"Hemlock Island" by Kelley Armstrong

In Hemlock Island by Kelley Armstrong, Laney gets an island as part of a divorce settlement which she rents out to make money.  She gets a call that something strange is going on at the island and she better come down to look.  Soon she discovers that she has a big problem!  This book started off okay, but went sideways near the end.  I never cared about the characters at all and I thought the ending was very strange.  (Gerard's review, 3.5 stars)

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Beware of "The Perfect Child" by Lucinda Berry which is WILD and Extremely Sad!

The Perfect Child by Lucinda Berry is a very sad and depressing read.  If I had known that before, I would not have read this one, but once I started it I got invested in the Hannah, the mother.  This is the story of the family who adopted an abused 6-yr.-old child and the struggles that they encountered.  This book got me riled up and even angry at times.  It's an emotional read with a child far from perfect.  I really don't understand the title.  I would not recommend this one.  (Karen's review, 2 stars)

Gerard's review 11/30/22:
In The Perfect Child by Lucinda Berry, a young girl is found who has been mistreated and needs help in the worst way.  Christopher, a surgeon, fixes her up.  He wants to adopt her since the girl has no relatives.  His wife, Hannah, agrees and they take her in.  Is it happy ever after? or the worst decision they ever made?  This book is wild!  The storyline kept my interest.  (4 stars)

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"Dread Locks" by Neal Shusterman is Dreadful

Dread Locks by Neal Shusterman was a dreadful for me.  I enjoyed many of his other books, but this one was too stupid.  The beginning was intriguing but that didn't last for long.  It's about Tara, a lonely teenage girl who turns people to stone and gives Parker her "gift."  I did not care for any of the main characters and really disliked Parker.  The best thing about this book is that it is short so didn't waste too much of my time.  Teens may enjoy it much more than I did though, as that is his primary audience.  Still, I would suggest you read other books by Shusterman instead of this one.  (Karen's review, 2 stars)      

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"The String" by Caleb Breakey

The String by Caleb Breakey is about a very creepy, mean guy who calls himself  "The Conductor" who creates a string of people he controls to do bad things through manipulation and threats.  I almost gave up right at the start when he abused a dog, but kept reading and he didn't do it anymore after that.  People do not have any choice if they are chosen to be on his "string" although Haas, one of the Trenton University cops is determined to break the string.  Can he do it?

I was eager to see how this dark thriller would end but did not like the ending.  It has quite a bit of action, suspense and mystery.  It is written so the reader does not find out who the conductor is until almost the very end!  In some ways this reminded me of The Chain.  I thought The String was even creepier, a bit too much for my taste.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Gerard's review:
The String is about a man who gets people to do things they would not normally do because he has something on them that makes them have to do it or their loved one will have something bad happen to them.  He calls himself "the Conductor."  I could never really get into this book.  I never had the moment that would get me caught up in it!  The premise was good enough, but I  do not think the writer brought out as much as he could have and I did not like the ending.  (3 stars)

Teaser from page 23:  "You catch on fast, you officer, SWAT team, professional, you.  One moment you're ready to unwind and let all that stress melt away.  Then the next you're making a deal with the devil, yes?  That is the power of the will." 

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"The Scorekeeper" by Dustin Stevens (Suspense Thriller)

The Scorekeeper by Dustin Stevens is a suspense thriller about an ex-con (The “Scorekeeper”) creating a sort of “treasure hunt” for an excellent detective and his canine partner to figure out to get the truth out about his conviction. Part of his scheme involved burying a college girl alive in a pine box! Why would he do that? Will the detectives find her in time? Who would do such a thing?

This book got the suspense going right from the start! It was refreshing to read a thriller that didn’t have crooked cops doing the investigating. I liked how this book showed the value of K-9 partners, having Billie involved in all the detective work. (Karen’s review, 4 stars)

Teaser from pg. 13, Kindle Loc. 174-76: The knuckles on her left hand were smashed beyond repair. Done by pounding her fist one time after another into the pine boards just inches from her face, she had lashed at her enclosure long after it proved any good to do so.


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"My Sister, The Serial Killer" by Oyinkan Braithwaite

My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite centers on two sisters.  The older sister is Korede and the younger sister is Ayoola.  Ayoola is the killer of some men that she has a relationship with.  Korede cleans up the mess.  Now a man Korede is in love with is going out with her sister.  All bets are off now!  This book had a lot of hype so I wanted to read it.  I found it to be okay.  The story line kept me involved and the sisters were good characters.  This is the author's first book.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 6:  "It's not my fault, you know."  But I don't know.  I don't know what she is referring to. 

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"The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls" by Claire Legrand is creepy and far out

The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls by Claire Legrand is a very creepy children’s book mystery. Victoria, a 12-yr-old girl who is very smart and conceited investigates why kids are turning up missing, including her one and only friend, Lawrence. Victoria likes everything to make sense and to be in order so I doubt if she would actually like this book. It makes no sense! It has a house that appears to be alive, lots of bugs that are everywhere, and a mean lady who lived long ago that runs the children’s home.

This book started out slow and progressed to stupid and unbelievable, but kids might find it a fun read. One thing I really did like about this book is the cover and the pictures of the tiny bugs on pages throughout the book and on the inside covers.
(Karen's review, 2 stars)

Teaser from pg. 31: Unacceptable. That wouldn’t happen. It couldn’t. She would find a way to win.


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"Lying in Wait" by Liz Nugent is a Wild Read!

Lying in Wait by Liz Nugent is told by multiple people.  The two main people who tell it are Lydia and Laurence.  They are a mom and son.  Lydia made Laurence share a secret that is the central part of this book. 

I thought this book was wild!  In a good way!  Secrets come out that will have your head spinning.  There are some dull spots, but for the most part the pacing of this book is really good.  The last part of this book will have you turning pages and the ending is one that I did not see coming at all!
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

Teaser from page 47:  "I was a fool to go along with your crazy plan.  I did it because I loved you."

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"Best Day Ever" by Kaira Rouda (Updated--Husband & Wife Differ on This One)

In Best Day Ever by Kaira Rouda, Paul Strom has been waiting for the day for Just him and his beautiful wife Mia to go on a getaway weekend together.  This is going to be his "best day ever"!  Or is it?

Teaser from page 50:  This is a challenge, I know it, but how and when did Mia become so confident?  Where did she come from, this new Mia?

The pacing of this book is very well done as you learn little by little what is going down.  Paul Strom is a very interesting character to say the least!  This book kept me engaged from page 1!
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

Karen's review:
Best Day Ever by Kaira Rouda is about Paul Strom, a scumbag husband and his wealthy wife, Mia who can't seem to please him no matter what.  Paul decides to take his wife up to their cottage on Lake Erie to give her a special time and have the best day ever, but most of the time they spend arguing.  Will one or both really have the best day ever? 

I did not like Paul right from the beginning because he was so arrogant and controlling.  He is the narrator of the whole book except the Epilogue.  It was shocking to me how he rationalized his actions!  The book kept my interest because I wanted to see how it would end, but then was somewhat disappointed.  I have lots more I could say, but not without spoiling it for you so I'll stop here.  (3 stars)

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"The Dead House" by Dawn Kurtagich is Really Spooky and Creepy!

The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich is a very dark, creepy book I just read for a change of pace. I was intrigued that it was about a girl with Dissociative Identity Disorder or multiple personality disorder. It is told in a very unique way through interviews, video transcripts, notes and emails. This is a psychological thriller with paranormal activity as well. I wish it was written in chronological order because I found it a bit annoying that I was reading parts dated “after the incident” before I even knew what incident it was referring to. Parts before the incident included dates and a countdown of days before the incident—quite an interesting way of creating some suspense, I admit. This book is an interesting and creepy mystery that drew me in. If you like strange and unusual mysteries with black magic, then you would most likely love this book. I did not like the ending at all! If you read this one, we’d like to hear what you thought of it.
 (Karen's review, 4 stars)

The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich is really creepy!  It tells the story of a diary that belonged to Carly Johnson.  This is a VERY disturbed mind for sure.  She tells of Kaitlyn, Carly's alter ego!  This book got me hooked because of all the strange goings on.  I just had to see how it all played out.

This author really knows how to play with your mind, that's for sure!  I won't be able to get this one out of my head for a while.  To me, this is even creepier than many of the Stephen King books I've read!
(Gerard's review, 4/20/17, 5 stars)

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"The Gun" by Fumi Nori Naka Mura

The Gun by Fumi Nori Naka Mura is about a man who comes into possession of a gun. His whole life changes as the gun consumes his every thought. This book is short and reminded me of the show “Twilight Zone” so I enjoyed it.
 (Gerard's review, 4 stars)

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"Survive the Night" by Danielle Vega

Survive the Night by Danielle Vega is a YA novel that centers on a young girl named Casey.  Just out of rehab, she goes to a sleepover with her friends from the soccer team.  Once there she blows it off to go to hang out with a group of girls that have a different life style than her soccer friends.

This book goes very fast and kept me interested.  I thought the characters were realistic but the ending was not all that great.  Overall, I liked it and thought it was pretty good.

Here's a teaser from page 111:

"Is that what she's telling you?  That you don't have a problem?"

(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

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"The Boy Who Killed Demons" by Dave Zeltserman is Entertaining

The Boy Who Killed Demons by Dave Zeltserman is told by a 15-yr.-old boy named Henry.  He can see evil in other people, which he calls “demons.”  He keeps a journal of his actions and that is what makes up this book.  I enjoyed reading this.  Parts of it are sort of kiddish, so some people might get turned off by that.  Overall, this book kept me turning pages and the action was pretty good.  It has a very nice ending.  

(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"The Boy Who Drew Monsters" by Keith Donohue is a Spooky Story

The Boy Who Drew Monsters by Keith Donohue is about Jack Peter Keenan, a boy with Aspergers who is afraid of going outside so does not, ever.  Jack draws pictures of monsters and then people begin to see them, or do they?  He has one friend, a boy about his age.   This is a really good spooky story!  I LOVED it a lot!  The ending is one of the best I have read in a while.  Give it a chance.
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"The Book of You" by Claire Kendal

The Book of You by Clair Kendal gives two stories and both are really good and interwoven with each other.  The main story is about a young lady who is stalked by a man.  She gets to be on a jury and sit in on a trial which is story two.  The main story gave me shivers up my spine when reading it!  The writing is that good.  This is a real page turner and I was happy with the ending.  For a first-time novel by this writer, this is exceptional!  
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"3:59" by Gretchen McNeil is Very Good!

3:59 by Gretchen McNeil is about a young teen girl whose life is falling apart.  When she sees a chance to get it back together, she takes it and winds up in the adventure of her life.  

I got into this book from page 1.  There is plenty of good action and a great twist with a very good ending.

(Gerard's review, 5+ stars)
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"Double Blind" by Brandilyn Collins

What If  Someone Could Plant Thoughts In Your Brain? 

I loved Double Blind by Brandilyn Collins! Lisa Newberry was going through a very rough patch of life so when a new procedure came out that could give her a new outlook on life, she took it. Is she okay now, or are the problems really going to start?

WOW, it doesn't get much better than this major "wow" factor in this book! It is hard to put it down so I finished it in just two days. Read and enjoy! I highly recommend it. You can't go wrong with Brandilyn Collins.
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Double Blind by Brandilyn Collins is an interesting read with suspense and science fiction. Lisa is so depressed that she enters a trial to have brain surgery that will insert a chip into her brain that will get rid of her depression and help her be more self-confident. She was happy to have qualified and eager to get rid of her depression, but didn't realize that her real nightmare was about to begin. This will keep you turning pages to see what will happen next as she mends her relationship with her mother who helps her figure things out and God who she realizes did not abandon her. Risking her life, she tries to save someone she believes is going to be killed. This definitely is a thought-provoking book!
(Karen's review)

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"What Comes Next" by John Katzenbach

What Comes Next by John Katzenbach is an outstanding and remarkable book!  Jennifer wants to escape her mom and her small town by running away, but her plan is foiled when a man and woman kidnap her off the street.  Jennifer is now number four and the kidnappers set up a website people can watch while they torture her!  There was one witness to the kidnapping, an old professor who is near death and speaks to his dead family members. 

I liked reading Jennifer's thoughts while going through this experience and the people watching it online.  This is an outstanding read that was very hard to put down!  I couldn't help but think to myself, "Would I be watching this if it were real?"  Would you?  What comes next is you reading this gripping novel--you will love the powerful ending!
(Gerard's review)

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"Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children" by Ransom Riggs

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs begins pretty normal but then spirals into an adventure involving time travel, monsters, children with unusual "talents" and a woman who can change into a bird!  I liked it because it was different but not so far out that I couldn't follow it.  It's definitely an interesting and fun read. 

Jacob has a special connection with his grandfather who seems to be suffering from Dementia.  His grandfather tells him stories about kids he once knew who had unusual talents and as Jake gets older, he begins to wonder if the stories were just made up.  The grandfather is killed by a monster in the woods one day and Jacob is the only one who saw the monster, but everyone thinks he's crazy.  His psychiatrist convinces his parents to let Jacob go visit the island his grandfather told the stories about so he can see for himself that there is nothing magical about it.  Jacob finds himself with a huge decision to make.

This is a book I won't soon forget and highly recommend!

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Check out another review of someone who loved this book: Freda's Voice

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"The One Percenters" by John Podgursky

The Once Percenters by John Podgursky is a psychological thriller that contains rough language that I didn't appreciate reading. However, that aside, the story itself is really good! Edward Caine creates his own little world and tells a fantastic tale that kept me reading for sure. The ending was a shocker to me! This is a good read if you can get past the bad language.
(Gerard's review)

(John Posgursky is a new author who requested a review and I must say, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed reading this book.  I like horror and this certainly could be classed as such.  I would have given it 5 stars on Amazon if it wasn't for all the profanity.)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

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