"We Were Killers Once" by Becky Mastersman

“Anyways, we drove up to the Clutter ranch after dark and parked within view of the place, waiting for the lights to go out. The kid was still in the back seat.”......


In 1959 there was a crime that would become the center stage of Truman Capote’s movie, “In Cold Blood.” A family murdered by two cold blooded killers. The killers were caught and executed. There was also another unsolved murder at that time of another entire family in Florida, the Walker family.

This story takes us on another road of that horrific time. An alternate take on what could have happened. What if one of the executed men left a confession behind of a third man and another dead family?

A hidden written letter to the prison chaplain may just come back to haunt former prisoner Jerry Beaufort. Jerry is out, and would like nothing better than to find out about cold cases and DNA evidence. What man wants to go back to prison on a murder charge? He’d like to get his hands on whatever it is that could link him to those murders.

The chaplain has moved on, and is now a married to a retired FBI agent. Carlo and Brigid are trying to enjoy this peaceful time in their life. The past is haunting. Jerry is out there, and the only thing standing between him and that letter is Carlo and his wife. This is the fourth book in the “Brigid Quinn” series, and my first read by this author. I found it well written, and definitely intriguing.

An alternate look at what could have been a truth. We will never know for sure. I always find true crime a hard story to read. This isn’t just a book. Two real families died. Could there have been another killer? Could they have also killed the Walker family? Thought provoking.

Thank you Becky Masterman, Netgalley, and St. Martins Press

Buy "We Were Killers Once" on sale June 4th!: click here!

"Mine" by Courtney Cole

"I trail my finger along the spines as I pace, and it's so hard to take everything in. My mind is a rubber band, expanding and expanding, until it snaps back, unable to fathom everything, unable to understand. Is adultery an inevitability of life? Do men just get tired of their wives and cheat? The thought weighs my heart down. Like jagged rocks on the bottom of the ocean, with each pull of the tide, the rocks rake over my lungs, making it harder and harder to breathe."...…...

Tessa and Ethan. The couple and their children live an upscale life in Florida. A hurricane is headed their way, and Ethan can’t make it back home in time. The kids are away for the weekend, and Tessa finds something that proves Ethan has been cheating. Tessa’s whole world is about to crash down around her. If the hurricane doesn’t take everything from her, perhaps the girlfriend will.

Tessa makes a wild decision to lure the woman, Lindsey, to her home. Now trapped together, they’re about to face everything that has been kept secret. Not to mention the hurricane, that may solve everything for both of them. Tessa's rage is frightening.

The story is told back and forth between the womens point of view. The betrayal so heartbreaking for Tessa that you can feel it. What about the “other woman?” Is she sorry? Can you possibly feel sorry for Lindsey? Is Lindsey heartbroken? Lindsey appears to be the typical stereotype of a gold digger who doesn't mind waiting for Ethan to leave his wife.

Will Ethan make it back home, and what will he find when the storm passes? Either woman would say that Ethan is “Mine.” Will they still feel that way when the storm is over? I don’t think if I’ve ever read a more truthful work of fiction. What an exceptional story of one of the most painful things a married woman can endure.

Thank you Courtney Cole, Netgalley, Gallery, Pocket, Threshold Books 

Buy "Mine" on sale May 28tth on Amazon: click here!

" I Know You" by Erik Therme

"She slowly reached inside and took it out. It was unsealed. She lifted the flap. Inside was a photograph of Alissa sitting on a concrete floor surrounded by concrete walls with both knees drawn into her chest. Below that, written in marker: IF YOU TELL ANYONE SHE DIES."..…...


Bree and Alissa Walker are close as sisters can be, along with their brother Tyler. A shared misery of their current home life makes them depend on each other.

Now Alissa is missing. Bree will do whatever she can to bring her sister back home. Family secrets will be revealed. Friends are keeping things to themselves. Can Bree uncover these things in time to save Alissa? Why would anyone take her 16 year old sister to begin with? What could they want?

The hunt includes tracking down Tyler, getting the truth from friends and family, and a wild ride into the dark night. Suspense and danger at every turn. Will they all survive to see Alissa again? Family loyalty and strength will be what they all need to hold on to.

This is the 5th book I’ve read by this author. I love his characters. I love the way the stories flow and keep you entertained. Another successful suspense novel by Erik Therme!

Someone knows the family and their secrets. You don’t remember me, but...”I Know You.”

Thank you Erik Therme, Netgalley, and Bookouture. 

Buy "I Know You" on Amazon: click here!

"Living in the Middle" The Slavery and Beyond Series by Robert Allen

"Jimmy sat up and hoped to see her impressive dimples fire in his direction when she opened her eyes. Instead, he saw a look of fear and terror. Outside the restaurant window, two fully robed Klansmen dangled a noose while pointing at Jimmy."

This factual historical novel is based on a the life of a young man, and the time period of which he lived. The story begins in 1915. Jimmy Montgomery was raised in New York, and from an affluent family. Discovery of a family secret sets him on a journey.

Is he white or is he black? He needs to find his place in the world. At a time when the KKK is making a name for itself, and people are openly choosing sides, life could become dangerous for him. “The Tulsa Race Riots of 1921,” will play a part in his future.

For Jimmy, the decision is made. Now will the people in his life be with him or against him? Can he win over the woman he loves in spite of all the danger around him?

“Living in the Middle” is a stand alone book. It’s related, though, in theme to other books in this series. I’ve read several. This one, I read almost half of it in one sitting. It is that interesting and thought provoking.

I’ve enjoyed the history lessons, kind of a refresher, along with new knowledge that I didn’t know before. We should remember our history. The world has drastically changed, or has it? What will become of Jimmy? Will he find a way of life with his choice, or will it always be a hardship living one life over another?

Thank you Robert Allen

Buy "Living in the Middle" now on Amazon: click here!

"Beneath the Surface" Book 2 in the Oak Creek Series by B.K. Stubblefield

"She felt better when taking meds. Yesterday, she'd taken a double dose of sleeping pills by mistake; the slipup shaking her badly. She could appreciate Ryan's concern. But he made it sound like she was on the road to addiction, although he had no reason to think so. And that had pissed her off. His mention of Joe meant precisely that. Well, she was not!"......


I read the first book in the “Oak Creek” series last summer. I really enjoyed it, and was so happy to be asked to read this one. Emily is back, along with the man who could became her love interest, Ryan Carmichael. There is still danger lurking in Oak Creek.

Emily and Ryan witness something that have altered their lives. Ryan is a photographer, a job that can lead him away from Oak Creek. Will it lead him away from Emily? Ryan may have to leave to sort out the things he's dealing with. The question is if it does lead him away from her, will he ever come back?

Danger and life in a small town. A house to be restored, and a beloved dog named Bentley. The trauma from previous events will need to be resolved before Emily and Ryan can move on with their lives, together or apart.

This was a wonderful continuation of life in Oak Creek. The things lingering just “Beneath the Surface” always find a way to find the light.

Thank you B.K. Stubblefield 

Buy "Beneath the Surface" on May 15th. Amazon: click here!