Deep Freeze by John SandfordVirgil Flowers #10

Title: Deep Freeze

Series: Virgil Flowers #10

Author: John Sandford

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons

Release Date: October 17, 2017 

Class reunions: a time for memories—good, bad, and, as Virgil Flowers is about to find out, sometimes deadly—in this "New York Times" bestselling thriller from John Sandford.

Virgil knows the town of Trippton, Minnesota a little too well. A few years back, he investigated the corrupt—and as it turned out, homicidal—local school board, and now the town’s back in his view with more alarming news: a woman has been found dead, frozen in a block of ice.

There’s a possibility that it might be connected to a high school class of twenty-five years ago. It has a mid-winter reunion coming up. So, wrapping his coat a little tighter, Virgil begins to dig into decades of traumas, feuds, and bad blood. In the process, one thing becomes increasingly clear to him. It’s true what they say - high school can be murder.

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Virgil Flowers is called in to investigate the murder of Gina Hemming. Gina was a very successful woman, which didn’t come as a surprise to anyone, especially since, as a teenager, she was named 1992’s Girl Most Likely to Succeed.

The last time anyone saw Gina was at her home, after a committee meeting for their high school’s twenty-year reunion. Her body was later found in the water, though it’s believed she may have been killed at her house.

Virgil will look into everyone who was there that night to uncover who is responsible for her death. Meanwhile, the governor has asked Virgil's boss to assist with a Mattel investigation—someone is making Barbie and Ken a little too pornographic.

As always with the Virgil Flowers series, there is great dry humor and a good mix of cases to keep this reader entertained.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

Escape Clause by John SandfordVirgil Flowers #9

 

Title: Escape Clause 

Series: Virgil Flowers

Author: John Sandford

Publisher: .P. Putnam's Sons

Release Date: October 18, 2016

Whenever you hear the sky rumble, that usually means a storm. In Virgil Flowers’ case, make that two of them. Welcome to another exceptional thriller from the writer whose books are “pure reading pleasure” (Booklist)

The first storm comes from, of all places, the Minnesota Zoo. Two large, and very rare, Amur tigers have vanished from their cage, and authorities are worried sick that they’ve been stolen to be sold for body parts. Traditional Chinese medicine prizes the parts for home remedies, and people will do extreme things to get what they need. Some of those people are a great deal more extreme than others -- as Virgil is about to find out.

Then there’s the homefront. Virgil’s relationship with his girlfriend Frankie has been getting serious, but when Frankie’s sister Sparkle moves in for the summer, the situation gets complicated. For one thing, her research into migrant workers is about to bring her up against some very violent people who emphatically do not want to be researched.

For another…she thinks Virgil’s cute. “You mess around with Sparkle,” Frankie told Virgil, “you could get yourself stabbed.” He asked: “She carries a knife?” “No, but I do.” Forget a storm – this one’s a tornado.

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One heck of a case!

Two Amur tigers have been taken from the Minnesota Zoo. By the time Virgil Flowers is asked to investigate the abduction, the tigers may already be dead.

There’s a fear that the people who took the tigers plan to kill them and sell their body parts for illegal use in traditional Chinese medicine.

Virgil believes this must have been an inside job. But with very few leads, he knows these endangered animals are running out of time.

As an animal lover, this one was hard to read—but the ending was so satisfying!

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

Deadline by John SandfordVirgil Flowers #8

Title: Deadline 

Series: Virgil Flowers #8

Author: John Sandford

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons

Release Date: October 7, 2014

It's Virgil Flowers! And one of the thrilling novels in the #1 "New York Times" bestselling series.

In Southeast Minnesota, down on the Mississippi, a school board meeting is coming to an end. The board chair announces that the rest of the meeting will be closed, due to a personnel issue. “Issue” is the correct word. It's also an understatement. The proposal up for a vote is whether to authorize the killing of a local reporter. The vote is unanimous, five to zero in favor.

Meanwhile, not far away, Virgil Flowers is helping a friend by looking into a dognapping. It seems to be turning into something much bigger and uglier—a team of dognappers supplying medical labs—when he gets a call from Lucas Davenport. A murdered body has been found—and the victim is a local reporter!

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Two cases at once!

Virgil Flowers is asked by his good friend Johnson Johnson to help track down a dognapping ring. Several dogs have been kidnapped to be sold for lab research, and Virgil can't say no to helping the dogs.

Meanwhile, a local reporter is murdered in Buchanan County, and all clues point to members of the school board. Virgil will have to uncover the motive and the killers before they can dispose of him too!

I love how John Sandford keeps Virgil juggling multiple cases at once. It keeps the action moving, giving neither Virgil nor the readers any downtime.

The best part, of course, is Honus!

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

The Haters by Robyn Harding

Title: The Haters

Author: Robyn Harding

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Release Date: July 2, 2024

The bestselling author of The Party and The Drowning Woman returns with a twisted tale of fame, obsession, and the dark recesses of social media.

Camryn Lane is living her dream. After years of struggle and rejection, her first novel has finally been published. Her editor is happy; her teenage daughter is proud; and her boyfriend and friends are all excited for her. She’s on top of the world—until she receives a disturbing message from an unknown sender.

Rattled by the accusations she finds there, Camryn swallows the sick feeling in her stomach and resolves to put the missive out of her mind. But when she checks her ratings on a popular book site, she finds a scathing one-star review. The reviewer is so articulate and convincing that soon, Camryn’s book is flooded with bad reviews. Could the reviewer be the same person who sent the ugly email? And why do they want to ruin her?

As the online harassment creeps into Camryn’s personal life, she vows to find out who’s behind it. Is it really a disgruntled reader? Or could it be someone she knows? The troll’s actions are escalating, and when the abuse turns deadly, it will take everything Camryn has to unmask the enemy so intent on destroying her—and finally learn why she's being targeted.

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What a gripping thriller!

Camryn Lane’s dream has come true—her first novel, Burnt Orchid, has been published and seems to be on the right path. Then, she receives an email through her author's website from a reader accusing her of using her students' personal problems and secrets in her book. Camryn is shocked by the accusation. She would never exploit the sensitive issues the schoolchildren shared with her and write them into her work. The email deeply affects her, and things only get worse when her book's rating begins to drop after a reviewer tears it apart on a popular book site.

Someone is out to get her. It feels very personal, and as the novel progresses, a growing sense of danger envelops Camryn. She needs to figure out who is targeting her before it’s too late.

The Haters was engrossing. You could tell that Camryn's paranoia was well-founded—someone truly hated her. With multiple red herrings, the novel keeps you on edge. Kudos to the author for keeping us guessing until the very end.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Grand Central Publishing via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder by Kerryn Mayne

 

Title: Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder 

Author: Kerryn Mayne

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Release Date: July 9, 2024

Lenny Marks is excellent at not having a life.

She bikes home from work at exactly 4pm each day, buys the same groceries for the same meals every week, and owns thirty-six copies of The Hobbit (currently arranged by height). The closest thing she has to a friendship is playing Scrabble against an imaginary Monica Gellar while watching Friends reruns.

And Lenny Marks is very, very good at not remembering what happened the day her mother and stepfather disappeared when she was still a child. The day a voice in the back of her mind started whispering, You did this.

Until a letter from the parole board arrives in the mail—and when her desperate attempts to ignore it fail, Lenny starts to unravel. As long-buried memories come to the surface, Lenny’s careful routines fall apart. For the first time, she finds herself forced to connect with the community around her, and unexpected new relationships begin to bloom. Lenny Marks may finally get a life—but what if her past catches up to her first?

Equal parts heartbreaking and heartwarming, Kerryn Mayne’s stunning debut is an irresistible novel about truth, secrets, vengeance, and family lost and found, with a heroine who's simply unforgettable.

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Amazing writing of an incredible character!

Lenny Marks is a primary school teacher. For the most part, she keeps to herself and follows her routines. She buys her groceries at the same market, spends her nights at home watching her favorite show Friends, and plays Scrabble with a fictional Monica Geller. She eats the same meals every week and collects copies of her favorite book, The Hobbit. Lenny doesn't drive; instead, she uses her bike to get around.

Lately, people have been suggesting that she make friends or go to therapy. So, she decides to try making some friends at work and step out of her comfort zone. She is also starting to recall events from her childhood. She grew up in foster care after her mother left when she was eleven, and most of her memories from that time are buried deep in her mind.

As a reader, you can't help but wonder what truly happened to Lenny.

Lenny reminds me of Eleanor Oliphant and Molly Gray. She doesn’t always pick up on social cues, and some people try to take advantage of her— or at least, they think they can.

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder is a real attention-grabber from the start. The added element of a dog that needs saving makes it even more compelling.  A truly entertaining novel. A great debut!

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by St. Martin's Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Beyond Reasonable Doubt by Robert DugoniKeera Duggan #2

Title: Beyond Reasonable Doubt 

Series: Keera Duggan #2

Author: Robert Dugoni

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Release Date: October 22, 2024

A master manipulator accused of murder. An attorney sworn to defend her. Keera Duggan returns in a riveting novel of suspense by New York Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni.

When Jenna Bernstein, disgraced wunderkind CEO of a controversial biotech company, is accused of murdering her former partner and lover, she turns to Seattle attorney Keera Duggan to defend her. Keera is more than a master chess player who brings her intuitive moves into court—she’s Jenna’s childhood friend. But considering their history, Keera knows that where Jenna goes, trouble follows.

Three years earlier, Keera’s father successfully defended Jenna when she was tried for the killing of her company’s chief medical scientist who threatened to go public with allegations of corporate fraud. Keera knows Jenna too well. When she was a kid, Keera saw Jenna for what she a manipulative and frighteningly controlling sociopath. Now, with only circumstantial evidence against Jenna, Keera is willing to bury any trepidation she might have to defend a woman she believes, this time, to be innocent.

As the investigation gets underway and disturbing questions arise, Keera puts her trust in a client who swears nothing but the truth. If this is all just another devious game, Keera might be working to set a murderer free.

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Gripping courtroom thriller!

This is the second book in the Keera Duggan series.

Keera is now working as a defense attorney, having previously been pushed out of the prosecutor's office by her former boss and lover. She now works for her family’s defense law firm, which is still struggling financially, though it's doing a bit better after Keera’s recent win.

When Jenna Bernstein, the CEO of a biotech company, is accused of murder, she asks for Patsy Duggan to defend her once again. Jenna was previously accused of murdering a chief medical scientist a few years back, and at that time, Patsy defended her. However, Patsy is no longer taking cases as first chair—he’s focusing on his struggle with alcoholism. So, it’s up to Keera to decide whether to take the case and defend Jenna.

Keera is unsure whether she wants to take it. She’s known Jenna since they were kids and believes Jenna to be a sociopath, possibly even a psychopath.

Another great addition to the series! The courtroom scenes were thrilling, and Keera’s strategic approach—especially how she applies her knowledge of chess to her cases—was captivating.

The narration by Saskia Maarleveld, as always, is flawless.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

Her Deadly Game by Robert DugoniKeera Duggan #1

 

Title: Her Deadly Game

Series: Keera Duggan #1

Author: Robert Dugoni

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Release Date: March 28, 2023

A defense attorney is prepared to play. But is she a pawn in a master’s deadly match? A twisting novel of suspense by New York Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni.

Keera Duggan was building a solid reputation as a Seattle prosecutor, until her romantic relationship with a senior colleague ended badly. For the competitive former chess prodigy, returning to her family’s failing criminal defense law firm to work for her father is the best shot she has. With the right moves, she hopes to restore the family’s reputation, her relationship with her father, and her career.

Keera’s chance to play in the big leagues comes when she’s retained by Vince LaRussa, an investment adviser accused of murdering his wealthy wife. There’s little hard evidence against him, but considering the couple’s impending and potentially nasty divorce, LaRussa faces life in prison. The prosecutor is equally challenging: Miller Ambrose, Keera’s former lover, who’s eager to destroy her in court on her first homicide defense.

As Keera and her team follow the evidence, they uncover a complicated and deadly game that’s more than Keera bargained for. When shocking information turns the case upside down, Keera must decide between her duty to her client, her family’s legacy, and her own future.

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This is my first book by this author (I know, right?)

Keera Duggan worked for the prosecutor's office and was quite good at her job. However, after a not-so-friendly romantic split with her boss, Miller Ambrose, she left her position and joined her family's firm.

Her father, a famous defense attorney, is an alcoholic, and the firm is in financial jeopardy. They need an influx of money fast, and when Vince LaRussa, an investment adviser, is accused of murdering his disabled wife, Keera becomes his defense attorney.

Keera was a childhood chess prodigy. She used to compete and win, but she gave it all up when her dad showed up drunk at one of her competitions. She still plays chess online, and her latest competitor, the Dark Knight, has reignited her love for the game. Her dad taught her the ropes of chess when she was a kid, and she applies those strategic lessons to her cases. She’s always thinking several steps ahead to win them.

I loved this novel. Keera was a fantastic character, and there was enough family drama to keep me engaged, along with the gripping courtroom drama unfolding simultaneously. Her dad’s alcoholism felt very real, and the impact it had on all his children was portrayed authentically.

As soon as I finish this one, I’ll be starting her next book, which is already available!

Cliffhanger: No

5/5 Fangs