Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too!

A blog tour! Everything She Feared by Rick Mofina

I am very excited to be part of the blog tour for this book which just screams excitement and suspense!

Many thanks to Justine Sha and Sophie James at HTP for this opportunity.

The cover:

Sneak a peek:

Near North Bend, Washington

SEVENTEEN-YEAR-OLD ANNA SHAW didn’t want to die.

Adrenaline surged through every nerve ending, her fingers digging into the tree branch jutting from the cliffside.

This was a nightmare. It couldn’t be real.

But it is real.

Anna had been atop the cliff, taking in the breathtaking panoramic view of the river, forests and mountains. Then in a heartbeat she was falling, falling some twenty feet, crashing into the big twisting branch sticking from the cliff face, catching herself, seizing it, struggling to hang on as it bent, now threatening to give way.

Gasping, she looked in horror a hundred feet straight down to the rocks at the banks of the rushing river below.

Wind gusted up, nudging her dangling legs. As she hung on for life, the branch cracked, her body jolted.

“Oh God!”

Anna glanced up at nine-year-old Katie Harmon looking down at her from the clifftop.

“Katie! Get help!”

Transfixed, Katie stared in wide-eyed silence.

Anna strained to move along the weakening branch closer to the cliff face to find a hold on the craggy rocks.

But pulling herself caused the branch to bob and shake, crackling more under her weight. Her hands landed on short branch spikes, like protruding nails piercing her palms with electrifying pain.

Suddenly the branch split and Anna jounced a few feet lower, clawing, clinging on to the fibrous remains.

“Katie!” she shrieked. “Oh God!”

Anna looked up.

Katie was gone.

The branch cracked again.

Run!

Every part of Katie’s brain screamed at her to run.

She flew along the trail, twisting, turning through the dense woods, hoping to catch up to the others who had continued moving ahead.

Anna’s fall had happened in a terrible instant.

So real and so frightening.

And no one else knows! No one was with us to see!

Katie willed herself to run fast, faster than she’d ever run in her life.

She felt like she was moving in slow motion but she blazed along the trail, coming to the clearing where her group from the Sunny Days Youth Center was setting up.

Katie glimpsed the joyful calm, nearly thirty kids and a sprinkling of adults supervising the day trip from the city, oblivious to the horror now on the cliff they’d all just passed. The boys were moving picnic tables together, others tossed a Frisbee. The girls were opening backpacks,

tearing into snacks and drinks while others took pictures.

It all stopped when Katie screeched: “Help!”

Heads turned, smiles melted, the Frisbee crashed.

“What’s up, Katie?” said Jackson, one of the supervisors.

“Anna fell!” Katie’s chest heaved; she was gasping for air. “Taking a selfie. Fell off the cliff! Hanging on to a tree!”

It took a moment for Jackson and the others to absorb the alarm and snap to attention.

“We’ll need ropes,” he said, glancing at the other supervisors, Adam and Connie, who’d grabbed a canvas bag, unzipped it and yanked out tent ropes. They turned to Katie, who’d already fled back on the trail, her sobbing echoing in her wake.

“Everyone stay here!” Connie said, starting to run with the two men as she called to another adult with the group: “Dakota, keep everyone here!”

The supervisors struggled to keep up with Katie, all of them racing back on the trail to the area of the cliff. Two backpacks on the ground marked the point where it happened. Katie stood there horrified when she looked down.

Only spear-like remnants of the branch reached from the cliffside.

Katie stepped back while Jackson, Adam and Connie, breathing hard, looked down, their eyes ballooning in disbelief.

“Oh God!” said Connie, her voice breaking.

“No! No! No!” Adam yelled.

Anna’s body was splayed on the rocks of the riverbank.

Ribbons of blood were webbing to the water.

******

IN THE TIME that followed, events unfolded like a tragic opera.

Connie’s 911 call went to the King County Communications Center. Panting with panic, she struggled to report the emergency.

“A girl fell off a cliff! We need—please, we need—”

“Take a breath,” said the operator, calm, professional, taking control. “Tell me exactly where you are and what happened.”

Connie collected herself, answering questions and following instructions, enabling the operator to dispatch paramedics and deputies from the King County Sheriff’s Office North Precinct. The deputies then made a callout for Search and Rescue, setting the response in motion.

“I can’t look anymore.” Katie covered her face with her hands. Sobbing and trembling, she lowered her hands and asked: “Is Anna dead?”

“We don’t know.” Connie put her arm around her. “Help is coming.”

For their part, Jackson and Adam had found a safe route to hurry down from the cliff. Moving as fast as they could along the rugged riverbank, they came to Anna’s motionless body.

Her arms and legs were bent and twisted like a rag doll. She was lying faceup with her eyes open, staring skyward, blood dripping from the back of her neck. Jackson and Adam knelt next to her.

“Anna!” Adam said, knowing the worst but saying her name again.

Her stillness terrified them. They heard nothing but the river’s rush while Jackson felt her neck, warm but no pulse.

He began CPR.

Adam saw her palms, bleeding from branch fragments projecting like quills in testament to her fight to hang on. Gently holding her hand, Adam surveyed Anna, almost glowing on the rocks in her bright yellow T-shirt. He didn’t know that her mother had had it custom-made for her last birthday with the embroidered motto crowned over her heart: All We Have Is Today.

A small tattoo on her inner right wrist said Fearless, and on her inner left wrist was a small heart. Her jeans were faded, stylishly torn at the knees. One of her pink sneakers had been ripped away by the impact.

Anna’s head nodded in time with Jackson’s rhythmic pumping. But both men knew that the effort to save her was in vain.

Still Jackson refused to quit.

Adam’s phone rang—it was the emergency operator. She’d gotten his number from Connie.

“Yes… A lot of blood… No pulse… We both have CPR and First Aid… He’s doing CPR… Unconscious… Not responding… Tell them to hurry.”

Staying on the line to provide directions to the scene, Adam held Anna’s still-warm hand while watching Jackson’s unrelenting CPR. Blinking back tears. His gaze went from Anna to the rock face, his stomach lifting at the magnitude of the drop, his focus traveling up beyond the broken branch to the cliff, seeing Connie looking down at him.

Adam shook his head slowly.

Connie’s hand flew to her mouth. She turned, nearly doubling over before somehow getting enough control to pull Katie closer, comforting her. Slowly they started back to be with the others at their day camp.

Connie’s mind swirled as they returned to the clearing; twenty-four kids, aged nine to fourteen, were in the Sunny Days excursion, along with four adult supervisors and three older teen assistants—now, only two.

Moments ago they were all starting a blissful outing, only to see it turn into a day of horrible heartbreak, a day they would remember for the rest of their lives, Connie thought. Everything at their day camp came to a halt when Connie and Katie emerged.

“Is Anna okay?” asked Dakota, one of the supervisors.

Connie searched the group, meeting anxious, expectant faces, feeling Katie’s sobs against her. Holding her tight, Connie brushed at her own tears.

“Anna fell,” Connie said. “She’s hurt bad, really bad.”

“Did Anna die?” one of the girls asked.

Connie stared at her.

“I want to see!” said Dylan Frick, a boy who was also in Katie’s class at school.

“No!” Connie said loudly, then softened her voice. “We don’t know anything yet. We just have to wait.”

Some of the kids got on their phones, texting and calling their families, while a few of the girls rushed to Katie and Connie, encircling them in a group hug, their sobbing soon mingling with the tragic operatic chorus of distant sirens echoing over the treetops.

He wrote it:

From The Times

The best thrillers for April 2023 — new books by Dennis Lehane, Don Winslow and more

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/30587aa2-d874-11ed-80bc-e358583c5d62?shareToken=b692798d6a0dd9be7c74e5ecdb097337

April’s Best Psychological Thrillers — CrimeReads

Now that Lisa Levy has moved on to a new set of columns, I’ll be taking over her psychological thriller column and recommending a few books each month perfect for the reader who knows the greatest mystery is why we do the things we do. April brings new suspenseful reads from old favorites and new…
April’s Best Psychological Thrillers — CrimeReads

Some e book bargains for 4.11.23

I want to read this.

I also want to read this.

I would like to spend: Summer at the Ice Cream Cafe by Jo Thomas

#SummerattheIceCreamCafé #NetGalley

This is exactly the kind of novel that this author’s readers long for and love. It is perfect for summer reading. The story is well told and involving with interesting characters and a lovely setting. Readers will want to enjoy some (imaginary) gelato while they spend time with Beca and those around her.

Beca Valentino’s family ran a very popular gelato cafe in Pembrokeshire. Beca, herself, left as a young woman after a romance gone disastrously wrong. She moved to the city, established a business and earned a good living, enough in fact to allow her to move back to the village where she grew up.

Beca moves into a big and beautiful home. Her goal is to care for the cows and to become a foster mum. The story of the two kids who come to her gives readers the chance to meet Joe and Blake. They are memorable. While I do think that things go somewhat miraculously for Beca as a carer, the author does raise the issue of the foster care system and the kids who are in need. Based on my professional experience, I do think things went a bit too smoothly but this is fiction after all.

Also in the town are two men who were/are important to Beca. Ed/Eddie was a youthful love while Griff has been a friend for years. Will Beca find romance with one of them? Readers will certainly hope so and will be rooting for one of these more than the other.

Beca faces some challenges in life, relationships and in her efforts to open her gelato cafe. Will she triumph? The answer to that question may be obvious but there is just such a good read along the way.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 08 June 2023

The Plant Love Kitchen

An Easy Guide to Plant-Forward Eating, With 75+ Recipes

by Marisa Moore

#ThePlantLoveKitchenSAMPLE #NetGalley

This review is based on a sample of this title. I look forward to seeing the whole book.

There are so many cookbooks out there. A couple of things make this one stand out for me. One, it is written by a registered dietician. Two, it is plant forward and looks toward both the health and enjoyment of those who use the recipes. Of those, there will be 75 in all. The book also provides a good deal of guidance separate from the recipes themselves.

Looking to be healthier? Want your food to taste good? Then give this title a look.

Many thanks to NetGalley and National Geographic for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 11 April 2023

Just published: The Seaside Library

Before Covid I had never read a book by Ms. Novak. I started with One Perfect Summer and just kept going, also reading Summer on the Island, The Bookstore on the Beach, and When I Found You. All of these were enjoyable women’s fiction titles; each had a good setting storyline and characters. So, of course, I was eager to read this new book by the author.

The story takes place in a seaside community. Three friends grew up there. Ivy stayed and runs the library. Cam stayed; he became a talented architect. Ariana worked in New York in the publishing industry; she comes back to spend time with her grandmother.

The three all know of a tragic event that occurred when they were in high school. A girl went missing. What will be stirred up as events from the past spill into the present?

This book is a bit more of a mystery but retains many elements of the author’s talent for writing women’s fiction. I enjoyed this novel but did think that it had a bit of a slow start.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this title. All opinions are my own.

From the Publisher

There are secrets that bring friends together, and others that drive them apart...

" an enticing plot including themes of love, redemption, and friendship." —Booklist

Summer-beach reads for New York Times bestselling author Brenda Novak

Now out: The Fourth Enemy by Anne Perry

I am always delighted to spend time with the characters in Anne Perry’s series of historical novels,. This time, the book features Daniel Pitt who is newly married to Miriam fford Croft. Regular readers of the series will enjoy watching the two in this new phase in their relationship, while those who are just meeting Daniel and Miriam for the first time will quickly catch on.

A bit of background…Thomas and Charlotte Pitt are Daniel’s parents; they have a series of their own. Sir Thomas is involved at the highest levels of government as head of Special Branch. In this entry, his work and Daniel’s will intersect.

Malcolm Vayne has an apt surname. As is often the case in my opinion, Perry creates characters in her historical fiction that resonate in our presents. Here, I would say that Vayne has some of the qualities of a Madoff or Trump. Vayne is unscrupulous yet somewhat charismatic and he supports causes such as women’s suffrage. At the same time, he is involved in complex financial schemes.

There is not a dead body until 3/5ths into the novel. This is undoubtedly deliberate on Perry’s part as she unwinds her plot slowly. Will justice be done? What does the title, The Fourth Enemy, mean? Find out in this book.

I like that Perry believes in strong women who perhaps were unusual for their time. For instance, Miriam is a forensic pathologist in the story which takes place in the early 1900s. Earlier, Charlotte was less “ladylike” than her peers. I also enjoy how characters from other series make appearances. Here there are Thomas and also a character from the Elena Standish series. Others from the Daniel Pitt stories are also here including Miriam’s father who recently gave up his law practice and Ian Frobisher, a school friend of Daniel’s who is in the police force. There is also a new law practitioner in the chambers. He has a most difficult case to prosecute.

I have read Anne Perry’s books from the very beginning and always look forward to her newest titles. No surprise that i am recommending this one.

Publishers Weekly states: Four decades after her debut, Perry shows no sign of losing steam.

I concur.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this book. All opinions are my own.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Paise for The Fourth Enemy

“[Anne] Perry’s courtroom drama . . . increases in intensity as the author craftily captures the reader’s attention. The richly atmospheric tale brings the summer of 1912 to detail-rich life, from Titanic headlines to Miriam’s bright-red Speedster.”—Booklist

“Set in 1912, bestseller Perry’s strong sixth Daniel Pitt novel (after 2021’s Three Debts Paid) finds London barrister Daniel facing major changes in his professional life. . . . The author cleverly makes the most of a plotline not centered on a crime of violence. Four decades after her debut, Perry shows no sign of losing steam.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Barrister Daniel Pitt is thrown into the prosecution of a powerful man accused of a swindle that will remind readers of much more recent times than 1912. . . . [The Fourth Enemy is] familiar fare well served in Perry’s plush, comfortable prose.”—Kirkus Reviews

Now out: Digital SAT Reading and Writing Practice Questions

You will know almost immediately if this book is of interest. For those who are planning to take an SAT and feel the need to practice, this will certainly be a welcome title. It focuses on the new digital version of the exam.

Included is information on this test version along with sample questions. Going digital is a moment of change for the College Board. As an example of this changes, it is noted that there will no longer be extended reading passages. Those who are taking the test will certainly want to know about Multistage Adaptive Testing and other topics covered in the introduction such asthe scoring.

There are sample questions with detailed explanations of the correct answer and why that answer is the best choice. The section on distractors is interesting and helpful.

So, to be ready if planning to take this version of the test which will be offered starting in fall 2023, give this title a look.

Many thanks to BooksGoSocial for this title. All opinions are my own.