"Last Night" (The Searchers Book 2) by Karen Ellis

"Glynnie knows she isn't stupid or hopeless (despite the lengthy narrative commentary of nearly every single end semester report), but she also knows that she hasn't stumbled on the locus of her intelligence, not yet. But she will. She feels it. And look: Crisp Crespo, academic wonder, is hanging out with her on what was supposed to be his graduation night."...…..

We are back in Book 2 of “The Searchers” series. The first was a good book that I really enjoyed. This one was just as well written. Detective Lex Cole takes the forefront as he investigates what happened, “Last Night,” to a young black man named Titus Crespo, or Crisp to his friends.

A valedictorian as he graduates high school, but one thing happens and changes the course of everything. A chance meeting with a rich, young white girl, named Glynnie, will alter Crisp’s future. Glynnie is more interested in spending her parents money, and doing the wrong things, rather than the right ones.

“Last Night” Crisp and Glynnie set off in the big city without telling anyone where they’re going. The story alternates between what happened to them last night, and the detectives search for them the next day. Will these kids survive a dangerous night in the housing projects? Will Detective Cole be able to help either of them?

Elsa, from the first book, does make an appearance in this one. I really like her character as well, and was glad to see her again. They are stand alone stories, and the characters are fully defined in each.

“Last Night” will lead to life altering changes for all. Elsa and Lex’s personal lives will finally go where I was hoping they would.

Thank you Karen Ellis, Netgalley, and Mulholland Books

#netgalley #amreading

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"A Map of the Dark" (Book 1 in the Searcher Series) by Karen Ellis

"She too grew up in the city, but not Manhattan, and not Forest Hills. Her family lived modestly, way out in Ozone Park at the far end of Queens. She went to a decent high school, but not the best, and got through it. "Where did you go to college?' Curious, suddenly, about this detective who needed her help so badly that she was summoned away from her father's hospital bed."....


The first book in this series takes us deep into the life of FBI Agent Elsa Myers. Broken on the inside, and fighting on the outside to bring justice and help to those who need her.

The story involves the disappearance of a teenage girl from her Forest Hill neighborhood in Queens. Dealing with her sick father, Elsa is still front and center to help. The clues may lead her astray, but can she get on the right path? Things from her past keep coming to the forefront. She isn’t sure how to deal with the old wounds of her childhood. She knows what it’s like to be a teenage girl. It’s part of what makes her a good agent and successful at her job.

She partners with Detective Lex Cole. He's asked for her help. Aware of her innate ability to solve these kind of cases, they have more in common then they first realize. He may be able to understand her. A friendship in the making?

All the things we hide inside a have a way of finding their way out. Elsa will
have to be strong in the face of a potential serial killer. Will Elsa connect the dots? Will she be in time to save the missing girl? The story is bigger than one missing teenager. Carefully crafted to twist and turn along a dark edge. Thrilling mystery from start to finish. I’m looking forward to the second book of this series, “Last Night.”

Thank you Karen Ellis, Netgalley, and
Mulholland Books. 

Buy this book on Amazon: click here!

"Down in the Belly of the Whale" by Kelley Kay Bowles

"When people around me are getting sick, my nose itches, or I start sneezing, or my body reacts in some bizarre way. It's not a gift or a power in my opinion, because it doesn't do anything for anybody. I can warn people to dive into the orange juice, I guess, but aren't you supposed to drink that stuff a lot anyway? Some help I am."......


Meet Harper Southwood. She’s a teenager with all the fears and hopes of a young girl. She has an uncanny ability to feel when others are getting sick. Of course it makes her feel like an outsider in her world. At least she has her friend Cora, and the cute boy she'd like to date. Her parents are ok, and her uncle is a great comfort to her.

When her mom suffers a mysterious sudden illness, and her friend suffers a personal crisis, Harper questions everything. Will Harper find her place in this world? Her family, and best friend Cora, and her special power are all at the forefront of her life.

With an interesting cast of characters, family ties and light comedy, it played well to the sudden changes in Harper’s life. I enjoyed this story more than I expected. The story took me in a direction I didn’t see coming. I like that. Unpredictable, and not your typical teen angst. Maybe the things you think you want in life are not really what you need.

Thank you Kelley Kay Bowles 

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