Book Spotlight: Now Until Forever by Lisa Phillips

Hello Bookworms!

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. We got the photos done for the sale of our house, which is going on the market this week, so my weekend was spent rushing cleaning and spending some quality time with family. It was craziness and perfection at the same time. I've been so busy that I haven't had a chance to stress about the move itself, which is quickly approaching, and that is such a blessing.

What else is a blessing is that you're here with me today! I hope you enjoy today's book spotlight and excerpt from this Christian Thriller with Romance and don't forget to scroll to the bottom of this post and enter the amazing giveaway from JustRead Tours.

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for Now Until Forever by Lisa Phillips, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Now Until Forever 
Series: Brand of Justice #16 
Author: Lisa Phillips 
Publisher: Two Dogs Publishing, LLC 
Release Date: May 6, 2026 
Genre: Christian Thriller with Romance

**The Epic Stand-alone Finale** 

Born into a legacy, Eliana must find her own brand of justice. 

After moving to Chicago to work at the mysterious Shrine museum, Eliana is determined to uncover the family secrets she’s never been told. When she stumbles upon her first ever dead body, everyone around her believes she should try and solve the murder. But taking cases isn’t what she came here for. Despite her plans, things are about to turn far more sinister, and the path she’s on seems determined to drag her back into a nightmare. 

Chicago PD Officer Carlos Ryson was born into a legacy of his own. He’s here to look for his missing sister, Luci, and wants to enlist Eliana’s help. This is a family problem, and only family working together can solve it. But Eliana has never forgotten the way Carlos shredded her heart. If he wants them to team up, he’ll have to confront the damage he did and find a way to repair it. 

While the city around them descends into a chaos that resembles the end times, someone has seized the opportunity to get what they want from the Shrine. Only Eliana stands in their way, but if she’s going to figure this out she’ll need to trust that the people around her have her back.  

Before it’s too late.  

Now Until Forever is the stand-alone finale to the Brand of Justice series, and is set in the near-future. It features a happily ever after romance mixed with high-stakes suspense in this gripping crime fiction story.

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Book Review: The Girl Upstairs by Jessica R. Patch

Happy Monday Bookworms!

I have been anticipating this post for weeks and am so excited to finally share my thoughts on one of my favorite authors’ latest masterpieces that is releasing this week! I hope you enjoy my thoughts on this Psychological Thriller and don't forget to scroll to the bottom of this post and enter the amazing giveaway from JustRead Tours!

Welcome to the Blog Tour for The Girl Upstairs by Jessica R. Patch, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: The Girl Upstairs 
Author: Jessica R. Patch 
Publisher: Harlequin Love Inspired Trade 
Release Date: April 28, 2026 
Genre: Psychological Thriller

"Jessica R. Patch weaves a dark, twisty tapestry that’s both unsettling and unexpectedly hopeful. Masterful." –New York Times bestselling author Allison Brennan

She bought this house to save her marriage. Unearthing its secrets might just claim her life. 

Gwen McDaniel’s life is broken. But she knows the perfect place to fix it. Cold Harbor, Maine, an idyllic small town with views of Acadia National Park, is where she used to vacation with her parents as a child. Here, she and Steven can start over, renovating their cliff-side fixer-upper while patching up their marriage. Soon, everything will be better. 

Except from the moment they arrive, Gwen sees and hears things, and it’s more than just the drafts and shadows that are part of any old house. Steven downplays her fears, warning her not to fixate on problems as she has in the past. But Gwen spent years as a homicide detective, and her instincts don’t lie. Something happened here. Proof comes when she rips up the attic’s carpet to discover a chilling message carved into the wood underneath. 

As Gwen delves into the history of the house and the Cold Harbor community, she begins to piece the fragments together. And gradually, a terrifying picture emerges: A missing girl. A house of horrors. And a dark, decades-old nightmare that is more haunting than Gwen ever imagined…

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Book Review of 'Special Target' by Jerusha Agen

Happy Monday Bookworms!

This weekend was an absolute whirlwind and had several surprises that are amazing, unexpected, and having me feeling all the feels. Not only did my oldest turn 21 last week but he also found his own place and will be moving this next week! How is this possible?!! So much change and more in the foreseeable future as we will be listing our house to sell in a few weeks and our new house is breaking ground tomorrow! I knew 2026 was going to have some pretty big milestones but I did not expect this trajectory. That's life, huh?

I hope you enjoy my thoughts on this Christian Suspense Thriller and don't forget to scroll to the bottom of this post and enter the amazing giveaway from JustRead Tours.

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Special Target by Jerusha Agen, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Special Target 
Author: Jerusha Agen 
Publisher: ‎ SDG Words, LLC 
Release Date: March 26, 2026 
Genre: Christian Suspense Thriller

She’s trying to save the boy’s life. What if he’s supposed to save hers? 

For tough-as-nails Chicago social worker Ashley Sorenson, it’s nothing new to risk her life for hurting children. Seeing innocent kids suffer every day may have made her a little cynical, but she’ll stop at nothing to rescue children from miserable circumstances. 

But Ashley faces a special challenge when Matthew Borden, a sixteen-year-old with Down syndrome, is orphaned. Finding a suitable foster home for the boy becomes the least of her problems when someone starts threatening her and Matthew. 

The sudden appearance of a mysterious FBI agent confirms Ashley’s growing suspicions that Matthew is no ordinary teen. The boy she thought no one wanted is wanted by many…dead or alive. 

Dodging danger at every turn, Ashley races to find the secrets that could save Matthew’s life. When the truth unearths her own dark past and threatens more than their lives, the God Matthew trusts may be her only hope for rescue.  

A gripping and gritty standalone Christian suspense thriller from the bestselling author of the Guardians Unleashed Series.  

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Book Review of 'Midnight Offensive' by Elle E. Kay

Happy Wednesday Bookworms!

I love this time of year so much! The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and I have my nose in a book more often than not. I know everyone has those seasons of book binging, and for me, that is typically the summer months. I know this is a busy season for many, and I am beyond grateful for you stopping by today! 

I hope you enjoy my thoughts on this Christian Romantic Suspense and don’t forget to scroll to the bottom of this post and enter the amazing giveaway from JustRead Tours!

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Midnight Offensive by Elle E. Kay, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Midnight Offensive 
Series: Toxic Truths #1 
Author: Elle E. Kay 
Publisher: Faith Writes Publishing 
Release Date: May 14, 2025 
Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense / Thriller

Former Navy SEAL Craig Malone is now a Tactical Operations Leader for Homeland Security with a critical mission: protect the only antidote to Viper-X, a stolen bioweapon about to be sold to the highest bidder. But the mission becomes dangerously personal when the investigation leads him to Sadie Kline—an emergency room nurse and his best friend’s little sister. He’s always kept his distance, but now her life is on the line. 

As a ruthless enemy closes in, kidnapping their loved ones and setting deadly traps, Craig must protect the woman he can’t get out of his head while stopping a catastrophic attack. 

Duty and a decade of unspoken feelings collide in a race to stop a traitor before it’s too late.

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Book Review of 'The Other Sister' by Jessica R. Patch

Happy Tuesday Bookworms!

I am super excited you're here today! I have had the book I am featuring today on my TBR list since it was first announced and couldn't wait to read it. I know psychological thrillers are not for everyone, but I love anything that bends the mind, and this novel does not disappoint!

I hope you enjoy my thoughts on this Domestic Thriller and don't forget to scroll to the bottom of this post and enter the amazing giveaway from JustRead Tours.

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for The Other Sister by Jessica R. Patch, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: The Other Sister
Author: Jessica R. Patch
Publisher: Love Inspired Trade
Release Date: April 22, 2025
Genre: Thriller, Domestic Thriller, Psychological Thriller

She thought she was the only one lying about her identity. Until she stepped into her sister’s life. 

Charlotte Kane has always dreamed of a different life, one where she isn’t living paycheck to paycheck. An existence worlds away from the chaos of her own. Then her estranged mother dies, and Charlotte makes a stunning discovery—she has an identical twin who was given up for adoption. 

Acelynn Benedict is polished, successful and seems to have everything Charlotte yearns for—a wealthy, doting family in Savannah, a handsome boyfriend, a great career. She’s just as surprised as Charlotte to learn she has a sister. But when tragedy hits and Charlotte is forced to assume Acelynn’s identity in a desperate moment, she uncovers something altogether darker… 

No one in her sister’s life is quite who they seem to be. And every discovery leads Charlotte deeper into a web of deadly secrets. Charlotte may have wanted Acelynn’s life, yet now that she’s living it, she wants out. But if she reveals the truth about herself, it will mean returning to her old life—and she’s already a dead woman there.

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Book Review of 'Line of Fire' by Taylor S. Newport

Hello Bookworms!

I don't know about you, but this month is flying by at lightning speed, and I am doing everything I can to keep everything straight.  I can't believe we are mere days away from Christmas!  Sadly, I am not on my game as much as I was last year, and part of the reason is I can't seem to get my nose out of books!  I don't know what it is about this year that I crave reading so much but it seems like that's just another holiday quirk for me.  What that means is more reviews the end the year like the one I'm sharing today!

I hope you enjoy my thoughts on this Christian Action Thriller and don't forget to scroll to the bottom of this post and enter the amazing giveaway from JustRead Tours.

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Line of Fire by Taylor S. Newport, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Line of Fire
Series: Dauntless Defenders #1
Author: Taylor S Newport
Publisher: Independently Published
Release Date: November 7, 2024
Genre: Christian Action Thriller

The enemy is relentless, but they made one fatal mistake: they underestimated him. 

Australian mercenary Tyler Reid, known as "The Ghost of OZ," has a talent for evading detection, a skill that has caught the eye of multiple government agencies. When a shadowy group targets a CIA asset and her revolutionary drug ND1, the Deputy Director calls in Tyler. Eager for action, Tyler takes the job. He soon realizes that the enemy is not only after the drug, but also out for his blood. Then the mission goes south, and he is forced to seek an unlikely ally. 

For covert foreign operative Alexandra Romanova, freedom is a distant dream. Escaping one prison only led her to a more dangerous one. Her deadly skills are at her boss's disposal, but she’ll use them only to escape. Her final chance hinges on retrieving ND1, but the elusive Ghost of Oz complicates things. Tyler Reid isn’t an easy mark, and the better she gets to know him, the more she questions the mission she's tasked with. Soon she faces a dire choice: kill a man she is convinced is good or pay with her own life. 

As Tyler and Alex venture beyond their orders, the line between enemy and ally blurs. On the edge of failure, trust becomes a dangerous gamble with every decision dragging them deeper into the line of fire. As enemies close in and alliances shift, they are ensnared in a ruthless battle where survival depends on split-second choices. In this high-stakes fight, time is running out, and the margin for error is zero.  

Line of Fire is the first book in the Christian thriller series Dauntless Defenders. It is NOT a standalone novel.  

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Book Review of 'Lethal Standoff' by DiAnn Mills

Hello Bookworms!

Happy Fall Y'all! I can't believe September is already upon us! I've been hearing so many people say that the summer flew by, and I am in that boat. Where did the time go?? My head has been spinning and now we're in one of the busiest times of the year, so time is going to go any quicker.  Slow down please!

Today I am featuring a novel that is full of thrills! I hope you enjoy my thoughts on this Romantic Suspense and don't forget to scroll to the bottom of this post and enter the amazing giveaway from JustRead Tours.

Welcome to the Takeover + Review Blitz for Lethal Standoff by DiAnn Mills hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Lethal Standoff 

Author: DiAnn Mills 

Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers 

Release Date: September 3, 2024 

Genre: Romantic Suspense, Thriller

Justice can be elusive. Family secrets can be deadly. The stakes are high, and the clock is ticking in a volatile criminal case filled with unanswered questions. And Carrington Reed is running short on time to piece together clues that will solve the puzzle.

Hostage negotiator Carrington Reed is called to the scene when reports come in that fifteen hostages are being held by the Kendrix brothers in an abandoned house in south Texas. When she arrives on site, Carrington quickly learns that the brothers are armed and refuse to release their victims, a group of undocumented immigrants, until the local police identify their father’s murderer. 

Working closely with Levi Ehrlich, a handsome investigative reporter who has covered some of Carrington’s negotiations in the past, she finds herself being undeniably drawn to him. Carrington digs deeper into the death of the Kendrixes’ father and begins to notice that some details surrounding his death aren’t adding up. 

As Carrington investigates the brothers’ claims and tries to piece together their motive for taking innocent people captive, it soon becomes clear that they are trying to hide something and that revenge for their father’s death may not be what they’re really bargaining for after all. To protect the hostages and ensure the brothers don’t carry out the rest of their sinister plot, Carrington must get to the bottom of one family’s secret and the truth they’re trying so hard to hide before time runs out. 

Award-winning author DiAnn Mills delivers pulse-pounding romantic suspense about secrets, betrayal, and finding a path to forgiveness.

 

• Includes discussion guide for book groups.
• A clean contemporary thriller from Christy Award-winning author DiAnn Mills
• For fans of action-packed romantic suspense in the vein of Lynette Eason, Irene Hannon, and Dani Pettrey
• From the popular author of Facing the Enemy

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Book Review of 'The Garden Girls' by Jessica R. Patch

Happy Monday Bookworms!

Welcome to another beautiful spring week and another book review!  This month has been flying by and it's taking every ounce of me to keep my head straight and my emotions in check.  This week I will be celebrating my eleventh wedding anniversary, my youngest nephew is turning eighteen, and I'm going on my first college walk-through with my youngest son.  It's a lot but it's in these moments of chaos that I find myself clinging more and more to the Lord.  I truly do not know what I would do without my faith.

Amid the chaos that is life I have been sneaking in moments to myself, which usually involves escaping into a novel.  Today's feature is one that I have been itching to talk about and I am so glad the day is finally here!  I hope you enjoy and, as always, don't forget to scroll to the bottom of this post to enter an amazing giveaway from JustRead Tours!

Welcome to the Blog Tour for The Garden Girls by Jessica R. Patch, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: The Garden Girls
Series: Strange Crimes Unit: South Division
Author: Jessica R. Patch
Publisher: Harlequin Love Inspired Trade
Release Date: April 23, 2024
Genre: Christian Psychological Thriller

On a remote Outer Banks island, a serial killer collects his prized specimens. And to stop him, an FBI agent must confront his own twisted past. 

FBI agent Tiberius Granger has seen his share of darkness. But a new case sets him on edge. It’s not just the macabre way both victims—found posed in front of lighthouses—are tattooed with flowers that match their names. There’s also the unsettling connection to the woman Ty once loved and to the shadowy cult they both risked everything to escape. 

Bexley Hemmingway’s sister has gone missing, and she’ll do anything to find her—including teaming up with Ty. That may prove a mistake, and not just because Ty doesn’t know he’s the father of her teenaged son. It seems the killer is taunting Ty, drawing everyone close to him into deeper danger. 

As the slashing winds and rain of a deadly hurricane approach the coast of North Carolina, the search leads Ty and Bex to an island that hides a grisly secret. But in his quest for the truth, Ty has ignored the fact that this time, he’s not just the hunter. Every move has been orchestrated by a killer into a perfect storm of terror, and they will need all their skills to survive…  

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Book Review of 'Havoc' by Ronie Kendig

Hello Bookworms!

Welcome to another gorgeous fall day and another book review!  I have really lucked out lately.  It seems like every book I pick up I have been falling in love with, and the novel that I am spotlighting today is no exception.  I don't get to read as many tactical books as I'd like and this novel today is kicking off a whole new series!! Eek!!

I hope you enjoy my thoughts on Havoc and don't forget to scroll down to the bottom for a pretty sweet giveaway from JustRead Tours!

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Havoc by Ronie Kendig, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Havoc
Series: A Breed Apart: Legacy #1
Author: Ronie Kendig
Publisher: Sunrise Publishing
Release Date: October 17, 2023
Genre: Paramilitary Romantic Thriller

A soldier, a Malinois, and a stuntwoman walk onto a TV set . . . 

Former Special Forces operator Sergeant Crew Gatlin takes everything in stride, even the career-ending incident that separated him from the Army, half a leg, and his beloved working dog, Havoc K027. Putting his life back together and lying low, he takes a job with A Breed Apart and is unexpectedly reunited with Havoc. It’s too good to be true—and the proof is in their first assignment: to work as a K-9 team for a television drama in Los Angeles. Miffed at being relegated to TV fodder, he’s willing to pay the price when he sees the stuntwoman. 

Being a stunt double allows Vienna Foxcroft to fulfill her acting dream—with a side of MMA—and stay out of the limelight. The same one that plagued her childhood and put her through a nightmare scenario. Now, her tight-knit stunt team are the only ones she trusts. Then in walks Mr. Mountain-of-Muscle and his tough-as-nails dog, and Vienna has a bad feeling her life is about to turn upside down. 

Ticked as they head overseas for a location shoot in Turkey, Crew guts it up—after all, he has Havoc again. Okay, and yeah—Vienna is going, too. When an attack sends the cast fleeing into the streets of Turkey, Vienna must face the demons of her past or be devoured by them. And Crew and Havoc are tested like never before. 

Experience the high-octane thrill ride that is the first book in the A Breed Apart: Legacy series.

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Book Review: The Wrong Family by Tarryn Fisher

ADULT CONTENT WARNING!!

This book does contain adult themes and language which some readers will find disturbing. Reader discretion is advised.

Publisher: Graydon House

Release Date: December 29, 2020

Genre: Adult Pyschological Thriller

Have you ever been wrong about someone?

Juno was wrong about Winnie Crouch.

Before moving in with the Crouch family, Juno thought Winnie and her husband, Nigel, had the perfect marriage, the perfect son—the perfect life. Only now that she’s living in their beautiful house, she sees the cracks in the crumbling facade are too deep to ignore.

Still, she isn’t one to judge. After her grim diagnosis, the retired therapist simply wants a place to live out the rest of her days in peace. But that peace is shattered the day Juno overhears a chilling conversation between Winnie and Nigel…

She shouldn’t get involved.

She really shouldn’t.

But this could be her chance to make a few things right.

Because if you thought Juno didn’t have a secret of her own, then you were wrong about her, too.

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Book Review: The Last Tiara by M.J. Rose

Publisher: Blue Box Press

Release Date: February 2, 2021

Genre: Historical Fiction

Sophia Moon had always been reticent about her life in Russia and when she dies, suspiciously, on a wintry New York evening, Isobelle despairs that her mother’s secrets have died with her. But while renovating the apartment they shared, Isobelle discovers something among her mother’s effects—a stunning silver tiara, stripped of its jewels.

Isobelle’s research into the tiara’s provenance draws her closer to her mother’s past—including the story of what became of her father back in Russia, a man she has never known. The facts elude her until she meets a young jeweler, who wants to help her but is conflicted by his loyalty to the Midas Society, a covert international organization whose mission is to return lost and stolen antiques, jewels, and artwork to their original owners.

Told in alternating points of view, the stories of the two young women unfurl as each struggles to find their way during two separate wars. In 1915, young Sofiya Petrovitch, favorite of the royal household and best friend of Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna, tends to wounded soldiers in a makeshift hospital within the grounds of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg and finds the love of her life. In 1948 New York, Isobelle Moon works to break through the rampant sexism of the age as one of very few women working in a male-dominated profession and discovers far more about love and family than she ever hoped for.

In M.J. Rose’s deftly constructed narrative, the secrets of Sofiya’s early life are revealed incrementally, even as Isobelle herself works to solve the mystery of the historic Romanov tiara (which is based on an actual Romanov artifact that is, to this day, still missing)—and how it is that her mother came to possess it. The two strands play off each other in finely-tuned counterpoint, building to a series of surprising and deeply satisfying revelations.

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Blog Tour: Aftermath by Terri Blackstock

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Aftermath by Terri Blackstock, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: Aftermath 
Author: Terri Blackstock
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release Date: May 11, 2021
Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense/Thriller

This gripping new thriller from New York Times bestselling author Terri Blackstock will leave you on the edge of your seat. 

A devastating explosion. 

Three best friends are at the venue just to hear their favorite band . . . but only one of them makes it out alive. 

A trunk full of planted evidence. 

When police stop Dustin with a warrant to search his trunk, he knows it’s just a mistake. He’s former military and owns a security firm. But he’s horrified when they find explosives, and he can’t fathom how they got there. 

An attorney who will risk it all for a friend. 

Criminal attorney Jamie Powell was Dustin’s best friend growing up. They haven’t spoken since he left for basic training, but she’s the first one he thinks of when he’s arrested. Jamie knows she’s putting her career on the line by defending an accused terrorist, but she’d never abandon him. Someone is framing Dustin to take the fall for shocking acts of violence . . . but why?

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Book Review: Ever Told

Release Date: August 29, 2018

Genre: Suspense Thrillers

When New Hampshire detective Jill Jennson is called to the scene of a double homicide that took place during a wealthy family’s annual vacation, she immediately realizes that this case will be unlike any other. The victims were brutally killed in their locked bedroom with seemingly no way for the killer to enter or leave undetected. The list of suspects is endless. And the possible motives are even more disturbing.

As the case evolves, the investigation becomes even more complex as secrets are revealed and betrayals come to light. Aided by her partner Caiden and her bedridden father Tony, Jill continues to unearth clue after clue as she desperately tries to solve the mystery and identify the killer. But the more she digs, the more she comes to realize that someone is out to get her as well. Is her unknown assailant connected to the investigation, or does the answer lie much closer to home? Once she discovers that the case may even have personal connections to a horrific event in her own sordid past, Jill will stop at nothing to complete the puzzle and finally put to rest the multiple acts of deception that have all converged into one unforgettable nightmare.

For fans of suspenseful thrillers and mysteries filled with stunning twists and gut – wrenching reveals, Ever Told will show you just how easily lies can spiral out of control and how secrets can ultimately lead to our own demise. From the thrilling first page to the jaw – dropping surprise ending, you’ll never trust another word you hear again – even your own.

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Book Review: Recipe for a Perfect Wife by Karma Brown

Publisher: Dutton (Penguin Group)

Release Date: January 21, 2020

Genre: Adult Fiction

In this captivating dual narrative novel, a modern-day woman finds inspiration in hidden notes left by her home’s previous owner, a quintessential 1950s housewife. As she discovers remarkable parallels between this woman’s life and her own, it causes her to question the foundation of her own relationship with her husband--and what it means to be a wife fighting for her place in a patriarchal society.

When Alice Hale leaves a career in publicity to become a writer and follows her husband to the New York suburbs, she is unaccustomed to filling her days alone in a big, empty house. But when she finds a vintage cookbook buried in a box in the old home's basement, she becomes captivated by the cookbook’s previous owner--1950s housewife Nellie Murdoch. As Alice cooks her way through the past, she realizes that within the cookbook’s pages Nellie left clues about her life--including a mysterious series of unsent letters penned to her mother.

Soon Alice learns that while baked Alaska and meatloaf five ways may seem harmless, Nellie's secrets may have been anything but. When Alice uncovers a more sinister--even dangerous--side to Nellie’s marriage, and has become increasingly dissatisfied with the mounting pressures in her own relationship, she begins to take control of her life and protect herself with a few secrets of her own.

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Book Review: Never Tell

Never Tell is now in paperback with a sleek new cover!!

Series: Detective D.D. Warren Series

Publisher: Penguin Group - Dutton

Release Date: August 6, 2019 (Paperback Edition)

Genre: Mystery & Thrillers

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Breaking Jess

Publisher: Mirror Press

Release Date: October 2, 2018

Genre: Clean Psychological Thriller

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Widows-in-Law

My Rating: ★★★★★

Publisher: Blackstone Publishing

Release Date: February 26, 2019

Genre: Mystery & Thrillers

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Look for Me - In Paperback!

My Rating: ★★★★★

Amazon | B&N | Bookbub | Goodreads | Website

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A Christmas Revelation

My Rating: ★★★

Amazon | B&N | Bookbub | Goodreads | Website

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Look for Me

I love a good suspense story.  You know when you read the first page and are instantly hooked that you are going to be in for a wild ride.  Look for Me is one of those stories that you think you have figured out and then there is a sudden twist that has you second guessing yourself.  Then another twist.  And another.  By the time you reach the end you close the book and mutter, "Wow."

Roxy, a sixteen-year-old girl, is missing.  Her family is brutally murdered in their home and no one knows if the missing girl is the murderer or running for her life.  Detective D.D. Warren is on the case, carefully putting the pieces of the puzzle together.  From what she is being told Roxy is the most level-headed person in her family, having to raise her younger brother and sister, protecting them every way she knows how, especially when they are taken away by child protective services and placed in foster care due to their mothers negligence due to alcoholism.  This is the wakeup call that their mother needs and see fights to get clean and get her children back.  Against all odds she accomplishes her goal and the little family is reunited.  Everything seems to be going good and now almost the entire family is gunned down in cold blood and Roxy is nowhere to be found.

The deeper D.D. digs into the family's backstory the darker the secrets that are unearthed which makes the situation that much more confusing.  D.D. is approached by Flora Dane soon after news of the murders are out and requests that she be a CI in the investigation.  Flora is a victim herself, and an advocate and leader of others who have been through traumatic experiences.  She tells D.D. that she has been in contact with Roxy prior to the murders that adds another twist in the already confusing narrative.

The attitudes and sarcasm between D.D. and Flora is great.  They both have very different tactics but they both have the same goal: to find Roxy and find the truth.  The conflict between these two characters helps lighten the very dark subject matter.  Look for Me delves into alcoholism, the dark side of the foster care system, the effects of a family being torn apart, and the consequences of the choices of others.

Look for Me is the ninth book in The Detective D.D. Warren Series and since this is my first book in the series to read I can honestly say it is perfectly fine to read as a standalone book.  I do not post spoilers but I do have to comment that the ending, though slightly predictable, is incredibly sad.  The pace of the book is even and constant and makes the book hard to put down once you stop.  This is my first book by Lisa Gardner and have to say that it is well written, the story multifaceted, and will not be my last book to read by this author or in this series.  Five stars!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Penguin Group Dutton and NetGalley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.  All opinions are my own.

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