The Heiress

       by Rachel  Hawkins

Rachel Hawkins’ latest “gothic thriller” joins a long line of excellent standalones including “The Wife Upstairs,” “Reckless Girls,” and “The Villa.” All well worth your time if you haven’t read them yet. I have loved many of her books but wasn’t sure where “The Heiress” was going and was for some time left wondering what was really going on in this novel. It seemed to move rather slowly for a thriller.  It didn’t take me long to decide that wherever she was going, I was stuck going along for the ride because I became intrigued by the unusual nature of the book.

“The Heiress” unwinds slowly. Most of the characters are obnoxious to say the least. The main character who is also the most agreeable character is Camden who was adopted by a wealthy family and as an adult remembers his time in the household with great distaste verging on hatred. He seems to feel affection for his dead mother Ruby who actually dominates the story. Although Camden inherits his mother’s wealth, he has no interest in returning to his family home until after his uncle dies and he finds that there are many problems with the estate that need his attention. His relatives live in his inherited mansion and seem to live off his money.

 Camden’s wife Jules is fascinated by his wealth and upset that they aren’t taking advantage of all that money. When the point of view switches between those two characters it is obvious that Jules is on a very different page than her husband.

Like most mysteries, especially domestic ones, secrets dominate the plot and everyone in this book has more than their share. It slowly comes out that Camden is carrying around a few and so is Jules. Of course, Ruby has the biggest secrets which are revealed in letters pinned by Ruby to Cam which appear at the end of chapters.

Before her death, Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore was notorious for her bizarre past which included her being kidnapped as a child, having four husbands who died under mysterious circumstances, and adopting a child to which she left the family wealth. Ruby’s still living family members hate Camden and plot to take his inheritance away from him. Both Camdin and Jules are tossed into very murky waters which they must untangle in order to win the battle with Ruby’s family.

“Heiress” definitely joins Hawkins other books as a unexpectedly fun and smart read. If Hawkins follows her current pattern, her next book will probably come out in January 2025.

I am currently reading “The Kind Worth Killing” by Peter Swanson a book that introduces the Henry Kimball series. The third in the series just came out in June which is “A Talent for Murder” and if Swanson continues the pattern of this series, the fourth book will probably come out June 2025.

 

 

 

Every Single Secret

 
       by Christina Dodd

Rowan Winterbourne is hiding from her past in an isolated lighthouse on the California coast. She has been hiding from a powerful drug and arms dealer named Gregory Torval. Torval murdered her mother and father and promised to kill every member of her family. She’s both lonely and frightened, but tough enough to survive and build a business called “The Fixer.” Her clients hire her to “fix” their problems most of which are everyday things like finding gardeners, plumbers, housekeepers, construction workers, and handymen. She prides herself on matching her clients with the proper people who will fix, clean, plant, repair, and most of all listen. For special clients, for an elevated fee, she also finds travel agents, nannies, doctors, and bankers. When one of her favorite clients tells her he is dying and wants her to hire an assassin to kill him, so he won’t suffer, she is shocked but the connections she has from her past allow her to make the call. Her grief regarding her friend’s illness and the shock of having to hire an assassin drives her to make a terrible mistake.

When the unusual happens and someone knocks on her door, Rowan thanks it is the assassin she hired and allows him in and allows him to seduce her. Rowan recognizes her error in judgement and suddenly finds her isolation coming to an end. The person who knocked on the door was not the assassin, but Joe Grantham who claims that he too wants to enact revenge against Torval and demands her help with his own brand of blackmail. Rowan is fascinated by Grantham and tired of hiding. She wants revenge and while Grantham’s plan seems outrageous and likely to get them both killed, she is tired of her isolation and much too interested in Grantham.

 Torval lives on a private island which is not only isolated but well-guarded. Grantham has been invited to Torval’s decadent birthday party on Raptor Island. Grantham brings Rowan as his date which puts her into extreme danger. They both walk a knife’s edge of danger and could die at any time. The tension keeps the reader on edge and the chemistry between Grantham and Rowan keeps you wondering if they survive will Dodd write another book with both of them sharing the spotlight.

It's hard to imagine that Rowan and Joe actually believe they can enact revenge and get off an isolated, guarded island alive, but desperation drives them both and desperation sometimes brings out the best in people. The cast of characters at the party are varied and interesting. Joe remains mysterious, but Rowan is a strong and determined woman with a tragic background. Rowan does find a possible ally on the island but doesn’t know if she can really trust the person. Both Joe and Rowan have learned that telling their secrets could well kill them so getting those secrets out into the open is difficult for both of them.

 Dodd peppered the book with interesting characters, some humor, lots of danger, and thrills. An abundance of secrets are revealed and tension is ramped up pretty high. Once you start reading this book, it is pretty hard to stop!

Dodd went in a slightly different direction in June when she put out a historical mystery which looks unique called "A Daughter of Fair Verona." Another of her mystery novels “Girl Anonymous” is expected to come out in March 2025.

 

Extinction

By Douglas Preston

Douglas Preston dives into Jurassic Park territory with “Extinction.” It is ironic that Michial Crichton’s long-awaited book “Eruption” also just came out. After Crichton’s death in 2008, there has been much speculation regarding his unfinished works and what would be published. With the help of James Patterson, “Eruption” is finally available.

“Extinction” provides the next step up from the Jurassic World concept and takes you to a place that makes you simply shake your head in shock. The book starts out with a double homicide on the grounds of the Erebus Resort. The Resort is located in a 100,000-acre valley in the Colorado Rockies. Guests come to view the de-extinct species that the scientists of Erebus have brought back with genetic manipulation including woolly mammoths, Irish Elk, and giant ground sloths. A billionaire's son and his new wife decide that Erebus would be a perfect location for their honeymoon, but they are immediately murdered in the Erebus back country by what is assumed to be a gang of eco-terrorists. Colorado Bureau of Investigation Agent Frances Cash partners with county sheriff James Colcord to track down the perpetrators.

The newlywed couple’s death appears to be a beheading, but the heads and bodies have disappeared. Cash and Colcord work with Erebus’ security staff and search and rescue people to try to find the bodies. While the science is important in this novel, it is at its heart a mystery novel where Cash and Colcord work to discover why the couple was murdered. What is actually taking place is much more complex than either could have imagined. What Erebus is doing is mind boggling and digging into the truth is dangerous in unexpected ways. Needless to say, long before the truth can be uncovered, many will die.

This novel held my attention from start to finish. I liked Cash and Colcord and their work relationship. Big money and science play important roles in this novel which is a thriller and a mystery novel and a warning.

Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child’s latest Agent Pendergast novel comes out in August 2024 and is called “Angel of Vengeance.” This is the 22^nd book in a series that has remained fascinating and unusual throughout the series. I will be placing a hold on this and look forward to seeing what trouble Agent Pendergast will be heading into.

 

“You Can Die”

By Rebecca Zanetti

Rebecca Zanetti is a prolific author whose works include paranormal romance, romance, and romantic suspense. I’ve only read her Laurel Snow series which I’ve enjoyed. This is the third book in the series which came out first in audio and paperback in 2023 and won’t be in hardcover until September 2024. The fourth book in the series comes out in Oct. 2024.

Laurel Snow is an FBI Special Agent who has gained fame for bringing serial killers to justice. Her own father is a serial offender whom she hasn’t seen in years and is trying to find. Her half-sister is a sociopath who insists that Laurel should stop bringing serial killers to justice and instead join the fun of being one.

Laurel recently opened an FBI office in the Pacific Northwest, specifically in Genesis Valley. Just as she’s settling down in her new location, a series of deaths takes place. They are all men who are found near churches, charities, and counseling centers. All have valentine’s day candy shoved down their throats. When her father is attacked in the same way, the case becomes very personal. While all the dead men appear on the surface to be upstanding citizens, it doesn’t take long to discover that there are secrets hiding under the surface.

Laurel’s love interest is Huck Rivers, a Captain in the Washington State Fish and Wildlife division. While Laurel is an analytical, critical thinker, Huck runs on gut instinct. Laurel has always had problems connecting with people and Huck’s personality offsets some of that distance and helps her connect.

This is an enjoyable, lightweight series to run through. I enjoy the connection between Hank and Laurel. I like seeing her rebuild her life and work into something important despite her insane family.

Order or place on hold at your library or on Libby “You Can Kill” coming out in October.