Dead End by Nancy Mehl

When I saw this book was available on Netgalley I jumped at the chance to read it. Nancy Mehl's books always keeps me in suspense and this series has been exceptionally good. Kaley Quinn has a lot of baggage to deal with. Who wouldn't if you had a serial killer as a father. In the latest case a body is discovered in a shallow grave. The way she was murdered lines exactly with Ed Oliphant's method of operation. A few other bodies were discovered that were done by the same person but a few older that were definitely the work of Ed Oliphant. What they are dealing with is a copycat killer but how in the world did the newest killer learn about Ed Oliphant's methods. These were details that were not revealed in the press so he must be getting the scoop directly from Ed Oliphant who is in prison. Kaley and Noah go on a quest to find answers.

There are some reviewers who said they guess who the copycat killer was but I thought it was someone else and I was wrong. Sometimes I guess but this time I did not. In this book Kaley was able to achieve healing. Here friendship with Noah developed into something more but was not the main focus in this book. I look forward to any new series this author will write and I'm sure she has more in the works.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bethany Publishers for providing me an ebook of this book to read and review. Dead End is due to be released on March 31, 2020

Carolina Breeze by Denise Hunter

Carolina Breeze is the second in the Bluebell Inn series by Denise Hunter. The series follows three siblings who take over the family inn after their parents tragically died. They have their challenges running the inn mainly the lack of funds. Levi Bennett takes the burden of the finances not even telling his siblings the problems they are having with the finances. This causes him mental stress.
The female heroine is this story is Mia Emerson, an up and coming actress who comes to the inn as an escape from scandal. All of what happened is untrue but the media is quite ruthless in painting the scarlet letter on her. The week at Bluebell Inn was supposed to be her honeymoon but her finance broke off the engagement earlier.

I like both the characters of Levi and Mia. Levi was not quick to believe the lies about Mia. He went out of his way to protect and in the process fell in love with her. His only shortfall was taking the burden of the inn on himself. I loved Mia. She was a Hollywood star but she was down to earth and did not put on airs. No wonder Levi fell in love with her. She was a such a sweet loving person.

I highly recommend this book and look forward to the next book in the series which I presume will focus on the youngest Bennett sibling.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Carolina Breeze is due to be released on April 19, 2020.

Rock that Quilt Block

Rock that Quilt Block by Linda J. Hahn & Deborah G. Stanley is a wonderful collection of quilts building off one patter which is the Country Crown Block. I love to collect quilt books that catch my eye and this one does with the beautiful photographs of the quilts. Clear and concise instructions are very important in a quilt book and this one fits the bill.

Thanks to Netgalley and Fox Chapel Publishing for allowing me to review this book.  Expected publication date is April 7, 2020.

Keeping Guard by Christy Barritt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Loved this suspense book that keep me reading from page one. She thought she was getting a reprieve when she left her home to get temporary refuge with her brother's friend but it seems like the stalker has found her? I had no idea who the stalker was until the end.


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One Little Lie by Colleen Coble

I always find Colleen Coble books suspenseful and jump on the chance to read one of hers and this one fits the bill. It starts off with Button, a young girl in a cult giving birth to a baby boy. Almost immediately her baby is snatched from her arms and she is later told the baby died. The story jumps 15 years in a small town, Pelican Harbor which is in the Mobile, Alabama area.. Jane Hardy has been recently appointed as sheriff there. Almost immediately a gruesome torso is found on a boat, Another woman in the town is found shortly after that. Jane has her hands full trying to solve the murder. Reid Bechtol, a well-know journalist breezes into town with his son but Reid is harboring a secret. Does the secret have to do with the recent murders or does it have to do with the events that had happened 15 years prior? I figured out Reid's secret pretty early in the book but I had no idea who the murderer was. I never did figure out the mystery until the end. I had no clue. This murder was solved but the repercussions of Reid's secrets will continue in the next book which will be released in the summer of 2020. I can't wait to read this book! One Little Lie is to be released on March 3, 2020.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Echoes Among the Stones by Jaime Jo Wright

Echoes Among the Stones is a dual timeline story. In 1946 Imogene loses her beloved sister is murdered in the home. There are plenty of suspects but who did it? Aggie lives in the modern day and is going through grief of her home.  She has lost her own mother to cancer but she still has her grandmother who she calls Mumsie.  Mumsie is quite elderly but still has a sharp mind. Aggie has a job working at a cemetery. Strange things start happening to Aggie and I am wondering where is the connection between the present and the past?. After all that murder was over 70 years ago.  At times I felt the storyline dragged a little but it did pick up and kept me engaged. I could not put this novel down until I knew who the murderer was and who was doing the strange things in the present. There were many twists in the story and I was quite surprised to find out who the murderer was and who was responsible for things happening in the present.  If you are looking for a book with a strong emphasis on romance this is not it although it is touched on lightly.  

Thanks to Netgalley and Bethany house for providing me a copy of this ebook to read and review. All the opinions are my own.

Smoke Screen by Terri Blackstock

Smoke Screen is different for the usual suspense novel that Terri Blackstock usually write. There was still some suspense toward the end but not the heart pounding danger that the heroine is usually in. This story is told from the viewpoint of two characters. Brenna Strickland Hertzog has been through a lot in her 30 yeas of life. When she was 16 her minister father was supposedly murdered by her boyfriend's father. Years go by and she marries Jack Hertzog.  Jack is a jerk and dumps her to marry a much younger wife.  He doesn't really want to spend time with his kids but under the pressure from his  father, William Hertzog  who takes every opportunity to make Brenna's life a living hell. The children don't really want to spend time with their father but she really has no choice. She didn't handle it too well when she was separated from her children and took to drinking too much when they were away from them. The other viewpoint is Nate Beckett. He was the one who was involved with Brenna when she was a teen and her father died. They broke up when this happened. He moved to another town and became a smoke jumper. He has injuries on the job and returns to his home town to recuperate. His father is paroled from prison and maintains that he is innocent.  Meanwhile Nate reconnects with the divorced Brenna much to the chagrin of his father.  Most of the book dealt with Breena spiral into alcoholism with Nate trying to help her.  The the mystery was not really addressed until the last 10 percent of the book. I had a good suspicion on who the real murderer and it was confirmed toward the end but I had no idea of the motive.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.