#Review - Targeted by Kendra Elliot #Mystery #Suspense

Series: Callahan and McLain # 4
Format: 352 pages, Kindle Edition

Release Date: June 7, 2016
Publisher: Montlake 
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Genre: Mystery, Suspense

All Detective Mason Callahan wanted was a quiet fishing trip with the guys—a chance to get away and unwind before Halloween.

Until he finds the body of his boss, Denny Schefte, near their remote Oregon cabin. Now all he wants is to catch the sadist who slit Denny’s throat and covered his face with a mask. Mason was the last person to see him alive and will stop at nothing to find his friend’s murderer.

When the FBI learns of the mask left at the scene, they realize they have a serial killer on their hands—one who is targeting cops. They assign the case to Special Agent Ava McLane, despite her engagement to Mason. Barely recovered from her own nearly fatal injury and her sister’s attempted suicide, Ava hopes she is ready to chase another killer.

But as she delves into the increasingly disturbing case, the killer may be closer than expected—dangerously close.

Targeted is the 4th installment in author Kendra Elliot's Callahan and McLane series featuring Special Agent Ava McLane and Detective Mason Callahan. Targeted serves as the conclusion to the four-book series featuring FBI Special Agent Ava McLane and Oregon State Police Detective Mason Callahan, and no, I have not read the first 3 books yet. One day, perhaps! Mason Callahan heads out on a relaxing fishing trip with fellow law-enforcement buddies to a remote Oregon cabin just before Halloween. 

His plans shatter when he discovers the body of his boss, Captain Denny Schefte—throat slit and face covered by a horror movie mask. What begins as a personal tragedy quickly escalates when the FBI recognizes the signature: a serial killer targeting cops and leaving victims adorned with iconic horror masks (think Pinhead, Freddy Krueger, and others). Ava McLane, Mason’s fiancée and an FBI agent still recovering from a near-fatal injury (and family trauma involving her twin sister), gets assigned to the case despite the obvious conflict of interest. 

As more officers fall victim and the killer’s taunts grow bolder and more personal, Ava and Mason must navigate professional boundaries, personal fears, and a predator who seems dangerously close to their circle. The story blends high-stakes police procedural work with intimate emotional stakes in the Pacific Northwest setting Elliot knows so well. Elliot excels at creating relatable, resilient protagonists. 

Mason is portrayed as strong yet vulnerable—protective without being overbearing, deeply loyal, and emotionally intelligent. Ava continues her arc of growth: she’s competent and independent but learns to lean on her partner while confronting lingering trauma and family dynamics (particularly her complicated relationship with her troubled twin, Jayne). Supporting characters (including Ava’s FBI partner Zander and various law enforcement colleagues) add depth and texture. 

The ensemble feels authentic, with subplots like Ava’s family struggles providing emotional grounding without derailing the main investigation. Elliot builds tension masterfully from the chilling opening discovery, weaving in gruesome yet believable crime scenes and a killer whose motives and methods keep readers guessing. Horror movie mask references add a creepy, cinematic layer that heightens unease. 

The procedural elements—task force dynamics, evidence chasing, and inter-agency collaboration—are slick and well-researched, making the investigation feel credible and urgent. Twists are surprising without feeling contrived, and the escalating personal danger creates genuine stakes. As the series finale, it delivers a strong resolution to the central mystery while wrapping up Ava and Mason’s journey (with a few threads left open, possibly hinting at future appearances in Elliot’s interconnected universe, like the Columbia River series). 

Fans of police procedurals with heart, creepy killers, and resilient couples will find plenty to love here. Highly recommended for a thrilling, page-turning read that leaves you satisfied yet eager for more of Elliot’s Oregon-set stories.

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#Review - You Can Tell Me by Melinda Leigh #Mystery #Suspense

Series: Olivia Cruz # 1
Format: Kindle, 297 pages 
Release Date: May 12, 2026
Publisher: Montlake
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Genre: Mystery, Suspense

Crime writer Olivia Cruz is drawn into the dark secrets of a missing friend in a terrifying novel of suspense by #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melinda Leigh.

On the three-year anniversary of true crime writer Olivia Cruz’s horrific kidnapping, she’s scheduled to walk her podcaster friend Zoe March through the crime scene, but Zoe fails to show. Olivia knows Zoe would never stand her up—not today.

Zoe’s husband, who claims she never came home the night before, has reported her missing. But marital conflicts make the police suspect she has left him. Olivia thinks otherwise. The police aren’t looking for Zoe, so Olivia begins her own investigation. Retracing her friend’s last steps, she finds Zoe’s phone and a text with one chilling word: Run.

It soon becomes apparent that Zoe has been keeping secrets, and with her true crime podcast, there’s no telling what she has unearthed. To find her, Olivia must dig into her friend’s past. Did Zoe vanish to escape a killer, and is Olivia walking into a deadly trap?

You Can Tell Me is the first installment in author Melinda Leigh's Olivia Cruz series. Key characters: Olivia Cruz, Zoe March, Nicki, and Lincoln Sharp. True-crime writer Olivia Cruz is still recovering—physically and psychologically—from a horrific kidnapping three years earlier. On the anniversary of that trauma, she has agreed to revisit the crime scene with her friend Zoe March, a successful true-crime podcaster, for an interview that Olivia hopes will help her finally move forward. 

When Zoe fails to appear, Olivia knows something is terribly wrong. Zoe would never stand her up on this of all days. Zoe’s husband reports her missing, but marital strife leads police to treat it as a possible voluntary disappearance. Olivia refuses to accept that and launches her own investigation. Retracing Zoe’s steps, she finds the podcaster’s phone and a chilling one-word text: “Run.” It quickly becomes clear that Zoe had been keeping major secrets, possibly tied to her podcast work. 

As Olivia digs deeper—assisted by her boyfriend, PI Lincoln Sharp, and her niece Nicki—she uncovers connections to a thirty-year-old cold case, hidden family lies, and predators who have operated in plain sight. The story blends a missing-person mystery with Olivia’s personal trauma recovery, themes of friendship, trust, and the dangers of true-crime investigation. Side plots involving Nicki add emotional layers and tie into the central threat. The climax is particularly wild, involving a villain confrontation, a black bear, a flash flood, and a submerged car—exactly the over-the-top excitement many thriller readers crave. 

Olivia is a compelling protagonist—resilient yet vulnerable, determined but haunted. Her relationship with Lincoln Sharp (a carryover from Leigh’s Morgan Dane series) feels authentic and supportive without overshadowing the main plot. Nicki brings fresh energy and a younger perspective. Fans of Leigh’s interconnected Scarlet Falls / Morgan Dane world will enjoy cameos without feeling lost if this is their entry point. 

The novel smartly explores the ethics and risks of creating true-crime content, the long shadow of trauma, and how secrets fracture families and friendships. It balances edge-of-your-seat action with emotional depth. A few plot threads feel crowded, and Olivia’s character can occasionally swing between timid and overly bold in ways that feel slightly inconsistent. That said, these are common in the genre and don’t derail the overall enjoyment.

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#Review - The Last Contract of Isako by Fonda Lee #Dystopian #SYFY #Cyberpunk

Series: Standalone
Format: 514 pages, Paperback
Release Date: May 5, 2026
Publisher: Orbit
Source: Publisher
Genre: Cyberpunk, Dystopian, SYFY

A battle-worn corporate samurai undertakes one last mission on a merciless planet where death is always a mere breath away, in this standalone science fiction epic from the author of the modern fantasy classic Jade City. 

LIVE BY THE CODE. DIE BY THE KNIFE.

Isako is a legendary swordswoman, but every legend must come to an end. When her long-time client unexpectedly retires, she plans to follow—to walk out into the frozen wasteland of their planet with her head held high and her family enriched by her death. But when she's offered a final mission, she can't refuse, especially when she realizes who lies at the center of it all: Martim, her last—and worst—apprentice, who's somehow made his way to the top. As she's thrust into a world of corporate espionage and shadowy secrets, what she uncovers could forever change humanity's existence among the stars.  

The Last Contract of Isako is epic science fiction like only Fonda Lee can write it—set in a world where money trumps loyalty, the elite have the power to extend life or end it, and one woman in the twilight of her calling must decide what's ultimately worth living—or dying—for.

The Last Contract of Isako by Fonda Lee is a standout standalone science fiction novel—cyberpunk samurai in space, corporate dystopia with blade-sharp honor, and a masterful character study of aging, legacy, and systemic rot. The story unfolds on the frozen planet Aquilo, where humanity clings to survival inside Tenacity City, an airshield-protected dome run by the all-powerful Company. Resources are brutally scarce. Those who can no longer contribute are expected to "resign" by walking into the lethal tundra beyond the shield—a practice that blends corporate efficiency with ritualistic finality. 

This creates a society where loyalty is contractual, life is transactional, and death is often the most honorable exit. The airshield looms as both protector and prison. Corporate divisions wage shadow wars. "Second stagers" (consciousness transfers into synthetic bodies) extend the lives of the elite, raising questions of identity and immortality. Factions divide between terraformers (who want to reshape Aquilo) and reunionists (who seek reconnection with a long-silent Earth). The setting evokes classic cyberpunk grit—neon under a dome, inequality, body modification—but grounds it in samurai-inspired contractor culture and the bleak logic of late-stage capitalism in space. 

Isthmus Isako, "Quickblade," is a legendary atier—elite contractors who serve as strategists, bodyguards, advisors, and swordsmen. At 50, she's past her physical prime but unmatched in skill and reputation after 12 years on an Exclusive contract with Director Forest Greves of Astrocommunications. When Greves's division loses a brutal corporate war, he chooses public resignation (deathwalk) alongside laid-off workers, devastating Isako. She plans to follow him, securing a fat bonus for her estranged daughter Maya. Instead, her contract transfers to the victorious Savannah Minto, and Isako receives one final mission: block Sandbar Uchi's ascension to the Board. 

This draws her into espionage, the disappearance (or death) of a former apprentice (Dragonfly Martim), drug intrigue, survivor testimonies from a deadly industrial disaster, and layers of conspiracy involving synthbodies, hidden knowledge, and the Company's deepest secrets. The narrative is twisty and structurally bold. It builds through investigation and brutal action, then shifts perspectives and timelines mid-book for major revelations that recontextualize everything. Fight scenes are visceral—Isako's triggersheath quick-draw is iconic—and political maneuvering is tense. 

The pace mixes moody character moments with explosive confrontations. Isako is the heart of the book: world-weary yet principled, a mother who prioritized duty over family, a ronin-in-waiting grappling with what her code means when the system is rotten. Her relationships—with old partner Rain Kob (ailing but loyal), apprentices like Martim, and rivals—add emotional depth. Secondary characters feel fully realized, from cunning directors to desperate freelancers. Lee avoids caricatures; everyone operates under the same crushing pressures. 

Themes of honor, legacy, mortality, and identity shine through. What does a life of service mean in a machine that discards people? How do you define self when bodies and minds can be swapped? The book explores these without preachiness, through personal stakes. Bleak and tragic in places, yet hopeful in small human connections. The ending satisfies while delivering a gut-punch reality check.  The story pays homages to samurai films (Kurosawa echoes), cyberpunk (corporate intrigue, tech inequality), and space opera (big secrets, colonial fallout) while subverting expectations. It strips some "punk" rebellion but amplifies systemic critique. If you enjoy character-driven dystopias, honorable warriors facing impossible systems, or Lee's prior work, this is essential. It cements Fonda Lee as a versatile powerhouse who can deliver epic scope in any genre.

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