#Review - A Very Bad Thing by J.T. Ellison #Thriller #Suspense

Series: Standalone
Format: Kindle, 446 pages
Release Date: November 1, 2024
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Source: Amazon First 
Genre: Thrillers / Suspense

From New York Times bestselling author J.T. Ellison comes a taut thriller about one author at the pinnacle of her career, whose past threatens to destroy everything she has—and everyone she knows.

A great writer knows when to deliver a juicy plot twist. But for one author, the biggest twist of all is her own murder.

With a number of hit titles and a highly anticipated movie tie-in, celebrated novelist Columbia Jones is at the top of her game. Fans around the world adore her. But on the final night of her latest book tour, one face in the crowd makes the author collapse. And by the next morning, she’s lying dead in a pool of blood.

Columbia’s death shocks the world and leaves Darian, her daughter and publicist, reeling. The police have nothing to go on—at first. But then details emerge, pointing to the author’s illicit past. Turns out many people had motive to kill Columbia. And with a hungry reporter and frustrated cop on the trail, her secrets won’t stay buried long. But how many lives will they shatter as the truth comes out?

J.T. Ellison's A Very Bad Thing is a novel that rewards readers who tend to pay attention to clues and details because you are going to want to keep track of key players and events. This is a thriller that will keep you guessing until the final pages. Famous author Columbia Jones, who has written over 20 books, is winding up an intense month of book readings and signings across the country. She's already got a contract in place to make one of her books into a big deal movie. 

All she has left to do is let Riley, the journalist she picked, do an in-depth story on her and their month together, and she’ll be able to rest. Her daughter Darian works as her publicist and de facto 'wing-woman' of sorts, helping to keep the crowds at bay and her events running smoothly, despite lingering concerns of an overzealous 'stalker' fan on their heels. Except when an unknown participant stands up. Except when Columbia faints and ends up in the hospital. 

Except when Columbia and Darian have a minor fight. Except when Riley goes to their interview with Columbia the next morning and finds her dead. Instead of getting an interview, she's now the main suspect in Columbia's death thanks to Darian and Detective Sutcliffe. If that wasn't enough to wake you up, Riley finds out she's being called to the reading of Columbia's will. Columbia’s death shocks the world and leaves Darian reeling. But then details emerge, pointing to the author’s illicit past. 

Turns out many people had motives to kill Columbia. And with a hungry reporter and frustrated cop on the trail, her secrets won’t stay buried long. But how many lives will they shatter as the truth comes out? It seems like Columbia had a bigger reason for choosing her to write this particular 'no holds barred' account of her life...and that Columbia may have been hiding something from her daughter Darian, too. Oh, and there's a third character in the play.  Her name is Kira Hutchinson, and she has no idea that her entire world is going to be changed fundamentally forever with the revelation that she, too, was named in Columbia's will. 

We hear from the perspective of Darian, Sutcliffe, Columbia (in the past), Riley, and others. The book is long and could have been narrowed down. One of the cleverest parts of this book was the ending. Columbia's letter was the most revealing part that you have been waiting for. It is literally the name of the book. There is also a shocking revelation on the very last page, which I refuse to spoil. This piece of the puzzle would have been nice to have appeared a few hundred pages before!!  

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#Review - Lies He Told Me by James Patterson & David Ellis #Thrillers #Suspense

Series: Standalone
Format: Hardcover, 384 pages
Release Date: September 30, 2024
Publisher: Little, Brown, and Company
Source: Publisher
Genre: Thrillers / Suspense

An attorney and mother of two discovers her husband’s secret life—and it might cost them all their lives.

Everyone in Hemingway Grove, Illinois, knows David and Marcie Bowers.

David owns the local pub.

Marcie is a former big-city lawyer who practices family law.

When David jumps into Cotton River to save a drowning stranger, he’s celebrated as a hero. His muscled physique, shaved head, and piercing blue eyes are broadcast on every news outlet.

For most people, newfound fame is a lifeline.

For David Bowers, it’s a death sentence.

For Marcie Bowers, it’s a test.

A wife knows the difference between a loving husband and father and a cold-blooded assassin. Right?

Lies He Told Me, by co-authors James Patterson & David Ellis, is a Thriller that explores how much a wife actually knows about the man she married. Marcie and David Bower are married with two children and still crazy in love with each other. Marcie, a former member of a highly prestigious Chicago law firm who left after finding it hard to defend a man based on lies, is now content practicing family law. David is the owner of Hemingway’s Pub, a local bar and restaurant that does well. 

On the night of David's birthday, David and Marcie witness a car drive off a bridge into the river below. When David heroically jumps into a river to save a man, he is hailed a hero, his photo is everywhere, and his pub is filled with people congratulating him. While somewhat understandable, Marcie cannot comprehend why the notoriety makes David so uncomfortable. Then a journalist shows up asking questions and investigating David. 

Right after this strange things start to happen. Someone steals their dog for a day, their home is broken into, and items turn up in the wrong places. Enough to scare Marcie especially as Marcie would have said she knows David inside and out. Or does she? Engaging the local police, one who Marcie was once linked to, these are apparently random attacks, but the reason remains a mystery. Things continue to get worse, and David becomes more troubled. He begins keeping things from Marcie, which she finds additionally problematic. 

Then things get worse when Marcie discovers that David lied to her. His explanation feels very wrong to her. She starts to wonder if David’s celebrity status has brought unwanted attention of a dangerous kind. A kind from her past in Chicago. However, the scary truth that Marcie faces is that she may know less about her loving husband than she ever imagined. David’s lies begin to create a wedge between himself and Marcie, which only fuels a desire to get to the truth.

One of the best things about this book is that the authors didn't reveal too much all at once. They let the reader sit back and try to put what happened in Marcie's past, together with what is happening now that David's celebrity status seems to have brought the wrong attention down on them. Plot is key to the story of this nature. The authors keep things on point and surprise the reader at various times in the novel, especially as the truth emerges and David Bowers is revealed to be the man he wants no one to recognize. 

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#Review - Drown Her Sorrows by Melinda Leigh #Thrillers #Suspense

Series: Bree Taggert (#3)
Format: Paperback, 316 pages
Release Date: March 16, 2021
Publisher: Montlake
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Genre: Thrillers / Suspense

Sheriff Bree Taggert is blindsided by a killer’s devious plan in number one Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melinda Leigh’s novel of escalating shock and suspense.

When Sheriff Bree Taggert discovers the body of a young woman floating near the bank of the Scarlet River, a note in her abandoned car suggests suicide. The autopsy reveals a different story. Holly Thorpe was dead long before she dropped off the bridge and hit the water.

As Bree and her investigator Matt Flynn delve into the case, secrets in Holly’s personal life complicate their efforts to solve the murder. Holly left behind a volatile marriage, an equally divisive relationship with her sister, and an employer whose intimate involvement with Holly was no secret. Each one has a motive for murder.

When Holly’s sister is terrorized by a stalker’s sick prank, and the prime suspect turns up dead, everything Bree was sure of is upended and her case goes off the rails. When the killer strikes close to home, Bree and Matt must race to solve the murders before one of their own becomes the next victim.

Drown Her Sorrows is the third installment in author Melinda Leigh's Bree Taggart series. The book is set in Grey’s Hollow in Randolph County. Key characters in this book: Bree Taggart, Matt Flynn, Cady Flynn, and Holly Thorpe. It has been 4 months since former Philadelphia Homicide Detective Bree Taggart solved her sister's murder and became the guardian of her sister's kids, Kayla and Luke. It has been 3 months since Bree became Sheriff of Randolph County and started a relationship with Matt Flynn, former Sheriff who, along with his K-9, was shot and retired. 

Now, Bree and Matt have another twisted mystery to solve starting with finding an abandoned car on a bridge, and the body of a woman identified as Holly Thorpe. At first, it is thought to be a suicide, but the autopsy shows that Holly Thorpe was dead long before going into the river. Bree and her investigator, Matt Flynn, interview various people in Holly's life, finding numerous individuals who had a reason to want Holly dead. Holly and her husband fought constantly to the point where she walked out on him. 

She also had a volatile relationship with her sister Shannon. A co-worker may have been stalking her. And everyone knew about her illicit relationship with her boss. As Bree and Matt investigate, they find that Holly and her husband are living above their means and dealing with Holly's mother's medical debts as well. When Holly's sister gets terrorized by the unknown person, another person is murdered and the question arises what was Holly involved with that caused her murder. 

Bree’s a skilled investigator and is also showing strong leadership chops. Her team, especially Chief Deputy Todd Harvey and Deputy Laurie Collins, is shaping up and it’s becoming obvious that they’re starting to respect her as the new sheriff. Except, of course, for the usual suspects who have been intentionally problematic. Her brutal past has kept Bree's family in the spotlight for a very long time, and yet, it is her love for her brother, and now her sister's orphaned children that really shows the heart of Bree's character. It is good to see Cady get some storyline in this book, although it comes with some bad scenes because of her love of dogs. I also respect Dana Romano who retired as a cop and has taken a large role in keeping Bree's family together.  

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#Review - One Cursed Rose by Rebecca Zanetti #Romance #Suspense

Series: Grimm Bargains # 1
Format: Paperback, 368 pages
Release Date: June 25, 2024
Publisher: Kensington
Source: Publisher
Genre: Romance / Suspense

For fans of Scarlett St Clair and Sarah J Maas, New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Zanetti explores the forbidden and the taboo in this modern twist on Beauty and the Beast – the first in a seductive new dark romance series set in a world where information is power, and those who control the flow of information live like gods…

They christened me Alana—and while the name means beauty, beneath that surface is a depth I allow very few to see. I’m sole heir to Aquarius Social, a media giant about to succumb to an unseen enemy. My father’s solution is to marry me off to the son of a competing family. My reaction? Not a chance. Now I have just a week before the wedding to change my fate.

Who knew the unforeseen twist would be an assassination attempt on me and an unwanted rescue by Thorn Beathach, the head of the rival social media empire driving Aquarius under? The richest, most ruthless of them all, the Beast protects his realm with an iron rule: no one sees his face. When he shows himself to me, I know he’ll never let me go.

Thorn may think he can lock me in his enchanted castle forever, but I’m not the docile Beauty he expects. If the Beast wants to tie me up, I’m going to take pleasure from every minute of it . . .and we’ll just see who ends up shackled.

Rebecca Zanetti's One Cursed Rose explores the forbidden and the taboo in this modern twist on Beauty and the Beast – the first in a seductive new dark romance series set in a world where information is power, and those who control the flow of information live like gods. Key Characters: Thorn Beathach, and Alana Beaumont. This story is set in an alternative reality California where four families have all the power. Each of the families rely on various social media outlets to make them even more powerful.

 

For Alana Beaumont, that information is through social media. Reeling from her brother's death, she finds herself the heir to Aquarius Social. Alana is the only one in her family that is capable of charging their crystals that keep them in business. Her father devises a plan to marry her off to a competing business's family in an attempt to shore up the company. Alana is completely against this idea and has one week to find another way. After meeting with her intended from another family, Alana is drugged, and nearly kidnapped. Her savior? Thorn Beathach. 

 

Thorn is a recluse. Thorn owns Malice Media a direct competition with Aquarius Social. As the owner of his own social media company, he's done whatever he wants, whenever he wants, and doesn't let anything get in his way. But he has a weakness and that's Alana. He's obsessed with making her his, even if that means kidnapping her in order to protect her. But, when his life is on the line thanks to an attack on crystals that his company relies on to remain on top, the enemies find themselves turning to each other to figure out how to save him. And how to solve the mystery of how Alana's brother died. Can they put aside their differences and hate to help each other come out on top? 

 

*Thoughts* One of my issues with this book is that Thorn is literally a stalker who wants what he wants and doesn't care who gets in the way including Alana's father. Thorn is probably considered an anti hero. He’s demanding, authoritatively harsh and dominating. Killing, or fighting or ordering those things done is just in his nature. The only real positive is his relationship to his adopted brother Justice who is his right hand man in everything. The overly BDSM sections of this book reduced my rating to just okay. I literally posted that this book reminds me of Fifty Shades of Grey. The mystery behind Gast's death was suspenseful, as well as a serial killer that seems to be stalking Alana lookalikes. This is a strange world that relies on crystals, gems, diamonds, and people's emotions. I wish that the author had delved deeper into this rather than spend so much time on other things.

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#Review - You'll Never Find Me by Allison Brennan #Thrillers / #Suspense

Series: Angelhart Investigations (#1)
Format: Mass Market, 448 pages
Release Date: June 25, 2024
Publisher: MIRA
Source: Publisher
Genre: Thrillers / Suspense

Nothing brings family together like crime.

Working alone as a private investigator is tough. Estranged from her PI family, Margo Angelhart does what she must to get by—including taking on sordid cases that pay the bills, even if she’d rather be helping those the justice system has failed.

That is, until a cheating husband case she’s working intersects with her siblings’ corporate espionage investigation, forcing Margo to cooperate with the Angelhart firm. Now, as the siblings compare notes, it’s clear they need to work together before a white-collar crime escalates to murder.

With far more questions than answers and a key suspect on the run, they’ll need the whole family to pitch in. But as they investigate the ever-twisting mystery, Margo isn’t sharing everything. Can she learn to trust her family and heal their once-close relationship before her secrets put those she loves most in danger?

Nothing brings family together like crime. In the first in the new Angelhart Investigations series, private investigator and former military military police Margot Angelhart works alone helping those whom the law overlooks, but when she takes on a case that forces her to team up with her estranged siblings—and is exposed to a vengeful, corrupt cop—reconciling is her only hope at survival. Working alone as a private investigator for the past 3 years has been tough. 

Estranged from her PI family because of a falling out on how to handle Cooper Angelhart's prison sentence, Margo felt betrayed by her mothers choices in not fully investigating what really happened to her father and why. Margo does what she must to get by—including taking on sordid cases that pay the bills, even if she’d rather be helping those the justice system has failed. Margo successfully helps an abused woman find a new life with her children, but that doesn't stop her corrupt cop of a husband from intimidating those who might know where she is, including her uncle who is a Priest. 

Meanwhile, she is also working on an alleged cheating husband case where the wife of Logan Monroe is set to receive a huge payday if Margo can prove her husband is a cheater. Margo's case quickly intersects with her siblings’ corporate espionage investigation when Margo ends up saving Logan and a woman named Jennifer from a painful death. The Angelhart's realize they must work together to figure out exactly what’s going on. Are the dotcom millionaire and computer scientist really having an affair or is Logan telling the truth that he doesn’t know why Jennifer wanted to meet? 

Is there another reason for their clandestine meetings? Is the computer scientist committing espionage, or is she a potential whistleblower? Why did she slip out of the hospital and where is she now? This forces an unwilling and stubborn Margo to cooperate with the Angelhart firm. Now, as the siblings (Jack, Josie, and Lulu) compare notes, it’s clear they need to work together before a white-collar crime escalates to murder. With far more questions than answers and a key suspect on the run, they’ll need the whole family to pitch in. 

But as they investigate the ever-twisting mystery, Margo isn’t sharing everything, and who can blame her. After all, it was her idea to start Angelhart Investigations. It was her idea to work with family when they decided to ice her out over not investigating their father's guilty plea. Can she learn to trust her family and heal their once-close relationship before her secrets put those she loves most in danger? Interesting that the author uses Bisbee, Arizona as one of her settings. It's where Sheriff Joana Brady's series takes place. I think I may have to read the novella to understand more about what happened to Margo's father and how it divided the family. I liked the fact that Jack plays the role of uniter and peacekeeper in order to bring the family back together. Margo and her mother are very much alike in almost every way.

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#Review - The 6:20 Man by David Baldacci #Thrillers #Suspense

Series: Standalone
Format: Hardcover, 432 pages
Release Date: July 12, 2022
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Source: Publisher
Genre: Thrillers / Suspense

A cryptic murder pulls a former soldier turned financial analyst deep into the corruption and menace that prowl beneath the opulent world of finance, in this #1 New York Times bestselling thriller from David Baldacci.

Every day without fail, Travis Devine puts on a cheap suit, grabs his faux-leather briefcase, and boards the 6:20 commuter train to Manhattan, where he works as an entry-level analyst at the city’s most prestigious investment firm. In the mornings, he gazes out the train window at the lavish homes of the uberwealthy, dreaming about joining their ranks. In the evenings, he listens to the fiscal news on his phone, already preparing for the next grueling day in the cutthroat realm of finance. Then one morning Devine’s tedious routine is shattered by an anonymous email: She is dead. 

Sara Ewes, Devine’s coworker and former girlfriend, has been found hanging in a storage room of his office building—presumably a suicide, at least for now—prompting the NYPD to come calling on him. If that wasn’t enough, before the day is out, Devine receives another ominous visit, a confrontation that threatens to dredge up grim secrets from his past in the army unless he participates in a clandestine investigation into his firm. This treacherous role will take him from the impossibly glittering lives he once saw only through a train window, to the darkest corners of the country’s economic halls of power . . . where something rotten lurks. And apart from this high-stakes conspiracy, there’s a killer out there with their own agenda, and Devine is the bull’s-eye. 

The 6:20 Man by David Baldacci is being sold as a standalone, however, with the way this book ends, there are more than a few more new avenues to explore. I would not be shocked or surprised if the author wrote a sequel. Every day without fail, 32-year-old Travis Devine puts on a cheap suit, grabs his faux-leather briefcase, and boards the 6:20 commuter train to Manhattan, where he works as an entry-level analyst at the city’s most prestigious investment firm, Cowl and Comely. It's a cutthroat job where everyone is out for themselves.

In the mornings, he gazes out the train window at the lavish homes of the uberwealthy, dreaming about joining their ranks. In the evenings, he listens to the fiscal news on his phone, already preparing for the next grueling day in the cutthroat realm of finance. Travis only got his MBA after leaving the military, and then only to punish himself for his own actions overseas. He choose to become an analyst because his father always wanted him to be ‘as successful’ as his older brother and sister. If he can make his father happy, it doesn't matter if he's happy. 

Then one morning Devine’s tedious routine is shattered by an anonymous email: She is dead. Sara Ewes, Devine’s coworker,  was found hanging in a storage room of his office building—presumably a suicide, at least for now—prompting the NYPD to come calling on him. Rumor has it that Brad Cowl himself might have been involved romantically with Sara. If that wasn’t enough, before the day is out, Devine receives another ominous visit, a confrontation that threatens to dredge up grim secrets from his past in the army unless he participates in a clandestine investigation into his firm. 

Travis Devine is a curious character. He decided to go against his own fathers wishes by entering West Point. He later went on to Ranger School and was attached to the 75th  Ranger Regiment. Devine is a highly decorated soldier who saw plenty of action in America's never ending wars. Until he was involved in something that forced him to abruptly leave the military. With cops hot on his heals, Devine is approached by retired General Emerson Campbell who now works for the Office of Special Projects for Homeland Security and the Department of Defense. 

Devine has a choice. Work for Campbell and uncover the curious nature of Cowl and Comely secretive Area 51, or spend the rest of his life at a maximum security prison for what he did to a fellow officer. The choice is pretty easy. This treacherous role will take him from the impossibly glittering lives he once saw only through a train window, to the darkest corners of the country’s economic halls of power . . . where something rotten lurks. Then another woman at his firm is murdered. 

Then the parents of Sara are violently killed, and things seem to be pointing to an international conglomerate with trillions in wealth to spread around. Apart from this high-stakes conspiracy, as well Travis always looking over his shoulder, he has to deal with his fellow roommates Will Valentine (hacker), Helen Spears (lawyer) and Jill Tapshaw (Dating Company). There's a killer out there with their own agenda, and Devine may be the next victim if he doesn't watch his back. 

I once called David Baldacci a conspiracy theorist who seems to lean one way politically. In this book, Baldacci actually sets up a real world scenario that absolutely could happen thanks to our crooked political system where everyone has to make cash fast. Don't believe me? Check out the current news about politicians using insider trading to get rich while the rest of us suffer to pay our bills. Even with the stock act, politicians are still getting rich off the stock market.

So here's the idea: Imagine if the Taliban or Iran or North Korea or Russia were getting cash flow from investments in this country to fund their terrorist activities thanks to politicians looking the other way and lining their own pockets? Think about Kim Jong-un as a landlord in New York? How about an Iranian ayatollah owning thousands of acres of land in Kansas? Or Putin owning massive oil fields in Texas? Or, China owning streets, and villages, and shopping centers, and mobile parks, and businesses all across this country, and likely certain members of the House?

So, who is the crazy person? The author who actually real life scenarios at your fingertips, or the person who walks around saying Not My Monkey, Not My Circus! There is a slight romantic avenue that appeared in this book. That is why I said it would not be a surprise if the Devine and this other character managed to work together again in the future.  

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#Review - The Theseus Conspiracy by Victor Alvarez #Thrillers #Suspense

Series: CID Jacqueline Sinclair # 2
Format: Kindle, 364 pages
Release Date: September 2, 2021
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Genre: Thrillers / Suspense

CID Special Agent Jacqueline Sinclair, the Army's famed counterterrorism agent, returns in this chilling and exhilarating sequel to Requiem for the Dead.

A ruthless scheme hatched by one madman threatens to plunge humanity into World War III!

With the theft of seven Russian nuclear suitcase bombs, rogue CIA double agent Matthew Banks code-name Theseus... with the execution of his wife and child at the hands of Russian FSB agents, and the CIA's treachery, plans his vengeance on Russia and the U.S.

In Germany, the U.S. Intelligence apparatus inadvertently intercepted Banks' nefarious scheme in a secure message from the Russians. Efforts in tracking Banks have been futile. While the American agents desperately search for answers, the terrorist sets his plan in motion. Sinclair must make the ultimate sacrifice for her country; can she stop Banks before the bombs go off?

The Theseus Conspiracy is the second installment in author Victor Alvarez's CID Jacqueline Sinclair's series. This novel jumps all over the globe. From Russia, to the US, to Germany, to Afghanistan. The novel begins with a SEAL Team entering Murmansk, Russia where they hope to free a double agent called Theseus. It quickly moves to Germany where the same SEAL team faces an FSB Special forces group out for revenge for what happened in Murmansk. Soon thereafter in Afghanistan, DIA Special Agent Tom Price and his squad are ambushed leaving him as the only survivor.

Matthew Banks, code name Theseus, is a rogue double agent of both the CIA and FSB who wants revenge for the execution of his wife and child. He blames the Russian FSB and the U.S. CIA. Having stolen seven Russian nuclear suitcase bombs, and putting together former Russian assets who want to overthrow the Russian leadership, has put together a  ruthless plan is to start World War III by taking out the Kremlin, CIA Headquarters and the Pentagon.  

In Germany, the U.S. Intelligence intercepted Banks' scheme in a secure message from the Russians. This sets off a action packed rush to see who will survive the brutal slaughter of innocent people. CID Special Agent Jacqueline “Belle” Sinclair, the Army's famed counter-terrorism agent who saw her best friend end up dead because of Theseus, is pulled into the situation. This is a global conspiracy but can Sinclair stop Banks before the bombs go off in the race against time?

Unfortunately, Belle learns of Tom's situation but has little time to dwell on his situation whether he will live or not as she quickly receives word that the world has a massive problem, and that problem’s name is a madman named Theseus. She and her team are targeted over and over again by Russians who don't want Belle to know what is really happening. At times, this book has so many different characters that it is hard to keep track of them unless you take good notes. 

The one bad thing about this story is that it doesn't come to a conclusion, but leaves room for the sequel which has been named The Price on Her Head. We all know who this story is about and who the villain is going to be. The most unfortunate part of this story is that even though this is Belle's story, she is relegated to the side for a whole lot of the story. I'm not a fan of naming a series after a character and then having other people like Banks grab hold of most of the plotlines.  

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#Review - Mercy (Atlee Pine #4) by David Baldacci #Thrillers / #Suspense

Series: An Atlee Pine Thriller (#4)
Format: Hardcover, 416 pages
Release Date: November 16, 2021
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Source: Publisher
Genre: Thrillers / Suspense

FBI Agent Atlee Pine’s harrowing search for her long-lost sister Mercy reaches a boiling point in this breakneck thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author David Baldacci. 
 
For her entire life, FBI agent Atlee Pine has been searching for her twin sister, Mercy, who was abducted at the age of six and never seen again. Mercy’s disappearance left behind a damaged family that later shattered beyond repair when Atlee’s parents inexplicably abandoned her.
 
Now, after a perilous investigation that nearly proved fatal, Atlee has finally discovered not only the reason behind her parents’ abandonment and Mercy’s kidnapping, but also the most promising breakthrough yet: proof that Mercy survived her abduction and then escaped her captors many years ago. 
 
Though Atlee is tantalizingly close to her family at last, the final leg of her long road to Mercy will be the most treacherous yet. Mercy left at least one dead body behind before fleeing her captors years before. Atlee has no idea if her sister is still alive, and if so, how she has been surviving all this time. When the truth is finally revealed, Atlee Pine will face the greatest danger yet, and it may well cost her everything. 

Mercy, by author David Baldacci, is the fourth and final installment in the authors Atlee Pine series. Summary: 30 years ago, FBI Special Agent Atlee Pine's twin sister Mercy was kidnapped, and Atlee was left for dead. Mercy’s disappearance left behind a damaged family that later shattered beyond repair when Atlee’s mother inexplicably abandoned her. Thanks to Jack Lineberry, Atlee discovered not only the reason behind her parents’ abandonment and Mercy’s kidnapping, but also the most promising breakthrough yet: proof that Mercy survived her abduction and then escaped her captors many years ago. 

Atlee has spent years searching for clues as to what happened and why which has led her across the country back to Georgia. She's taken a leave of absence from the FBI along with her friend and FBI administrative assistant Carol Blum who always seems to be the voice of reason. Thanks to clues she found in Georgia, as well as help from John Puller, Atlee now knows that Mercy left at least one dead body behind before fleeing her captors years before. Atlee's search for Mercy will bring her face to face with four people who each had a hand in what happened to Mercy. 

While Atlee is tantalizingly close to finding her sister, we are finally introduced to the woman who has been missing from Atlee's life for 30 years; Mercy. I will call her Eloise. Eloise was kidnapped, tortured, brutalized, told that her family wanted her dead, found a way to escape her captivity, learned MMA, inevitably was used by others who take advantage of her, fell into poor relationships and the partaking of drugs, and has been working odd jobs trying to stay off radar. She's also very tall and phenomenally strong which tends to scare people off.  

She's also a loner, but helps others when she has money, and lives in insecure poor accommodations not knowing where she will lay her head down next. When she see's a PSA about a woman that the FBI is looking for, she believes they are looking for her because of her actions from when she escaped captivity. Never could she imagine that her own twin sister is working for the FBI and hasn't forgotten her even after 30 years. After she confronts a wicked drug addled loser beating his alleged girlfriend, a particular nasty and dangerous villain makes it his mission to find her and pay her back.  

Now, for the first time in this series, Atlee is that much closer to finding Mercy, but instead finds herself in a dangerous situation. Thanks to the villains hatred of the Federal government for what they did to his family (think Waco), he finds that he has the perfect outlet to vent his anger; Twin sisters Atlee and Mercy Pine. Atlee & Eloise will face the greatest danger yet of their lives which will gather up Carol Blum it its wake, and may very well cost her everything.

For Atlee, the road to uncovering the truth has been tough and she has encountered lies, greed, fear and revenge along the way. There are lots of answers that are finally cleared up to what happened and why. Even Atlee isn't aware of some of these answers but Mercy needed to hear them to understand that she wasn't abandoned. Once again, Carol Blum is a delight as she is almost motherly but also very smart, intuitive and efficient. People underestimate her at their peril.  

In one way, I think the author may have been in a rush to finish writing this series to work on something else. The ending war between Atlee, Mercy, Carol and another woman who comes to her senses and helps the sisters against the villain of the story was all over the place. I also find it highly unacceptable that the alleged FBI would be eager to actually listen to Atlee as she spins a fantastic story. Happens when you have too many fingers in the cookie jar. I think the ending works. I can't see it happening any other way than how it did.

 

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#Review - Tell No Lies by Allison Brennan #Mystery #Thriller #Suspense

Series: A Quinn & Costa Thriller (#2)
Format: Hardcover, 432 pages
Release Date: March 30, 2021
Publisher: MIRA
Source: Publisher
Genre: Mystery / Thrillers / Suspense

New York Times bestselling author Allison Brennan's newest thriller again features an edgy young female LAPD detective and an ambitious special agent, both part of a mobile FBI unit that is brought in to investigate the unsolved murder of a college activist and its alleged ties to high stakes crime in the desert Southwest.

The unsolved murder of a young activist leads to the discovery of much darker crimes in New York Times bestselling author Allison Brennan’s latest compelling thriller to feature the young, edgy detective Kara Quinn and the loner FBI agent Matt Costa. This time they work to uncover possible ties to a high-stakes cartel in the Southwest desert.

Something mysterious is killing the wildlife in the mountains just south of Tucson. When a college intern turned activist sets out to collect her own evidence, she, too, ends up dead. Local law enforcement is slow to get involved. That’s when the mobile FBI unit goes undercover to infiltrate the town and its copper refinery in search of possible leads.

Quinn and Costa find themselves scouring the desolate landscape, which keeps revealing clues to something much darker—greed, child trafficking and more death. As the body count adds up, it’s clear they have stumbled onto much more than they bargained for. Now they must figure out who is at the heart of this mayhem and stop them before more innocent lives are lost.

 

Tell No Lies is the second installment in author Allison Brennan's Quinn & Costa Thriller series. The story takes place in and around a town called Patagonia, Arizona. Two months ago, something mysterious was killing the wildlife in the desert hills just south of Tucson, Arizona. Emma Perez, a college-intern-turned activist, and her boyfriend Billy Nixon, set out to collect evidence to give to her boss Frank Block of AREA (Arizona Resources Environment Agency). She ended up dead. Billy demanded answers to why she was murdered. Enter the FBI.

 

Matt Costa and his shiny new FBI Mobile Response Team arrives on the scene. The core of their investigation is to find out why Emma was murdered and by whom. This investigation also dives into possible illegal toxic dumping by a copper refinery planet. What they learn is even more shocking. Former LAPD Detective Kara Quinn, who had her career cut short after her cover was blown, gets the job of going undercover at a local bar to see what information she can gather. Kara is an interesting character in that she was a con artist trained by her family before becoming a cop. She spent 12 years as an undercover cop until someone blew her cover.

Michael Harris, a former Navy SEAL, takes a job at the Southwest Copper Refinery hoping to get close enough to expose whether or not the company is illegally dumping toxins into the water and the desert. Michael struggles with telling  lies to good people as he investigates a different angle of the investigation. Michael isn't cut out for being undercover, and he gives all the respect in the world to Kara for doing it for so long before someone destroyed her career. For Kara, reading people is in the blood. Another key player in this story is Joe Molina who is not only an informant trying to help his family, but he falls for Kara. One could say that there are plenty of villains waiting to be uncovered.

 

While Costa's team, including Ryder Kim and Zack Heller, are scouring the desolate landscape looking for answers to Emma's murder, the clues lead to something much darker. Murder, deception, lies, and human trafficking. As the body count continues to rise, it's clear they have stumbled onto more than they bargained for. Now they must figure out who is at the heart of this mayhem and stop them before more innocent lives are lost. This story also features two young kids who are victims in the Drug Cartel's Human trafficking operations into the US. I do hope that you pay attention to these remarkable children who lost everything.

 

This story had more fact than fiction. Human trafficking is a huge problem for this country. Two of the tertiary characters are basically children who were sold by their mother after their father was murdered by drug cartels in their hometown. The Cartels are very good at exploiting families for money. If you don't pay them their fee, they destroy innocent lives. The two are forced to hide from bad men who sell young children to buyers in the US and elsewhere. In this case, the cartel's use of stupid American college kids to run guns and weapons across the border. Bianca and Angel's story is a story about how American politicians are turning a blind eye to what's happening at the border. 

 

This is a timely novel for the reasons that thousands of unaccompanied minors are flooding the border and nobody seems to have answers except to bloviate and blame others. Politicians have ignored cartel's for far too long. They have ignored coyote's who are paid thousands of dollars to bring people across the border. Politicians love to bluster and promise solutions only to turn around and do nothing. Mexico and the US need to be more aggressive towards cartel's who bring unaccompanied children across the border who then end up in collection facilities. American's need to wake up and do something except point fingers at each other. It doesn't help when all you do is scream at each other instead of offering positive solutions.

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