Book Review: Lone Wolf

 Title: Lone Wolf

Author: Gregg Hurwitz

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Publication Date: February 13 2024

Rating: 5 out of 5

Book 9 in the Orphan X series starts
off with a whimper of a mission: find a missing dog! Not the normal sort of life and death mission requiring the assistance from Nowhere Man, Evan Smoak. Indeed, I almost gave up, but the presence or a female ninja lone wolf assassin piqued my interest. I'm glad I stuck with it, as it got better and quickly.

After 8 books of lethal, don't-make--it-personal retributional missions and killings, Smoak faces his toughest challenge: meeting family and dealing with feelings. This is by far the most personal and evolutionary book in this series, and it shows both Evsn and his young female side-kick Joey grappling and ultimately coming to terms with their humanity. They are more than just killing machines. One of the trickiest issues here is the presidency of the HOA where Evan lives and he has to act as an intermediary negotiator, using words not weapons. This is well worth a read, especially if you are all caught up with the orphans.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley. I received an advanced reader copy of this book in return for an honest review. 

Book Review: Fear the Silence

Title: Fear the Silence

Author: Robert Bryndza

Publisher: Raven Street Publishing

Publication Date: July 6 2023

Rating: 5 out of 5

The premise is simple.  ER room doctor Maggie is confronted with her own husband Will's unexpected and unexplained suicide. Everything points to him having taken his own life. But she can't accept this. When she goes to clear out their vacation home on a remote Croatian island after the end of tourist season, clues start to emerge that there were secrets Will was keeping from her. And the powerful person whose secret could be devastating will go to any length to prevent this from happening.

Wow, what a fantastic suspense thriller. It took me by the throat from the first page and never let up. With each twist, when I thought the heroine was going to break through, it just got worse. Every situation seemed more hopeless than the last. Until the twist at the end. I'd never read a book by Bryndza before, but it's safe to say this won't be my last. This is well worth your time, unless you fear the silence. 

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley. I received an advanced reader copy of this book in return for an honest review. 

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Book Review: The Stranger Upstairs

 Title: The Stranger Upstairs

Author: Lisa Matlin

Publisher: Bantam

Publication Date: September 26 2023

Rating: 5 out of 5

Sarah Slade, a therapist and influencer, buys a Victorian house in a small Australian community, envisioning renovating it, sharing progress on her feed, turning a quick profit, and getting lots of endorsements. But the house was the scene of a brutal murder 40 years ago and has all the hallmarks of classic horror mansion. When the improvements start going wrong, and her marriage starts to crumble, Sarah starts to mentally disintegrate. Who or what is leaving her notes?

Billed as a psychological thriller, this veers more to the horror genre. The book oozes dread throughout, and with each page turned more hidden secrets are exposed. I didn't see the end coming. That's the sign of a great story.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley. I received an advanced reader copy of this book in return for an honest review. 

Book Review: Simply Lies

 Title: Simply Lies

Author: David Baldacci

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Publication Date: April 18 2023

Rating: 5 out of 5

David Baldacci rarely pens a boring book. His new book is certainly no exception. A stand-alone thriller, he features two strong women lead characters. One is a former cop, now work-from-home mom. A private investigator, Mickey excels at finding hidden money. The other is a con artist and possibly murderer. When the latter, Clarisse, cons the former into taking a field-work trip to a remote mansion to document the owner's possessions, she discovers a hidden room with a dead body and a secret message. From this unexpected discovery. Mickey becomes forced to pursue her own investigation and its a race between the two to discover the murderer, the reason, and the hidden treasure. With plenty of plot twists and villains, Baldacci interweaves the story from both Mickey's and Clarissa's perspectives. The book grabbed from chapter one and kept me guessing, furiously turning pages, until the very end. Another sure-fire hit from this great author.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley. I received an advanced reader copy of this book in return for an honest review.