2024 releases

Review: Society of Lies by Lauren Ling Brown

~ megs14malloy ~ Leave a comment

Society of LiesSociety of Lies by Lauren Ling Brown
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Society of Lies follows sisters, Maya and Naomi. Maya graduated from Princeton a decade ago, and now her little sister, Naomi, is set to graduate from there as well.

When Maya returns to the university for her reunion and Naomi’s graduation, she’s shocked when she receives a nightmare phone call. Naomi is dead.

Maya is left reeling. She’s devastated. If only she could have seen Naomi one more time.

The police are calling it an accident, but that doesn’t sit right with Maya. The things the police are alluding to, they don’t track with Naomi’s personality.

As Maya begins looking into her sister’s tragic death though, she discovers that Naomi was keeping a whole lot from her. Did she really know her little sister at all?

One of her discoveries is that her sister joined the Sterling Club, the same exclusive club that Maya had been a member of herself. She had warned Naomi to stay away, but apparently those warnings didn’t stick.

Maya knows Naomi isn’t the first young woman to die while a member of this club. The more she digs in, the more the evidence seems to point back to her time within the organization. Could she have done anything differently to save Naomi from this fate?

I enjoyed this, although it took some time to get my bearings with the perspectives and timelines. I did love learning about both Maya and Naomi. I felt for them and the difficult things they’d experienced in their lives.

Their relationship was complicated and unfortunately, there was a lot of failed opportunities for open communication. It left them both viewing their relationship very differently, which made me sad, the details of that. I wish they could have had more time together.

I also enjoyed the elite-Princeton setting and what everyone was getting up to there. I do tend to vibe really well with this type of story. Give me shadow organizations, lies, cover-ups and rich people behaving badly any day.

At times, I’ll admit, this narrative felt a little choppy. You get Maya’s perspective both past and present, and the jumps between her past at Princeton and Naomi’s present at Princeton could get muddled if you let down your guard for even a moment.

Overall though, I do appreciate the difficult themes this author explored within this otherwise fairly standard Mystery-Thriller. To me, the character’s relationships were the gold star of this story.

Thank you to the publisher, Bantam, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I would def be interested in picking up more from this author!

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Review: Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson

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Under Loch and KeyUnder Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Keyanna MacKay was raised in the United States by her single-Scottish father. Her Dad was tight-lipped and didn’t share a lot about his past, family, or where he came from.

One of his final wishes before passing was for Key to bring him home, to the country he left decades before. Thus, with this wish weighing heavy on her heart, Key decides she must make it happen, no matter the cost.

Her only real info is the name of the area in Scotland he is from, as well as her estranged Grandmother’s name; a Grandmother she’s never met.

Even though she’s scared and it may blow up in her face, Key is still determined to find out where her Dad came from and return him there. Maybe it will help fill the void in her heart he’s left behind. Unmoored by his passing, this could be exactly what Key needs to help her move forward.

What she doesn’t expect is the run-in she has on her very first day with the handsome, Lachlan Greer, who stops Key from tumbling down the slippery rocks of a loch-side cliff.

Lachlan has answers of his own he’s searching for, and Key may be just that, the ‘key’ to finding them. That’ll only be possible though if the two can stop fighting long enough to work together.

The longer the pair spend together, the more buried secrets come to light and that’s when the real magic happens.

I’ve read a lot of cryptid-focused stories in my life, but certainly nothing like this. I’m in all new territory here and I had such a fun time taking it all in.

While I can recognize that this isn’t a perfect book, and for more experienced Romance Readers, maybe it’s not great, IDK. For me though, I gotta give props to Lana Ferguson for creating likable characters, a unique plot, as well as hard-hitting, emotional moments.

I loved both of the MCs, particularly Key and the journey she was on to find a sense of place after the passing of her father. That hit me hard and I respected the hell out of the risks she took in making that trip. It was a big deal.

I was also surprised and pleased by the direction the romance went in. I’m not sure if all of this author’s works are a bit fantastical like this one, but I’m definitely interested in picking up more. This was just so cute.

Admittedly, the steamy bits weren’t 100% to my tastes, but I was willing to overlook some moments that made me cringe due to all the moments that made me swoon. The banter between Key and Lachlan made it worth it.

I also liked that the author included a bit of a mystery that the two have to work together to solve. I thought that was a nice touch, instead of focusing solely on romance.

Additionally, I adored the setting and the side characters. The audiobook featured dual narration that was a perfect match for how I pictured Key and Lachlan. I absolutely recommend that format.

Overall, I found this to be a pleasant surprise. It’s much more than just a gorgeous cover.

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m excited to pick up more from Lana Ferguson!

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Review: You’re Dead to Me by Amy Christine Parker

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You're Dead to MeYou’re Dead to Me by Amy Christine Parker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️

Ruby Toller, a high school Senior, lives in Florida with her single-Mom and her Mom’s annoying boyfriend, Hunter. They reside at and run at a small Nature Park, that was passed down to Ruby’s Mom from her parents.

Ruby loves working at the Park, taking care of the animals. It’s her home and she plans to always be there. Unfortunately, demand for these types of attractions isn’t what it once was, and they struggle to stay afloat.

Thanks to a generous scholarship, Ruby is able to attend the very prestigious Oleander High School, a private school full of richy-rich teens.

Just because she attends though, doesn’t mean she fits in, or is accepted and Ruby has grown a bit of a chip on her shoulder. One thing she has been successful at though is her thriving anonymous-local gossip blog, ReputationKiller.

Ruby digs up dirt on the most elite families and community members and blasts them on her blog. Thus, aptly doing just as the blog title states, killing reputations.

When Ruby is outed as the force behind ReputationKiller, the whole town turns against her, except for her best friends, Anton and Xavier, and shockingly, an attractive rich boy named Alexander.

More of an outcast now than ever, Ruby feels isolated and like her life is out of control, but at least she has a life. Even that comes into question however, when Ruby starts being haunted by her own ghost.

That’s right, she’s being visited by her dead self, in a horrible state of decay, clad in a tattered prom dress.

It’s clear from the ghost’s appearance, she didn’t get that way due to natural causes. With the prom just days away, Ruby and her friends must figure out who is going to murder Ruby, and stop them, before it’s too late.

You’re Dead to Me was a super fun reading experience for me. I haven’t read a YA Horror-Thriller with such successful Supernatural aspects in a long time.

I found the story to be fast-paced and engaging, with some great Horror imagery. It kept me wanting more and guessing. There were some truly intense moments.

I also loved the way the Florida setting was used and the stark contrast between the Haves and Have-Nots within this community. It felt realistic.

It is super-dramatic, as you would expect from a Teen Scream, but all that drama was really well-executed in my opinion. It had me reaching for my popcorn, versus rolling my eyes, which is always a good sign.

I appreciated the way the author steadily built the intensity throughout. The stakes keep getting higher and higher as the days tick down until the prom.

I also liked the relationships between Ruby and her best friends, as well as her budding relationship with cute boy, Alexander. The friends supported each other very well, even through all the crazy things they go through in this book.

Ruby’s relationship with her Mom was rather complicated and I did like the exploration of that as well. Families are messy, you know?

Overall, I thought this was a super solid YA Horror-Thriller. If you love a Teen Scream, full of drama and danger, you should absolutely check this one out.

Thank you to the publisher, Delacorte Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author in the future!

Content Warning: Animal death on page.


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Review: The Blonde Dies First by Joelle Wellington

~ megs14malloy

The Blonde Dies FirstThe Blonde Dies First by Joelle Wellington
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Devon and her brilliant twin sister, Drew, have drifted apart ever since Drew started attending a prestigious private school, as opposed to the public school Devon goes to.

Devon has made her peace with the fact that Drew is going to leave her behind. That’s why when Drew announces she’s graduating high school a year early, Devon’s not too surprised, but she still doesn’t feel great about it.

In an effort to spend some more time with Drew prior to her departure, Devon comes up with a plan: The Best Summer Ever. This includes a list of activities to do with their entire neighborhood friend group before summer ends.

One of the first items on the list is to attend a party thrown by one of the kids from Drew’s private school, Avery. Devon doesn’t really know anything about Drew’s school life, so she’s never met Avery before and she’s curious.

Thus, Devon, Drew and their other close friends, including Devon’s long-time crush, Yaya, head to Avery’s house for a night of fun. Truth be told, it’s a little uncomfortable at first, but they try to make the best of it.

Once the Ouija board comes out though, they realize it isn’t going to be quite the type of party they anticipated. Avery seems to be showing off. Drew calls it his typical party trick, but it makes Devon and the rest of the crew uncomfortable.

It’s after that night that The Best Summer Ever quickly devolves into the most Demonic Summer Ever. With a demon stalking them, seemingly following the rules of Horror, Devon and her friends must figure out how to defeat the beast before it kills them all.

The Blonde Dies First was an wildly-entertaining ride that kept me guessing throughout. It wasn’t perfect, but there is so much I appreciate about Wellington’s work.

While I feel that the Contemporary elements were the shining stars, it is still a very solid YA Horror story that I would recommend to YA Horror Readers.

As with Wellington’s previous novel, Their Vicious Games, I did really like the mix of the heavier contemporary topics with the dark horror action and intrigue.

There were so many jaw-dropping events in this book that I didn’t see coming and it absolutely had me guessing the whole way. I loved the friend group and how they banded together to try to figure out what was happening to them.

I also loved the way Wellington incorporated the classic rules of Horror that all Horror fans have embedded in their memories. I thought that was just such a fun little nod to the overall genre. It made me ridiculously happy to see it here.

The Contemporary elements were highly successful. The relationship between Drew and Devon was fantastic. Their friend group was lovable and believable. I also appreciated the discussion on the gentrification that was happening within their NYC neighborhood.

With this being said, I did think a lot of the scenes involving the demon, like one set at a hospital, were written very well and had great descriptions too. Also, I loved the various Horror elements incorporated like the Ouija board session, the demon itself, and the talk of horror cinema.

Overall, I had a lot of fun with this. Wellington’s style definitely fits my tastes and I’m looking forward to whatever she releases next. I’ll be the first one in line.

Thank you to the publisher, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This is a good one!

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Review: The Secret of the Three Fates (Ruby Vaughn #2) by Jess Armstrong

~ megs14malloy

The Secret of the Three Fates (Ruby Vaughn, #2)The Secret of the Three Fates by Jess Armstrong
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Secret of the Three Fates is the follow-up to the highly-engaging Gothic Mystery, The Curse of Penryth Hall, which I really enjoyed last year.

These books are part of the Ruby Vaughn series by Jess Armstrong. I’d so been looking forward to being back with Ruby on another spooky adventure. Happily, this was just as enticing as the first book!

This installment brings Ruby and her employer/housemate, Mr. Owen, to Manhurst Castle in the Scottish Borders. Ruby believes they’re there to acquire manuscripts for the bookshop, but quickly discovers that’s not the case.

In fact, it turns out they’re there to attend a seance to be held that very night. Mr. Owen, up to his old tricks again.

Desperate to contact his son, lost to the Great War, Mr. Owen hopes the seance could help him get his wish, but he doesn’t want to do it alone. Hence, Ruby’s unknowing presence.

The seance is hosted by three mediums, going by the name of The Three Fates. As any of us could have guessed, things do not go smoothly, nor as planned, and Mr. Owen’s secret past looks close to being exposed.

Shortly thereafter, Ruby discovers one of the Three Fates has been murdered and she and Mr. Owen are immediately dubbed the prime suspects.

In order the clear their names, Ruby begins her own investigation, enlisting the help of Ruan, the folk healer she befriended in the first book during her time in Cornwall. You know, the handsome one.

My favorite thing about the first book was the atmosphere and Armstrong succeeded again in building out a lush, gothic-feeling setting. I am also loving how attached I am becoming to this set of characters.

Yet again, the chemistry between Ruby and Ruan was so well done. I enjoy Ruby so much as a lead. She’s plucky, smart and a little hard-headed. Once she starts investigating something, she doesn’t let anything get in her way, no matter how dangerous.

It was fun getting to know more about Mr. Owen too. There was quite a bit revealed about his past in this one, and I feel like I have more of an appreciation for him now.

I feel like the seance scenes were also really well-imagined. Thinking of the popularity of occult practices like that during this time period is so fascinating to me. It must have felt completely surreal participating in something like that, when belief was so high.

I love that Armstrong used that practice within this mystery. It was compelling and felt time period appropriate. It also helped to give the mystery an overall unsettling air.

I’m already anxious for news on the next book. There has to be one. There’s no way this is it for these characters. I shall sit back, patiently, and wait. Any by that I mean, I’ll be chomping at the bit to get my hands on it…

I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys Historical Mysteries with heavy Gothic vibes. The settings, the characters and the mysteries themselves, are all so well developed. There’s a lot to praise about Armstrong’s work.

Thank you to the publisher, Minotaur Books and Dreamscape Media, for providing me with copies to read and review. I cannot wait to be reunited with Ruby and friends!!

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Review: Darkly by Marisha Pessl

~ megs14malloy

DarklyDarkly by Marisha Pessl
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

💙💜💙💜💙💜💙💜💙💜💙💜💙💜💙

In Darkly, Marisha Pessl introduces the Reader to the interestingly-mad world of an eccentric and infamous game designer, Louisiana Veda.

If you’ve read Pessl’s novel Night Film, you’re already aware of how well she can create an aura around a mysterious character. I’m looking at you, Cordova.

Our MC is a teenage girl, Dia Gannon, who submits an application for a coveted-internship with Veda’s gaming company, Darkly. Her application feels like a failure, so Dia is shocked when she discovers she’s been selected for one of the highly-competitive 7-positions.

Darkly, well-known for it’s darkly ((pun intended)) ingenious game designs, has laid dormant since its founder’s, Louisiana’s, bizarre death. The Darkly games that remain are so prized, they can go for millions at auction.

As the teens start their internships, more questions are revealed than answered. What even are these internships about, and why were these specific candidates selected?

The entire narrative turns into a puzzle, with Dia struggling to piece everything together. The stakes feel high, the atmosphere ripe with danger, but why?

It’s all part of the mystery of Darkly.

I enjoyed my time with Darkly. It’s a story I would consider reading again. I feel if my brain hadn’t been so fried by the holidays, I could’ve even enjoyed it even more.

There’s no denying Pessl’s insane-levels of creativity and I did enjoy the overall mysterious tone of this book. While I feel like my brain may have missed some of the finer details, I can still appreciate the level of attention that must of been required in Pessl’s execution of this story.

It’s not my favorite of her work, but a solid read nonetheless.

If you enjoy puzzle-driven stories, I feel you could love this. The characters are smart, driven and interesting. I loved the action, setting and the intrigue of Louisiana Veda definitely kept me turning the pages.

Thank you to the publisher, Delacorte Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I look forward to seeing what other Readers think of Darkly and anticipate whatever Pessl writes next!

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Review: Alter Ego (Secret Identity #2) by Alex Segura

~ megs14malloy

Alter Ego (Secret Identity #2)Alter Ego by Alex Segura

**4.5-stars**

I adored Secret Identity when I read it back in 2022. It took me completely by surprise how invested I became in that story and the characters.

Literary Mysteries aren’t necessarily a go-to genre for me. I do enjoy them from time-to-time, but I found Segura’s noir-feeling writing style, as well as the back-drop of the comic book industry, absolutely enchanting.

Unsurprisingly, I was stoked to hear about this sequel, Alter Ego. I listened to the audiobook, as I did with Secret Identity, and cannot recommend that format enough for both.

It’s not just a reading. There are sound effects, and other enhancements, that make these books special productions indeed. Especially considering the comics aspect.

One big change is that this 2nd-book is set in the present day, whereas Secret Identity was set in the 1970s.

As you can imagine, the comic book industry has been through a lot of changes over that time period. I did slightly missed the backdrop of 70s-era NYC, NGL, but not enough to effect my overall rating.

Our MC is Annie Bustamante, who is a successful filmmaker, author and illustrator. She’s had many opportunities over her career, but perhaps the one that means the most is the one she has just been presented: the opportunity to bring back to life her longtime favorite superhero, the Lethal Lynx.

While Annie is excited about the possibility of delivering the Lethal Lynx to a whole-new generation of superhero enthusiasts, she’s not crazy about having to work with the people at Triumph Comics, including Bert Carlyle, whose father founded the company.

Fanning the flames of her uncomfortability, Annie begins receiving mysterious messages from an individual urging her to be careful, to trust no one.

All Annie’s alert bells are going off and the more she digs into the history of the Lethal Lynx, the more she believes she may not know the whole story. But what sorts of secrets could be hidden within the comic book industry, and what would someone do to keep them hidden forever?

This was so good. I didn’t love it quite to the same level as Secret Identity, but pretty darn close. I feel like some of my over-the-top joy with the first book was just how surprised I was by it. I knew more what to expect here.

IMO though, this is such an underrated series. The concept is wildly-creative and interesting. I love the backdrop of the comic book industry and the ways it explores the role of the creatives within that space.

I did love getting to know Annie in this story as well. She’s a single-mom, who is talented and successful, yet still struggles with some aspects in her life, just like any other person. I liked how real she felt.

I also appreciated how connected the novels felt. Even though they are separated by a fairly large span of time and follow different characters, the connections are there and I feel like they were so well done.

I loved being reminded of little things that had happened in the first book and coming across various people who I remembered. I hadn’t been expecting a sequel initially, so didn’t brush up on the first book prior to picking this up.

I didn’t need too though, as Segura’s execution was seamless transitioning between the two works. Even though this is its own, individual story, the influence from the first book was felt throughout and for me, provided great food for thought.

It was interesting to think about these kinds of art and intellectual property, and what happens to them over time. Who owns the rights and how they can be used. I feel like this may be an issue that is near and dear to Segura’s heart, as it was certainly explored with care.

Thank you to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This was incredibly well done. I highly recommend this audio!!!

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Review: The Tainted Cup (Shadow of the Leviathan #1) by Robert Jackson Bennett

~ megs14malloy

The Tainted Cup (Shadow of the Leviathan #1)The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

Ooo, this was hella entertaining and creative. I am very much looking forward to the next installment, as Ana and Din make the perfect detective duo.

This was my first time reading Robert Jackson Bennett and I was impressed from the start. His writing felt, for lack of a better word, substantial. Everything was lush, every description, every characterization, it was a delicious read.

It did take me a minute to feel comfortable with the fantastical setting, as there’s a lot to take in, but once I was able to relax into it, I had such a great time.

I’m hoping in the 2nd-book that we learn a bit more about the world and all the fantastical elements within it, as I did feel a little unmoored in this at times, NGL.

I did love the blending of a fantastical world with an investigative mystery/thriller. Ana Dolabra, as the lead, more experienced investigator, did remind me a lot of Sand da Glokta from Joe Abercrombie’s First Law series.

Glokta is one of my most beloved characters from that series, and I have a feeling that I’m going to grow just as attached to Ana. There’s something so brilliant about her, but you also feel an underlying sinister nature, even when she’s acting on the side of good.

There’s a morally grey vibe exuding from her that I’m instantly attracted to. And then there’s Dinios Kol, her new assistant. He’s such a sweet baby cherub. I know we are just going to see him grow so much.

The mystery was also so compelling. I loved how dark it was. People dying as trees erupt from inside their bodies!? What!? I have never read anything like that before.

I’m so excited to continue on with the series. As mentioned above, I am hoping for more world development in the next book. I’d like to learn more about the true nature of the Leviathans and their relationship to the people of Daretana.

I feel like we’ve barely scratched the surface of all this world has to offer. I’m sure it is going to exceed even my wildest expectations.

Thank you to the publisher, Del Rey, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m looking forward to reading all the things from Robert Jackson Bennett!!

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Review: Booked for Murder (Old Juniper Bookstore Mysteries #1) by P.J. Nelson

~ megs14malloy

Booked for Murder (Old Juniper Bookstore Mysteries)Booked for Murder by P. J. Nelson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

📚♥️📚♥️📚♥️📚♥️📚♥️📚♥️📚♥️📚

Booked for Murder is the 1st-book in the Old Juniper Bookstore Mysteries series. This is a new Cozy Mystery series set in a small Georgia town.

In this, we meet Madeline Brimley, who has just returned to her hometown of Enigma, Georgia, after the passing of her Aunt Rose, her dearest remaining relative.

Maddy has mixed feelings about going back. She always dreamed of leaving Enigma and heading to NYC, as an actress, to follow in her Aunt Rose’s footsteps, actually. Things in New York were tough though, and she actually ended up in the Theater circuit in Atlanta instead.

Even though Atlanta isn’t quite what she dreamed, it’s better than Enigma, and now she has to go back. Aunt Rose left Madeline her property, including her bookstore, the Old Juniper, which caters to the local college students.

Almost as soon as Madeline arrives back, though, things start going wrong. First, the long-standing and well-loved gazebo in the back yard is set ablaze, and then Madeline starts receiving disturbing calls from someone threatening her unless she leaves.

Madeline isn’t one to be easily intimidated however, so the calls and fire end up having the opposite effect, making her dig in even more.

She befriends a local student, Tandy, who seems to have also been quite close with Aunt Rose. Tandy inserts herself into helping with the bookstore, for which Maddy is grateful. That is until the next fire, that ultimately ends in murder.

Not fully trusting the local authorities, and also feeling slightly guilty over the violent death which took place in the bookstore, Maddy begins an investigation of her own.

Will she be able to find out who is after her, or will they end up getting to her first? It seems they’ve tried to kill already. The next time, they may actually be successful.

This was a fun start to new Cozy Mystery series. I did enjoy the bookshop setting and the small town Georgia feels. I listened to the audibook, and the narrator did a great job channeling some accents that felt true to the story.

At first, I wasn’t sure I was going to vibe with Maddy. She can be a little abrasive and off-putting at times. It almost felt at certain points that she was completely unreasonable and condescending to those around her, but I think it’s all just an intentional part of her character journey.

She did become more likable over the course of the book and I started to understand where she was coming from the more I learned about her.

There was also a nice mix of side characters, Gloria, the reverend of a nearby church being my favorite, as well as a potential love interest for Maddy.

I feel like Nelson did a solid job setting up the small town atmosphere, as well as providing plenty of room for Maddy, as well as this series, to grow moving forward. I would definitely be interested in reading more mysteries centered around the Old Juniper Bookstore.

Thank you to the publisher, Dreamscape Media, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I would def recommend the audio format if you are interested in picking this one up!

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Review: The Coldest Cast (Shana Merchant #6) by Tessa Wegert

~ megs14malloy

The Coldest Case (Shana Merchant, #6)The Coldest Case by Tessa Wegert
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

The Shana Merchant series just keeps getting better. Wegert delivering the twists, the turns, the chilling atmosphere, and the jaw-dropping revelations. I loved this one!

The Coldest Case is the 6th-installment of this character-driven, Police Procedural Mystery series, set in the Thousand Lakes region of Upstate New York.

I’ve enjoyed all the books in this series, but this could be my favorite one yet. If you’re unfamiliar with this series, it follows Senior Investigator, Shana Merchant, and her partner/husband, Tim Wellington.

Each book focuses on a different case, or mystery, but there is a compelling over-arching storyline for Shana herself, that you won’t want to miss. I would recommend starting this series at the beginning for maximum enjoyment.

In this installment, Tim and Shana are alerted to a missing person on the vastly remote island of Running Pine. It’s February and only a handful of adults, and one child, actually remain on the island over-Winter.

This missing man, Cary, is one of the island’s newest residents, never having done a Winter there. Cary, and his girlfriend, Sylvie, who has family connections to the island, are social-media influencers, who moved to the island to promote their quasi-off-grid lifestyle brand.

Cary goes fishing with a couple of other Running Pine men one morning, but when the two men are ready to leave, Cary tells them he wants to stay out on the ice a while longer. After that, Cary never returns home. The remaining island citizens fear the worse, and immediately call for help and a vigorous search ensues.

With the clock ticking, and temps dropping, a police team makes the perilous journey, only possible by airboat over the ice this time of year, out to Running Pine.

The victim’s girlfriend, Sylvie, is acting bizarrely and it doesn’t seem she is disclosing everything she knows to the investigators. The other island residents are equally odd. What exactly are these people hiding?

This story was told so well. I love how it all unfolded. Learning about the residents of Running Pine and getting to travel out to the island and feel its remoteness. Wegert nailed the creation of that stark and desolate atmosphere.

Running Pine felt like a world of its own, following its own set of rules. Everything there seemed a little off, and I wanted Shana far, far away from it.

I also loved that the story was set in February. The cold got under my skin. There’s inclement weather that presents a huge obstacle to the police investigation, but in spite of that, Shana, Tim and the team, aren’t giving up.

There’s so much going on in Shana’s personal life as well. She’s about to start a new chapter, (view spoiler), and it has caused her to reflect a bit on her past, including the last case she had before leaving the NYPD.

I did enjoy this secondary mystery and felt it was important for Shana to reexamine that old case. She needs closure from that time period, 4-years ago, that ended with her in the clutches of a serial killer, after which she left the city, and the department, to move upstate.

As a trauma survivor, Shana’s journey of recovery and healing has happened in many stages. It’s still very much a part of her and I can definitely understand why she would be wanting to put more of it to bed, as she continues building her life in A-Bay.

The mix of the present case with Shana’s past was really well balanced by Wegert, IMO. Neither one overshadowed the other, and I feel like they were both important and impactful for Shana’s continued character growth.

I’m not sure what the plans are for this series, but I’m definitely anticipating more and would be shattered if this were actually the last one.

There were moments whilst reading this, that I actually questioned that, because Wegert was being so reflective with Shana’s character, it almost felt like a good-bye.

It can’t possibly be though, so I shall stalk Wegert’s author page remain patient whilst I wait for news on Book #7. Wegert’s at the top of her freaking game, this absolutely can’t be it for this gripping Mystery series.

When I tell you there were twists in this that left me gagged, I’m not exaggerating. This was such a fun read. I can’t wait to see what case Shana will face next!!
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