RoroblusMumReadsReviews/Rants

4* Excellent intro to this author, just a pity it ends before we see what gets dished out to the killer, and see his mindset. This is fast-paced, creepy, and had me thinking the worse would happen to more than one innocent - I'm including the lovely dogs here - and it was a brilliant intro to this author. I'd have liked to know more about Kate Marino and her relationship with her estranged-of-sorts dad. About her marriage and being widowed. About her life since both events. About her relationship with her daughter and MIL. Maybe there'll be tidbits in future tales? This was an excellent tale although I did wonder why no one thought that the killer might well be someone trusted and known. It kind of seemed a bit obvious despite the few plants at red herrings. Still, it's very readable and though animals were hurt, they didn't die, which is a huge plus in my book, no pun intended.

4* Unlikable protags, but very readable. She's a firestarter. Twisted firestarter. And a liar. And in need of psychotherapy. And a good(ish) little sister. And a better daughter at the end than I'd ever be to someone like her dad. And someone not likeable. This is a complex book if you think about Red' issues. Her twin's death. Her part in saud death. Scarlett who lives in her head. Her deliberate distance from her brother that she maybe feels some affection for, if indeed she's capable of any. Her understandable estrangement from her father. Her losses. Her actions. Her dishonesty. Her lack of conscience. Her Teflon coating, it seems. But, it's a twisted book. But it's not a nice book, just one that draws you in. In my case it was because I wanted to see her caught, or if not, learn a lesson and make some changes. I don't think she did, cos she's a firestarter, a twisted firestarter. ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Headline for my reading pleasure. 

4* Sweet, if not needing the tiniest suspension of disbelief that something like this could happen in 2026 USA. I've not read the previous books in this series as ice hockey isn't my thing. I think I grabbed this as one of the leads is Russian and I anticipated lots of fighting his feelings, maybe some toxic masculinity, maybe some in-rink fighting masquerading as foreplay and romancing, but instead I got a sweet read without most of the aforementioned.  I think the tale flowed because there are 2 previous ones focused on linked characters in the same sport. Not all are fully out but their teammates and family support them, and these leads' story fits in nicely without faux angst, drama or a not-believable outing.  I'm not sure if it ends on a HEA or a HFN, as the ending is (realistically) abrupt. That's not a complaint as the final scenes and chapter added tension that was maybe a bit missing from the storyline. I think I liked the lower-angst aspect, and I definit...

4.5* Not the heavy-duty danger I'm used to from Bree and team, but still a good read. This is a very 'Hollywood' book, based in Bree's hometown. There's a celeb, a bona fide one; her kid; her team of agents; her nightmare of an ex, who's her kid's father; paparazzi; obsessed fans; and, sadly haters, as well as 'Christians' of levels of (a lack of) intelligence that we see from the current maga crowd. There's also DA of someone too scared, too powerless and too indoctrinated to help herself and her two kids under 2/3. The storyline starts with a death on her premises and where Bree comes in, of course. So, there's a known target here and there's a good few potential suspects. Unfortunately with just one mention of a timeline, I narrowed the killer down to one of 2 people, then to the actual killer from the mention of an aside, plus an eye roll, and yep, game over. Mental health seems to be a huge problem in the US and I'm in shock how ...

4.85* Great, other than the attempt-at-a-romance ending that felt inorganic. I was a fan of Reacher in seasons 1 and 2, was caught in the trap by season 3, but found season 4 a bit hard to believe, especially in the finale when despite lacerations and bleeding out to the point of losing consciousness, he's up and out of hospital within a few hours, not even limping, no surgery,  barely any bandages. I think that may be the last episode I watch. Then comes along Neagly, releasing all 8 episodes at the same time and WOW. She blew Reacher out of the water.  The things we find out about her make her believable and make her strong and a little vulnerable. They make her human. And, her takes-no-prisoners female character is more believable than Reacher. Not as strong physically but mentally and with cold, detached logic and female intuition, she wins the day. Maria Sten is tall and well-built, believable in the role as a former soldier who's not lost her skills nor techniques. ...

5* Another excellent book in this series.  This book can be read as a standalone. It jumps straight into the death and there's enough given of Leo and Shan's histories that you're not lost in what gets mentioned about her dad - sad - and his son - also sad, but tinged with the son needing the lesson. I'm not sure that there's redemption for the boy - he's too up his own arse and too blinkered -  as he's been ridiculously stupid, of the Andrew Tate type, but there's hope where Shan's dad's concerned. And it sounds like Shan may end up needing therapy because of her fears and recurring nightmares, but she's not the type to open up. Thankfully, Leo does to Angie, his wife.  The murder in itself? Not sad for me, but there's sadness for many because of the murder. Sadness that outs, bad things that happen, bad things that happened getting revealed, 2 little kids losing parents. I felt for the killer. I think I'd have lashed out myself. An ...

5* JDR's best book in years. Makes you root for the 'bad' guy. This author changes her M.O. from time to time, giving the killer's identity and motivation, rather than leaving readers to suss it out. Here, we find out why the killer's killing, which is heartbreaking. As are his last words.  The people who get killed are not innocent. In my book, no pun intended, they deserved their fate at the killer's hands, and their grieving families deserved to know what they'd done and why they'd been killed. I think that will out once the press releases are done, especially given the killer's end.  It's a sad tale of a good person wanting to do right but those in power, and those he trusted, including a friend and deputy, betraying him. Revenge is a dish best served cold, and boy was he cold. And hurt. And angry. And set on a mission that he knew would be the end of him. I think had I seen this on screen, I'd have been in tears. 

5* Wow, what an intro to this author. I'm a British Asian born and bred, and rarely have I seen a kickarse Asian female lead like Mumtaz.  I've not read the previous books in this series, but was drawn in by the author's name and Mumtaz's. And what a find it was. A solid, tragic (or was it?) storyline; 2 separate deaths in 2 different communities; investigated by the same team of no-frills, no-dressing-it-up detectives; with an unexpected link between the two; further intensified by another death and someone pivotal who'd seemingly disappeared off the face of the planet; with an ending that'd been only vaguely hinted at, and with a fight-for-your-life actual ending. Utterly satisfying.  I'm just slightly confused about the Punjabi wedding stuff at the end, when the wedding was clearly a Muslim one, but prepared to go with the flow with it.   Now off to buy books 1 and 2.  ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Canelo/Hera, for my reading pleasure.

4* It's not Cat and Bones, but it's powerful being against powerful female with a little added extra, so kinda like C&B. Ish. A slightly different take on C&B, because this heroine kills bad guys willingly, needing to feed the thing inside her and keep it under control. She comes across a supernatural community right under her nose, despite thinking she'll once again have to up roots because of the killings. Not this time. Not too much happens other than a fight for territory, some long-dead truths being outed, betrayal and unfortunately giving an...enemy? frenemy? leverage. Oh, and a potential other suitor right at the end. So, yes, it ends on a damned cliffhanger, with the next book not out for 5 more months, in February 2027.

4* Was on track to be a 5* tale but for the totally-doesn't-work ending. With today's world full of cameras, looky-loos, cctv, smart phones, it just couldn't work.  This isn't an exciting or dangerous-feeling tale but it drew me in. The POVs of various characters. The spooky house. The feud (low key) with jealousy and resentments. The affairs. The back-stabbing. Amy morphing into Raine. The sense of entitlement from several characters. The lengths people will go to for money and the prestige of a name...  Raine utterly lacked personality but she seemed a half-decent person. Judson wasn't a dashing cop, just a busy one. Their romance rekindled didn't work for me. No passion. No real time alone. And maybe more than one killer. But, that ending absolutely wouldn't have worked, not unless it'd been under the cover of total darkness, with street lights broken, cars with fake plates, mobiles left home, and, pizza was about to arrive. Not sure what MB and her e...

4* Very confusing at times, with some pretty big leaps to find the killer/s(?), but very readable, especially with the secrets that out.  This tale is gruesome in its opening; 'good but with a pinch of salt' in its detecting; confusing when it comes to Ella, as it's not clear if she's having visions, dreams or psychiatric episodes (not sure that her condition is ever mentioned, or, as it turns out, even real); sad in the Eabha situation, especially when her mum's secret is revealed; freaky at times when Roisin screeches; 'omg, really??' at more than one point, with things coming together seemingly out of nowhere, yet believably so; and, satisfying at the end. It also had a couple of junior detectives that I couldn't fathom how or why hadn't been carpeted for attitude and laziness.  The team seemed to have resources and budget galore, which felt unrealistic, but it made for a decent tale. I think this could've been more visual on a small screen, a...

5* Omg, omg, omg, the series continues!! Another brilliant tale. When Emma fell pregnant in book 3, and after THAT case and all the dangers, I was convinced that that was the end of the series. I saw this come up as an ARC and devoured the book in under 2 hours. It's the same, yet different, high-danger, high-octane type of case, with weirdos and crazy preppers. Thankfully the bigwig that'd been trying to throw his literally considerable weight around in the first 3 books doesn't feature, but it's even scarier because of the preppers and their mindsets and codes. The tale is by no means cut and dried but prosecutors are after a result and you just know they'll be convinced they've got a cut-and-dried case, which Dean very nicely, with the help of his investigator, pulls to pieces, but not in the way Dean, or the opposition, had expected. A total gotcha.  We've not left this world of preppers, as something Emma innocently does has a repercussion no one could...

3* Why, Emily?? Why Ms Greene? This felt like lazy writing and editing. SPOILERS follow: This is sadly the weakest book in the series. The Antonio thing has peaked and he's bought a house nearby, the divorce is nearly done, then something happens that makes Emily rethink all, and decide she can stay in the marriage, but not back as wifey. I kid you not. Then, the baby turns out to be not Antonio's, and the book ends in a scene where she's covering his hand that's reaching over to her as they sit and have a drink. Yet again, I kid you not.  The tale was pretty good at first. Some real creeps, some characters who deserved what they got, some people who deserved better, and a decent storyline that should've culminated in who was protecting the bad guys and why their immigration files were so redacted. It turned into a bit of a 💩 show, tbh, with a far too convenient killing of the bad guy by one of his own, meaning that the US government agency at the core of things wa...