Katy Sweeney is looking for her younger sister Phoebe- a vivacious blogger who disappeared while traveling solo in her van. Her journey was sup3.5 ⭐️
Katy Sweeney is looking for her younger sister Phoebe- a vivacious blogger who disappeared while traveling solo in her van. Her journey was supposed to take her on a complete loop of Australia, starting and ending in Perth.
Pheebsinwonderland Day 6- Besides the “necessities” all you need is common sense, Phoebe assures her followers-“Trust your gut and if something’s off-just leave!” She posts along with her TOP TWENTY SAFETY TIPs. #solofemaletravel, #womenwhowander
And, yet, just three weeks later, her BEAUTIFUL PHOTOS and CHEERFUL POSTS completely stop.
It’s been a year, and the case has gone cold, but Katy believes that people don’t just vanish into thin air-everyone leaves a trace-you just have to find it.
So, using Phoebe’s social media accounts as a map, Katy retraces her sister’s steps, searching for any clues the police may have missed.
Her first clue comes when she finds a Bobby pin, painted with nail polish-in the dirt at one of the campsites-which is a unique item that Phoebe always wore in her hair.
Teaming up with Katy is Beth (Lily) who also found trouble while living a van life and literally ran into Katy while on the run from an abusive boyfriend.
The story alternates between the POV’s of Katy, Beth and Wyatt-a sick, young boy whose Mom also disappeared after leaving their home one day.
I have mixed feelings about this book.
The author captured the dark side of Women’s Solo travel brilliantly, with descriptive prose and nothing is scarier to me than reading about or imagining the awful things that some humans are capable of.
The story started out strong but the pace became too SLOW by the midway point and 384 pages began to feel too long. Despite mostly enjoying it, the book took me longer than usual to finish.
And the book took a turn in the end which disappointed me. It was a unique story but there was a missed opportunity to really make this an EMOTIONAL crime novel, and I felt cheated by the ending. How you feel about it may determine your final rating too.
I paired my reading with the audiobook, narrated by Maddy Withington, who did a terrific job voicing all three characters.
Thank You to the Chandler Public Library for the loan of this title....more
Last Night at Villa Lucia by Simon McCleve Narrated wonderfully by Claire Corbett 8 hrs 37 min at 1.0 speed 5 hrs 45 mins at 1.5 speed
I MIGHT kill to livLast Night at Villa Lucia by Simon McCleve Narrated wonderfully by Claire Corbett 8 hrs 37 min at 1.0 speed 5 hrs 45 mins at 1.5 speed
I MIGHT kill to live at the Villa Lucia in Tuscany!
The infinity pool, the surrounding Olive Orchards, and the vineyards of plump black Sangiovese grapes-it sounded like heaven on earth.
But, Cerys is just trying to keep her bed and breakfast/yoga retreat afloat and stay ahead of any potential bad reviews that can ruin her livelihood. And, to stay ahead of her dependence on alcohol which she is turning to earlier and earlier in the day, to get her through the stress-while hiding her drinking from her teenaged daughter, Lowri.
Today, Harry, the Director of A &R at Kismet Records will be arriving with his wife, Zoe and their teenaged son, Charlie, and he isn’t known for his patience. But, that will be the least of her concerns.
The book opens with a body floating face down in the infinity pool-
Breathe in for five seconds, hold for seven, and breathe out for eight-Cerys reminds herself…
The story is then told from multiple, alternating POV’s as Detective Saachi pieces together WHAT happened at the Villa and WHO is responsible for the MURDER.
I suspected just about EVERYONE at point or another which always makes reading a book like this fun-and the story is PLAUSIBLE as well as SURPRISING and SUSPENSEFUL-which is another PLUS for me.
No wonder this UK author who burst onto the scene in 2020, has become an Amazon bestselling author with over 2 million books sold. His DI Ruth Hunter Snowdonia series (19 as of today) is currently in development as a TV series to be filmed in North Wales where the author currently lives. He also has another successful five book crime series set on Anglesey.
This is a STANDALONE and, I am really excited to have discovered Simon McCleave’s work! I paired the Audible with a written copy and enjoyed both.
Although the book contains references to Sexual Assault, Domestic Abuse, and Alcoholism, nothing is graphic in description.
AVAILABLE NOW!
Thank You to Storm Publishing for both the Kindle and Audiobook versions-provided through NetGalley and NetGalley shelf, respectively. These are my candid thoughts!...more
The Wedding People by Alison Espach Narrated by Helen Laser Expected Publication Date: July 30, 2024
Smart, Honest and Hopeful
Forty-ish Phoebe Stone arriThe Wedding People by Alison Espach Narrated by Helen Laser Expected Publication Date: July 30, 2024
Smart, Honest and Hopeful
Forty-ish Phoebe Stone arrives at the grand Cornwall Inn and checks into the most expensive room for one night. She is wearing her green dress and gold heels, so she looks the part of a wedding guest-but she isn’t there to celebrate the start of a new life-she is there to END hers.
Infertility, Infidelity, Depression, Divorce and now the death of her beloved cat.
That is what has led to this tragic decision.
Meanwhile, the 28 year old bride, Lila has planned the PERFECT six day wedding, booking the entire Cornwall Inn for her “once in a lifetime” event. So it “just won’t do” that there has been a mix-up which allowed one random guest to check-in-even if it was just for the first night.
And, it’s definitely UNACCEPTABLE when she meets Phoebe and learns of her intent. NOBODY will ruin her wedding!
A chance encounter, an unlikely alliance, an unexpected friendship.
Sometimes vulnerable people make the WRONG decisions. But, if you are lucky-you can still end up with the RIGHT outcome.
This is the kind of book that you will still be thinking about long after you finish-Especially if you are a woman of a certain age-or a certain stage of your life. And, even, if like me, you hate “sex themed” bachelorette activities, and don’t really even enjoy weddings!
Of course, there are some of these things to endure in this book, and my personal preference is to read about this “well intentioned” pre-wedding fun without resorting to the unnecessary use of the more vulgar sexual terms to drive your point home-the three “C” words. They didn’t seem to fit with the more reflective conversations that characterized the rest of this story. (- .5)
The ending wasn’t completely unexpected, though it is one that I hoped for, and the wisdom of the parting words shared between Phoebe and Lila, brought a tear to my eye, and is the reason I rounded up instead of down. I will remember the story.
I’m glad there wasn’t an epilogue and that the reader can envision what they think happens next…
4.5 stars ⭐️
I listened to the Audiobook, provided by MacMillan Audio through NetGalley, which was expertly narrated by Helen Laser who delivered a wide range of voices and accents to the diverse cast of characters! This has been optioned for film and I look forward to watching too.
The Photo by A J McDine Narrated by Tamsin Kennard
Lara, is a former photo journalist who gave up her career to become a wedding photographer, after sheThe Photo by A J McDine Narrated by Tamsin Kennard
Lara, is a former photo journalist who gave up her career to become a wedding photographer, after she suffered a personal tragedy which made her realize that stories like those she featured, added to the pain that the families of Victims were already suffering.
Ten years ago, her sister Isabelle, and her two twin nephews were killed, in what could only be assumed as a Murder-Suicide by Isabelle’s husband, Jason.
His body was never recovered.
His five year old daughter, Lily was left for dead by the murderer, but when the ambulance arrived, she was found to have a weak pulse. She is being raised by her grandmother and her Aunt Lara.
Lara would love to add “landscape photography” to her portfolio, and one day while going through photos she took on the beach, she spots a man in the background of one picture, which could only be her “brother in law”.
Lily, now fifteen, aspires to be an “influencer” so, without discussing it with her family, she posts a TIC TOC video, talking about the crime she lived through as a child and the new memories that have started to surface.
The timing could NOT be worse.
As disturbing things begin to happen, Lara begins to worry if Jason has returned to finish the job.
She teams up with both the DC from the case, Curtis Frampton and a former rival journalist, Johnny Nelson, in an attempt protect Lily, and locate her missing father.
This was a FAST PACED story which hooks you from the OPENING SCENE, told primarily from the first person POV of Lara, who is a smart, sympathetic protagonist.
AJ McDine’s prose is DELICIOUSLY descriptive, and it brings to life the characters, and their conversations as they go about their lives. I could easily envision what was happening as I listened to this story!
I enjoyed the narrator’s voice for the women, but all of the men sounded alike, so I really had to concentrate on who was with Lara when one of them was speaking with her.
ENTERTAINED from start to finish, and completely SURPRISED by the final twist- this is the kind of book which reminds me of why I love Goodreads so much.
This is the author’s seventh novel but US audiences were not familiar with this UK author until Bookouture brought her work to the US in April with her sixth novel, “The Baby”. It reached Amazon’s top 20 in the UK and the top 100 in the US. It’s great that readers around the World can share their favorite authors and books on one Global site.
Three positive reviews on the same day from GR friends, put THIS book and author on MY radar, and I decided that I just HAD TO READ IT NEXT!
Since this was an AUDIOBOOK listen, please excuse any errors with the spelling of character names as I wasn’t able to see the names in print.
McDine was a journalist and police press officer until she started writing Fiction. She lives in Kent in the UK with her husband, fellow thriller writer A J Wills, their two sons and three rescue cats.
AVAILABLE NOW! Highly recommended!
Thank You to Bookouture for the gifted Audiobook provided through the NetGalley Shelf. These are my candid opinions....more
He sends emails in the tone of a British Gentleman using ChatGPT to disguise his real identity…
But WHO is François Loubet?
He is a powerful money smugHe sends emails in the tone of a British Gentleman using ChatGPT to disguise his real identity…
But WHO is François Loubet?
He is a powerful money smuggler and he is using unsuspecting “Influencers” being protected by Maximum Impact Solutions to move his money.
Amy Wheeler is a private security officer, for Maximum Impact Solutions and she is currently on a remote island keeping world-famous author Rosie D’Antonio alive. (think an older Samantha from Sex in the City or even Blanche from the Golden Girls)
It was supposed to be an EASY job.
But dead bodies and bags of money, keep showing up with Amy’s blood always found nearby. She is being set up.
Amy will have to turn to the ONLY person she feels she can trust for help-a retired cop and “sometimes” local investigator who just happens to be her father-in-law-Steve Wheeler.
Steve has recently lost his beloved wife Debbie, and he talks to her from a bench near his home, finds comfort from a stray cat named Trouble, which he recently adopted, and enjoys pints and Pub quizzes with his neighbors.
He has no desire to travel the World only one step ahead of the several would-be assassins who are tracking both Rosie and (now) Amy.
But, he loves Amy, so he won’t say no.
The result? Another fast paced, mystery filled with a new cast of likable characters and the same trademark HUMOR we have come to expect from the talented Richard Osman.
YES- he has another HIT on his hands!
I have LOVED his Thursday Murder Club series ( and am glad there will be more) but I am now ALSO looking forward to more cases for the “ We Solve Murders” agency. If you enjoyed TMC-I do believe that you will enjoy this series too!
The acknowledgments chapter at the end of the book hints at which characters will be back and I am glad to see that the hilarious and IRRESISTIBLE Rosie D’Antonio will be one of them. Hopefully we will get to know Amy’s husband Adam a bit better in the next installment.
A buddy read with Mary Beth-Did she enjoy her first by Osman?
AVAILABLE NOW!
I paired my reading with the fantastic Audible narrated by Nicola Walker. I wish to thank the Chandler Public Library for the loan of both formats!...more
The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak Expertly narrated by John Pirhalla 11 hrs 13 minutes at 1x speed 7 hrs 29 minutes at 1.5x speed 5 hrs 37 minuThe Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak Expertly narrated by John Pirhalla 11 hrs 13 minutes at 1x speed 7 hrs 29 minutes at 1.5x speed 5 hrs 37 minutes at 2x speed
This book is COMPLETELY different from “Hidden Pictures” ( no Supernatural vibes) but equally as SURPRISING!
Frank Szatowski has been estranged from his daughter Maggie for three years.
So, he is shocked when she calls him to invite him to her wedding. And, he is even more surprised when he finds out that she is marrying Aidan Gardner, the son of the famous tech billionaire, Errol Gardner.
When they meet for dinner at the young couple’s luxury apartment, Aidan is withdrawn, and evasive. He doesn’t show any interest in getting to know his new father-in-law to be. The red flags ...more
Made For You by Jenna Satterthwaite Narrated (expertly) by Bailey Carr 11 hrs 51 minutes at 1x speed (I listened at 1.7x speed)
SO.MUCH.FUN
THEN:
After thMade For You by Jenna Satterthwaite Narrated (expertly) by Bailey Carr 11 hrs 51 minutes at 1x speed (I listened at 1.7x speed)
SO.MUCH.FUN
THEN:
After the first two Synths (Synthetic women) twins Christie and Chrystal became household names when their reality show “Keeping Up with the Synths” became a mega hit-the producers of “The Proposal” (The Bachelor clone) came up with a controversial new twist for the next season…
“Hi. My name is Julia. I’m a Synth. And I’m here to find love…”
Synth Julia Walden was designed to compete on The Proposal and win the heart of bachelor Josh LaSala. AND, she does. (not a spoiler-read the official synopsis)
SO.MANY.SURPRISES.
NOW:
It’s fifteen months later and Julia and Josh are married with a baby. But not everyone was on board with his choice. There are haters everywhere and it’s taking a toll on their marriage.
Can they survive now that the cameras have stopped rolling and REALITY has set in? Or will they become the latest casualty of the franchise?
Julia: “What was I made for, Love or Heartbreak? ...more
We all know that the TRUTH lies somewhere between HIS version, and HER version.
So what about when we have SEVEN versions of the truth?
WHO DO WE BELIEV We all know that the TRUTH lies somewhere between HIS version, and HER version.
So what about when we have SEVEN versions of the truth?
WHO DO WE BELIEVE?!
Laurel Thibodeau was found brutally murdered in her own home-asphyxiated with a plastic bag.
Foul Play is suspected so naturally the suspicion falls on Laurel’s husband, Simon, who had gambling debts that only her life insurance policy could fix.
But there are other rumors too . . .
The group of six friends gathered for Alice Stone’s fortieth birthday, all have theories-and something to hide.
And before this party draws to a close, one of these six will also be dead as motives of jealousy, revenge, adultery, and greed are all revealed.
The question becomes not who in this group might be capable of murder, but, rather, WHO ISN'T?
The Shrink, the Patient, The Cop, The Boyfriend, The Daughter, the Minister and even the DOG, will all share their version of the truth, one POV at a time.
I enjoyed listening for the subtle (and not so subtle) differences as we hear their recollections, but of course that does lead to some repetition, which some readers or listeners may not enjoy, especially when this Audible clocks in at 13 hours and 45 minutes at regular speed!
But, the FULL CAST of narrators kept me intrigued and I found my first book by Edwin Hill, quite entertaining!
When “T” is kind enough to let “C” know that he has sent his email to the wrong aValentine’s Day 2014
“One typo, and a boy and girl connect by chance”
When “T” is kind enough to let “C” know that he has sent his email to the wrong address, he thanks her and wishes her a happy Valentine’s Day.
But, “C” is the “exception to the rule” so this email exchange isn’t the end, instead becoming an annual tradition, albeit a few rules: no pics, no real names, and nothing too personal-to keep things fun!
But as TEN years go by, they realize that they have actually become friends.
Is 2024 the year that they might finally meet in person?
“Christina Lauren’s The Exception to the Rule is part of The Improbable Meet-Cute, irresistibly romantic stories about finding love when and where you least expect it. They can be read or listened to in one sitting and are included with your Amazon Prime subscription.”
I have tried this extremely popular writing duo before, but their writing was too YA for me. But this Valentine’s Day novella, with its two narrators reading aloud the annual emails was an almost perfect “meet cute” despite some YA dialogue, and it was definitely one of my favorites in this delightful holiday series! ...more
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