writing fiction was much more fun.

She lives in Kent in the UK with her husband, fellow thriller writer A J Wills, their two sons and a pair of very demanding cats.
The author of dark, domestic thrillers, she loves to keep her readers guessing till the very last page.

When she’s not writing, playing tennis or attempting to run a 5k, she can generally be found gazing blankly out of the window as she dreams up conflict and tension for her poor characters.

Social Media Links:
Website: https://www.ajmcdine.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19366313.A_J_McDine
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ajmcdineauthor/
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/ajmcdineauthor/?hl=en
Bookouture Email Sign Up: https://bookouture.com/subscribe/a-j-mcdine

Review - The Therapist

 

Title:  The Therapist

Author:  S. A. Falk

Publisher:  Storm Publishing

Genre:   Psychological Thriller 

Format:  Kindle ARC

No. of Pages:   348

Date of Publication:   April 25, 2024

My Rating:   4 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

It’s my first day back at work, and the grief I’m carrying is still with me, but I file it away and put on my professional face to greet my new patient.

As a successful psychiatrist and criminologist, I’m used to working with damaged minds. But I’m not prepared for Trent Davis. Sitting across the table from me, his warm brown eyes shine. He laughs easily and part of me can’t help but like him, despite what his file says he’s capable of.

Then a package arrives for Trent, with my home as the return address.

And everything falls apart…

A shocking and unputdownable thriller with a ‘didn’t see that coming’ twist. The perfect read for fans of The Silent Patient, Mike Omer and Freida McFadden.

Link to purchase the book

MY THOUGHTS:

Stephanie Fletcher, is a psychiatrist who is grieving the loss of her long-time therapist. Stephanie was a victim of horrid childhood abuse and depended on therapy to help her to process it. Back at work at her job at the Pantano State Hospital, a facility for the criminally insane, Stephanie relies on her job as a correctional psychiatrist to help patients, even those with extensive life sentences. One patient in a particular, new to the facility, has been given six life sentences for his brutal and vile crimes to six victims. Stephanie tries to help him, but realizes that the trauma of her past affects the way she views and treats her patients.

Stephanie’s newest patient, Trent, has a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia, with years of self-medicating, as well as how he was affected from the horrible treatment of his mother when he was a child. Her sessions with Trent were vey telling, if not cringeworthy, yet she strives to find common ground with him. 

The Therapist was full of tense scenes and packed a wallop when it came to a shocking twist and conclusion, making me tap my Kindle faster ad faster as the book ended with a crescendo.

Many thanks to Storm Publishing and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

BLOG TOUR - His Last Wife

DESCRIPTION:

“Do not go in there, Anna. Never go in there.” The words ring in my head as I pick the lock to the only room in the house that the man I love tells me I’m not allowed to enter. Trembling as I step inside, I’m about to finally find out what happened to his last wife…

Everyone thinks my life is bliss. The love of my life, Cary, and I live in our dream home and we have a beautiful little girl, Harper. I may not have given birth to her, but I’m her mommy now. But there’s one thing we never talk about…

Cary’s wife before me, Presley, was perfect in every way. But she went missing a long time ago. Cary was distraught when he told me how she was abducted from her car, leaving behind a pool of blood. No one saw a thing.

The neighbors are always gossiping about Presley. I try to ignore them, but one day I hear something that makes my stomach flip. Presley was abducted from her home. The home I now live in. Cary lied to me about the car. But why?

As I search our beautiful home for answers, I stumble across Presley’s diary. My heart thunders in my chest as I discover the truth: Cary had something to do with his wife’s disappearance. And I’m terrified I might be next.

But Cary doesn’t know that I have a secret too. He doesn’t know how far I’ve gone to get this perfect life, and how much further I’ll go to keep it…

An unbelievably gripping psychological thriller, His Last Wife will have you flipping the pages until you reach the final, breathtaking twist. Fans of Don’t Let Her Stay, The Housemaid and The Perfect Marriage won’t be able to put this jaw-dropping read down!

BUY LINK:

https://geni.us/B0CTMW8D9Jsocial

MY THOUGHTS:

Title:  His Last Wife

Author:  Ruhi Choudhary

Publisher:  Bookouture

Genre:   Psychological Thriller

Format:  Kindle ARC  

No. of Pages:   355

Date of Publication:   April 25, 2024

My Rating:   5 Stars

Meeting Cary soon finds Anna thinking she might just be about to live an idyllic life. Things start off from friendship, but they soon marry. Everything is indeed perfect, and this includes Anna becoming the stepmother of Cary’s daughter, Presley. 

However, that perfect life that Anna is now living? Well, there are missing pieces to this puzzle, pieces that slowly become apparent. For one thing, after Cary confesses that his first wife Presley disappeared. Then there is one room in the house that Anna is not allowed to enter. Despite her beginning to feel a bit uncertain, Anna finds that she falls more in love with Harper every day so she tries to ignore her shaky feelings. As the days progress, Anna realizes that she really needs answers, even if whatever secrets there are destroy the strong love she has formed for Cary and even for Harper. 

What a wild ride! This book by Ruhi Choudhary kept me on my toes! It was a sharp, crisp read full of tension and with excellent pacing. While Anna is the primary protagonist, the chapters in this thrilling read are peppered with chapters narrated by an unknown “watchter”. These chapters, as well as Anna’s growing ordeal, made His Last Wife an excellent read from start to finish.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

 Ruhi Choudhary discovered her passion for writing when she was seven years old and wrote her first Star Trek episode. Being a fan of the dark and twisted, she found her calling in crime thrillers.

She likes to write stories that make you a little uncomfortable and characters that you struggle to make up your mind about but stay with you. 

She lives in Toronto and spends her days training to be a scientist and wishing it rained more often!

Social Media Links:

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/RuhiSChoudhary

Bookouture Email Sign Up: https://www.bookouture.com/ruhi-choudhary

Review - Four-Alarm Homicide

Title:   Four-Alarm Homicide
Author: Diane Kelly
Series: House Flipper Mystery #6
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Format: Kindle ARC
No. of Pages: 304
Date of Publication: April 23, 2024
My Rating: 4 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

Some properties are too hot to handle...

Carpenter Whitney Whitaker and her cousin Buck are hot for a historical property that has just come on the market—a fire station in Nashville’s Germantown neighborhood that was built nearly a century ago.

The cousins have just begun the interior demolition work at the fire station when Joanna Hartzell, who lives in a townhouse around the corner, comes by with a plea for help. Joanna owns the right half of her building, which she proudly maintains in perfect condition, while the left side falls into disrepair: the seven adult children who inherited it years ago refuse to lift a finger on repairs. Never one to turn down a challenge, Whitney and Buck manage to acquire the rundown townhouse—though it turns out Joanna is only one of the many neighbors interested in buying the property once they’ve worked their magic.

Then Joanna shows up at the fire station confused and rambling, then collapses, never to recover. Alarm bells go off for Whitney: she suspects something—and someone—evil could be the real cause. Can she and Collin put the clues together and smoke out a killer?

https://amzn.to/3JtyW8F

MY THOUGHTS:

Whitney Whitaker and her cousin Buck are really hoping that they will win the bid for a historical property, a fire station that they want to turn into a nice family home. After making the purchase and beginning the renovation, Joanna, the owner of a townhouse just around the corner inform encourage them to buy the left side of the townhome, which has fallen into disrepair. The owner has long since passed away, and none of their seven adult children have done anything to maintain the property.

So, Whitney and Buck just might have two properties that they could be working on at the same time - if they can convince each adult child to sign a quit-claim deed for a set amount of money for each of them. Now with the two projects going on at once, their next challenge is the fact that more than one person is interested in purchasing the townhouse, and the pressure is on.

Shockingly, after coming to the firehouse one day, Joanna suddenly drops dead. As she was one of the eager would-be purchaser of the townhouse, and it doesn’t take Whitney long at all to know that this must be a case of foul play. With more than one suspect that could be responsible, work on their two projects is easily slowed down as Whitney strives to discover the killer. As this is the sixth book in a enjoyable cozy mystery series, it was very nice to revisit Whitney. She never missed a beat, all while the renovations were in progress, as well as planning her impending marriage. I sure hope that this series continues as Whitney is a delightful character. 

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Paperbacks and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A former tax advisor, Diane Kelly inadvertently worked with white-collar criminals more than once. Lest she end up in an orange jumpsuit, Diane decided self-employment would be a good idea. Her fingers hit the keyboard and thus began her “Death and Taxes” romantic mystery series. A graduate of her hometown’s Citizen Police Academy, Diane Kelly, also writes the hilarious Paw Enforcement K-9 series, the Busted Female Motorcycle Cop series, the House Flipper series, the Southern Homebrew Moonshine series and the Mountain Lodge Mysteries series.

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AUDIOBOOK REVIEW - Darling Girls

Title:   Darling Girls

Author:  Sally Hepworth

Publisher:  St. Martin's Press; Macmillan Audio

Genre:   Psychological Thriller

Format:  Audiobook and Kindle ARC

Narrators:  Jessica Clarke

Audiobook Length:  9 hr 6 min

No. of Pages:   368

Date of Publication:   April 23, 2024

My Rating:   4 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

SISTERS, SECRETS, LOVE, AND MURDER... Sally Hepworth’s new novel has it all.

For as long as they can remember, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia have been told how lucky they are. As young girls they were rescued from family tragedies and raised by a loving foster mother, Miss Fairchild, on an idyllic farming estate and given an elusive second chance at a happy family life.

But their childhood wasn’t the fairy tale everyone thinks it was. Miss Fairchild had rules. Miss Fairchild could be unpredictable. And Miss Fairchild was never, ever to be crossed. In a moment of desperation, the three broke away from Miss Fairchild and thought they were free. Even though they never saw her again, she was always somewhere in the shadows of their minds. When a body is discovered under the home they grew up in, the foster sisters find themselves thrust into the spotlight as key witnesses. Or are they prime suspects?

A thrilling page-turner of sisterhood, secrets, love, and murder by New York Times bestselling author Sally Hepworth.

Link to purchase the book

MY THOUGHTS:

Sisters Jessica, Norah and Alicia. Not sisters by blood, but sisters in every way that matters. As someone with four sisters, I can attest to the fact that there is an unbreakable bond. These three girls have that bond, a bond that was forged after being fostered in a home by a woman known as Miss Fairchild. They were only three of dozens of other fostered children, but as adults, some of the issues that led them to foster care, as well as living in a less than ideal foster home, has brought them even closer together. 

New construction is taking place - in a very old place. It was Wild Meadows, the foster home run by Miss Fairchild. When a body is discovered, the girls are faced with a past none of them want to relive, but they are witnesses to whatever it was that happened that eventually led to that body being discovered. The question is: are they witnesses or or are they suspects in a death that was no doubt a murder?

Darling Girls is the fifth book I have read by Sally Hepworth, and as before, I was really pulled into the drama in this story. Secrets, lies and murders are the fiber of this story, but equally so are love and sisterhood. There is trauma. There is drama. And with four points of view the story moves at a fast pace, especially as it was excellently narrated by Jessica Clarke. I definitely loved her performance. 

Many thanks to Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Press and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sally Hepworth is the bestselling author of The Secrets of Midwives (2015), The Things We Keep (2016) and The Mother's Promise (2017), and The Family Next Door (Feb 2018). Sally's books have been labelled “enchanting” by The Herald Sun, “smart and engaging” by Publisher’s Weekly, and New York Times bestselling authors Liane Moriarty and Emily Giffin have praised Sally’s novels as “women’s fiction at its finest” and “totally absorbing”.

Sally's novels are available worldwide in English and have been translated into 15 languages.

Sally lives in Melbourne, Australia with her husband and three children.

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