Tag: mystery

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#BlogTour: She Took My Baby by Steena Holmes

For this blog tour, we’re looking at a twisty mind bending thriller that will be tough for some readers. For this blog tour, we’re looking at She Took My Baby by Steena Holmes.

First, the review I posted to the book sites (BookHype.com / Goodreads.com / TheStoryGraph.com) and YouTube:

Twisty Mind Bender Will Put You In The Minds Of Its Main Characters. This is one of those books that works best when you don’t try to fight it. Take yourself out of the story and just flow with what is presented here and what you get is one hell of a trippy mind bender where not everything is as it seems… and yet some things may be *exactly* as they seem.

Now, for the child free and particularly the childless… well, the title of the damn book has the word “Baby” in it. Yes, this is focused on post-partum issues and, well, babies and motherhood. So just to make it explicitly clear: this book may not be the best thing for you, for any number of reasons. And to be even more clear: I myself am childfree and proud of this. Thus, I readily admit that this book is not one I would normally pick up myself if I did not already know and trust the author from previous books (and, admittedly, working with her in her (along with a few colleagues) Readers Coffeehouse group on Facebook).

AND YET… again, this book for what it actually is really is so good that *even for the childfree/ childless*… you should maybe at least consider it. I totally get if someone – maybe even a new mother herself, not just someone in the CF crowd – just finds the topic in general too difficult for their current situation. Take care of yourself and do what you need to do. Always. But when you’re in a space that maybe you can handle a book like this… Holmes really does do a great job here. It is one of those that will have you reading deep into the night and have your pulse pounding almost until literally the last word.

But if you want to build some trust in Holmes before you come to this book, I get it. I very much recommend literally every other book I’ve read from her, and I’ve read most of them at this point. So go into her back catalog, build that level of trust in her skills as a storyteller, then come here. You won’t be disappointed.

Very much recommended.

After the jump, the “publisher details” – book info, description, author bio, social links, and buy links.
Continue reading “#BlogTour: She Took My Baby by Steena Holmes”

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#BookReview: Dirty Deeds 4 by Armand Rosamilia

Yet Another Evolution Of Series Leads To Potential Soft Reboot. Rosamilia has proven with this series that not only can he pack a lot of fun action into a few pages (again barely topping the 200 page mark here), but that he can continually twist his characters in interesting directions that make you want to see where he will take them next. This particular tale is a great example of exactly this.

And yet again, because it *is* a very fast reading barely 200 page book, it works quite well for those looking for easy, fast reads for any reason at all. Whether it be those who maybe haven’t read a book since high school and you’re looking to get into reading again with some “easy wins” to get you going… or it is December 31 and you need a handful of books to get you to whatever reading goal you have for the year. Not that I would know anything about that last one. 😉

Very much recommended.

This review of Dirty Deeds 4 by Armand Rosamilia was originally written on December 31, 2025.

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#BookReview: Dirty Deeds 3 by Armand Rosamilia

Another Solid Evolution Of Series. Every book in this series is a fun, quick read, with this one being the longest to date – and still clocks in at barely 220 pages. Here, again, Rosamilia takes the final scenes of the previous book and expands them into a full fledged story full of action and intrigue.

As with the other books in this series, because they are so fun and fast, they work quite well for those looking for short reads for any reason – be it first getting back into reading and wanting some quick, easy “wins”… or those looking to hit a certain number of books for the year on December 31. 😉

Very much recommended.

This review of Dirty Deeds 3 by Armand Rosamilia was originally written on December 31, 2025.

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#BookReview: Dirty Deeds 2 by Armand Rosamilia

Fun Quick Quirky Read Pays Off First Book. Some of the criticisms of book 1 were that it ended in what could be argued was a massive cliffhanger, and this book picks up in the immediate aftermath and pays that ending off in glorious fashion. Here, in this short (barely 200 page) novel, we get a Florida/ Gulf Coast kind of version of a Sherlock v Moriarty fight, and for what this book actually is, it is truly a glorious version of such a fight.

Yet again, these books are perfect for those looking for short and fast reads, no matter the occassion – and maybe if you’re trying to get back into reading after not having read much, if anything, for several years these could be one really fun way to come back and build some confidence without too much commitment. They’re also great when you need to read four books on December 31 to hit whatever goal you may have for the year as well. 😉

Very much recommended.

This review of Dirty Deeds 2 by Armand Rosamilia was originally written on December 31, 2025.

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#BookReview: Dirty Deeds by Armand Rosamilia

Wild Opening Line Sets Up One Hell Of A Tale. This book has a lot going for it – at barely 200 pages, it is by default a fairly short read. With its pacing, it feels even shorter – even though so much is happening. With its ending… eh, I thought it worked well as a series starter, but I could also see that those claiming it a cliffhanger may have a point. *Maybe.*

But come on. That opening line. That general premise. The fact that our main character’s “day job” is so far out of normal experience as to be *less* familiar than being an actual working astronaut. The Atlanta base, and being a long time Braves fan from even the 80s where they absolutely *sucked*, but Dale Murphy proved conclusively why he *should* be in the Hall of Fame. (Come *on*, Baseball Writers of America! Why do you continue the travesty of not allowing Murphy his rightful place in Cooperstown?!?!?)

But yeah, this is one of those absolutely wild “what the fuck” kind of tales that you pretty much just have to grab a tight hold of the rope and hold on as best you can. That this is an entire series of 200 ish page books is *great* for those that find they like this one and are looking for a series of similar short books… for whatever reason. Maybe you’re new to reading and just want something fun, something that you can continue for a while. Maybe you’re trying to hit a certain number of books read by midnight on December 31 and you’re writing this review at 8a with another 3 books in this series to read to get you to 180 books on the year. (Not that I would know anything about this. 😉 ) Regardless, this is absolutely a fun book that opens up a wild world that seems like it will be one hell of a ride.

Very much recommended.

This review of Dirty Deeds by Armand Rosamilia was originally written on December 31, 2025.

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#BookReview: Such Sheltered Lives by Alyssa Sheinmel

Slow Paced Yet Intriguing, Not Sure That Twist Lands As Intended. This is one of those slower paced books where there is enough here to keep you invested – and Sheinmel certainly drops some bombs at exactly the right time when maybe you’re becoming slightly less invested. Also a great shortish (sub 300 page) read, but a slower one where the scenes play out more akin to the pace one would imagine of a luxury beach resort rehab facility so much of the story is set within. Which itself works quite well.

The one thing that becomes a bit jarring is the twist, and because it is the twist I really can’t say *too* much about it here in this review other than to note that for me, the story became maybe a touch *too* weird here, or maybe it was just that the editing could have been a touch tighter to help focus the reader a touch more. *Something* just felt a touch off… but maybe that was a “me” thing. It is very possible, maybe even very likely, that I’m the idiot here and that this twist works for most people and works rather flawlessly for them. Read the book for yourself, write your own review, and feel free to tag me wherever you may see this review on your own feeds and let me know what you thought about it.

Very much recommended.

This review of Such Sheltered Lives by Alyssa Sheinmel was originally written on December 31, 2025.

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#BookReview: We Were Never Friends by Kaira Rouda

Don’t Like Collegiate Greek Life? This Book Is Likely A Large Example Of Why. Ok, so I gotta admit, Greeks were never that big at my commuter school that had just earned University status less than a decade before I first started classes and which had been a literal corn field when my parents were born. Don’t get me wrong, I am absolutely proud to be a Kennesaw State Owl, and the school has come a LONG way in its short existence – but we also don’t have the hundreds of years of collegiate greek life that schools like the University of Georgia or the University of Alabama or Auburn University or Ole Miss have (not to mention those damn Yankee schools). For me, as someone who rose even to President of KSU’s chapter of a collegiate honor society and thus had a cube right by all the Greek groups that we did have in the student center… well, this book confirms the worst things I’d ever thought about them.

Thus, those who have a more positive picture of collegiate greek life… well… you’re probably not going to like this particular book.

Rouda is typical Rouda here, with all kinds of drama in yet another locked-in environment and all kinds of secrets that are going to come out over the course of this weekend. It just so happens that the connection between the primary characters is that decades ago, they were all sorority sisters and had one particularly fateful Senior Spring Break trip that has reverberated throughout the rest of their lives…

Short, with tons of drama and a pace that will keep you reading quite late indeed, this is great for those looking for an end of the year “I need to squeeze in one more book!” type read – or for those looking for a fun, quick read any time of year… maybe even during Spring Break? With your Greek brothers and sisters? 😉

Very much recommended.

This review of We Were Never Friends by Kaira Rouda was originally written on December 31, 2025.

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#BookReview: Make It Out Alive by Allison Brennan

Less Gory Saw. I’m glad the description mentioned the “escape room” and the need to make it out or die, as it made that headline *so* much more concise, since it technically isn’t a spoiler. 😀

And yet that headline is exactly what you get here – the latest entrant in the Quinn and Costa police procedural thrillers is a version of Saw set in North Florida (the “First Coast” region of Jacksonville (where I happen to live) and St Augustine) and surrounding areas.

I’m not a fan of horror generally and specifically not a fan of gory horror, so I can’t tell a fan of the Saw franchise just how closely this aligns with that franchise – I don’t know. I do know the base ideas are similar enough that fans of that franchise will enjoy this book on at least some level, but this book is also rather deep in an ongoing series and thus will reveal at least certain things from prior books. However, most of those elements are about the team itself rather than the prior mysteries they were solving, so this may well be a decent enough place for fans of the Saw franchise who may not have read these books before to start and see what they think.

More long time fans of this series specifically or police procedurals generally will also find quite a bit here, as the narrative spends nearly equal time on “oh shit, we woke up in a dangerous situation” and “oh shit, our teammates are missing and the case we thought we had in the bag… isn’t”. Thus, there’s a solid mix of tension and investigation on two different fronts, as we see both sides play through to their inevitable meetup. But what condition will the missing teammates be found in? Who the hell could be sick enough to attempt a Saw type setup in the “real” world? Brennan does a great job really on all aspects here, including our criminals of the tale, and really allows pretty well every character – including several more minor ones – at least a few scenes to shine. Of course, she’s working with 400 pages here… so she’s got the space. 😉

And yes, even this region of the country has its moments in this book, be it in St. Augustine itself, the FBI office in Jacksonville, or the other nearby areas that also come to bear. All are done pretty damn well – well enough that it is clear that Brennan did at least some research on the areas, if not actually came out here and experienced them herself. Which is always pleasant to see as a consumer of a story that claims to be set in a place you are very familiar with. 🙂

Overall truly a well-paced thrill ride that will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout… and will probably keep you up well into the night reading.

Very much recommended.

This review of Make It Out Alive by Allison Brennan was originally written on December 22, 2025.

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#BookReview: Whisper Creek by Allison Brennan

Tremors Meets Open Range. I truly think the best way to describe this book for an at least somewhat general audience – you still need to be familiar with these movies – really is the combination of the movies I use in the title of the review here.

In Tremors, you get an excellent use of a closed environment (in the case of the movie, a desert valley where the only road in or out has been blocked) to create a fun, intense survival type thriller where the good guys can only guess at what is going on. Brennan absolutely *nailed* that element here, using catastrophic flooding to great effect.

In Open Range, there are other issues going on between neighbors, with some neighbors being less than neighborly to their neighbors. Some might even say they were dirty, underhanded, cowardly snakes who were only looking out for themselves. Again, Brennan absolutely *nails* this element as well… while actually expanding on it in some rather interesting ways.

Ultimately, our central family truly is the heart of this tale, even as the events of the book keep them separated for so much of it. Brennan uses both environment and human quite well, and truly manages to give very nearly every character some level of weight to them such that you really want to see how this plays out for everyone… even the snakes. But especially the family cat who has run off in the storm…

Solid book that could get perhaps a touch too real for some when it is scheduled for release in the middle of the summer of 2026, this is absolutely a book fans of both family drama and survival tales are going to want to read, and it appears to be truly standalone to boot.

Very much recommended.

This review of Whisper Creek by Allison Brennan was originally written on December 19, 2025.

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#BookReview: Too Close To Home by Seraphina Nova Glass

Solid Summer Escapism. You know those summer movies where you just want to be entertained, so you turn your brain off a bit and just go for the ride?

Do that here, and you’re going to have a *blast*. (Literally, in the case of this tale, as it opens with a car bomb in a small lake town.)

Featuring a small yet interwoven cast and a multi-POV storytelling mechanic, this is one of those tales that uses everything it has to craft a tale that will worm its way into your brain as you’re reading it and won’t let you go… but also isn’t going to be the most memorable book out there once you dive into the next escapist book. The twists and turns and action are all solid, don’t get me wrong. They’re just also a bit plain. Which isn’t a bad thing – plain and expected is *great* for escapist fiction. Again, you don’t *want* your brain working too hard with this particular type of tale.

Overall a fun lake escape with a few thrills and chills, some great vibes, and a few solid enough hooks to keep you reading even as this may be a touch long for some readers (north of 350 pages). Still, stick with it and you will absolutely be rewarded here.

Very much recommended.

This review of Too Close To Home by Seraphina Nova Glass was originally written on December 18, 2025.