"Once Upon a River" by Diane Setterfield

In Once Upon a River by Dian Setterfield, a man walks into a bar carrying something.  He falls and the patrons of the bar think that he is dead.  A nurse is called and the man is still alive.  What he was carrying turned out to e a little girl who is thought to be dead.  The girl is alive but is mute.  Three families claim the little girl.  Does she belong to one of them or the man who carried her into the bar? 

Good luck trying to figure out this book!  The characters are well developed and think this was well worth reading even though it is over 600 pages in the large print version.
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

Teaser from page 46:  This is wrong!  All wrong!  It should not be so!  And that is when it happened.

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"Convenient Lies" by Robin Patchen

Convenient Lies by Robin Patchen is book one in the Hidden Truth series. This is a page-turner thriller about Rae, a journalist, who discovers Julian, her husband, is a terrorist who already has a wife! But then, Rae had secrets from him as well. She decides to leave Julien with their 12-day-old son and go back to her grandma’s to get some gold coins her dad told her he hid for her, then disappear with her grandma. She stole some of her husband’s files for insurance, leaving him a note in the hopes that he would let her leave in exchange for her silence about his selling weapons to terrorists. She is thrown for a loop though when her plan unravels. Will she be able to keep her son safe and not let him be raised by a terrorist? Will she be able to start a new life? Will her old flame be able to win her back and build a life together? Will Julien track her down and what will he do when he finds her?

This is a good thriller because it mixed the terrorist with family life and brought out how complicated relationships can get. I enjoyed the story line and thought Julien was a very interesting character. I also liked Brady, Rae’s old flame and was pulling for him to find a way to protect her and get back together with her. I plan to continue with this series.
(Karen’s review, 5 stars)

Teaser from page 1: There were only two people Rachel Adams trusted. One was twelve days old, and the other had mysteriously quit answering her phone.


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"The Deepest Blue" by Sarah Beth Durst (Fantasy) We Both Loved This One!

The Deepest Blue by Sarah Beth Durst is a fantasy about bloodthirsty nature spirits, love, adventure, sea monsters and politics on the Belene Islands south of Renthia.  Mayara successfully kept her spirit power a secret for years, only confiding in her best friend, Kelo who is now her fiance.  Unfortunately, on her wedding day, she used her special power to stop the big spirit storm from destroying her island.  That is when her adventure starts and she finds out what she is truly made of.  When the "Silent Ones" eventually find her, she is faced with a difficult choice:  denounce her family, leave her home forever and don't talk to join the Silent Ones or take her chances at trying to survive for a month on an island that is home to many nature spirits who are hungry and then become heir to the queen of Belene with the opportunity to visit her loved ones again.

I enjoyed reading this book very much, it is so good!  I liked the humorous parts and the characters.  The plot had twists I did not see coming at all and I was turning pages quickly eager to find out what would happen next.  My emotions were all over the place with this one--amusement, sadness, joy and curiosity.  This is a stand alone with a great ending!  I finished reading this one in just two days and recommend to anyone who enjoys uncomplicated fantasy.  (I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review--this book comes out March 19, 2019.)
(Karen's review 3/15/19, 5 stars)

Gerard's review 3/18/19:
In The Deepest Blue by Sarah Beth Durst, it starts off with Mayara's wedding day--a day to celebrate. But even before the vows are said, Mayara makes a decision that puts her future in doubt!  Can she get her and her husband's plans back on track, or is their future doomed?  The pacing of this book is very well done.  The best thing about this book to me was the interaction between all of the characters.  I really cared about what was going to happen.  The ending of the book was a wild ride to say the least!  Great job, Sarah!  (5++ stars) 

Teaser from page 73:  "Because you've arrived, we all get to die that much sooner.  Hurray.  So happy to meet you."

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"My Life Among the Underdogs" by Tia Torres

My Life Among the Underdogs by Tia Torres is a memoir about Tia's life and all the great dogs that have been part of it!  This woman has been blessed.  Each dog has its own chapter and are all different.  It is a short book, but the story is told very well!  I wish she would have included pictures of the dogs, but that is the only criticism I have.  If you love dogs, you will find this hard to put down.
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

Teaser from page 28:  At that moment, I made the decision to protect her at all costs, always.  I never wanted her to leave my side, and right there, on the floor, in an embrace that felt like forever, it became Tia and Tatanka.  Together we would change the world.

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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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