Come Sundown Nora Roberts

Published: Piatkus
Date: 30th May 2017
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Source: Thank you to Hachette Australia
Rating:
                 

Love. Lies. Murder. A lot can happen... COME SUNDOWN

Bodine Longbow loves to rise with the dawn. As the resort manager of her family's resort in Western Montana, there just aren't enough hours in the day - for life, for work, for loved ones. She certainly doesn't have time for love, not even in the gorgeous shape of her childhood crush Callen Skinner, all grown up and returned to the ranch. Then again, maybe Callen can change her mind, given time...

But when a young woman's body is discovered on resort land, everything changes. Callen falls under the suspicion of a deputy sheriff with a grudge. And for Bodine's family, the murder is a shocking reminder of an old loss. Twenty-five years ago, Bodine's Aunt Alice vanished, never to be heard of again. Could this new tragedy be connected to Alice's mysterious disappearance?

As events take a dramatic and deadly turn, Bodine and Callen must race to uncover the truth - before the sun sets on their future together.

All I can say is Nora Roberts does it again with Come Sundown. There is mystery and crime, strong women, a beautiful ranch and resort in Montana, family and friends, romance - all of which combine into making a downright good read.

Bodine - the heroine is a strong, feisty woman and boss, she runs the resort side of the family business really well. She comes from a strong line of women - there's Miss Fancy her great grandmother of 89 years, Cora her grandmother and Maureen her mother. And don't think Miss Fancy sits all day in a rocking chair, don't offend her with that. She can still ride out when she wants over the ranch.  One of the laughs I got from this book was a tee shirt she turned out in one time with a really apt and clever slogan on the front. Not going to spoil it for you though, you just need to come across it.

There is darkness in this novel, Bodine's Aunt Alice went missing, she was a little of the black sheep of the family and had left home to do her thing. However she is taken hostage by a very bad guy and lost to the family. Bodine and her two brothers have never met her or seen her. At times we get the viewpoint of this evil, ugly man and for some that could be off putting. But so far one thing I can say is, Nora Roberts never lets the bad guy win - so hang in there.

These dark spots are juxtaposed against family, life on the ranch and resort. Family bonds are so strong and when Callen rides in on his amazing horse life gets even better. He is a long time friend of Bodine's brother Chase, returning to his place of birth after time in Hollywood training horses. Soon he is very much involved in life on the ranch and resort. And dang it. That horse of his, there is something magical about it.

I love the title of this book and how it relates to the story, won't give it away, but its perfect. At times during the reading I shied away from the ugly, caught my breath at the very emotional points and chuckled at some of the humour that sprang out in places.  

Not A Sound. Heather Gudenkauf

Published: MIRA (Australia)
Date: 1st June 2017
Format: e-ARC
Pages: 304
Genre:Mystery/Thriller
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Rating:
        

When a tragic accident leaves nurse Amelia Winn deaf, she spirals into a depression that ultimately causes her to lose everything that matters — her job, her husband, David, and her stepdaughter, Nora. Now, two years later and with the help of her hearing dog, Stitch, she is finally getting back on her feet. But when she discovers the body of a fellow nurse in the dense bush by the river, deep in the woods near her cabin, she is plunged into a disturbing mystery that could shatter the carefully reconstructed pieces of her life all over again.

As clues begin to surface, Amelia finds herself swept into an investigation that hits all too close to home. But how much is she willing to risk in order to uncover the truth and bring a killer to justice?

From the moment I began reading Not A Sound I was fully into it. Heather Gudenkauf pulled me in with her opening scene, and her writing had me imagining clearly the scenes she was setting. 

The story is told from the viewpoint of Amelia, who is deaf after an accident that was appalling. It was really interesting to be drawn into a deaf person's world, to find out in a new way what they miss out on. I never thought about them not being able to differentiate emotions because they can't hear the tone and inflections of a voice. I found the phone that translates a voice into written text an insight, and the fact a deaf person is unsure of how loud or soft there voice is when speaking.  Amelia is a strong, resilient person, she has known the depths of despair and part of this story is the finding of herself again and taking her place in her world about her.

Her dog Stitch, a service dog, is very much a character too. I liked that he wasn't perfect! He's a flawed character - with good reason! He didn't always do as he was told, but he was very loyal to Amelia, loving and protective and showed how a service dog is so helpful. 

I loved the mystery and the untangling of a crime. At times it was a little scary - but not too much. The story moved along at a very good pace, the clues were slowly revealed as Amelia followed the trail. I felt that Amelia perhaps took on too much and that Jake the detective was a little more out of the picture than he should have been at crucial times.

A very satisfying read, one that had me reaching for the book any moment I had. It may be that I don't read mystery/crime very often, but... it brought back the juicy feeling of reading a good book.

Apprentice in Death. J. D. Robb

Published: Hachette NZ
Date: 6th September 2016
Format: Paperback
Pages: 375
Genre: Crime
Source: Thanks to Hachette NZ
Rating:
                           

The shots came quickly, silently, and with deadly accuracy. Within seconds, three people were dead at Central Park’s ice skating rink. There's a sniper loose on the streets of New York City, and Lieutenant Eve Dallas is about to face one of the toughest and most unsettling cases of her career.

Eve knows tha tonly a handfuul of people could have carried out such an audacious but professional hit. Even more disturbing: this expert in death has an accomplice. Someone is being trained in the science of killing - and they have a terrifying agenda of their own. With a city shaken to its core, Eve and her team are forced to hunt not one but two killers. Worse still - the talented young apprentice has developed an insatiable taste for murder....

In #43 of the In Death series we find Eve and her team dealing with a long range laser rifle murderer. The book opens with a chilling killing at a ice skating rink. Soon Eve is asking why, who was the target among those who are dead and where did the shots come from?  And knowing Eve we know she is going to hunt down the answers and the murderer. However will she do it before that laser rifle is used again?

The story is all the more chilling because of the shootings we have seen on our TV screens in our world of today. In this science fiction story there is a deadly killer at work. It turns out it is an apprentice, and Eve is thrown into thinking about her own teachers and those she has mentored. However there is good and bad in the world and there is choice. Some choose to learn to foster good and some are so twisted and evil. 

With ruthlessness and objectivity Eve follows up on every detail, ready to put her own body on the line when necessary. She has her usual team there for support - especially Peabody and Roarke. She sets traps, makes wily use of some of her friends... and of course she gets her target. In a way it is formulaic, but each time it is clever and entertaining as we watch Eve at work.

I enjoyed seeing Eve being really aware of how important friendships have become for her, and when some of them are put in a little jeopardy it cuts to her heart. I also loved how the development of her new office at home rounds out and the continuing love of Roarke.

A little light relief is provided by little one year old Bella who totally adores her birthday gift from Eve and Roarke and who shows even as a one year old the goodness that can abide in a heart, in contrast to the deadly killer. 

Ah yes, J. D. Robb does it again.

Missing Pieces. Heather Gudenkauf

Missing Pieces
Heather Gudenkauf
Published: Harlequin Australia MIRA
Date: 1st February 2016
Format: e-ARC
Pages: 288
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Rating:
                           

Sarah Quinlan's husband, Jack, has been haunted for decades by the untimely death of his mother when he was just a teenager, her body found in the cellar of their family farm, the circumstances a mystery. For years Jack has avoided returning home, but when his beloved aunt Julia is in an accident, Jack and Sarah are forced to confront the past that they have long evaded.

Upon arriving, Sarah and Jack are welcomed by the family Jack left behind all those years ago. But as facts about Julia’s accident begin to surface, Sarah realizes that nothing about the Quinlans is what it seems. Sarah dives deep into the puzzling rabbit hole of Jack’s past, but the farther in she climbs, the harder it is for her to get out. And soon she is faced with a deadly truth she may not be prepared for.

Right from the beginning Missing Pieces sucked me in. From an idyllic country setting to a sinister murder in the first few pages. And when we cut to Jack and his wife Sarah, it doesn't add up. Jack is not telling anywhere near the truth of that day, and Sarah has long been kept in the dark. A long time, because they have two college age daughters. 

When they return to Iowa because Jack's Aunt Julia is lying in hospital after a fall down the stairs, Sarah begins to find little cracks appearing. She realises Jack has kept her very much in the dark. He's told Sarah his parents died in a car crash. And as the reader you know that's untrue and have to ask - why? Just as Sarah does. Then there is his sister Amy, who is having problems, seems highly anxious and unhinged.  As well there is Jack's cousin Dean and his wife Celia, and aren't those two just another little item that Jack has been keeping quiet about. It's all very creepy and suspicious.

So who has done it? Who has murdered Jack's mother? And what of Aunt Julia. Accident or Murder? We definitely know "that something is rotten in the state of Denmark Penny Gate, Iowa".

Sarah seeks the truth, all the time becoming more unsure of Jack and their marriage. As a journalist she takes risks and sifts through material that might give her clues. Can she do all that before the murderer strikes again? 

A few small clues are dropped but I have to say when the final revelation came I had not put that person at the top of my suspect list. 

This one had me reading on for sure, a creepy 'who dun it' that I raced through.

 

Frantic. Katherine Howell

Frantic
Katherine Howell
Published: Pan Macmillan 2007
Format: Paperback (large)
Pages: 282
Genre: Suspense/Thriller
Source: Public Library

In one terrible moment, paramedic Sophie Phillips’ life is ripped apart – her police officer husband, Chris, is shot on their doorstep and their ten-month-old son, Lachlan, is abducted from his bed. Suspicion surrounds Chris as he is tainted with police corruption, but Sophie believes the attack is much more personal – and the perpetrator far more dangerous...

While Chris is in hospital and the police, led by Detective Ella Marconi, mobilise to find their colleague's child, Sophie's desperation compels her to search for Lachlan herself. She enlists her husband's partner, Angus Arendson, in the hunt for her son, but will the history they share prove harmful to Sophie's ability to complete her mission?<

And could one dangerous decision cause Sophie to ultimately lose everything important in her life?

This book was definitely Frantic! From the get go it was full of action and my head was whirling with all the possible links and who were the baddies and who were the goodies!  While this is the story of Sophie and her husband Chris,  this book is the beginning of a series in which Detective Ella Marconi is the returning character in each.  Okay I have sneak peeped at some of the blurbs of the rest of the books in the series, to get some idea of how she might develop. I'm hooked.

Sophie is a paramedic and really caring and compassionate, I would be a patient in her ambulance with absolute trust.  However she is a mother too, and will do anything to get her son back when he goes missing.  I mean anything! Her husband Chris is being secretive and their relationship is going through a bit of a rough patch. 

There are  a wealth of other characters both police and medical.  Enough to cloud my being able to pick out how things might be related and who was involved in murder and baby snatching.  I did like Ella Marconi - a woman in her early forties, from the brief description she is nothing remarkable to look at.  She has been given a raw deal by the police higher ups and she is keen to get her teeth into this intriguing case she has been invited into.  I look forward to seeing how her life develops over the series.

This was a very well written book, the details are very realistic, as Katherine Howell was a paramedic for fifteen years, she is able to capture the life of paramedics and police working together wonderfully well.  The book is set in Sydney and I enjoyed that, I have only spent a week there, so I don't have a lot of knowledge of the place, but I could bring to mind some of the places which added to the enjoyment of the book for me.

Detective Ella Marconi series 

1. Frantic

2. The Darkest Hour

3. Cold Justice

4. Violent Exposure

5. Silent Fear

6 Web of Deceit

7. Deserving Death