The Swallows by Lisa Lutz

 

Title: The Swallows
Author: Lisa Lutz
Genre: Fiction, Contemporary
Series: N/A
Hardcover, 399 pages
Publication: August 13, 2019 by Ballantine Books
Source: Personal, Audiobook
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It starts with this simple writing prompt from Alex Witt, Stonebridge Academy's new creative writing teacher. When the students' answers raise disturbing questions of their own, Ms. Witt knows there's more going on the school than the faculty wants to see. She soon learns about The Ten--the students at the top of the school's social hierarchy--as well as their connection to something called The Darkroom.

Ms. Witt can't remain a passive observer. She finds the few girls who've started to question the school's "boys will be boys" attitude and incites a resistance that quickly becomes a movement. But just as it gains momentum, she also attracts the attention of an unknown enemy who knows a little too much about her--including what brought her to Stonebridge in the first place.

Meanwhile, Gemma, a defiant senior, has been plotting her attack for years, waiting for the right moment. Shy loner Norman hates his role in the Darkroom, but can't find the courage to fight back until he makes an unlikely alliance. And then there's Finn Ford, an English teacher with a shady reputation who keeps one eye on his literary ambitions and one on Ms. Witt.

As the school's secrets begin to trickle out, a boys-versus-girls skirmish turns into an all-out war, with deeply personal--and potentially fatal--consequences for everyone involved. Lisa Lutz's blistering, timely tale shows us what can happen when silence wins out over decency for too long--and why the scariest threat of all might be the idea that sooner or later, girls will be girls.

I’ve been a longtime fan and lover of Lutz’s work. I was first introduced to her writing with The Spellman Files back in 2009 and have gone on to read more within the same series. Lutz has written many standalone novels since and while I own all of them, I sadly haven’t gotten around to reading any of it. I was determined to remedy that this year (I know, we’re at the end of the year) and picked up her latest novel, The Swallows. I was intrigued and am a sucker for stories that takes place at private/boarding schools.

The Swallows is a departure from Lutz previous work, The Spellmans Files. The Spellmans Files is what I’d called hilarious light-hearted mystery while the Swallows still a mystery at its core; is darker, cutthroat, and holds nothing back. I was absolutely riveted. With little time for reading these days, I opted for the audiobook version and was delighted to find out the book had multiple narrators. Which was perfect considering there were many POVs in the novel from faculties to students. Without going too much into spoiler territory, The Swallows follows Alex Witt, a new teacher at a New England Prep School. She’s one of those cool, doesn’t take shit kind-of-teachers. She’s straightforward and doesn’t tolerate bullying/injustice which is how she discovered that the prep school is more sinister than it looks.

What was discover was that behind the prestigious façade and crisp uniforms, a few male students were behind what is called the ‘dark web’, an online portal housing everyone’s dirty secrets and among other things that shouldn’t be going on, let alone in the dark. Witt's presence gave the female students the push to delve deeper into the 'dark web', so much so, that the girls were out for a change, a reckoning that eventually changed the foundation and hierarchy of the entire school and all those that reside there.

I enjoyed The Swallows much more than I anticipated. Thanks to the vague synopsis and no reviews read, I was able to go into the novel completely unaware of what it was about. I wasn’t expecting a war amongst the female and male students. Lutz tackled school taboos that most are too afraid of touching such as sexism amongst faculties and students those among their superiors and peers, school ethics, and teacher-student relationships.

I loved the change of power dynamics and seeing those deemed as victims take their power back. It's very current and mirrors our own reality with the whole METOO movement. The writing/storytelling was impeccable as always. But the ending. Just when I thought I saw all the twists and turns, Lutz hits readers with another double whammy! The ending literally had me clasping my mouth in utter shocked. I love those kinds of unexpected shocks.

All in all, The Swallows was another satisfying novel from Lutz. With this novel, Lutz has shown me she can write anything from comedy, suspense and everything in-between. If you haven't checked out her work yet, I highly recommend it! 

 



Too Close by Natalie Daniels

Title: Too Close
Author: Natalie Daniels
Genre: Mystery, Suspense
Series: N/A

Paperback, 320 pages
Publication: July 30, 2019 by Harper Paperback

Source: I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

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How close do you get before it’s too late…?

Working as a dedicated forensic psychiatrist for many years, Emma is not shocked so easily. Then she is assigned to work with Connie, a wife and mother accused of a despicable crime. Connie is suffering from dissociative amnesia—or at least seems to be.

Now it is up to Emma to decide whether Connie can stand trial for her sins. But there is something about Connie that inexorably pulls Emma into her orbit. Perhaps it is the way she seems to see right through Emma, speaking to Emma’s deepest insecurities about her life, marriage, and her own tragic past. And soon Emma begins to understand how Connie’s complicated marriage and toxic relationship with her beautiful best friend Ness could have driven Connie to snap—or maybe, she is simply getting too close to a woman who is unforgivable…

Alternating between the two women’s points of view, before and after Connie’s breakdown, Too Close is a masterfully written page turner about the powerful—yet dangerous—closeness between women.

No one wants to wake up in a mental institution, certainly not our heroine, Connie who wakes up in one with no recollection on how or why she is there. But she knows it’s something big and important. Connie’s life changed the moment she met Vanessa ‘Ness’ in the park and struck up an unlikely friendship that would entwine both of their lives.

Right from the start, we know that Connie has done a terrible deed. So terrible that it caused amnesia or a state of disassociation. The story jumps between the present and past as readers unravel the mystery of Connie’s mind and what made a seemingly ordinary middle-class mother crack. There are kind of three narratives, the two main one are of Connie and Emma ‘Dr. R’, the therapist assigned to her case and in-between we also get Connie’s daughter diary entries.

Too Close was packaged and promoted as a psychological thriller but I don’t think thriller would be an accurate description; it’s more of a psychological mystery…in the same vein as Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train or Simple Favor. Per the synopsis and opening chapters, I thought this was about a housewife obsession with her new friend or the main heroine finding out she’s falling for a woman but Too Close surprised me when it didn’t go down the obvious route. Although, Connie did have a unhealthy obsession with Ness, revolving her and her family’s life around Ness. Which is to say I wasn’t quite surprised at the turn of events the book took.

Daniels did a great job in keeping me glued to the pages. Too Close gave us an in-depth look at the effect of drugs and mental illness on the human psyche. I thought Connie was an incredibly interesting character, she was brilliant as she was terrifying. Humans are a unique species and this book showed how much damage one can take and that we have the ability to do wondrous and heinous things beyond what we believe we are capable of.

I enjoyed Too Close immensely. And I especially loved seeing the development of the unconventional and surprising, blossoming friendship between Connie and her psychologist Emma. Daniels has written a realistic, well-thought out heart-wrenching and at time humorous tale featuring two strong, independent women battling their own demons. I highly recommend Too Close, a story of friendship, family, betrayal, secret, mental illness, and self-destruction.

#Murdertrending by Gretchen McNeil

Title: #Murdertrending
Author: Gretchen McNeil
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense
Series: N/A

Hardcover, 352 Pages
Publication: August 7, 2018 by Freeform

Source: I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

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WELCOME TO THE NEAR FUTURE, where good and honest 8/18 citizens can enjoy watching the executions of society’s most infamous convicted felons, streaming live on The Postman app from the suburbanized prison island Alcatraz 2.0.

When eighteen-year-old Dee Guerrera wakes up in a haze, lying on the ground of a dimly lit warehouse, she realizes she’s about to be the next victim of the app. Knowing hardened criminals are getting a taste of their own medicine in this place is one thing, but Dee refuses to roll over and die for a heinous crime she didn’t commit. Can Dee and her newly formed posse, the Death Row Breakfast Club, prove she’s innocent before she ends up wrongfully murdered for the world to see? Or will The Postman’s cast of executioners kill them off one by one?

#Murdertrending is pitched as The Purge meets Scream meets The Hunger Games, which I must say is an appropriate and accurate description. McNeil throws readers right into the fray as our main character, Dee, wakes up imprisoned on the infamous game show app island Alcatraz 2.0 for murdering her sister. An island full of convicts; whom are hunted by a group of sadistic killers. The popular show has a cult following of millions of viewers that are watching 24/7 but what they don’t know is that these convicts are actually not convicts at all and it’s up to Dee to expose the truth and to find her sister’s murderer.

#Murdertrending is a Young Adult novel but McNeil doesn’t shy away from the gruesome details…if you thought The Hunger Games was gory and brutal, then you haven’t seen anything yet. The concept of the novel is by no means new, hence the comparisons mentioned in the previous paragraph. But McNeil still created an engaging story with distinct characters full of twist and turns. To make this book even more relevant to our day and age, readers will find conversation threads/Chatroom-IM from viewers to see their point-of-view on what is happening on the show. I really liked the addition; it was fun reading everyone reactions and hypothesis.

Dee was a good but not unique main character. I thought her falling into her role as Cinderella Survivor and dispatching seasoned killers was far too easy and unrealistic. The other characters that Dee end up meeting on the island while all distinct, all played into their basic roles; we had the hot babe, the jock, the nerd and the introvert which can be found in most stories in some form or another. All good of course, but in my opinion it could have been better or more fleshed out. While some things were cliche or predictable, the mystery was executed perfectly and the twist at the end was a pleasant surprise because I definitely didn’t see it coming. All in all, I enjoyed #Murdertrending, it was a quick and light read. I would certainly recommend this book for the older audience of YA (16-18 years old). 

Sycamore by Bryn Chancellor

Title: Sycamore
Author: Bryn Chancellor 
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery
Series: N/A

Hardcover, 336 Pages
Publication: May 9, 2017 by Harper

Source: I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

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Out for a hike one scorching afternoon in Sycamore, Arizona, a newcomer to town stumbles across what appear to be human remains embedded in the wall of a dry desert ravine. As news of the discovery makes its way around town, Sycamore’s longtime residents fear the bones may belong to Jess Winters, the teenage girl who disappeared suddenly some eighteen years earlier, an unsolved mystery that has soaked into the porous rock of the town and haunted it ever since. In the days it takes the authorities to make an identification, the residents rekindle stories, rumors, and recollections both painful and poignant as they revisit Jess’s troubled history. In resurrecting the past, the people of Sycamore will find clarity, unexpected possibility, and a way forward for their lives.

Skillfully interweaving multiple points of view, Bryn Chancellor knowingly maps the bloodlines of a community and the indelible characters at its heart—most notably Jess Winters, a thoughtful, promising adolescent poised on the threshold of adulthood. Evocative and atmospheric, Sycamore is a coming-of-age story, a mystery, and a moving exploration of the elemental forces that drive human nature—desire, loneliness, grief, love, forgiveness, and hope—as witnessed through the inhabitants of one small Arizona town. 

Every year there comes one book. One book that is surprising, brilliant, captivating, unputdownable and a must read of the year. And while I’ve read plenty of great novels this year, Sycamore is without a doubt the must read book of 2017. Sycamore is a complex, multifaceted mystery centered around a small town and the disappearance of Jess Winters, a teenager that went missing eighteen years earlier, in the winter of 1991.

With the discovery of bones, Chancellor takes readers on a dark, poignant look at adulthood and the life of adolescence. The book is narrated by an amazing cast of realistic and intriguing characters alternating between the past and present. The past is narrated by none-other then our girl, Jess Winters. We learn of her life upon arriving to Sycamore and all the way up to the day she disappeared. The present is narrated by everyone that knew Jess and who were affected by her one way or another and the newcomer that discovered the mystery set of bones while on a hike; which may or may not be of Jess Winters, the girl that has haunted the town over the years.

I know this is repetitive, me saying this, but I am not a fan of multiple narration. And Sycamore is full of multiple narration. However, I thought it fit this book perfectly. It just worked, and I honestly cannot see it any other way. We got a through and in-depth look at each and everyone’s life, how everyone was before Jess disappeared and after. We got to see first hand, at what one supposedly harmless secret can do; and how it can trigger a chain reaction that those caught in the cross-hair can feel the consequences years down the road. Chancellor’s writing captivated me from the first page and I was on pins and needles as the mystery unfolded till the very end. As the saying goes ‘though all good thing comes to an end’ but I didn’t want the story to be over. I just wanted to soak myself into the story.

The mystery was never much a mystery. But that didn’t stop me from wanting to know how everything played out. The real mystery and best part of the book were the characters that Chancellor so expertly described and brought to life. All the characters had their own distinct voice. I truly felt as if I could see, experience and feel what they felt. The real mystery was the inhabitants of Sycamore. At the start of the book, we see everyone as a relationship to Jess. Dani, Jess’s best friend, Paul, Jess’s boss’s son, Maud, Jess’s mom etc. As the story developed, we saw past everyone’s appearance and labels, to see that everyone had their own secrets, fears, doubts, hopes and dreams…just like Jess had.

The mystery of Sycamore and Jess Winters will pique your interest, but the characters will make you stay. Chancellor’s debut is truly magnificent and the writing is lyrical and poetic. If you can read one book this year, let it be Sycamore. Seriously, pick this book up now, you won’t regret it. Even if you’re not really a fan of mystery or suspense, this book will certainly change that. I absolutely loved Sycamore, it is a literary masterpiece and I know for certain that this book will stay with me for a very long, long time.

The Last Harvest by Kim Liggett

Title: The Last Harvest
Author: Kim Liggett
Genre: Horror, Young Adult
Series: N/A

Hardcover, 352 Pages
Publication: January 10, 2017 by Tor Teen

Source: I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

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“I plead the blood.”

Those were the last words seventeen-year-old golden boy quarterback Clay Tate heard rattling from his dad's throat when he discovered him dying on the barn floor of the Neely Cattle Ranch, clutching a crucifix to his chest.

Now, on the first anniversary of the Midland, Oklahoma slaughter, the whole town's looking at Clay like he might be next to go over the edge. Clay wants to forget the past, but the sons and daughters of the Preservation Society—a group of prominent farmers his dad accused of devil worship—won't leave him alone. Including Ali, his longtime crush, who suddenly wants to reignite their romance after a year of silence, and hated rival Tyler Neely, who’s behaving like they’re old friends.

Even as Clay tries to reassure himself, creepy glances turn to sinister stares and strange coincidences build to gruesome rituals—but when he can never prove that any of it happened, Clay worries he might be following his dad down the path to insanity...or that something far more terrifying lies in wait around the corner.

It’s been awhile since I’ve read a good horror story, and The Last Harvest fit the bill perfectly. The Last Harvest takes place in a small town in Oklahoma involving teens, a secret society, nightmares and visions, and a prophecy…which happens to be everything I like in a story! Liggett hooked me in within the first chapter, building on the creep factor as we flashback briefly to the night Clay’s dad died. The Last Harvest paid homage to old school horror, classic horror where we get a sense of something ominous coming, it’s a steady and gradual build, like the perfect slow burn before the big reveal. Liggett nailed everything about this book, from the plot, the setting, to the realistic and relatable characters.

If you’re the squeamish type, then this book might not be for you. Liggett spectacularly details all the horrible and gory things that happened to the people around Clay and it’s pretty graphic at time. Liggett also did an amazing job crafting and incorporating the religious aspects to the story. Although, at first I thought that it sounded too preachy but as the story progressed, I realized that she wasn’t being preachy at all; that this is exactly what the story needed and in my opinion all the better for it.

There was a lot to like about Clay. Before his father’s death he had it all, the girl, popularity, a football star, basically the town’s favorite. But the year after his dad died, it was as if everything was stripped from him. He and his family became outcasts, the black sheeps of the town. I admired Clay for stepping up and putting everything aside to support his family; even going as far as saving all his money to put his youngest sister through a private school. The other 6th generation of the Preservation Society were all very well fleshed out and developed. Although, readers will only come to know a little more than what’s on the surface when it comes to Clay, Ali and Tyler. I still thought Liggett made every one uniquely their own and most importantly still memorable enough in terms of secondary/tertiary characters.

The Last Harvest exceeded all my expectations. It is the best horror story I’ve read in a long time and the best, most shocking twisted endings I’ve read in years! Liggett throws readers in for a loop, with twist after twist and just when you thought you knew everything…she proves you wrong. Oh so wrong. I never would have guessed that ending if you gave me a bunch of chances. It completely surprised me, and to me, those are the best story, the best kind of endings. I know I used the word ‘best’ about 5 times in a paragraph…but it’s just that kind of book! I highly recommend checking out The Last Harvest, you won’t be disappointed!

Vicarious by Paula Stokes

Title: Vicarious 
Author: Paula Stokes
Genre: Sci-Fi Thriller
Series: Vicarious #1

Hardcover, 336 pages
Publication: August 1 6, 2016 By Tor Books

Source: I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

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Winter Kim and her sister, Rose, have always been inseparable. Together, the two of them survived growing up in a Korean orphanage and being trafficked into the United States.

Now they work as digital stunt girls for Rose’s ex-boyfriend, Gideon, engaging in dangerous and enticing activities while recording their neural impulses for his Vicarious Sensory Experiences, or ViSEs. Whether it’s bungee jumping, shark diving, or grinding up against celebrities at the city’s hottest dance clubs, Gideon can make it happen for you, for a price.

When Rose disappears and a ViSE recording of her murder is delivered to Gideon, Winter won’t rest until she finds her sister’s killer. But when the clues she uncovers conflict with the neural recordings her sister made, Winter isn’t sure what to believe. To find out what happened to Rose, she’ll have to untangle what’s real from what only seems real, risking her life in the process.

I must say, I am really impressed with the crop of Young Adults novels I’ve been reading lately. Zero complaints here. Vicarious had everything I looked for in a book: a strong heroine, interesting and engaging plot and great world building. Check, check and check. While Vicarious is a Young Adult novel, it tackled a lot of serious issues/mature content, grabbed straight from the real world news; all dark and disturbing….none of the usual stuff/fluff we see in most YA books these days. I requested this book from the publisher after reading the synopsis since it piqued my interest but it passed my expectations and wildest imagination. Vicarious took me completely by surprised and to me, those are the best kind of books.

Vicarious at its core is a murder mystery/whodunit type of story. Winter’s sister Rose went missing and the next day a vise of her supposed death appears. Vise stands for Vicarious Sensory Experience. It’s a high-tech video that enables those that view it to see from the recorder’s point-of-view and feel exactly what they felt in that exact moment. Winter and her sister Rose are stunt recorders. They do crazy outrageous things that people are too scared to do or can only dream of doing such as sky-diving, out running the police, dance with the hottest celebrities, walk a fashion runway or swimming with sharks. If you can dream/think it, then they can make it happen for you…for a price.

I thought Stokes world building was straightforward, it wasn’t overly complex but it wasn’t simplistic either. Everything was just enough to be and feel believable. My favorite part of the Vises is when Winter was going over Rose’s Vise memory chips. It was interesting to see Winter experience what’s it like to be in Rose’s shoes…since they were the complete opposite. Winter is a daredevil; she vises high-risk stunts that are life threatening while Rose vises what it’s like to be in the hottest night club/events or sleeping/hooking up with different people. Talk about polar opposites.

Winter had a horrible childhood, a nightmare really…she was one of the many girls that got kidnapped/sold into human trafficking. After much physical and mental abuse, she and her sister were saved by Gideon her current guardian and employer. Stokes did an amazing job incorporating real life problems within the story and her characters, without it being all in your face. Readers are able to enjoy the story itself but they're also being educated about a serious issue that is occurring everyday all over the world. Winter is a severely damaged victim of human trafficking and readers see how it affected every integral part of her being and how she socializes with people around her. Despite all that I thought Winter was a great character. She’s strong, raw and real. She has a no-nonsense attitude and will tell things like it is. What I like most about her is she always conquers her fear, always running straight at it rather than away. She’s as real as it gets.

As Winter got closer to solving her sister’s murder things got more crazy and complicated. The revelation toward the end was mind blowing! There were endless twist and turns; just one after another that turned everything you thought you knew on its head. Vicarious had the best twists I’ve read in a long time. Read this! I can't recommend this book enough, you will not be disappointed! All in all, Vicarious was one trippy rollercoaster that had me at the edge of my seat wondering who killed Rose Kim the entire time.  I'm super excited to hear that this is a duology, because  I can’t wait to read the next book and see what's in store for Winter! 

[Series Spotlight] Kate Page Series by Rick Mofina + Excerpt

Today's series spotlight is on Rick Mofina's fourth installment in the Kate Page series, FREE FALL. Free Fall follows Kate, a reporter determine to uncover the truth behind the flight tragedies that has been occurring all over the world, certain they weren't accidents.

The Kate Page series is a Mystery Thriller with heart-pounding action-suspense that will keep readers at the edge of their seats!  To learn more about the series and author, check out the post below! 

Kate Page #4 

Publication: July 26, 2016 by Mira
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CRISIS IN THE SKIES

Pilots with no control…High above the Adirondack Mountains, a commuter flight to New York City turns into a rolling, twisting nightmare, plunging from the sky before the crew regains control. Then, in London, a jetliner crashes into the runway, killing fifteen people.

Investigators with no answers…  Reporter Kate Page believes something beyond mechanical—or human—error is behind the incidents that have air investigators baffled. But the mystery deepens as teams scramble to pinpoint a link between the tragedies, and Kate receives an untraceable message from someone boasting responsibility and threatening another event.

A looming disaster…As Kate, the FBI and the NTSB race to find answers, the shadow figures behind the operation launch their most devastating plan yet, and time ticks down on one of the greatest tragedies the world has ever known.

EXCERPT

1

You’re not going to die today.

Kayla repeated her prayer as the boarding call for her flight at Buffalo Niagara International Airport was announced. 
Her thoughts raced as she clutched her boarding pass and ID while inching through the line to Gate 20. 
After the gate agent had cleared her, Kayla felt Logan’s reassuring hand on her shoulder as they walked along the jetway to their plane.

“You’re gonna be fine,” he said.

She offered him a weak smile. Drawing on the advice she’d absorbed from her motivational books and recordings, 
she fought her fear of flying by repeating her mantra.

I can do this. I’ve faced worse.

The jet was a new-model regional aircraft with eighty-six passenger seats, and today’s flight was full. 
Their seats were in the fourteenth row on the left side. Logan took the aisle. Kayla took the window.

After they’d stowed their bags overhead Kayla buckled her belt and continued battling her anxiety by attacking her scariest thoughts.
This plane is not going to crash. I’m safe. My boyfriend’s with me.
Logan took her hand in his and tried to calm her.

The jet’s door was shut and locked. The attendants ensured the overhead bin doors were closed
 and seats and trays were up as the plane pushed back from the gate.
 The cabin lights flickered as the engines came on and the plane taxied out.
“Logan, the wings are bouncing.”

“It’s okay. They’re built to flex like that. It’s normal.”
As the attendants gave safety demonstrations about seat belts, 
flotation devices and emergency exits, for use “in the unlikely event…” 

Kayla heard the hydraulic moan of the flaps as they were adjusted by the pilot. 
The plane turned then stopped for several moments. 
As the engines whined louder another chime sounded.
“Attendants, prepare for takeoff.”

The knot in Kayla’s stomach tightened as the plane began rolling down the runway, 
slowly at first, gaining speed then accelerating faster, the ground blurring beneath them. 
Kayla struggled to control her breathing as the jet’s nose rose before she heard a thud 
when the weight lifted from the landing gear and the plane left the ground.
The thrust was overwhelming as the force of the climb pushed her into her seat. 
Kayla heard the groan and bump of the landing gear’s retraction. 
She squeezed Logan’s hand, shutting her eyes for a moment. 
Somehow, she found the strength to peek down at the earth, 
the expressways, buildings and suburbs rapidly shrinking below.

I can do this. I can do this.

As the plane leveled off, Kayla took a deep breath to calm herself, and the flight attendant 
made a series of announcements about keeping seat belts fastened, using electronic devices and 
the upcoming in-flight refreshment service.
Not long after they’d received their drinks there was another announcement.

“This is Captain Raymond Matson with First Officer Roger Anderson. 
On behalf of our entire crew, welcome aboard EastCloud Flight Forty-nine Ninety. 
Very shortly we’ll reach our cruising altitude of twenty-seven thousand feet. 
Everything’s looking good. We have no weather ahead of us and no traffic jams at LaGuardia,
so we expect a very smooth flight arriving on time.
We should have you in New York at the gate in about an hour and ten minutes.”
“There you go,” Logan said. “It’ll be over before you know it.”

Kayla nodded and sipped her drink.

“Hey, smile,” he said, pointing his phone at her. “I’m making a documentary of your first flight.”
Kayla waved.

“I’m really doing it. I’m flying. I’m nervous but I’m doing it.”

Then she turned to her window to take in the view below.

“It’s so pretty down there. Where are we?”

“I think we’re over the Catskill Mountains,” Logan said.

“Oh, I’ve got to take a picture.”

Kayla held up her phone to the window but it flew from her hand and her seat belt cut deep into her as the plane suddenly rolled hard, 
the right wing tipping toward the ground as if the jet was flipping over.
Bodies bumped over seats as people not belted were tossed to the right wall, 
along with laptops, backpacks and purses amid shrieks and loud bangs as items thudded and hammered in the overhead bins. 
The service trolley crashed into passengers in the right rows, spilling hot coffee and raining down cans of soda and juice.

The jet froze with its wings in a twelve-and-six-o’clock position.
Kayla clawed at Logan, locking her arms around him as people screamed, cursed and prayed.
Then the plane lurched hard to the left with the left wing pointing directly to the earth.
Again, bodies flew through the cabin, slamming against other passengers, the wall and the overhead luggage bins. 
The bin doors opened and luggage tumbled like boulders along the left row.
Logan reached out to grab an older woman who’d fallen into them but she slipped from his grip as the jet suddenly rolled right until it was almost level.

Now it began dropping, banking downward, as if it would spiral out of control. Passengers yelled and screamed,
some calling out to God before the crew regained control and finally leveled the plane.

“Please, please, let this be over,” Kayla whispered through her tears.

In the aftermath, the attendants, despite being hurt and bleeding, took charge. 
Even as the sounds of crying and moaning passengers filled the plane, people began helping each other. 
Kayla thrust her face into Logan’s chest, slid her arms around him and sobbed, 
feeling his heart beating rapidly against her face.

Logan held her tight as the jet resumed a smooth flight.

Kayla prayed for the plane to land.

Get us back on the ground! Please, God, get us back on the ground!
Her cheek twitched as something wet and warm splashed on her skin; 
one drop then another. As she pulled back, she saw blood dripping down on them from the little boy 
who’d been contorted into the open luggage bin above them. 

Kate Page #1

An anguished mother loses her baby in a deadly storm…
A kind stranger helps Jenna Cooper protect her baby boy when a killer tornado rips through a Dallas flea market. But in the aftermath, Jenna can't find her son or the woman who'd been holding him.

A journalist under pressure breaks the story…
Upon discovering the tragedy, reporter and single mom Kate Page, battling for her career and trying to hold her life together, vows to determine what happened to tiny Caleb Cooper.

A vortex of life-and-death forces…
As the FBI launches an investigation amid the devastation, Kate uncovers troubling clues to the trail of the woman last seen with the baby—clues that reveal a plot more sinister than anybody had imagined. Against mounting odds, Kate risks everything in the race to find the truth…before it's too late.

Kate Page #2

Deep in the woods of upstate New York a woman flees a blazing barn. She is burned beyond recognition, and her dying words point police to a labyrinth of "confinement rooms"-rooms designed to hold human beings captive-where they make other chilling discoveries.

In Manhattan, Kate Page, a single mom and reporter with a newswire service, receives a heart-stopping call from a detective on the case. A guardian angel charm found at the scene fits the description of the one belonging to Kate's sister, Vanessa, who washed away after a car crash in a mountain river twenty years ago.

Kate Page #3

Terror claws into the lives of an American family… 

On a quiet night in their tranquil suburban home, the Fulton family awakens to a nightmare. Four armed men force bank manager Dan Fulton to steal a quarter million dollars from his branch—strapping remote-detonation bombs on him, his wife, Lori, and their young son. 

A relentless reporter discovers an agonizing secret… 

The FBI moves swiftly with a major investigation while Kate Page, a reporter with a newswire service, digs deep into the story. In the wake of the Fulton family's abduction, questions emerge, including one of the most troubling: is the case linked to Lori Fulton's tragic past? 

Time ticks down on a chilling plan… 

Working as fast as they can, Kate and the investigators inch closer to a devastating truth—it's not only the Fultons' lives at stake, but thousands of others…and every second counts in the race to save them.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rick Mofina is a former crime reporter and the award-winning author of several acclaimed thrillers. He’s interviewed murders face-to-face on death row and patrolled with the LAPD and the RCMP. His true crime articles have appeared in the New York Times, Marie Claire, Reader’s Digest, and Penthouse. He’s reported from the U.S., Canada, the Caribbean, Africa, Qatar and Kuwait’s border with Iraq.

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Love is Red by Sophie Jaff

Title: Love is Red
Author: Sophie Jaff
Genre: Suspense, Horror, Paranormal
Series: Nightsong #1

Hardcover, 384 pages
Publication: May 12, 2015 by Harper

Source: I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

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Katherine Emerson was born to fulfill a dark prophecy centuries in the making, but she isn’t aware that this future awaits. However, there is one man who knows the truth: A killer stalking the women of New York, a monster the media dubs the “Sickle Man” because of the way he turns his victims into canvasses for his mesmerizing, twisted art.

Unleashed upon Manhattan after lying dormant for centuries, the Sickle Man kills to harvest the precious hues of his victims. As his palette grows, so too does his power. Every death brings him closer to the one color, and the one woman, he must possess at any cost.

While the city hunts the Sickle Man, Katherine must decide what to do about two men who have unexpectedly entered her life: handsome and personable David, and alluring yet aloof Sael. Though she’s becoming increasingly torn between them, how well does she really know them? And why is she suddenly plagued by disturbing visions?

Love is Red was bloody fantastic and freakin' scary as hell! The book is follows duo narratives, one with the serial killer dubbed ‘The Sickle Man’ since that is his tool of choice and his main prey Katherine Emerson, a freelance writer. I've read many books that have blended genres, but Jaff takes it to another level, effortlessly combining multiples genres; Horror, Romance, Paranormal, Thriller, Suspense and Mystery all in one package. Jaff’s style of writing grabbed me from the first page. The Sickle Man’s chapters were written in second person, which I don’t think I've ever seen done before and she did it spectacularly. I was seriously disturbed by The Sickle Man yet fascinated by his POV. As for Katherine’s chapters they were written in third person and is for the most part normal. However, a bit pass the midway point the author added a Q&A session Katherine had with a therapist which added another scary-interesting aspect to the novel. The duo narratives in itself was pretty clever all on its own, but to lend a hand to the paranormal part the author also included scans of pages from the book of ‘The Maiden of Morwyn Castle’ which is linked to a prophecy Katherine doesn't know she is part of which I thought was cool.

Speaking of the paranormal, it’s been awhile since a book made me scared, like REALLY scared. I have a tendency to read late at night…I’m talking about at midnight to 1-2 in the morning…which was a bad idea on my part. For example when the painting of a woman suddenly smiles at Katherine or when Katherine saw the same woman from the painting…naked and bleeding standing outside her window. I got major chills and literally had to stop reading! Then again when Lucas talked of his imaginary ladies and drawing special pictures of his ladies, I was super creeped out! You’d think I’d be more scared reading The Sickle Man’s chapters since readers get up close and personal with him; we're able to see what he’s doing to his victims, how he goes about it and what his thoughts are…they’re undoubtedly scary but the scenes with Lucas were more scary….ugh those pennies (You’ll know what I mean when you read it)!

Love is Red was an enthralling and chilling start to a new trilogy which will have readers at the edge of their seat! This is yet another stellar debut I've read in less than 2 days, and so far I love what I’m seeing coming out of 2015. I highly recommend Love is Red to everyone! Jaff not only incorporated many genres, but her writing is hauntingly beautiful with her description of every emotion you can imagine on the human spectrum… it was amazing. And on top of that she adds her own personal spin on the concept of the hunter and the hunted making for a fresh and unique debut! I really loved Love is Red and can’t wait to see what’s in store for Katherine in the next Nightsong book!