Serial Burn by Lynette Eason gives readers so much mystery and suspense. Fire Marshal Jesslyn McCormick has a stalker – sort of. Someone is starting fires and leaving clues that point to the arsonist that set the fire that killed Jessalyn’s family when she was young.  She’s been hunting the serial arsonist but he might have found her first. She teams up with FBI Special Agent Nathan Carlisle to help solve the case.  Sparks fly  between them (haha, see what I did there?) But both have to face off with the past if they want a future together.

I love the mystery in this story. I tried to piece together the clues along side Jesslyn. The story dives deep into Jesslyn’s past and watching her pull on threads that lead to her childhood kept me wanting to read more. And of course, the romance is a slow burn! Both characters have to resolve their past issues in order to move forward.

Serial Burn is a must read for suspense fans!

I received an ebook review copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

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Colleen Coble and Rick Acker team up again to bring readers another thrilling read. I Think I Was Murdered is a standalone (not part of the Tupelo Grove series). But the story is a must-read for suspense fans.

Katrina Berg thought she had it all – her dream career and loving husband. But when Jason dies, she downloads old texts, pictures and emails into a program that lets her talk to Jason in a chatbot version of himself. But when AI Jason tells Katrina that he thinks he was murdered, she heads back to her hometown to figure out what really happened when his car went off the road. She enlists her old friend, Seb Wallace, to help her, but someone doesn’t want either one of them to get too close to the truth.

I loved this book from start to finish. The mystery was complex, and in a small town, just about anyone was a suspect in my mind. But what I really loved was the setting. Katrina comes from a small Norwegian town where her grandmother ran a café and served authentic Norwegian delicacies. I loved the culture and characters, which all blended nicely into one intriguing mystery. I highly recommend I Think I Was Murdered to anyone who loves an intriguing mystery with complex characters and a unique setting.

I received an ebook review copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

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The Crown Conspiracy by Connie Mann is such an adventure that readers won’t be able to put it down.

I love adventure stories, and who doesn’t love a few conspiracies thrown in with intriguing setting and characters? Sophie Williams is a professional art forger…well, maybe not a pro— she secretly paints forgeries to protect the real art. But she becomes a target when she uncovers a series of portraits that had been lost. Now everyone wants these paintings and will kill to get them. Sophie just wants to find her missing friend, but discovers that help comes in unlikely forms, like an ancient secret society called Speranza.

This story has a unique setting in Germany, but transports readers all over Europe. But what I loved about The Crown Conspiracy is all the twists and turns. So much action and suspense kept me hooked, but the characters drive the story. Sophie is likeable as the Robin Hood chameleon, always changing her look to get her closer to what she wants. And the other characters that step in to help her are equally intriguing. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves to read epic adventures with picturesque scenery and twisted mysteries.

I received an ebook review copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

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The Vanishing at Castle Moreau by Jaime Jo Wright brings the creep factor that readers can expect from a Wright novel. Set in three time periods, the story follows the haunting and mysterious history of a castle built in Wisconsin. People talk about the strange building, and over the years the lore builds – women who visit the castle go missing.

In the past, Daisy joins the castle as an employee, only to find that strange people and environment live up to the hype. There’s something shady going on at Castle Moreau. Over a hundred years later, Cleo Clemmons finds herself in the exact same position, hired by a notorious wealthy man with a legendary playboy reputation to clean the castle. How hard could the job be? But Cleo faces the insurmountable task of going through the belongings of the matriarch of the Tremblay family, who is a hoarder living in the castle alone. All around Cleo, the mystery of the disappearing women starts to unravel. But is Cleo safe while staying at Castle Moreau?

I love the interwoven mysteries of this story. Readers watch the story from the past played out in the present day. Cleo has secrets of her own, and the past she’s running from collides with her stay at the castle. Deacon Tremblay and all the members of the Tremblay family are fantastic, eccentric characters that add to the allure of the legends about the castle.

This story is dark, mysterious, and down-right enjoyable to read from start to finish. With complex characters, intriguing settings, and lots of juicy mystery, this book is a must read for suspense fans. Also, the audio narrator makes the story come alive, so I suggest audio.

Wright knows how to write descriptive and unique settings that come to life on every page. Move this novel up to that top spot on your TBR list and thank me later.

I received an ebook review copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

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Fallout by Carrie Stuart Parks is a complex mystery with plenty of twists and turns to keep readers intrigued. Samantha Willis finds herself smack dab in the middle of a mystery with ties to her past. A car crashes into her classroom full of students. Her life pretty much falls apart, and she has no money, ID or place to stay after the crash. She meets a few strangers, including Mary Thompson who is looking for her wayward husband, and Dutch Van Setter, an anthropologist working for Clan Firinn. Sam has to figure out who she can trust and who might be trying to kill her.

I love Carrie Stuart Parks for her quirky characters! You’ll never have boring run-of-the-mill characters in one of her novels. Sam is definitely the quirkiest, and it makes her all the more likable. I like that Clan Firinn comes into this story (I think it was first mentioned in Woman In Shadow) because it’s an interesting concept – it’s a retreat/rehab center that works with former military/law enforcement who suffer PTDS among other things.

The mystery is complex and filled with danger. The only thing I did struggle with was that the pacing was a bit slow. It was hard to connect everything together until about part way through the story. However, the author takes seemingly random events and weaves it into a fabulous tale with creative characters and an intriguing mystery. Just a warning for fans of romantic suspense, there wasn’t much in the way of romance…fine by me, but I know some readers may look for this. All in all, if you are a fan of complex mysteries with even more complex characters, definitely check out Fallout when it releases 9/13/22.

I received an ebook review copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

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Edge of Dusk by Colleen Coble takes readers back to Rock Harbor for a whole new series. Readers will love seeing some of the original characters pop in, as well as meet new ones. Annie Pederson is a resident of Rock Harbor with a tumultuous past. After losing her husband and parents in a boating accident, Annie struggles to raise her eight-year-old daughter, manage her families’ campsite and work as a Ranger. But all she wants to do is solve the mystery of finding her sister that was kidnapped when they were children. But when her ex-fiancé shows up in town, old feelings ignite. But Jon Dustan brings up way too many memories from the past for the small town to handle.

If it’s mysteries you want, Colleen Coble always brings complicated and intriguing storylines to life. There are plenty of plot twists, secrets, lies, and drama to delight any suspense fan.  I love how the author creates complicated twists and turns that keep readers guessing. Just a warning, the ending is definitely a cliffhanger and I felt like things were unresolved. I guess that means I’ll just have to wait for the sequel.

I received an ebook review copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

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The Souls of Lost Lake by Jaime Jo Wright brings all of the spookiness and mystery we’ve come to expect as fans of this author. The split timeline novel gives readers two intriguing stories. In 1930’s a child is found dragging a bloody axe, her family missing. Ava Coons doesn’t remember what happened to her as a child, but the town thinks she murdered her family and accuse her of more recent murders. Pastor Noah Prichard believes she’s innocent and decides to protect her. In the current timeline, Wren Blythe deals with the mystery of a missing girl. The legend of Ava Coon pulls her into the forest, and she feels a connection to Lost Lake. But things unravel when she starts to realize her personal connection to the missing child.

I love how Wright weaves two different stories into one fabulous tale. The eerie settings and dynamic characters drew me into the story. Both timelines took plenty twists and turns, but also brought out a level of emotion that took me by surprise. Wren deals with a lot of grief and loss, as does Ava. From trauma to triumph, both characters had inspiring journeys through the pages of the book. There’s a layer of romance in the story, and I love the relationship that develops between Ava and Noah, as well as Wren finding out who she truly belongs with.

This story does have that creepy factor, but the haunting story with complex characters will work its way into your heart. Be sure to check out the The Souls of Lost Lake when it releases April 5^th.

I received an ebook review copy of this book through Bethany House. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

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We Were Kings by Court Stevens takes a page right out of Agatha Christie’s playbook.  Nyla Wagner’s mother has spent her life trying to get Frankie Quick out of jail for murder. But when Nyla learns the truth about her family connections to Frankie Quick, she starts her own investigation.

I love murder mysteries with a big cast of crazy characters and the reader gets to track down out the murderer along with the main character. The book is filled with lots of bizarre plot twists and moments that leave the reader gasping, “What just happened!?!” Everyone’s a suspect, and the ending was completely unpredictable. I’d definitely recommend this for suspense fans, even if it’s labeled YA because I think adults would appreciate the story as much as young adults.

I received an ebook review copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

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Following the Trail by Lynette Eason gives readers an intriguing mystery to solve. Lacey Jefferson heads back to her hometown of Timber Creek. She can’t get ahold of her sister and wants to track her down. But when her ex-boyfriend Creed Payne asks if she can use her search and rescue dog to locate a missing child, she soon uncovers that her sister was murdered.  The killer doesn’t want Lacey investigating and she just wants to find out the truth. Her sister had some secrets and Lacey and Creed seek to solve the case.

This story is action-packed! Lacey and Creed dodge bullets as they keep searching for answers. But the more the danger increases, so does the romantic tension between Lacey and Creed. They need to overcome past hurts to find a future together. I also love Scarlett, Lacey’s search and rescue dog. I might have done an online search to see if I could adopt a redbone coonhound!

Overall this story brings the suspense with Lacey’s mission to find the truth about her sister. The ending plot twists make this a must-read!

I received an ebook review copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

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A Stranger’s Game by Colleen Coble brings danger and suspense to Jekyll Island. Torie Bergstrom is an heiress to a hotel empire, but decides to go on her own undercover mission, returning to her hometown of Jekyll Island to find out what happened with her best friend’s death. She doesn’t buy that her friend committed suicide and hopes people will open up to her if she keeps her identity hidden. She meets Joe Abbott, and the two tackle the unfolding mysteries together. But danger hits them from all sides because someone knows who Torie really is and sends threatening messages for her to leave.

This story has the perfect balance of suspense and romance. I like how both Joe and Torie struggle to reconcile their pasts to move forward to a future relationship. Torie relates to Joe’s daughter, as they both lost their mothers in tragic circumstances. But the suspenseful elements make this a fast-paced story (I think any story with sharks in it is a must-read!) There’s danger practically on every page. Colleen Coble always has fantastic and intricate plot twists coupled with super-unique settings that leave readers breathless.

I love how the mystery in this story unfolds. This is a great story to kick off the new year for all suspense fans!

Overall Rating:
5 stars (I loved it, couldn’t put it down)

Suspense Rating:
5 stars (Non-stop edge-of-your-seat suspense from start to finish)

I received an ebook review copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

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