saltygalreads's reviews
306 reviews

In early 1990s Belfast, a teacher and mother named Monica Hearn suddenly goes missing. At around the same time, one of the teacher's students, a young boy in foster care, also disappears. No one sees them again. Many years later, Sue Hearn, the grown daughter of the teacher, tends to her ailing father in their dilapidated Victorian mansion, and while digging in the garden, finds the bones of a small child. A cold case is open again and DI Asha Harvey along with DI Aaron Birch are investigating.

The action in this detective thriller novel moved along at a steady clip, and both Asha and Aaron are very likeable characters. However some of the police actions and decisions didn't make sense to me at all. I cannot explain this further without introducing spoilers, which I prefer not to do. It is clear at the end of the novel that there are ongoing issues which will lead into the next novel in the series and that is perfectly fine. However, what isn't acceptable to me is that I still had questions about the disappearance of Monica Hearn that were not answered. The sequence of events during the final chapters of the novel was confusing and rather muddled as well, which left me feeling vaguely dissatisfied.

I would say that the series as a whole has great potential, however the writing needs to be a little more crisp, perhaps with more judicious editing.

This is the third book in a series featuring Detective Natalie Lockhart. It is set in a fictional town called Burning Lake NY, which appears to be an amalgamation of towns with a witch history. Detective Lockhart must unravel the story behind a vicious, premeditated murder of a local respected witch in the town, while navigating a tricky relationship with her former love interest and current boss, Luke.

I appreciated the fact that I did not need to read the first two novels in order to grasp what was happening in this one, although obviously it would add to your understanding. The characters are skillfully drawn and even though there are quite a few to keep track of, I was not confused by it. The depiction of witchcraft is nuanced and respectful, and also touches on the misunderstanding and prejudice regarding witchcraft.

My only frustration with this novel is that I reached the end with no resolution of any aspects of the murder. I do appreciate that it is part of a series and that major aspects of the plot will continue into the next installment, however it would have been satisfying to have some conclusion to the events in this novel. As my daughter put it aptly, you need a win. That being said, I am now a Natalie Lockhart fan and I will be reading the first two books in the series. Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press.

This is the third book in a series featuring Detective Natalie Lockhart. It is set in a fictional town called Burning Lake NY, which appears to be an amalgamation of towns with a witch history. Detective Lockhart must unravel the story behind a vicious, premeditated murder of a local respected witch in the town, while navigating a tricky relationship with her former love interest and current boss, Luke.

I appreciated the fact that I did not need to read the first two novels in order to grasp what was happening in this one, although obviously it would add to your understanding. The characters are skillfully drawn and even though there are quite a few to keep track of, I was not confused by it. The depiction of witchcraft is nuanced and respectful, and also touches on the misunderstanding and prejudice regarding witchcraft.

My only frustration with this novel is that I reached the end with no resolution of any aspects of the murder. I do appreciate that it is part of a series and that major aspects of the plot will continue into the next installment, however it would have been satisfying to have some conclusion to the events in this novel. As my daughter put it aptly, you need a win. That being said, I am now a Natalie Lockhart fan and I will be reading the first two books in the series. Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press.

Lost Immunity presents a scenario just a little too real these days. Dr. Lisa Dyer has a new position as the Chief Public Health Officer for Seattle. Her first challenge arrives quickly in the form of a deadly outbreak of an antibiotic resistant strain of meningitis among teens and children at a bible camp. The infection spreads rapidly and young people start dying, as Dr. Dyer and her team rush to attempt to get the outbreak under control and prevent a new pandemic. Her work and personal life is fraught with challenges - a crumbling marriage, a seriously ill friend and colleague, misinformation and fear-mongering.

This can be a difficult read, as we head into the looming prospect of a 4th wave, however this novel treats the subject matter with great sensitivity. Daniel Kalla does a bang-up job of presenting the pressures of making scary and difficult public health decisions in rapidly changing conditions and manages to entertain while dispelling myths. The motivations and beliefs behind the anti-vaccine/vaccine hesitant movement are treated with great respect and understanding, while at the same time presenting a logical case for vaccines. The plot also touches on corporate greed in capitalizing on public health crises, and legitimate but rare complications or severe reactions to vaccines.

All in all, I was impressed with the way this topic was handled at such a sensitive moment in time. Well done, Dr. Kalla.

An enigmatic title for a tense and twisty thriller!

Four people are dropped off to do maintenance work at an isolated lighthouse on top of a craggy rock. Within 24 hours one of them is missing. A family returns from a house swap vacation to find their house a mess and the visiting American couple nowhere to be found. A police officer, assigned to clearing out old files, finds a link to her husband in one of the files, possibly related to his attempted suicide.

On the face of it, these stories have no relation to each other, but the author weaves them together in a very skillful and memorable way. This is a unique and entertaining thriller. If you are a fan of Nordic thrillers, this is a must read.

Fred Merton and his wife Sheila are a wealthy couple in their 60s, with three grown children, Dan, Catherine and Jenna. On the surface they appear to be a successful, normal upper class family. However, after Easter dinner, someone viciously strangles Sheila and stabs Fred to death in their own home. Suspicion falls on the three children as it emerges that the family was actually quite conflicted and dysfunctional, with Fred using his wealth to control and humiliate his children. As the pressure of the police investigation mounts, very unpleasant aspects of the characters are revealed.

This page-turner reminded me of one of my favourites, Hercule Poirot's Christmas, in which a wealthy tyrant is murdered and his family comes under suspicion. The tension and conflict introduced by Fred's annoying sister Audrey also increases the stakes for everyone involved and adds to the entertainment! Similar to Agnes in The Woman Who Went Overboard, she is the unlikeable, greedy middle-aged woman who is out for herself at any cost.

A highly entertaining read and a definite 5 star.

DI Siv Drummond and her partner DI Ali Carlin investigate an oddly staged murder scene in The Murder in Mallow Cottage, in which the body of a man is placed on the steps of the crematorium with three wreaths placed on it. Then the son of a business woman and vacation rental owner in the town, Henry Kilgore, goes missing while he is in town to celebrate his friend's engagement. Is the motive for these murders based on recent events or do they go back much further in time?

While this is a relatively short and fast-paced novel, just 25 chapters, I struggled to feel invested in the story. I believe this is because I didn't find the main character, Siv Drummond, to be very likeable. She is grieving the loss of her husband and appears to have retreated into a shell, which is understandable. However, I found the descriptions and attitude displayed toward her partner, Ali, to be rather negative and judgmental of his weight and eating habits, verging on fat-shaming. He is supposed to be her colleague and friend, besides being a very engaging character; therefore I don't understand the lack of empathy and kindness toward him. There is also a large number of characters introduced and it became a struggle for me to tell them apart and keep them all straight in my mind.

Ultimately, this just wasn't a satisfying read for me, although a reader who had previously read the first two novels in the series might have a more positive take on it. Thank you to Joffe Books and NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read it.

Dark Roads is set in a Northern British Columbia town in a remote area, accessed by a long stretch of lonely highway. It has a notorious reputation for being the last known whereabouts of missing and/or murdered women.

Hailey McBride has lost her beloved father in a tragic road accident and is now an orphan. She is now living with her aunt, nephew and domineering uncle Vaughn. Vaughn is an aggressive, alpha male cop who limits Hailey's freedom and interferes inappropriately in her life. Until one day Hailey can take it no longer and disappears. Is she another statistic? And who is responsible for the continued disappearance and murders of vulnerable young women?

There were many aspects of this novel that I appreciated, including: the setting and the realistic backstory of Cold Creek BC, the presence of a strong female protagonist in Hailey, who is able to take care of herself, and the accurate depiction of sexist attitudes and treatment of females as well as the hazards women have to negotiate in daily life. The development of the characters was also well done - I truly hated Vaughn, so mission accomplished!

My only complaint would be that part three of the novel was a little too drawn out. The book is divided into three parts - one and two are a reasonable length to tell the story of Hailey and then Beth. However part three does tend to drag a little and could be condensed without losing anything critical to the story.

Overall, this was a well-written, suspenseful novel which I would heartily recommend.

This is the third installment in the series about the Smart women - Pandora, her sister Charlotte, daughter Ursula and their friends, Bridget and Mirabelle. The opening chapters of this book were very promising - quirky (dare I say weird), dark and hilarious. The premise of the novel is that the women journey to a small village to visit Pandora's friend, Lady Marsha Black, and her husband in their bizarre gothic castle to partake in a village "safari" supper. This involves travelling around the village from house to house, with a different course of the meal served in each house. Things take a turn for the worse when a miserable and rainy gale descend upon the village, soaking the supper participants. Then events become more grim as murder victims begin piling up.

The most entertaining character by far is Aunt Charlotte, whose commentary left me cackling and guffawing in my easy chair. A sample: " 'Tony Voyeur, remember? Our resident magician. You'll meet him later. He is doing a very controversial gazpacho.' 'Are we all expected to join in?' Aunt Charlotte looked worried. 'I'm not very nimble.'" The visions and fainting spells experienced by Ursula began to wear on my nerves slightly as the story progressed however, and the friendship dynamics between Bridget, Mirabelle and Pandora were rather confusing since I had not read books one and two. The tone of the book was also rather inconsistent, with the later chapters having a darker and more serious tone than the early chapters. The novel ends rather abruptly, with an obscure reference to events which will presumably occur in the next installment.

Despite some confusion and inconsistencies, I did enjoy The Supper Club Murders and would be interested in reading the earlier books, which might alleviate some of my confusion around Bridget and Mirabelle. My overall impression is that author has not yet struck the right balance between humour, sadness and menace for the Smart women, but I am interested enough to keep reading. Many thanks to Joffe and NetGalley for this entertaining read.

Cindy is 22 years old and just graduated from design school in NYC. She struggled during her final term due to the death of her father, who was her biggest fan and supporter. Now Cindy decides to temporarily move in with her stepmother while she gets her bearings and decides what to do next. Her stepmother Erica is a high-powered TV producer of a hugely successful Bachelor-type reality show, and before long Cindy is a contestant on the show. As the only plus-size woman on the show, Cindy becomes an instant hit with the viewers, who love her. But does the bachelor Henry love her too?

This book is not at all my usual type of read, however it came in my Once Upon a Book Club Box and so I gave it a try. I was not expecting to like it, since I don't read romance novels. However I enjoyed it very much and was pleasantly surprised.

What I enjoyed: Cindy is a very likeable character - kind, funny and hard-working; great messages to the fashion world about the need to create stylish and beautiful clothing for plus size people; and finally - I really appreciated the fact that, while Cindy fell for Henry, she still made good decisions about what was best for her. It is a great message about not sacrificing yourself for the pursuit of a relationship. What I didn't like: nothing!

If you are a reader looking for a palate cleanser from grim and serious murders, or looking for a quick and entertaining read with a positive attitude, then this is it. Definitely a 4/5 Manolos.