BLOG TOUR - Watch Them Disappear

 Watch Them Disappear

by Carla Covach

Series
Detective Gina Harte Book 19

PublisherBookouture 

GenreMystery & Thrillers

FormatKindle ARC

Pages345

Pub. DateSeptember 21, 2026

Rating🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

DESCRIPTION

The house where she lives alone lies dark and empty, her bed still perfectly made. Her car waits in the carpark, her phone unanswered. Mindy Carson has vanished into thin air…

When Ursula leaves work for the evening, she’s shocked to see her friend’s car still parked nearby. Happy-go-lucky dog groomer Mindy left for home ages ago. Something is desperately wrong. On the window is an unmistakable smear of blood.

As police visit Mindy’s home on the outskirts of town, everything looks in order, until they notice the small red light in the corner of her bedroom. Then another, and another. There are cameras watching her every move…  

Unpacking Mindy’s life piece by piece, police start to wonder whether Ursula knows more than she’s letting on. Had she found out about her husband’s secret messages to Mindy? Who was the person behind the cameras, watching Mindy’s most private moments? And was the local teenager making Mindy’s life hell really the last person to see her?

When the body of a young woman is found in a local park, police fear they are too late to save Mindy. And when another person is reported missing, it’s clear she isn’t the only one being watched. Does the killer have another victim in their sights? And can they catch them before another life disappears forever?

Prepare to be absolutely hooked by the latest nail-biting thriller from bestselling author Carla Kovach. Perfect for fans of Rachel Abbott, Angela Marsons and Karin Slaughter.

BUY LINKS:

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0H87GMTL4social

Apple Books:  http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn9781807220372?itsct=books_toolbox&itscg=30200&at=1010lnPy&ct=B0H87GMTL4-social&ls=1

Kobo: https://www.kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=9781807220372

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=jQjzEQAAQBAJ

MY THOUGHTS

When Mindy Carson goes missing, Detective Gina Harte is on the case. Police are alerted by Mindy’s friend Ursula, who notices that Mindy’s car is still parked where they both work. Mindy should have been home hours ago, and something clearly isn’t right.

Gina and her team begin their investigation at Mindy’s home, where they make a shocking discovery: multiple hidden cameras have been installed throughout the house. Gina decides to talk to Ursula again, especially because she has a feeling that her friend is hiding something. Could it have something to do with Ursula’s husband? Was he the one watching Mindy?

But the investigation quickly takes a different turn. Gina learns that a local teenager had apparently been making Mindy’s life hell, and perhaps this is where her investigation needs to lead. Before she can fully question the teenager, however, the body of a young woman is discovered. Gina can’t help but fear that Mindy may also be found dead. And then another person goes missing. Clearly, there is a pattern, and Gina needs to figure it out before someone else disappears.

This may be the most intense book I’ve read in the series so far. The surveillance aspect of the story is incredibly disturbing, particularly because it involves teenagers and the dangers that can come with technology and social media. I couldn’t help but think about real-life cases where people have unknowingly put themselves at risk without realizing just how easily they can be watched or monitored.

What makes this story especially unsettling is that we aren’t talking about someone simply watching through a laptop or phone camera. These are hidden cameras involved, connected to a much larger network of surveillance. The idea is frightening, and some of what Gina uncovers is downright heartbreaking.

I was completely glued to this book and stayed up late because I simply had to know how everything would unfold. And while I’m not going to give anything away, let’s just say the outcome is definitely no bed of roses. This is a gripping, disturbing installment that kept me turning the pages right up until the end.

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

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Carla has been writing seriously since her mid-thirties. She started by writing stage plays which led to her producing and directing her own full length piece of theatre. After that, she decided to write films and books where she began by self-publishing. In the past, she has acted in a few indie films and has also co-owned a photography and video production company. 

Right now, she is a full time crime and thriller author living in Worcester with her husband, Nigel and Poppy the cat.

Social Media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarlaKovachAuthor/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/ckovachauthor?lang=en
Website:  https://griffbuck.wordpress.com/
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/carla_kovach/
Bookouture Email Sign Up: https://www.bookouture.com/carla-kovach

Robin Loves Reading

BLOG TOUR - Our Mother’s Secret

Our Mother’s Secret

by Alison Ragsdale

PublisherBookouture 

GenreWomen’s Fiction

FormatKindle ARC

Pages364

Pub. DateSeptember 15, 2026

Rating🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

DESCRIPTION

When my sister tells me time is running out for her life-saving transplant, tears roll down my cheeks. But she isn’t crying, she’s staring at our mother, who says words that will change my life forever. ‘It’s time for me to tell you the truth…’

I can barely breathe as my mother tells us there is a possibility that the father we adored might not be our birth father. Before I can process the secret she has kept from us, she takes my hand firmly in hers. ‘You have to find him Mairi, the other man. He is our last chance to save your sister.’

When I tell my husband Tom what my mother has asked me to do, I can see the pain on his face. All he wants is for me to rest and protect the precious life inside of me, the baby we hoped for all these years. How can I put my own happiness ahead of saving my sister’s life?

But finding the man my mother loved all those years ago is only the beginning. Because my sister is also hiding something, and it will change everything I thought I knew about our family. Am I truly prepared for what I will discover when I unravel the secrets of those I love the most? And will I be ready to make the most impossible choice of all?

An utterly gripping and heart-wrenching story about a devastating family secret. Perfect for fans of Kate Hewitt, Jodi Picoult and Diane Chamberlain.

Buy Link:

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0H26GZBPSsocial

MY THOUGHTS

Alison Ragsdale has written a book that quite possibly should come with a warning: don’t read this one without a box of tissues nearby. This emotional and beautifully layered story focuses on Mairi, her twin sister Fiona, and their mother, Helen. Another very important player in the story is Tom, Mairi’s husband.

Fiona has inherited a serious kidney disease from their mother. Her health is declining rapidly, and without a transplant, she won’t survive. Helen isn’t a possible donor because of her own kidney issues, and sadly, Mairi is only a half-match. To make matters even more complicated, Mairi is still in the early stages of her first trimester. Having already suffered a loss, she simply cannot donate a kidney for several months. Sadly, Fiona doesn’t have months. Her situation is dire.

Then another possibility emerges, and it is one that shocks both Mairi and Fiona. Helen reveals that years ago, she had a brief fling with a man who wasn’t their father. In fact, she tells her daughters that he could possibly be their biological father. If that is the case, he might also be the perfect match for Fiona.

There is just one problem: he lives thousands of miles away in Canada. Helen is hoping that Mairi can locate him and convince him to be tested for compatibility. What follows is a journey filled with difficult questions, painful revelations, and choices that no one should ever have to make.

This is a well-written, multi-layered story about family secrets, the unbreakable bond between two sisters, and the complicated relationship between daughters and their mother. Another important layer is Mairi’s relationship with Tom and the impact that Fiona’s situation has on their marriage and the future they are building together.

Ultimately, this is a story about love, sacrifice, secrets, and impossible choices. Ragsdale does an excellent job of creating characters whose struggles feel deeply personal, making this a story that is certain to pull at the heartstrings.

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

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alison Ragsdale is an Amazon bestselling author, and two-time IPPY Award winner. She writes emotional, contemporary fiction novels with a touch of Scotland. Her books are described as heart-wrenching tales of family dynamics and relationships.

Alison lived and worked in eight countries before settling in the USA. She now lives near Washington D.C., with her husband and super-spoiled dog. She loves to read, spend time with family, throw parties with bagpipers involved, watch So You Think You Can Dance, and cook comfort food.

Join her mailing list and be the first to hear about her new book releases at www.alisonragsdale.com

https://www.facebook.com/authoralisonragsdale/

https://www.instagram.com/alisonragsdalewrites/

https://x.com/AlisonRagsdale

Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases from Alison Ragsdale here: https://www.bookouture.com/alison-ragsdale

Robin Loves Reading

Review - Never Say Die

Never Say Die

by Ke Huy Quan

PublisherGrand Central Publishing 

GenreMemoir

FormatKindle ARC

Pages256

Pub. DateSeptember 15, 2026

Rating🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

DESCRIPTION

In this stunning and compulsively readable memoir, the Oscar-winning star of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, The Goonies, and Everything Everywhere All at Once, Ke Huy Quan, tells the story of his journey from Vietnamese refugee to 80s child star to the most inspiring comeback in Hollywood history.

Ke Huy Quan’s Hollywood adventure began when he was twelve years old, a mere five years after his family escaped Communist Northern Vietnam and settled down to a relatively peaceful life in L.A.’s Chinatown. After attending an open call audition on a whim, he was unexpectedly swept up in the wild world of filmmaking: learning to swim from Harrison Ford on the set of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, receiving trucks full of toys from Steven Spielberg and George Lucas for his birthday, meeting Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker, and making lifelong friends on the set of The Goonies.

A star of two of the most beloved movies of the ‘80s, there appeared to be no limit to Ke’s rise. But just a few years later, the roles had dried up and it seemed like Hollywood no longer had a place for him. He eventually left acting to work odd jobs behind the scenes for directors like Wong Kar Wai. His confidence was badly shaken, but his love of performing never abated. It wasn’t until decades later, when he was 49 years old, that he stepped back in front of the camera to star in a strange little indie film called Everything Everywhere All at Once, which surprised everyone with its incredible box-office and awards season success. To call Ke’s Oscar-winning performance a triumphant return would be an understatement.

In this moving, inspirational memoir, Ke paints a vivid self-portrait, telling both heart-wrenching and funny stories of his early rise, slow fall from the spotlight, the resilience that kept him going through his darkest times, and his eventual resurrection on one of the biggest stages in Hollywood. Never Say Die is the story of Ke’s extraordinary life, a love letter to the movies and people that shaped him, and a powerful testament to never giving up on your dreams.

Link to purchase the book

MY THOUGHTS

I knew Ke Huy Quan as Data from The Goonies: bright-eyed, funny, and seemingly at home in the joyful chaos of childhood adventure. I had no idea that behind that cheerful child-star image was a boy who had already endured imprisonment, separation, and a perilous escape from Vietnam.

One moment, he was a happy child growing up in a large, middle-class family in Saigon. The next, at just six years old - when most children are starting first grade - he was imprisoned twice.

Because of their Chinese heritage, Ke’s family was no longer welcome in Vietnam, and escape became an urgent necessity. As his parents worked to get the family out, Ke and his siblings were separated multiple times. Despite the dangers, and with the unwavering determination of his father, Ke and his siblings were eventually reunited with their mother and brother in Los Angeles, in the city’s Chinatown.

But that escape came at a cost - to the family and to Ke. Still a child, he had to adapt to circumstances that had changed almost overnight. And then, almost unbelievably, Ke’s life took another dramatic turn.

In 1983, at just twelve years old, Ke accompanied his younger brother to an open casting call in Los Angeles. He had no acting experience and no idea that this ordinary day would change the course of his life. While waiting for his brother, Ke was asked to audition himself. That unexpected opportunity led to his role as Short Round in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.

Imagine that for a moment: this little boy, who had already experienced things most adults could never imagine, suddenly found himself on a movie set with Harrison Ford and Steven Spielberg. Then came The Goonies, where he played the unforgettable Data. Just like that, Ke Huy Quan became a child star.

And what a ride it was.

The stories from this part of the memoir made me smile because you can almost see the wonder of it all through young Ke’s eyes. He worked with some of Hollywood’s biggest names, received birthday surprises from Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, formed lifelong friendships on The Goonies, and experienced a childhood that seemed almost impossible considering where his story had begun.

But this is where Never Say Die becomes much more than a nostalgic Hollywood memoir.

Because the success didn’t last.

The roles eventually stopped coming. Hollywood offered very few opportunities for Asian actors, and the little boy who had once been so excited to step onto a movie set found himself struggling to find a place in the industry. Eventually, Ke stepped away from acting. He went to film school, and after he graduated, began working behind the scenes as an action choreographer and assistant director. For years, he remained connected to movies.- but not in the way he had once dreamed.

Then, decades later, everything changed again.

At forty-nine, Ke Huy Quan returned to acting in Everything Everywhere All at Once. Now grown-up Ke Huy Quan, no longer the adorable child from Indiana Jones or The Goonies, but a remarkably talented actor who had never stopped believing that he belonged on the screen.

His comeback culminated in an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, along with Golden Globe and SAG Award wins.

Which brings me back to those acceptance speeches.

Before I say another word about this memoir, take it from me: go online and watch Ke Huy Quan’s Golden Globe and Oscar acceptance speeches. You will need tissues.

After reading Never Say Die, those speeches hit differently.

You know what came before. You know about the little boy who left Vietnam, the refugee camp, the family sacrifices, and the child who became a Hollywood star only to watch the opportunities disappear. You know about the man who kept working behind the scenes while wondering whether he would ever act again.

And then you watch him standing on that stage, holding an Oscar. It is impossible not to feel the weight of everything that came before that moment.

Never Say Die is ultimately a story about perseverance, but it is also a story about hope - especially the kind of hope that survives when there is no reason to believe your dream will come true. Sometimes, the dream you thought you had lost is simply waiting for the right moment to find you again.

Many thanks to Grand Central Publishing and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Robin Loves Reading

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW - Anger Is Only a Shadow

  

Anger Is Only a Shadow

by Elizabeth Acevedo 

 PublisherQuill Tree Books

GenreYA Contemporary Fiction

FormatALC and Kindle ARC

NarratorElizabeth Acevedo

Length5 hrs 51 mins

Pages336

Pub. DateSeptember 15, 2026

Rating🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

DESCRIPTION

From National Book Award-winning, New York Times-bestselling author and renowned poet Elizabeth Acevedo comes a white-knuckle journey to self-understanding and doing the right thing, no matter the cost.

Lil is anything but small. She’s rebellious, she's loyal; she's figuring out what kind of good person she wants to be, or if she wants to be a good person at all. But more than anything? Lil wants to be free.

When her instinct for freedom leads to another stay in D.C. juvenile detention, Lil knows she’s lucky to just be on probation. But judgment, guilt, and an ankle monitor weigh heavily on her, and she can’t shake that pinned-down feeling.

The only person who might understand is her big brother, Aldwin. Except he’s more distant now than just the hundred miles from his college. Something’s been off with him for several months, but only Lil seems to realize how important it is to get to him.

As her court hearing ticks closer, a question looms over Lil as the missed phone calls and strange texts from her brother pile will she stay put, or put her future freedom on the line?

Link to purchase the book

MY THOUGHTS

Anger Is Only a Shadow by Elizabeth Acevedo is an exceptionally touching and thought-provoking read.

Liliana Pantalion-Ortiz - Lil - is at a crossroads. She has gotten into trouble and has been released to the custody of her parents. She is waiting for the results of her court hearing. With her eighteenth birthday approaching, she knows that if she continues down the path she is on, the consequences could become much more serious. She is also required to wear an ankle monitor, severely limiting where she can go.

Meanwhile, Lil is deeply worried about her brother, Aldwin, who is away at college. He is experiencing significant changes, and his mental health begins to deteriorate dramatically. When Lil stops hearing from him, she makes a difficult decision. Despite the restrictions placed on her, she leaves Washington, D.C., and heads to Virginia to find her brother and make sure he is okay.

Lil was faced with an impossible choice: Should she follow the rules and risk leaving her brother without the help he desperately needs, or should she put her own future at risk to show her loyalty to him?

This was such a compelling and emotional read. I actually took a more than one break from the book so I could absorb the message coming through its pages. There is so much here to think about, particularly regarding family, loyalty, consequences, and mental health.

I especially appreciated the author’s note at the end, where Elizabeth Acevedo discusses how she created this story and the ways mental health influenced what was happening within Lil’s family. That added another layer of meaning to an already powerful novel.

Anger Is Only a Shadow was well worth my time. Some books entertain you. Others make you think. And then there are those rare books that quietly work their way into your thoughts long after you have turned the final page. Anger Is Only a Shadow is one of those books for me. It is a powerful, emotional story that I know will stay with me for a long time to come.

Many thanks to Quill Tree Books, NetGalley and Libro.fm for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ELIZABETH ACEVEDO is a New York Times bestselling author of The Poet X, With the Fire on High, and Clap When You Land. Her critically-acclaimed debut novel, The Poet X, won the 2018 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature. She is also the recipient of the Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Fiction, the CILIP Carnegie Medal, and the Boston Globe-Hornbook Award. Additionally, she was honored with the 2019 Pure Belpré Author Award for celebrating, affirming, and portraying Latinx culture and experience.

Her books include, Beastgirl & Other Origin Myths (YesYes 2016), The Poet X (HarperCollins, 2018), & With The Fire On High (HarperCollins, 2019), and Clap When You Land (HarperCollins, 2020).

She holds a BA in Performing Arts from The George Washington University and an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Maryland. Acevedo has been a fellow of Cave Canem, Cantomundo, and a participant in the Callaloo Writer’s Workshops. She is a National Poetry Slam Champion, and resides in Washington, DC with her love. 

Web | Twitter

Robin Loves Reading

Review - We Chase Shadows

We Chase Shadows

by Richard Osman

SeriesWe Solve Murders #2

PublisherPamela Dorman Books

GenreMystery & Thrillers

FormatKindle ARC

Pages352

Pub. DateSeptember 15, 2026

Rating⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

DESCRIPTION

#1 New York Times bestselling author Richard Osman’s globe-trotting series “We Solve Murders” returns with the thrilling new mystery, We Chase Shadows.

Back together.

Back on the case.

And back to solving murders . . .

At sunrise, high in the Italian hills, a body is found on the steps of a beautiful private villa. On the body is a threatening note, signed by a mystery man.

Back at We Solve Murders HQ, Amy, Rosie, and Steve leap at the chance to take on their first proper case. So what if their new client seems to have his own reasons for avoiding the police? All they need to do is uncover who left the note, and then find them. Simple.

But once they start digging, the suspects keep piling up: there’s Sweden’s most-wanted criminal, a canny ex-wife and a fierce business rival – yet the murderer keeps evading them. And as the trio chase a villain through the shadows, danger travels closer to home . . . 

Between Italy and Palm Springs, via Barcelona and Steve’s village pub, can the team catch an elusive killer who knows EXACTLY where to hide?

Link to shop the series

MY THOUGHTS

Richard Osman has done it again with We Chase Shadows, the second book in his delightful We Solve Murders series.

Steve Wheeler, his daughter-in-law Amy, and thriller writer Rosie D’Antonio have already proven they can solve murders anywhere in the world. Unfortunately, they haven’t been able to drum up much business - until Rosie promotes their detective agency during a daytime talk show appearance. Suddenly, they have a client: wealthy Italian vitamin and supplement salesman Vern Blackwood.

When Vern’s bodyguard is murdered and a mysterious note points to the elusive Jakob Eriksson, Steve, Amy, and Rosie are once again off on a globe-trotting investigation. Men with criminal pasts who had formed an illicit pharmaceutical products business with Vern are being killed one by one.  The trio travels from Italy to Sweden, Barcelona, Palm Springs, and beyond in search of answers - and Jakob.

What I enjoy most about this series is how Osman has taken three very different people and turned them into a genuine family. Add the humor, terrific pacing, international settings, and an elusive mystery, and We Chase Shadows is an immensely enjoyable addition to the series.

I’m already looking forward to seeing where this wonderful detective agency goes next!

Many thanks to Pamela Dorman Books and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Richard Osman is an author and television presenter. His novels, The Thursday Murder Club, The Man Who Died Twice, The Bullet That Missed, The Last Devil to Die, and We Solve Murders were number one international bestsellers as well as New York Times bestsellers. He lives in London with his wife, Ingrid, and their cats Liesl and Lottie. The movie adaptation for The Thursday Murder Club released in 2025, produced by Amblin Entertainment.

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Robin Loves Reading