Socrates' Book Reviews...: Cloak and Dagger Reading Challenge 2020

Showing posts with label Cloak and Dagger Reading Challenge 2020. Show all posts

Monday, August 24, 2020

Review: When I Was You by Amber Garzer (Blog Tour)

About the Book

Review: Fowl Murder: A Cozy Mystery with a Determined Female Amateur Sleuth (A Kenya Kanga Mystery) by Victoria Tait (Blog Tour/Tour-Wide Giveaway)

Fowl Murder: A Cozy Mystery with a Determined Female Amateur Sleuth
(A Kenya Kanga Mystery) by Victoria Tait

Review: Peachy Scream: A Georgia B&B Mystery by Anna Gerard (Blog Tour/Tour-Wide Giveaway)

Peachy Scream: A Georgia B&B Mystery
by Anna Gerard

Review: Risky Whiskey (Bohemia Bartenders Mysteries) by Lucy Lakestone (Blog Tour/Tour-Wide Giveaway)

Risky Whiskey (Bohemia Bartenders Mysteries)
by Lucy Lakestone

Review: He Started It by Samantha Downing

Genre:
Suspense, Thriller

Format:
E-ARC

Publisher:
Berkley

Release Date:
July 21, 2020

Review: Still Knife Painting (A Paint & Shine Mystery) by Cheryl Hollon (Blog Tour/Tour-Wide Giveaway)

Still Knife Painting (A Paint & Shine Mystery)
by Cheryl Hollon

Review: The Request by David Bell

Genre:
Suspense, Thriller

Format:
E-ARC

Publisher:
Berkley

Release Date:
June 30, 2020

Synopsis from Goodreads:

When a man agrees to do a favor for a friend, he gets more than he bargained for as he becomes embroiled in a woman's murder in this new thriller from the USA Today bestselling author of Layover.

Ryan Francis has it all--great job, wonderful wife, beautiful child--and he loves posting photos of his perfect life on social media. Until the night his friend Blake asks him to break into a woman's home to retrieve incriminating items that implicate Blake in an affair. Ryan refuses to help, but when Blake threatens to reveal Ryan's darkest secret--which could jeopardize everything in Ryan's life--Ryan has no choice but to honor Blake's request.

When he arrives at the woman's home, Ryan is shocked to find her dead--and just as shocked to realize he knows her. Then his phone chimes, revealing a Facebook friend request from the woman. With police sirens rapidly approaching, Ryan flees, wondering why his friend was setting him up for murder.

Determined to keep his life intact and to clear his name, Ryan must find the real murderer--but solving the crime may lead him closer to home than he ever could have imagined.

My Review

Ryan and Amanda have the perfect life with their beautiful baby Henry. Ryan makes a point of using social media to post all about his happy life including pictures of his wife and son. Then, he gets a visit from an old college friend, Blake. Blake asks Ryan for a favor…an illegal favor. He asks him to break into an old girlfriend’s apartment and steal some incriminating letters. Ryan refuses, but Blake isn’t letting him off the hook. He threatens to blow up Ryan’s perfect life by revealing an old secret from their past. Ryan reluctantly agrees.

Ryan tries to think of a way out of his dilemma but soon realizes he has no choice but to follow through. However, when he arrives in her home, he’s stunned to find the woman’s dead body. Then, he receives a Facebook friend request from the dead woman. Ryan doesn’t know what’s going on, but when he tries to get in touch with Blake, he’s nowhere to be found.

Terrified of being accused of murder and losing everything that’s important in his life, Ryan tries to figure out the mystery. He can’t believe his old friend would set him up like this. As Ryan searches more and more for the truth, he’s totally shocked where this might be leading.

I absolutely love David Bell’s books and this is my favorite by far. He had me hooked on page one and never let me go. It’s a fast-paced thriller with more twists and turns than a roller coaster. David Bell is a master at his craft. He knows how to keep you at the edge of your seat for the entire length of the novel. I can’t say enough good things about this author.

This is one of those novels that I would rate higher than 5 if I rated books that high. One of my favorites of 2020, so far.

For reading challenges:
Cloak & Dagger Reading Challenge 2020

FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Saturday, June 20, 2020

Review: Booked for Death: A Book Lover's B&B Mystery by Victoria Gilbert (Blog Tour/Tour-Wide Giveaway)

Booked for Death: A Book Lover's B&B Mystery
by Victoria Gilbert

Review: Chili Cauldron Curse by Lynn Cahoon

Genre:
Paranormal Cozy Mystery

Format:
E-ARC

Publisher:
Kensington Books

Release Date:
August 25, 2020

Review: Killer Chardonnay by Kate Lansing

Genre:
Cozy Mystery

Format:
E-ARC

Publisher:
Berkley

Release Date:
May 26, 2020

Review: The Fallen Girls by Kathryn Casey (Blog Tour)

Review: Midnight Abduction by Nichole Severn (Blog Tour)

About the Book

Book #3: Midnight Abduction by Nichole Severn (on-sale May 19, 2020)
Book description: For the Tactical Crime Division, no case is left cold. When Benning Reeves’s twins are kidnapped, the frantic father knows who can help: the Tactical Crime Division and Ana Ramirez. Even though Ana once shattered Benning’s heart, the special agent is the only one he can trust. But Ana is still tormented by the unresolved case that brought them together years before—a case somehow entangled with Benning’s children. It’s up to the TCD and Ana to discover why…before it’s too late.

My Review

Benning Reeves is desperate when his six year old twins, Olivia and Owen, are kidnapped. He contacts the Tactical Crime Division and requests the one person he could count on, Ana Ramirez. Benning and the special agent had been involved until she walked out on him. However, he knows she’s good at her job and can find his children.

Ana Ramirez is not thrilled to be assigned to her former lover’s case, but she can’t turn her back on two young children. If it means spending time with Benning, then she’ll do it. The big question for her is why Benning and his children have been targeted.

This is the third book in the Tactical Crime Division, but it can be read on its own. I didn’t read the two previous books and I don’t feel like I missed anything. This story is contained in this book - it starts and ends here. No cliffhangers.

I really liked Benning and Ana. Both are strong characters. It was a bit superhero-ish as they both had enough broken bones and gunshots to make you wonder how they kept going, but they did. Very similar to any TV show or movie I’ve watched where the hero and/or heroine kept getting up no matter how often they were knocked down.

I thought the romance took a backseat to the mystery but that’s to be expected when children are involved. I would expect Benning to be more concerned about his children than rekindling an old romance. The balance between both were handled well.

To say this story is an adventurous roller coaster would be an understatement. The action never takes a breather in this romantic suspense. Talk about a fast-paced book. That is more than true in this one. I sped right through it. This is 256 pages of excitement, mystery, intrigue and romance. My heart is still racing. I’ll definitely be reading more in this series.

For reading challenges:
Cloak & Dagger Reading Challenge 2020

FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Purchase links:

● Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48829282-midnight-abduction

● Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Abduction-Tactical-Crime-Division/dp/1335136525

● Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/midnight-abduction-nichole-severn/1134876532?ean=9781335136527

● Google: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48894022-midnight-abduction

● IndieBound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781335136527

● Harlequin.com: https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9781335136527_midnight-abduction.html

About the Author

About Nichole Severn: Nichole Severn writes romantic suspense with strong heroines, heroes who dare challenge them, and a hell of a lot of guns. When she’s not writing, she’s injuring herself running and practicing yoga.