Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Review: The Case of the Deadly Doppelganger by Lucy Banks

Review: The Case of the Deadly Doppelganger by Lucy Banks



Title: The Case of the Deadly Doppelganger
Author: Lucy Banks
Series: Dr Ribero's Agency of the Supernatural Book 2
Genre: Mystery, Paranormal, Fantasy, Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Amberjack Publishing
No. of Pages: 328 Pages
Release Date: February 06th, 2018
My Review: 4.5 Stars
 
 
** I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, Thank you very much to Bookouture for the book**
 
Synopsis: 

Only a few months have passed since the day Kester Lanner forced an angry ghost through the spirit door, but business prospects for Dr. Ribero's supernatural agency haven't improved. Things are looking grim when the agency lands a contract which they must share with a rival agency headed by Dr Ribero's sworn enemy, Larry Higgins. Desperate for the job, the team accepts and begins to investigate the seaside town of Lyme Regis, where elderly victims are dying.

The same mysterious clue links the horrendous deaths: the victims all see a double of themselves before dying. The teams wonder if they are dealing with a rogue doppelganger, one that isn't content just predicting deaths, but carrying them out as well. The victims' connection to an ancient grave site leads to speculation that they may have disturbed a spirit more powerful than the two agencies can handle.

One thing is certain, the won't stop unless Kester and the others can overcome their rivalry and stop this deadly spirit.
 
 Not the usual Cozy that I read but One of the Best that I have found and will probably keep following until the end of the series. 

The characters are different as in a weird different but they work. The book contains a bunch of characters  that I never thought would be seen together but in this they not only are but they work really well. The characters and the plot play well with each other in the sense that both of them was the highlight of the book for me. 

This is the second book of the series and I do have to point out that I have not read the first one. But the curiosity of the plot weighted heavily and I read it and finished and am glad I did. Though, it would have been great to have read from the start it was not overly dependent on the first book. The author did try to make sure that the first time readers of this was not left out in the cold. 

One of the things I loved was the budding romance between Anya and Kester. As well as the animosity between the two agency. 
 
The Case of the Deadly Doppelganger was a mystery that drew me in while the characters ensnared me in their web until the end. 
 
 

Review: The Daughter by Lucy Dawson

  Review: The Daughter by Lucy Dawson



Title: The Daughter
Author: Lucy Dawson
Series: --
Genre: Mystery, Psychological Thriller, Suspense
Publisher: Bookouture
No. of Pages: 291 Pages
Release Date: January 24th, 2018
My Review: 4 Stars
 
** I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, Thank you very much to Bookouture for the book**
 
Synopsis: 
 
You lost your daughter. You will never forgive yourself. And now someone's determined to make you pay…
Seventeen years ago, something happened to Jess’s daughter Beth. The memory of it still makes her blood run cold. Jess has tried everything to make peace with that day, and the part she played in what happened. It was only a brief moment of desire… but she’ll pay for it with a lifetime of guilt.

To distance herself from the mistakes of the past, Jess has moved away and started over with her family. But when terrifying things begin happening in her new home, seemingly connected to what happened to Beth, Jess knows that her past has finally caught up with her. Somebody feels Jess hasn’t paid enough, and is determined to make her suffer for the secrets she’s kept all these years. 

 Full of suspense. It is an edge of the seat read for me. Jess is a Mother who has lost her daughter to an accident. An accident that will or can open up her past to her present. The book is initially written in two parts; I loved that aspect of it. 

I went into this knowing that there was someone who was harassing Jess years after her daughter's accident and death. And I wanted to know who was doing it and what was the connection to the daughter's death. I got the answer. I am very much so happy. 

The book is very well rounded, though I am not much for drawn out suspense which at times felt like too much for me in this book. That being said the plot as a whole is not a new topic but I was reasonably surprised with the climax and the ending as well as happy. I do think the author tried and succeeded (In my case) to connect and emote the feelings out to me. 

For me the first part gave me the information and the backstory while second part showed me the consequence. 

A psychological thriller that will keep you asking yourself 'Who is doing it?'

Saturday, January 20, 2018

Review: Survival of the Fritters by Ginger Bolton

 Review: Survival of the Fritters by Ginger Bolton



Title: Survival of the Fritters
Author: Ginger Bolton
Series: Deputy Donut Mystery Book 1
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corporation
No. of Pages: 256 Pages 
Release Date: January 30th, 2018
My Review: 4 Stars
** I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, Thank you very much to Kensington for the book**

Synopsis: 

Emily Westhill runs the best donut shop in Fallingbrook, Wisconsin, alongside her retired police chief father-in-law and her tabby Deputy Donut. But after murder claims a favorite customer, Emily can’t rely on a sidekick to solve the crime—or stay alive.

If Emily has learned anything from her past as a 911 operator, it’s to stay calm during stressful situations. But that’s a tall order when one of her regulars, Georgia Treetor, goes missing. Georgia never skips morning cappuccinos with her knitting circle. Her pals fear the worst—especially Lois, a close friend who recently moved to town. As evening creeps in, Emily and the ladies search for Georgia at home. And they find her—murdered among a scattering of stale donuts . . .

Disturbingly, Georgia’s demise coincides with the five-year anniversary of her son’s murder, a case Emily’s late detective husband failed to solve before his own sudden death. With Lois hiding secrets and an innocent man’s life at stake, Emily’s forced to revisit painful memories on her quest for answers. Though someone’s alibi is full of holes, only a sprinkling of clues have been left behind. And if Emily can’t trace them back to a killer in time, her donut shop will end up permanently closed for business.
 The cover was what attracted me towards it. The Kitten on it looking at the donut's made me want to know more about it. A couple minutes reading about it told me it had a kitten named Deputy Donut and a Donut shop named after her. AND I was totally sold on the book. After reading it, I am totally in kitty heaven.

Donut's has been something that I never really liked much. After reading it I think it is probably because we do not have donut's like the ones that is mentioned in this book.. Deputy Donut shop made me want to try those delicious sounding donut's. 

Survival of the Fritters tests the bonds of friendship, mends it and shows you that friendship is all about. 

This is a cozy unlike the other's in the sense that usually the mystery is wrapped up with hilarious and crazy characters which did not really get included in this book. But that being said I did not completely miss it. 

Like real life people there are things you like about them and things you do not like about them. I do feel the same with Emily. She trusts her friends. Is not willing to give up on them. If there is something they need help with she will help them even if she did not like to or want to do it. After all, those are her friends. In that the author did a great job with portraying all the characters. 

The plot was well crafted. A murder of a son and then the mother years apart but the same date. Kept me guessing and coming back. 

The climax was intense. But the ending gave me hope that fate is not cruel. Second Chances do happen.

Saturday, January 6, 2018

Review: The Russian: A Bad Boy Romance By Renee Rose

Review: The Russian: A Bad Boy Mafia Romance By Renee Rose

 

Title: The Russian: A Bad Boy Mafia Romance
Author: Renee Rose
Series: --
Genre: Romance, Erotic, BDSM, Dark
Publisher: Burning Desires
No. of Pages: 70 Pages 
Release Date: December 18th , 2017
My Review: 3.5 Stars

SYNOPSIS:
 MY PRISONER. MY OBSESSION. MY SUNSHINE.

I can't stay away from her.
I don't care if I get whacked by the mob. Or fired from the FBI.
There's no way I'm letting her get hurt.
Hell, if any of them touch her, I'll blow my cover in a second.
She's my solnishko.
Her brother's a scumbag. He owes the don money.
The don sends me to collect my pound of flesh, but I want more than a pound.
I want her.

A Dark Mafia Romance. With an element of BDSM in it. 

Yuri and Lucy, both are very different and opposite until you zoom in on the attraction they have towards each other. Both of them come from a different backgrounds. What brought both of them together was a bad decision by Lucy's brother. 

This is Erotic Romance, however one thing worth mentioning is Lucy is Yuri's Prisoner. There are scenes that may not be completely consensual. 

For Lucy being kidnapped and held by Yuri brought about desires and wants that she did not even know she had. This book introduced her to BDSM. If it was a series it continue on to her finding out what else she likes. 

That being said. It is a dark romance which could be read by readers who wants to know more about BDSM. But the consent may rankle some readers. Though Miss Rose wrote that piece in such a way that it was balanced out for me by the intimate and consensual scene that came up. 

For me this was a great short story to just unwind in with a cup of tea because apparently I can't make edible coffee. And I love coffee. 

**Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for providing the copy in exchange for review.**