Too Close to Breathe by Olivia Kiernan

It starts with a woman hanging from a rafter in her home. But she's not the only victim...

Dutton shared this book with me for a review (thank you).  It has been published and you can buy a copy now.

This is the first book in a new series and I'm anxious to read more about Frankie.  She's been hurt on the job and she won't give up when she's told to.  She will chase down the killer even if she dies doing it.  I admire her tenacity.  

They're hoping it was suicide but there's no note and nothing for her to have stood on to have done it by herself.  The autopsy finds more injuries from the past.  Frankie doesn't know what that means at first but as she researches the case, she finds out.

The woman's husband is missing.  Another girl dies.  They suspect the husband until his dead body shows up.  Just who is playing the game of death?

They find they used the dark web and a site called Black Widow to connect.  They also went to BDSM clubs.  This is a different world with activities most people don't embrace.  Those that do have no intent to give them up.  But when it goes deadly, how do you figure out who did what?

With Frankie hitting dark spots in the investigation, having nightmares about her attack and finding the wrong man was arrested for that case, life is not going well for her.  And now the killer is waiting for her...

This story is tense, action packed and high voltage all the way through.  I couldn't put it down once I started it.  You want to find the killer and stop him just like Frankie does.  Don't start this right before bed.

The Woman Who Married a Bear by John Straley

He's a private investigator who drinks too much.  His client is an old Indian woman who wants to know why her son was killed.  They have a man in jail for doing it but he's a bit insane and doesn't know exactly what happened.  The old woman thinks there is more to the story.  She's willing to pay, it gives him more drinking money, he agrees to look into it.  It's a cold case now but you never know what you might find...

Soho Crime and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published May 1st.

This is not an uplifting tale but it is a good mystery.  It's set in Alaska.  The man was shot at his cabin and killed and then drug into the woods where bears ate most of him.  Cecil begins talking to the people who lived in the area, his family, and anyone he thinks might have an insight into the situation.  He even visits the jailed man.

The more questions he asks, the more people get upset.  He's walking pretty close to death but he's still looking for answers.  He finds what he wanted to know but it doesn't make him happy.  The old woman is satisfied because she suspected what he would find but she's not happy either.  Sometimes one can love too much...

Greatest Magical Stories by Michael Morpurgo

This is a lovely collection of fairy tales from foreign countries.  They are just a bit different from our traditional tales and fun to read.  I still enjoy fairy tales so I had to read this one.

Barron's Educational Series and Edelweiss gave me the opportunity to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published May 1st.

Anyone who likes fairy tales will enjoy this read.  My favorite was about the princess and the frog.  She doesn't have to kiss him, she has to do something else.

The illustrations of Rumpelstiltskin make it worth buying the book for them.  He looks just like you think he would.

This is a new look at old tales with nice little twists to the stories.  Try it, you'll like it. 

A Hole in One by Judy Penz Sheluk

They're hoping to promote their antique shop by sponsoring a hole in one golf tournament.  It's to benefit kids.  Arabella is even going to play although she's not the best golfer.  It gets worse when she goes after a ball she's hit in the bushes and finds a dead body...

The author and Goddess Fish Blog Tours shared this book with me to read for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can grab a copy now.

Arabella is in between men at the moment.  She divorced her husband and her former cop boyfriend gave up on her because she still loves him.  Her partner has a new love interest but she doesn't have the best taste in men.  When Arabella's ex is accused of the murder, she decides to investigate herself.  It doesn't matter if her old boyfriend tells her to stay out of it...

Everyone in this story was very authentic.  They had the foibles and failures that normal people do and they made mistakes along the way.  For me, it made the story seem more real.  Arabella has been sleeping with her ex despite his new girlfriend.  She knows she shouldn't but she can't help herself.  I hope in the future she realizes what everyone else knows:  She still loves him.

There's a secret cult in town, an antique dealer who is dying, there's another murder, and several people are jailed and then released.  I'm glad Arabella kept digging because the police didn't seem to be.

The ending holds a lot of surprises.  It was a good cozy mystery with a lot going on.  I'd read another in this series.

Judy Penz Sheluk will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.  Enter HERE.


Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found HERE.

Happy reading and good luck! 

Murder on Union Square by Victoria Thompson

Sarah and Frank want to adopt the little girl they are raising.  When her guardian dies, they go to visit the attorney to make it official.  But there's a small problem.  The lady who had her was married to another man when she got impregnated by a lover and the child is now his responsibility.  They have to get him to sign off his parental rights.  He doesn't seem to object but, unfortunately, he doesn't live long enough to sign...

Berkley and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published May 1st.

When Frank discovers him dead in his dressing room, the woman who finds him there screams and accuses him of murder.  He goes to jail denying the charge and Sarah finds a lawyer to bail him out.  Then they begin their own hunt for the murderer.

He was killed at the theater and there's plenty of gossip and affairs going on.  Not only that but they have not joined the Syndicate (a union of actors who are guaranteed work).  The lead lady likes to choose her own roles, her own leading men, and sleeping with the leading man before going on the stage.  Her husband finds her the venues but she's aging, their plays aren't as popular nowadays and things are not going well.  A murder will bring them notoriety but whether that will be good or bad is another worry.

Frank and Sarah find out there are any number of reasons the lead man and the parent of the child they want to adopt might have been killed.  He's sleeping with the lead lady and she's married.  He has a girlfriend who says they are getting married.  There's another man in love with the girlfriend.  Nobody is telling the whole truth.

This was a very interesting case and I liked reading about Frank and Sarah.  They're a lovely couple and they make a good team.  They find the killer. Can you? 

The Lido by Libby Page

She's 86 years old and she swims in the lido (swimming pool) daily.  She's still in the apartment she and her husband lived in and she can see the pool from there.  It's an important part of her life.  And now they want to close it and sell the land to a new developer...

LoveReading and Simon & Schuster sent me an ARC of this book to read for review (thank you).  It will be published July 10th.

This story brought back memories for me.  I was a finance director in the past and if you mentioned closing the pool because it never made any money, you could fill the council chambers with folks who spoke against it.  I also took care of my grandmother in the summer so I could relate to Rosemary.  Rosemary has memories, too.

The councilors aren't listening, the newspaper editor tells the young reporter to stop doing stories about the potential closure and the people affected, and everyone is getting depressed and feeling hopeless.  But they aren't giving up.  You have protests, they occupy the pool, and Ahmed comes up with a good idea.  With everyone working together, they manage to stop the company from acquiring it.

Some of the characters disappointed me by their actions but they redeemed themselves before the story was over.  This was like a trip back in the past for me and I enjoyed reading about the young journalist and the older lady.  They make a good team!

The New Neighbors by Simon Lelic

You never really know all about the person you live with.  Everyone has some secrets.  But in some instances, what you don't know might kill you...

Berkley and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It is being published today.

The author has his characters each take turns writing a chapter so you get the story from two points of view.  At first, it didn't provide the continuity I would like but as the story went on, it got better.

This is about fathers who abuse their children.  Some is mental abuse, some is physical abuse but it's the type of hurt that can permanently alter a child.    Syd has been broken and is trying to heal.  She trusts and loves Jack.  Jack loves her.  But will that be enough?

The story is filled with tension and psychological trauma.  It moves right along and makes you wonder what's coming next.

I hate this subject matter.  There's a lot of pain in the world but I just cannot imagine a father who enjoys controlling and hurting his own child.  It's out there and we get an insight into how these girls were effected and how Syd finally overcame her problems.  It's twisted tale and it's not the best solution but it does the job.  And Jack and Syd have no secrets between them...