BLOG TOUR - Stolen Grace

DESCRIPTION: 

A killer stalking little children in the peaceful suburbs. And a rookie FBI agent desperate to prove herself in her hometown. 

Special Agent Nichelle Wilkinson has always had to fight for her place in the world. Growing up bouncing between foster homes after a tragic accident took her twin sister and decorated beat-cop father, she’s learned to be scrappy.

With a specialism in forensics, Nichelle made a name for herself in the Outer Banks as a seasoned crime scene investigator. But now, she’s back home in Philadelphia to hunt a killer. Eleven-year-old Jenni Croft was stolen from her bed, a prayer card with a chilling message left amongst her pink sheets. Nichelle knows what it’s like to be forgotten and alone and she’ll never let that happen to Jenni.

When the investigation throws her together with her father’s old partner, she realizes the full story about the day her father died is darker than she ever imagined. Torn between the pressure of the case and digging into her past, Nichelle knows she needs to prove herself now if she’s ever going to live up to her father’s name.

As a surprise eyewitness tip off takes Nichelle and her team to an abandoned building on the wrong side of town, Nichelle will have to surrender herself to the shadows to find a depraved killer. And maybe the part of her that died with her family fifteen years ago…

Stolen Grace is the first in an unputdownable new thriller series. Fans of Lisa Regan, Elle Gray and Kendra Elliot will be totally hooked!

BUY LINK:

• Amazon: https://geni.us/B0GS98L9RFsocial

Title:   Stolen Grace

Author:  B. R. Spangler  

Series:   Agent Nichelle Wilkinson, Book 1
Publisher:  Bookouture 

Genre:   Mystery & Thrillers 

Format:  Audio ALC

Length:   10 hrs 44 mins

Narrator:  Elise Roth

No. of Pages:  330 pages

Date of Publication:  April 22, 2026

My Rating:   5 Stars

MY THOUGHTS:

Stolen Grace introduces FBI Special Agent Nichelle Wilkinson, who has already proven her mettle on the job. Now, she takes on a gruesome case in Philadelphia. Readers who enjoyed the Casey White series by B. R. Spangler will find this book particularly captivating. In fact, you might remember meeting Nichelle in the previous series. Early on in this story, Nichelle seeks advice from her friend Casey, but she can’t shake the feeling that something is off.

The case at hand involves a missing child, and Nichelle is determined to find justice for the young victim, Jenni Cross. The case takes a chilling turn when a note is found at the scene, expressing gratitude for Nichelle’s grace. This case is particularly intense for Nichelle, as it reminds her of the tragic loss of her twin sister and parents in an accident when they were children.

This is an excellent start to a new series, and it begins with a bang. The story will resonate with any mother or grandmother, as I was. The suspense is palpable, the crimes are heinous, and the narrative will tug at your heartstrings. As the thrilling story draws to a close, the reader’s appetite is set for the next installment in the series.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

By day, B.R. Spangler pushes pixels, typing lines of code. When he's not developing software, or elbows deep in hardware, he is writing stories, plotting thrillers, or reading.

B.R. Spangler lives in Virginia with his wife and kids, as well as five cats, a parrot, a finch, a lizard.

 

Author Social Media Links:

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Review - Bloodlust

Title:  Bloodlust
Author:  Sandra Brown

Genre:   Romantic Suspense

Series:  Blood #2

Publisher:   Grand Central Publishing

Format:  Trade Paperback ARC
No. of Pages:  432

Date of Publication:  March 17, 2026

My Rating:  5 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

Two years ago, Detective Mitch Haskell lost his wife to a vicious act of retribution, and has since attributed her murder two men: Roland Malone and the unidentified mastermind of the crime known only as Oz. Malone, a ruthless executioner and drug dealer who fronts as a restaurant owner, neutralizes so cleanly that he doesn’t leave a trace. And he performs his handiwork at the biddings of Oz, the faceless kingpin of a drug trafficking operation whose name alone evokes terror.

Obsessively vowing to avenge his late wife’s murder, Mitch has been on a downward spiral, jeopardizing his closest relationships and drinking excessively to numb his pain. After going one step too far, Detective John Bowie, his former best friend and now his boss, has forced Mitch to get therapy to sort himself out.

Dr. Dylan Reede is immediately empathetic to the pain she senses beneath Mitch’s cavalier attitude and wisecracking. She’s determined to make the most of his mandated sessions. But from the moment Mitch breezes into her office, Dylan finds it a struggle to maintain the professional and personal boundaries that keep her own tragic past at a safe distance.

As Mitch begins to close in on Oz and Malone’s operation, they’re prepared to stop him by any means necessary. And when it’s revealed that Dylan might hold the key to bringing them to justice, Mitch and Dylan’s irresistible attraction to each other may not only compromise both of them professionally, but place them in Oz’s bullseye.

Link to shop the series

MY THOUGHTS:

Detective Mitch Haskell is skating dangerously close to becoming a law unto himself. Still reeling from the loss of his wife two years earlier, he is convinced that at least one man is responsible - Roland Malone, a ruthless and calculating criminal. There’s also a shadowy accomplice known only as Oz. Together, they execute their crimes with chilling precision, leaving no trace behind. But Mitch is relentless, determined to find the slightest crack in their façade and finally bring justice to his wife’s murder.

Unsurprisingly, Mitch’s obsession has begun to take its toll. Pushing the boundaries of both law and sanity, he’s ordered into therapy by his boss, Detective John Bowie. Enter Dr. Dylan Reese. What begins as a professional relationship quickly becomes something far more complicated, as Dylan is drawn into Mitch’s dangerous pursuit - both emotionally and professionally. Their connection blurs ethical lines, adding another layer of tension to an already high-stakes investigation.

Fans of the series will appreciate the return of John Bowie, the protagonist from the first book, whose presence adds continuity and depth. Sandra Brown once again delivers a gripping mix of suspense and romance, balancing pulse-pounding danger with an emotionally charged relationship. Whether it’s the hunt for elusive killers or the undeniable chemistry between Mitch and Dylan, Bloodlust is an engaging, fast-paced read that leaves you eager for the next installment.

I want to express my gratitude to Grand Central Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sandra Brown is the author of more than sixty New York Times bestsellers, including STING (2016), FRICTION (2015), MEAN STREAK (2014), DEADLINE (2013), & LOW PRESSURE (2012), LETHAL (2011).

Brown began her writing career in 1981 and since then has published over seventy novels, bringing the number of copies of her books in print worldwide to upwards of eighty million. Her work has been translated into over thirty languages.

In 2009 Brown detoured from romantic suspense to write, Rainwater, a much acclaimed, powerfully moving historical fiction story about honor and sacrifice during the Great Depression.

Brown was given an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Texas Christian University. She was named Thriller Master for 2008, the top award given by the International Thriller Writer’s Association. Other awards and commendations include the 2007 Texas Medal of Arts Award for Literature and the Romance Writers of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award. 

BLOG TOUR - The Girls in the Dark

DESCRIPTION:

I stare at the security footage, heart pounding in my chest. I know who broke into my home—she has a face just like my own. Twenty years ago, my sister was killed and I survived. So how can she be here now? And what does she want?

For years I have been haunted by memories of the almost five months my twin sister and I were abducted and held in darkness. I see her frightened eyes, staring at me for the last time as I whisper a promise to her, the one I failed to keep. “I’ll come back for you…”

The twentieth anniversary of our abduction brings a swirling sense of dread. And when I find a black rose on the passenger seat of my car, it feels like a warning. Not long after, a figure with a face so like my own breaks into my house. My sister.

I tell myself it can’t be true. Her body was never found and I’m sure she died in that room at the hands of our abductor. But what if I’m wrong and she’s back for revenge?

Because for years I’ve kept a secret about what really happened the night I escaped. And as the threats grow, I start to fear for my life. Now it’s clear someone wants the truth to come to light. But if it does, will it destroy everything?

An addictive and breathtaking thriller, packed with nail-biting tension and a shocking final twist, The Girls in the Dark is perfect for fans of Jessica Knoll, Mary Kubica and John Marrs.

BUY LINKS:

• Amazon: https://geni.us/B0GL9GZCG4social

Title:   The Girls in the Dark

Author:  Avery Bishop

Publisher:  Bookouture

Genre:   Psychological Thriller

Format:  Audio ALC

Narrator:  Brittany Pressley

Length:  10 hrs 37 mins

No. of Pages:   406

Date of Publication:   April 24, 2026

My Rating:   4 Stars

MY THOUGHTS:

Identical twins Allison and Megan were abducted two decades ago, and only one of them made it out alive. For months, the sisters endured unimaginable torture before Megan’s eventual escape. In the aftermath, she told their story in a haunting memoir. Now, on the twentieth anniversary of their kidnapping, that memoir is being re-released alongside a documentary revisiting the case. But as the spotlight returns, so do long-buried secrets - secrets that refuse to stay hidden.

Stories of abduction - whether fictionalized on screen or explored through true crime - carry an inherent sense of dread. That same unease pulses through this gripping novel by Avery Bishop, drawing readers into Megan’s lingering trauma and the unsettling secrets that resurface with the past.

Megan is forced to confront the unimaginable when a woman appears claiming - or at least suggesting - she might be Allison. The resemblance is undeniable, but it challenges everything Megan believes to be true. Having long accepted her sister’s death, Megan now finds herself questioning her own memories, her past, and even her sanity. Whether this stranger is truly Allison or not, her arrival threatens to unravel truths about the twins’ captivity that Megan would rather keep buried.

I had the privilege of experiencing this story in both ebook and audiobook formats, and the audiobook truly stands out thanks to narrator Brittany Pressley. Her performance adds emotional depth and urgency, perfectly capturing Megan’s fragility and fear. The dual timeline structure - easily moving between past and present - unfolds at a deliberate pace that steadily builds tension before accelerating into sharper, more suspenseful turns. It’s a rhythm that keeps the listener fully engaged.

Having listened to more than a dozen audiobooks narrated by Pressley, I can confidently say she delivers another captivating performance here. While Avery Bishop is a new author to me, this novel has ensured she’s firmly on my radar for future reads.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Avery Bishop is the pseudonym for a  USA Today bestselling and ITW Thriller Award-winning author of over a dozen novels. Avery’s previous titles include  Girl Gone Mad ,  One Year Gone , Dear Seraphina , and the Audible Original  The Chateau , which spent four straight weeks on AP’s Top 10 Audiobooks in the US.

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Review - Our Extraordinary Summer

Title:  Our Extraordinary Summer

Author:  Lori Wilde

Series:   Hobby Island #2

Publisher:  Avon

Genre:   Romance; Women’s Fiction

Format:  Audio ALC and Kindle ARC

Narrator:  Dawn Harvey

Length:  12 hours 14 mins

No. of Pages:   377

Date of Publication:   April 21, 2026

My Rating:   4 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

New York Times bestselling author Lori Wilde returns to the enchanting Hobby Island with a poignant story about two estranged sisters who come together after the passing of their mother, featuring family, love, and one unforgettable summer—perfect for fans of Jill Shalvis and Susan Mallery.

Two estranged sisters. One final wish. A summer that could mend everything…or tear open old wounds.

Calista and Athena Dempsey were once inseparable until their father’s ambition drove a wedge between them. When a very public betrayal shattered their bond, Calista walked away from her family, determined to rebuild her life on her own terms. Athena stayed behind, shouldering the weight of expectations and guilt in silence.

Now, with their mother gone, the sisters are summoned to Hobby Island, a secluded retreat where their mother spent her final days, with one final come together and make peace. But the past isn’t so easily buried.

Especially when Calista comes face-to-face with Reid Thornton, the man who once held her heart and then upended her life. He says he wants to make things right. But can she believe him? And can she forgive Athena when the scars between them still run deep?

As secrets surface and loyalties are tested, Calista and Athena must make a pivotal choice. Will they honor their mother’s last wish and find their way back to each other, or let their shared past destroy what little remains of their bond?

Link to shop the series

MY THOUGHTS:

Sisters Calista and Athena Dempsey were once close, but they became rivals - very much by their father’s design. Now, in the wake of their mother’s death - a mother they were ripped away from as children - they find themselves reunited on Hobby Island, the last place she lived. Both women are desperate for answers: who their mother became, why she never came back for them, and what truly tore their family apart. It’s a heartbreaking foundation for a story that asks whether old wounds can ever heal. Can they set aside years of resentment while grieving such a profound loss? And will they finally find the strength to stand up to their formidable father?

This character-driven novel digs even deeper. Calista must also confront Reid Thornton, the man who once broke her heart - as he is also on Hobby Island. The emotional tension runs high, with lingering pain, unresolved feelings, and the possibility of forgiveness weaving through every interaction. It’s this blend of hurt and healing that makes the story so compelling.

Although Lori Wilde is a prolific author, it has been decades since I last picked up one of her books. Our Extraordinary Summer, the second installment in the Hobby Island series, was a delightful read. I started with The Summer That Shaped Us, and both books captivated me. While each book can be enjoyed independently, there’s a special satisfaction in experiencing the continuity of this series.

In the end, this is a story about fractured family bonds, buried truths, and the fragile, powerful hope of reconciliation - one that lingers long after the final page. 

Many thanks to Avon and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Lori Wilde can’t remember a time when she didn’t want to write. She even went to nursing school so she could have a schedule flexible enough to allow her to write on the side. She nursed for 20 years, working in a variety of settings from the newborn nursery to the recovery room, to dialysis. But she never lost her desire to write.

She sold her first book in 1994 to Silhouette Romance but later discovered she had a flair for comedy and branched out to Harlequin Duets and now, to Blaze.

Lori is an adventuresome soul who loves to travel. She’s taken flying lessons, completed two marathons, rode in a hot-air balloon, performed with a professional jazz band, traveled Europe as a teenager, hiked volcanoes in Hawaii, trod on glaciers in Alaska, shot white-water rapids, water-skied, snow-skied, raced all-terrain vehicles, bodysurfed in the Gulf of Mexico, and photographed grizzly bears in Yellowstone.

She lives in her native Texas, with her own real-life hero, Bill. 

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AUDIOBOOK REVIEW - Mad Mabel

Title:   Mad Mabel

Author:  Sally Hepworth

Publisher:  St. Martin's Press; Macmillan Audio

Genre:   Psychological Thriller

Format:  Audiobook ALC and Kindle ARC

Narrators:  Hannah Fredericksen,

  Jenny Seedsman

Audiobook Length:  9 hrs 20 mins

No. of Pages:   352

Date of Publication:   April 21, 2026

My Rating:   4 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

From Sally Hepworth, the New York Times bestselling author of The Soulmate and The Good Sister, comes a twist-filled, darkly funny mystery about the two kinds of people no one ever expects to be murderers: little girls and old ladies.

Meet Mad Mabel.

Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick is eighty-one years old. She's lived on her idyllic street, Kenny Lane, for sixty years--longer than anyone else. Aside from being a curmudgeon who minds everyone else's business, few would suspect that Elsie has a past that she has worked exceedingly hard at concealing. Because when it comes to murder, no one ever suspects little girls or old ladies. And Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick, once a little girl and now an old lady, has a strange history of people in her life coming to a foul end.

When a new little girl (talkative, curious, nosy) moves into the neighborhood and stops at nothing to befriend Elsie, her carefully-constructed life threatens to come crashing down as the secrets in Elsie's past start coming to light. Who was "Mad Mabel" fifty years ago? Who is Elsie Fitzpatrick today? And if the past has a habit of repeating itself, who has the most to lose?

Told with Sally Hepworth's twists, humor, charm, and heart, MAD MABEL is novel that weaves past and present together--through the power of justice and redemption, and all the way to its stunning conclusion.

Link to purchase the book

MY THOUGHTS:

Elsie has spent more than sixty years living a quiet, orderly life on Kenny Lane. Now eighty-one, she’s known as the neighborhood curmudgeon - sharp-tongued, observant, and more than a little nosy. But beneath that prickly exterior is a past she’s kept carefully hidden. When young Persephone, a lonely and determined little girl, decides that Elsie will be her new best friend, an unlikely bond begins to form. In many ways, they are exactly what the other needs. Could a better match have been made?

Sally Hepworth’s latest novel unfolds across dual timelines, moving effortlessly between present-day Elsie and her fifteen-year-old self, with even brief glimpses into her earliest childhood. Through these shifts, readers learn that Elsie was once Mabel - a girl burdened with the cruel nickname “Mad Mabel.” The story behind that name, and the transformation from Mabel to Elsie, is both heartbreaking and compelling, gradually revealing the truth behind the walls she has built over a lifetime.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Elsie is a wonderfully complex character - difficult at times, but deeply endearing. I loved her just as much as Mabel as I did as the older Elsie. Persephone’s curiosity and vulnerability make her impossible not to care about; she’s the kind of character you want to reach through the pages and hug. While the novel explores some heavy themes, it does so with a light touch, weaving in warmth and humor in a way that feels natural and earned. The ending is especially well done - poignant without being overdone - and it’s one that lingers long after the final page.

Many thanks to Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Press and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sally Hepworth is the bestselling author of The Secrets of Midwives (2015), The Things We Keep (2016) and The Mother's Promise (2017), and The Family Next Door (Feb 2018). Sally's books have been labelled “enchanting” by The Herald Sun, “smart and engaging” by Publisher’s Weekly, and New York Times bestselling authors Liane Moriarty and Emily Giffin have praised Sally’s novels as “women’s fiction at its finest” and “totally absorbing”.

Sally's novels are available worldwide in English and have been translated into 15 languages.

Sally lives in Melbourne, Australia with her husband and three children.

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AUDIOBOOK REVIEW - Last One Out

 

Title:  Last One Out

Author:  Jane Harper

Publisher:  Macmillan

Genre:   Mystery/Thrillers

Series:  Aaron Falk #3

Format:   Audiobook ALC

Narrator:  Angeline Armstrong

Length:  11 hrs 38 mins

No. of Pages:  326

Date of Publication:  April 14, 2026

My Rating:  5 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

From the New York Times bestselling author of Exiles and The Dry comes a captivating new novel set in a modern ghost town.

Carralon Ridge, a once vibrant village in rural New South Wales, has become a shell of itself, its houses and buildings bought up and left to rot by the mining company operating at its borders. A decade into its slow death, surrounded by industrial noise and swathed in thick layers of dust, the skeletal town is all but abandoned, with just a handful of residents clinging onto what remains.

After years of scorning those who left the Ridge behind as it fell into ruin, Ro never imagined she'd become one of them. But everything changed when she lost her son. Five years ago, Sam vanished while visiting during a break from college, leaving behind a rental car with his belongings inside. Sam had loved Carralon Ridge, and had been working on an oral history of the town to preserve its legacy before it vanished altogether. It wasn't long after his disappearance that the rest of the family began to crumble away too.

But when Ro returns to Carralon Ridge to be with her husband and daughter on the anniversary of Sam's disappearance, she begins to suspect that something important was overlooked in his case. Because while nothing can stop Carralon Ridge from dying, someone seems to want to make sure that its secrets die with it.

Link to purchase the book

MY THOUGHTS:

Last One Out is a quietly gripping, emotionally charged story that lingers long after the final page.

It has been five long and difficult years for Ro since the loss of her son, Sam - a grief that has never truly loosened its hold. With a mix of reluctance and necessity, Ro returns to Carralon Ridge alongside her husband and daughter to face the anniversary of Sam’s death. The Ridge, once a forward-thinking and thriving village, has since deteriorated into something far more fragile. What remains is a community clinging tightly to its past, determined to preserve what little is left, even as it slips further into decline.

Ro is one of the many who left Carralon Ridge behind, and after Sam’s death, she had little reason to look back. But Sam never fully let go of the place. Before he died, he had been working on a report that could have safeguarded the Ridge’s future - an effort that now feels more significant, and more suspicious, with time. Ro becomes convinced that whatever Sam uncovered is tied to his death, and her return becomes less about remembrance and more about uncovering the truth.

Just as Ro is significant in the character-driven story, what truly stands out is the Ridge itself. Jane Harper has a remarkable ability to turn the setting into something almost sentient, as Carralon Ridge clearly proves. Its isolation, its secrets, and its quiet resistance to change create an atmosphere that is both haunting and immersive.

This is more than just a mystery; it’s a story about grief, resilience, and the lengths a mother will go to for answers. The emotional weight of Ro’s journey is palpable, making it impossible not to feel deeply for her and her family. Thoughtful and compelling, Last One Out draws you in with its slow-burn suspense and keeps you invested with its heart.

Many thanks to Pan Macmillan and to NetGalley for this ARC for review.  This is my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jane was born in Manchester in the UK, and moved to Australia with her family at age eight. She spent six years in Boronia, Victoria, and during that time gained Australian citizenship.

Returning to the UK with her family as a teenager, she lived in Hampshire before studying English and History at the University of Kent in Canterbury.

On graduating, she completed a journalism entry qualification and got her first reporting job as a trainee on the Darlington & Stockton Times in County Durham.

Jane worked for several years as a senior news journalist for the Hull Daily Mail, before moving back to Australia in 2008.

She worked first on the Geelong Advertiser, and in 2011 took up a business reporting role in Melbourne.

In 2014, Jane submitted a short story which was one of 12 chosen for the Big Issue's annual Fiction Edition.

That inspired her to pursue creative writing more seriously, breaking through with The Dry at the Victorian Premier's Literary Awards in 2015.

Jane lives in bayside Melbourne with her husband and their two children.

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