You Can Never Tell, By Sarah Warburton ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Serial Killers, Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: August 10th, 2021

288 Pages

Synopsis: Perfect for fans of Melanie Golding and Joshilyn Jackson, Sarah Warburton’s chilling thriller, inspired by the Moors Murder, explores the twisted side of suburbia.

Framed for embezzlement by her best friend Aimee, museum curator, Kacy Tremain and her husband Michael, move from New Jersey to a charming Texas suburb to escape their past. Kacy quickly makes new friends—preppy, inscrutable Elizabeth, chatty yet evasive Rahmia, and red-headed, unapologetic Lena. But good friends aren’t always what they seem.

As she navigates the unexpectedly cutthroat social scene of her new town, Kacy begins to receive taunting postcards—and worse, discovers cameras hidden in the wall of her home. Lena and her husband Brady reassure her that the cameras are just relics of a paranoid previous homeowner. Once the cameras are removed and Kacy’s fears are quelled, Kacy and Michael make the happy discovery that they are going to be new parents.

Months after the birth of their daughter, Michael accidentally makes a shocking discovery about Brady’s past. And when Lena suddenly goes missing, Kacy and Michael begin to uncover the truth about their neighbors—and it’s more terrible than anyone could have imagined.

Interlaced with transcripts of a chilling true life podcast that follow the tangled threads of the drama, You Can Never Tell is a taut and complex psychological thriller that never lets up until its breathless conclusion. (Goodreads)

You Can Never Tell was an entertaining read for me which I easily polished off in a couple of hours. For a fairly short story, the characters are impressively well-developed and I instantly connected with Kacy, who seemingly has terrible luck in picking friends. After being set-up for embezzlement by her bestie, Aimee, she escapes being criminally charged, but her professional and social life is ruined. Kacy has the opportunity to start over with her supportive husband, Michael, but her anxiety, depression and insecurity keep getting in the way. I felt so much sympathy for her, and not once did her emotional reactions seem over-the-top. Despite the trauma, she slowly starts settling in, even becoming pregnant, when would you believe it, one of her newfound friends turns out to be a serial killer! While there aren’t any big twists or surprises here, that didn’t take anything away from the fascinating story. I did think the first few chapters were slow to start, and the hunt for the killer was a bit drawn out. I’m also unsure about my feelings regarding the podcast transcripts. Usually I like it when an author cleverly inserts things like this into a story, but with this one, it seemed choppy and slightly annoying, maybe because the book was so short. Overall though, You Can Never Tell was quite the fun read that I believe will have wide appeal for readers looking for a solid suspense story with relatable characters.

 

A Good Day For Chardonnay (Sunshine Vicram #2), By Darynda Jones ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Humor, Mystery, New Mexico, Romance, Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: July 27th, 2021

416 Pages

Synopsis: Running a small-town police force in the mountains of New Mexico should be a smooth, carefree kind of job. Sadly, full-time Sheriff—and even fuller-time coffee guzzler—Sunshine Vicram, didn’t get that memo.

All Sunshine really wants is one easy-going day. You know, the kind that starts with a coffee and a donut (or three) and ends with take-out pizza and a glass of chardonnay (or seven). Turns out that’s about as easy as switching to decaf. (What kind of people do that? And who hurt them?)

Before she can say iced mocha latte, Sunshine’s got a bar fight gone bad, a teenage daughter hunting a serial killer, and, oh yes, the still unresolved mystery of her own abduction years prior. All evidence points to a local distiller, a dangerous bad boy named Levi Ravinder, but Sun knows he’s not the villain of her story. Still, perhaps underneath it all, he possesses the keys to her disappearance. At the very least, beneath it all, he possesses a serious set of abs. She’s seen it. Once. Accidentally.

Between policing a town her hunky chief deputy calls “four cents short of a nickel,”  that pesky crush she has on Levi that seems to grow exponentially every day, and an irascible raccoon that just doesn’t know when to quit, Sunshine’s life is about to rocket to a whole new level of crazy. (Goodreads)

Welcome to Del Sol, Home of Something…Or Somebody Famous…Someday…Maybe…

I’ve been a fan of Darynda Jones since I read, First Grave on the Right (2011), and I know when I pick up one of her books I can always count on: captivating storytelling with characters I want to be friends with in real life, red hot romance, side splitting humor, and suspenseful mystery. A Good Day for Chardonnay is the second entry in her Sunshine Vicram series, and I think it just might be her best yet (which is really saying something)!

If you refer to your librarian as your dealer, this is the place for you. – Sign at Del Sol Public Library

Unlike the Charley Davidson series, there’s no supernatural woo-woo going on here. Instead, there are two main mysteries to be solved as well as the personal one involving Sunshine’s abduction. In less talented hands, multiple storylines as well as a large cast of characters could result in one hot mess, but Darynda Jones skillfully juggles all without breaking any eggs. The chapters alternate between Sunshine and her adorable teen daughter Aurora, who’s a mini version of her mom. I love their close bond and the teasing that goes on between them. In addition to the two separate mysteries, the relationships between Sunshine and her soulmate Levi, and Auri and her heartthrob, Cruz, progress further, and I have a difficult time saying which one I’m more invested in right now. Auri and Cruz are in the beginning stages of first love and it’s sweet without giving you a toothache. In contrast, the romance between Sunshine and Levi is definitely heating up and at times I had to check my Kindle to make sure it wasn’t smoking!

If your housekeeping style can be best described as ‘There appears to have been a struggle?’ Let us help! – Sign at Del Sol Cleaning Service

Both central mysteries are interesting and twisty, and I can honestly say I was surprised at their resolutions. The revelations regarding what happened to Sunshine fifteen years earlier weren’t quite as surprising thanks to the bread crumbs that led to them, but it was nice having most of my suspicions confirmed. The pace of the story is extremely fast and the ending came all too soon. While I was laughing through most of the book, there were parts that were nail biting, and a couple that were downright heartbreaking. The two main mysteries were satisfactorily wrapped up, and more questions were answered about Sunshine’s abduction when she was seventeen, but there’s obviously more to come.

Did you accidentally go shopping on an empty stomach and are now the proud owner of aisle 4? We can help! – Sign at Del Sol Fitness & More

Darynda Jones is one of my favorite authors and she never disappoints. I can sing her praises all day, but rather than give you all a headache, let me just say this: A Good Day for Chardonnay is rather like a box of your favorite chocolates, or in Sunshine’s case, pizza and coffee. Once you start, just try not to scarf the entire thing down in one sitting!

Such a Quiet Place, By Megan Miranda ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Mystery, Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: July 13th, 2021

352 Pages

Synopsis: We had no warning she’d come back.

Hollow’s Edge used to be a quiet place. A private and idyllic neighborhood where neighbors dropped in on neighbors, celebrated graduation and holiday parties together, and looked out for one another. But then came the murder of Brandon and Fiona Truett. A year and a half later, Hollow’s Edge is simmering. The residents are trapped, unable to sell their homes, confronted daily by the empty Truett house, and suffocated by their trial testimonies that implicated one of their own. Ruby Fletcher. And now Ruby’s back.

With her conviction overturned, Ruby waltzes right back to Hollow’s Edge, and into the home she once shared with Harper Nash. Harper, five years older, has always treated Ruby like a wayward younger sister. But now she’s terrified. What possible good could come of Ruby returning to the scene of the crime? But how can she possibly turn her away, when she knows Ruby has nowhere to go?

Within days, suspicion spreads across Hollow’s Edge. It’s increasingly clear not everyone told the truth about the night of the Truett’s murders. And when Harper begins receiving threatening notes, she realizes she has to uncover the truth before someone else becomes the killer’s next victim. (Goodreads)

Megan Miranda’s upcoming Such a Quiet Place, is a little slow in the beginning, but as with most of this author’s books, the pace steadily picks up the further you move along in the story. I have to be honest and say I don’t think this was one of Miranda’s best stories due to the characters. Ruby intrigued me, but Harper, who’s the narrator, was too passive aggressive for my liking, and the rest of the characters were pretty much indistinguishable from one another. However, the plot was interesting and there were plenty of twists that kept me guessing. Even though I figured out who the villain was fairly early on, their motives remained a mystery to me, which made me want to keep reading in order to find out. Overall, while I don’t think Such a Quiet Place is perfect, it’s still a solid suspense/mystery that illustrates why Megan Miranda is so popular among fans of this genre. If you’re looking for a light, entertaining beach read this summer, I recommend you give this a try.

Chasing the Boogeyman, By Richard Chizmar ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Horror, Metafiction, Mystery, Serial Killers, Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: August 17th, 2021

336 Pages

Synopsis: The New York Times bestselling coauthor of Gwendy’s Button Box brings his signature “ thrilling page-turning” (Michael Koryta, author of How It Happened) prose to this story of small-town evil that combines the storytelling of Stephen King with the true-crime suspense of Michelle McNamara.

In the summer of 1988, the mutilated bodies of several missing girls begin to turn up in a small Maryland town. The grisly evidence leads police to the terrifying assumption that a serial killer is on the loose in the quiet suburb. But soon a rumor begins to spread that the evil stalking local teens is not entirely human. Law enforcement, as well as members of the FBI, are certain that the is a living, breathing madman—and he’s playing games with them. For a once peaceful community, trapped in the depths of paranoia and suspicion, it feels like a nightmare that will never end.

Recent college graduate, Richard Chizmar, returns to his hometown just as a curfew is enacted, and a neighborhood watch is formed. In the midst of preparing for his wedding and embarking on a writing career, he soon finds himself thrust into the real-life horror story. Inspired by the terrifying events, Richard writes a personal account of the serial killer’s reign of terror, unaware that these events will continue to haunt him for years to come.

A clever, terrifying, and heartrending work of metafiction, Chasing the Boogeyman is the ultimate marriage between horror fiction and true crime. Chizmar’s “brilliant…absolutely fascinating, totally compelling, and immediately poignant” (C.J. Tudor, New York Times bestselling author) writing is on full display in this truly unique novel that will haunt you long after you turn the final page. (Goodreads)

I loved Gwendy’s Button Box, which Richard Chizmar coauthored with Stephen King so as soon as I saw Chasing the Boogeyman on NetGalley, I immediately requested it. It’s the second metafiction novel I’ve read this week, and it’s another that’s knocked my socks off!

The majority of the story is fiction but I had to continually remind myself of that the entire time I was reading. When you first start this it actually seems more like an autobiographical and true crime novel and that’s because it actually is. Edgewood, Maryland is a real small town in Maryland, and while it has the same issues that plague many communities across the country, overall it’s a picturesque slice of Americana. You can feel the love that Chizmar still has for it and its residents and his descriptive writing immediately drew me in with it’s nostalgic look at his boyhood home and family and friends. The horror starts with some mysterious and creepy events that actually occurred between 1986 and 1990. Using this as a jumping off point, the author than turns this into a haunting, supernatural tale unlike any other I’ve read. What transpires is unreal, mesmerizing, and utterly mind blowing and adding to this are the photos included at the end of each chapter. An absolute must read at the end of the book is the author’s note where Chizmar goes into detail regarding how and why he decided to write this, and the ingenious way the photos were created.

In the end, Chasing the Boogeyman is simply a brilliant piece of storytelling. I guarantee it will be one of this summer’s most talked about books, and I HIGHLY recommend it for fans of authors like Stephen King and Robert McCammon, and of the true crime and horror genres.

What’s Done In Darkness, By Laura McHugh ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Assault, Implied Rape, Kidnapping, Mystery, Ozarks, Religious Fanaticism, Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: June 22nd, 2021

256 Pages

Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Sarabeth has become increasingly rebellious since her parents found God and moved their family to a remote Arkansas farmstead where she’s forced to wear long dresses, follow strict rules, and grow her hair down to her waist. She’s all but given up on escaping the farm when a masked man appears one stifling summer morning and snatches her out of the cornfield.

A week after her abduction, she’s found alongside a highway in a bloodstained dress—alive—but her family treats her like she’s tainted, and there’s little hope of finding her captor who kept Sarabeth blindfolded in the dark the entire time, never uttering a word. One good thing arises from the horrific ordeal: a chance to leave the Ozarks and start a new life.

Five years later, Sarabeth is struggling to keep her past buried, when investigator Nick Farrow calls. Convinced that her case is connected to the strikingly similar disappearance of another young girl, Farrow wants Sarabeth’s help and he’ll do whatever it takes to get it, even if that means dragging her back to the last place she wants to go—the hills and hollers of home, to face her estranged family, and all her deepest fears.

In this riveting new novel from Laura McHugh, blood ties and buried secrets draw a young woman back into the nightmare of her past to save a missing girl, unaware of what awaits her in the darkness. (Goodreads)

What’s Done In Darkness is an unsettling thriller that illustrates how much can be packed into a relatively short book in the hands of a talented author. The book alternates between the years leading up to Sarabeth’s abduction and the ordeal itself, to five years later in the present day, when Sara is now trying to make a normal life for herself, away from her family and strict religious community that she was trapped in for a good portion of her childhood. McHugh created a wonderful character in Sara, with both her past and present selves. She comes across as not only relatable, but as a real flesh and blood person. The other characters are equally well written, and so realistic that this could have been a documentary. The setting of the story in the Ozarks was a brilliant decision and added to the claustrophobic atmosphere of this religious cultish community. The mystery as to who abducted Sara was in part predictable, but there were some nuances that still surprised me. In summation, What’s Done In Darkness is an emotional, evocative, and mesmerizing read that I guarantee you won’t be able to put down. This is the first book I’ve read by Laura McHugh, but I liked it so much I’m determined to go back and read her three previous books. 

The Dead and the Dark, By Courtney Gould ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Coping With Loss and Grief, Homophobia, LGBTQ, Mystery, Small Towns, Supernatural Fiction, Suspense, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: August 3rd, 2021

352 Pages

Synopsis: Courtney Gould’s thrilling debut, The Dead and the Dark, is about the things that lurk in dark corners, the parts of you that can’t remain hidden, and about finding home in places—and people—you didn’t expect.

Something is wrong in Snakebite, Oregon. Teenagers are disappearing, some turning up dead, the weather isn’t normal, and all fingers point to TV’s most popular ghost hunters who have just returned to town. Logan Ortiz-Woodley, daughter of TV’s  ParaSpectors, has never been to Snakebite before, but the moment she and her dads arrive, she starts to get the feeling that there’s more secrets buried here than they originally let on.

Ashley Barton’s boyfriend was the first teen to go missing, and she’s felt his presence ever since. But now that the Ortiz-Woodleys are in town, his ghost is following her and the only person Ashley can trust is the mysterious Logan. When Ashley and Logan team up to figure out who—or what—is haunting Snakebite, their investigation reveals truths about the town, their families, and themselves, that neither of them are ready for. As the danger intensifies, they realize that their growing feelings for each other could be a light in the darkness. (Goodreads)

The Dead and the Dark is a thoroughly creepy tale that more than lives up to its title. The first few pages immediately captured my attention and wouldn’t let go until I reached the end. This is both a character and plot driven novel, and both are equally well done. In addition to the supernatural and mystery elements is a thoughtful exploration of: homophobia, grief, and loneliness.

While much of the book is indeed very dark, there are some light-hearted moments centered around Logan and her witty snark. She’s the type of character that readers are automatically drawn to like moths to a flame. She hides her vulnerability and insecurity behind a veil of sarcasm that’s completely relatable. She’s intensely loyal to those she cares about, yet is also determined to do the right thing for her. Ashley initially comes off a little flatter, but soon you discover she has quite a bit of hidden depth. The pairing of her with Logan is perfect as they bring out the best in one another.

Equally interesting is the relationship between Logan’s two dads, Alejo and Brandon, and how they went from being strangers despite  growing up in a tiny town, to falling in love and becoming ghost hunters. It’s also compelling how despite them leaving Snakebite, they’re still tied to it for both supernatural and real world reasons.

The mystery element was a tad predictable, but honestly, with all the other positives this book offers, including a fantastic conclusion, that’s a very minor complaint. Overall, The Dead and the Dark is an exciting debut from Courtney Gould that has me looking forward to seeing what her next book will be.

Curse of the Specter Queen, By Jenny Elder Moke ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Celtic Mythology, Historical Fiction, Ireland, Mystery, Romance, Suspense, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: June 1st, 2021

352 Pages

Synopsis: MAY THE HAZEL BRING YOU WISDOM AND THE ASPEN GUIDE AND PROTECT YOU…

Samantha Knox put away her childhood fantasies of archaeological adventure the day her father didn’t return home from the Great War, retreating to the safety of the antique bookshop where she works. But when a mysterious package arrives with a damaged diary inside, Sam’s peaceful life is obliterated. Ruthless men intent on reclaiming the diary are after Sam, setting her and her best friend, along with her childhood crush, on a high-stakes adventure that lands them in the green hills outside Dublin, Ireland. Here they discover an ancient order with a dark purpose—to perform an occult ritual that will raise the Specter Queen, the Celtic goddess of vengeance and death, to bring about a war unlike any the world has ever seen. To stop them, Sam must solve a deviously complex cipher—one that will lead her on a treasure hunt to discover the ancient relic at the heart of the ritual: a bowl carved from the tree of life. Will she find the bowl and stop the curse of the Specter Queen, or will the ancient order bring about the end of the world?

Indiana Jones gets a refresh with this female-driven mystery adventure, set in the 1920s, full of ciphers, ancient relics, and heart-stopping action—the first in a brand new series! (Goodreads)

As soon as I read the premise for Curse of the Specter Queen I grew giddy with excitement. A female bookseller turned Indiana Jones? Count me in! After finishing this in one sitting I can definitively say it more than delivered.

The only reason why I’m not giving this a perfect 5 stars is because it took most of the book for Sam to find her footing. She dithers about almost everything: her feelings toward her childhood crush, Bennett, her relationship with her former best friend, Joana, her acceptance and confidence in her own abilities. She’s extremely insecure and second guesses herself frequently, and while I appreciated the reasons behind it, it grew a bit wearisome after a while. Slowly through the book though, she blossomed, and by the climax she became a force to be reckoned with. The romance between Sam and Bennett was sweet and slowly developed from friendship to something more. While Bennett’s alpha-male overprotectiveness was annoying at times, I liked that he believed in Sam right from the beginning. Joana, who Sam had become estranged for various reasons, came off as a vapid party girl at first, but showed she had hidden depths. She and Sam played well off each other.

Everything else in this book was spot on perfect. The time period of the Roaring 20s, combined with a thrilling quest to prevent a long thought dead sinister order, from raising a Celtic goddess of death and destruction was vividly brought to life. I could actually see this being played out as a movie in my head while I was reading. The setting of Ireland, land of myth and legend, was a wonderful choice for events to play out. The ending perfectly wrapped everything up, and left me utterly satisfied.

Overall Curse of the Specter Queen, is the epitome of a fun-filled popcorn book. I’ve heard that this is the first book in a planned series, which has me even more excited. I will be very surprised if Hollywood doesn’t scoop this up.

14 Ways to Die, By Vincent Ralph ~ 3.5 Stars

Tags

Death of a parent, Grief, Mystery, Serial Killers, Social Media, Suspense, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: June 1st, 2021

400 Pages

Synopsis: A page-turning new YA thriller for the social media age, perfect for fans of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder and One of Us Is Lying.

Ten years ago, Jess’s mother was murdered by the Magpie Man.

She was the first of his victims but not his last.

Now Jess is the star of a YouTube reality series and she’s using it to catch the killer once and for all.

The whole world is watching her every move.

And so is the Magpie Man. (Goodreads)

14 Ways To Die is an interesting mystery that’s filled with implausible situations that your rational mind will keep questioning, yet still manages to be a fun read thanks to a creative and fast-paced storyline, and likable characters. Using social media to catch serial killers has become a popular theme, and this gives it an intriguing spin of its own, as well as thoughtfully delving into how people handle grief differently. My biggest issue was that although I usually like shortish chapters, in this book there are 144 of them which added a certain choppiness and in the end made the story a little less gripping. For the most part though, I did enjoy this and I think it will appeal to a wide audience of older teens, especially those who like authors such as Karen McManus, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Maureen Johnson, and Holly Jackson.

Flash Fire (The Extraordinaries #2), By TJ Klune ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

Coming-of age, Humor, LGBTQ, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Social Issues, Suspense, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Teen for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: July 13th, 2021

384 Pages

Synopsis: Flash Fire is the explosive sequel to The Extraordinaries, by USA Today bestselling author TJ Klune!

Nick landed himself the superhero boyfriend of his dreams, but with new heroes arriving in Nova City, it’s up to Nick and his friends to determine who is virtuous and who is villainous. Which is a lot to handle for a guy who just wants to finish his self-insert bakery AU fanfic.

One thing I need to address before starting my review for Flash Fire is the controversy regarding the decided pro-police slant in the previous book, which many readers understandably took issue with. The most glaring example of this was Nick’s father, Aaron, who’s a police detective. He also punches a witness who was provoking him. You would expect him to be fired, but instead, he’s demoted, and by the end of the book he’s not only promoted, but it’s to a higher position. To be fair, The Extraordinaries was written before the murder of George Floyd, however there had already been numerous instances of well-publicized police misconduct and brutality. After many readers expressed their dismay, Klune addressed this in a letter: https://www.tjklunebooks.com/new-blog/2020/7/29/a-message-about-the-extraordinaries

As you can see, it’s a thoughtful message from an author who obviously cares about his fans. I’ll be honest and say I personally didn’t have a huge issue Aaron, because there were extenuating circumstances concerning the altercation in question, but I can understand why others did. The important thing is that Klune not only personally addressed this, but also portrays the police in this sequel, much more realistically, and not just through Nick’s sixteen-year-old hero-worshipping eyes. Just like in real life, there are good cops, and ones who abuse the power that comes with their badge.

As for the rest of the book, it’s filled with the laugh-out-loud humor, embarrassing yet somehow endearing sexual conversations between Nick and Aaron, and witty dialogue that was found in the previous book. Due to the backdrop of the police, as well as Nick’s discovery of a long hidden family secret regarding himself and his deceased mother, the story also takes a more serious tone. Nick continues to struggle with his ADHD and panic attacks, but with the support of his father, friends, and boyfriend Seth, shows a lot of character growth in this sequel. There are some new Extraordinaries in Nova City, which adds a new layer of excitement and mystery, and Klune skillfully juggles these with a very realistic exploration of four diverse gay teens coming-of-age, in today’s world.The ending is a whopper of a cliffhanger, and has me eagerly awaiting the conclusion to this trilogy. 

With Flash Fire, once again Klune has crafted a thoroughly enjoyable tale filled with humor, heartbreak, witty dialogue, and memorable characters. I can’t recommend it or its predecessor highly enough for older teens and adults who are looking for an science fiction read.

Legacy, By Nora Roberts ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Domestic Abuse, Mystery, Romance, Serial Killers, Stalkers, Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: May 25th, 2021

448 Pages

Synopsis: The #1 New York Times Bestselling author presents a new novel of a mother and a daughter, of ambition and romance, and of a traumatic past reawakened by a terrifying threat…

Adrian Rizzo was seven when she met her father for the first time. That was  the day he nearly killed her—before her mother, Lina, stepped in.

Soon after, Adrian was dropped off at her grandparents’ house in Maryland, where she spent a long summer drinking lemonade, playing with dogs, making a new best friend—and developing the stirrings of a crush on her friend’s ten-year-old brother. Lina, meanwhile, traveled the country promoting her fitness brand and turning it into a billion dollar business. There was no point in dwelling on the past.

A decade later, Adrian has created her own line of yoga and workout videos, following in Lina’s footsteps, but intent on maintaining creative control. And she’s just as cool-headed and ambitious as her mother. They aren’t close, but they’re cordial, as long as neither crosses the other.

But while Lina dismisses the death threats that Adrian starts getting as a routine part of her daughter’s growing celebrity, Adrian can’t help but find the vicious rhymes unsettling. Year after year, they keep arriving—the postmarks changing but the menacing tone the same. They continue after she returns to Maryland and becomes reacquainted with Raylan, her childhood crush, all grown up and as gorgeously green-eyed as ever. Sometimes it even seems like the terrifying are indeed routine, like nothing will come of them. Until the murders start, and the escalation begins… (Goodreads)

Many of you know what that I’m a fan of Nora Roberts from the reviews I’ve written for some of her previous books. She’s an author I’ve come to rely on for exciting stories with complex yet relatable characters and steamy romance. While Legacy isn’t destined to be one of my favorites by the prolific author, I did enjoy it and finished it in two days.

There were a few things that prevented this from being a perfect read for me. First, there was the protagonist, Adrian, who I had mixed feelings about. She’s one of those strong female characters that Robert’s is famous for writing, but in this case there are a few times that her strength veers into obnoxious pushiness, particularly in regards to her health and fitness business. The romance winds up being sizzling, but the usual build-up that you find in a Roberts book is missing here due to the sheer volume of details and side stories. The mystery villain was a tad predictable, and like the romance didn’t truly make a full on appearance until the second half of the book. However, all that being said, all the characters come across as being very real, the romance, once it made an appearance was as passionate as I’ve come to expect, and the climax and ending were thrilling and utterly satisfying.

After finishing this I can tell you Legacy is a story told in three parts. The first looks at Adrian’s childhood and her relationship with her mother and grandparents. The second focuses mainly on the adult Adrian her business, and how it impacts the relationships she has. The third finally does a deep dive into the romance department and the mystery, and this of course was my favorite part of the book. As I said, I don’t think Legacy is one of Roberts’ best, but it’s still an entertaining and worthwhile read that I have little doubt will please her legions of fans. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention, (here’s my one and only spoiler), as fans already know, Nora Roberts usually has dogs in her stories, and Legacy has two that will capture your heart. And, nothing bad happens to them!