AUDIOBOOK REVIEW - Courage Under Fire

Title:   Courage Under Fire

Author:  Sharon Dunn

Series:   True Blue K-9 Unit #7

Publisher:  Harlequin Audio

Genre:   Inspirational Romantic Suspense

Format:  ALC

Narrator:  Megan Tusing

Length:  5 hrs 50 mins

No. of Pages:   213

Date of Publication:   August 4, 2026

My Rating:   4 Stars

*First published October 1, 2019

DESCRIPTION: 

A killer in the shadows watches…and waits

A deadly stalker has rookie K-9 officer Lani Branson in his crosshairs, and he won’t stop until she’s dead. Her boss, K-9 police chief Noah Jameson, won’t let that happen on his watch, especially since there’s a chance this is the same person who killed his brother. Can they unmask the murderer who’s been terrorizing the unit before he strikes again?

Link to shop the series

MY THOUGHTS:

In the engaging seventh book in the True Blue K-9 series, rookie K-9 officer Lani Branson finds her life in serious jeopardy. Someone is targeting Lani, and it appears they won’t stop until she is dead. Although she has her loyal K-9 partner, Scotty, right by her side, Lani is forced to rely on the help of temporary police chief Noah Jamison.

Despite the danger surrounding Lani, sparks are definitely flying between her and Noah. However, Noah is very close to accepting the permanent position of chief, and department policy would firmly prevent them from having any type of relationship.

The tension never lets up as Lani remains in constant danger, while the reader is left wondering what will happen between her and Noah. This kept me riveted to the story from beginning to end. Throughout it all, faith provides a strong foundation for both Lani and Noah.

Megan Tusing was a wonderful choice to narrate this warm story.. I have thoroughly enjoyed every book in this delightful series, and I am looking forward to continuing it!

Many thanks to Love Inspired Suspense and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

After 26 years of marriage Sharon's beloved husband Michael passed away in 2014. Together they had a ulife filled with adventure, laughter and unconditional love. She considers herself blessed to have been loved that way. She now lives with three nearly grown children, a nervous border collie and two cats. 

Her love for mystery and suspense began in the fifth grade, when she found a whole set of Nancy Drew mysteries with pink covers in the school library. Sharon is the author of five humorous mysteries that were written for Christian readers. Her second book in her Ruby Taylor mystery series was voted book of the year by American Christian Fiction Writers.

Sharon has a bachelor's degree in film production and a master's degree in history. She loves old movies like Double Indemnity and anything by Frank Capra or Alfred Hitchcock. She enjoys reading all kinds of books but is partial to the nonfiction of C. S. Lewis. She loves to hear from readers. You can contact her through her Web site.

JULY 2026 WRAP UP

 

📚 44 books this month

 📑 14,440 Pages 

Avg pages per book 328

Avg pages per day 465

📚 381 books this year

 📑 120,848 Pages

Avg pages per book 317

Avg pages per day 572 

42 Novels

1 Novella

1 Anthology

31 NetGalley ARCs 

10 Library 

1 Purchase

2 Shelf

7 KU

43 NetGalley Reviews

Audiobooks

January - 47

February - 25

March - 23

April - 30

May - 40

June - 36

July - 21

4 Cozy Mystery

3 Historical Fiction 

9 Inspirational Romantic Suspense 

2 Literary Fiction

10 Mysteries & Thrillers

5 Psychological Thrillers

1 Romance

5 Romantic Suspense

2 Science Fiction

2 Women’s Fiction 

- - -

I would have to say that my favorite book for July would be The Winners by Fredrik Backman. I read book one last month, Beartown, and this month Us Against You and The Winners. This was a compelling read. It was much longer than the first two books. I was able to immersive read with all three of these books and they all touched me deep in my soul.

- - -

My favorite book in June was Beartown by Fredrik Backman. I have been talking about this, but I never took the time to check out this author. This month I plan on reading next two books in the series and then at least one of his other books. The responses that I got when I said I was interested in reading this very positive, and I could say that I was definitely pleased.

- - -

I would have to say that my favorite book of May would be My Name is Barbra by Barbra Streisand. I listened to her narration of her memoir. It was a 48 hour audiobook (1040 pages). My Bookly app shows that I broke it up in 13 reading sessions.  That is a bit less than 4 hours a session, at about 2.5x.  Honestly, if I didn’t have such a massive TBR, I could have easily read it for longer hours per session. 

She recounts her life in exquisite detail. This includes how she became a star - her years on Broadway, then film, her early and continued singing career, her marriage to Elliot Gould and then to James Brolin, and the many romantic liaisons in the years between those marriages.  It felt like a conversation with her and the hours flew by. 

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My favorite read for April was Keeper of Lost Children by Sadeqa Johnson. I read this book because it is an upcoming group read.  First I had a long hold at Libby, and almost let that borrow expire. So glad that I didn’t, as I read it and found it to be very, very good. I learned about “Brown Babies” - mixed-raced children who were abandoned or ended up in orphanages in Germany after the war. It is a dual-timeline story as it also goes to the mid-1950s. Three central characters - Ethel Gathers, Ozzie Phillips and Sophia Clark whose stories eventually converge. 

- - -

My favorite read for March was When I First Met You by Lori Foster. This was an early March read for me, and it was also an early ARC since it’s set to be released in mid-July. The story revolves around Glory and Kam, two individuals who have both overcome tragic pasts. Despite their hardships, they’ve managed to build stable lives. However, Glory is facing harassment from a man she briefly dated.

The two characters connect through their shared pasts and a strong emotional pull towards each other. Lori Foster’s writing has a knack for evoking a wide range of emotions. In this case, like her upcoming book in May, The Lake House, this novel goes beyond romance. It delves into some serious themes but is wrapped in love, tenderness, and showcases the inherent kindness of the characters. 

- - -

Kin was my favorite book in February. Kin is an amazing book where two friends who were cradle mates went their separate ways around the age of 18. One never got over her mother‘s abandonment, and the other moved on with life, even though her father had killed her mother. At some point, they made a reconnection and started to share letters with one another and rebuilt what was lost. The book was haunting, tragic, heartbreaking, but also had a keen sense of healing. It is a book I will think of for a long time to come.

- - -

For January, my favorite read was This Book Made Me Think of You by Lizzy Page. This is a story that is about love, loss and healing. Tilly was grieving the loss of her husband just over the past year and was reminded of him in a very sentimental way. When her husband Joe knew that he was dying, he crafted a very specific gift for Tilly, a book that she would only receive once a month for the next 12 months. Not only was each book carefully chosen for Tilly, they also opened up doors of opportunity that she might not have taken otherwise.

Review - One of the Family

Title:  One of the Family

Author:  Mark Edwards

Publisher:  Atria Books

Genre:   Mystery & Thrillers

Format:  Kindle ARC

No. of Pages:   336

Date of Publication:   August 4, 2026

My Rating:   4 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

The “so clever and fresh” (Lisa Jewell, #1 New York Times bestselling author) author of The Wasp Trap returns with a novel best described as Succession set in the Scottish Highlands where a plot to murder the patriarch’s younger fiancée entangles an innocent outsider in a nest of deadly secrets.

A week in paradise—with the family from hell.

When Patrick is invited by his girlfriend to join her and her family on a luxury holiday in a remote and beautiful part of Scotland, he has no idea that he is about to be plunged into a nightmare of a family, sinister behavior…and a plot to murder the patriarch’s younger fiancée.

Arriving at the house, Patrick meets Holly’s dad, self-made-millionaire Charles, along with her brother Lewis and older sister Miranda. Also on the trip is the widowed Charles’ bride-to-be, Jasmine, who—in her early forties—is around the same age as the three siblings. Lewis and Miranda are horrified by their dad’s impending marriage to this younger woman. Surely, she is just after his money—and is going to steal their inheritance from them. To make things worse, Jasmine is an almost exact doppelganger of their mother before she got sick and died at forty-two.

Patrick finds himself in the middle of this viper’s nest, trying to keep out of the family crosshairs. He starts to suspect that Lewis has dark plans for Jasmine—putting himself in peril as a potential witness who could mess up his scheme. Perhaps more than one person won’t escape this family of snakes…

Link to purchase the book

MY THOUGHTS:

Patrick is thrilled when he and his girlfriend, Holly Grant, travel to Scotland to celebrate the New Year with her family. As the title suggests, Patrick hopes that this visit will offer him the opportunity to allow him to become one of the family. While the story occasionally shifts to other perspectives, Patrick remains the main protagonist, and I enjoyed experiencing much of the story through his eyes.

Right from the outset, there is drama. Patrick quickly sees how upset Holly is that her father is engaged to a much younger woman. Not only is she about the same age as Holly and her siblings, she bears an uncanny resemblance to Holly’s mother. But there is much more to the situation than meets the eye. As the story shifts between the present and 2006, we see Holly was a teenager, when at the time a young man died under questionable circumstances. At the same time, Holly’s mother was seriously ill, adding another layer of grief to an already difficult period in her life.

In this atmospheric and increasingly tense story, Patrick navigates around a family where everyone seems to be holding onto secrets. And some secrets are dangerous enough to kill for. As Patrick begins to uncover more about both the past and the present, he becomes increasingly aware of the toxic environment surrounding Holly’s family.

Mark Edwards skillfully draws readers into the mystery alongside Patrick as long-buried secrets begin to surface. Then, as the weather turns increasingly hazardous and Patrick discovers a body, the stakes become even higher. Patrick now knows that one of the family members is a killer. More than that, the killer may be willing to do whatever it takes to keep deeply buried secrets from ever being revealed. With danger closing in and trust becoming nearly impossible, Patrick realizes that he may be fighting not only to uncover the truth, but to stay alive long enough to expose it. 

One of the Family, with its atmospheric, suspenseful, and intricately woven narrative, kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. The book’s exploration of secrets, twists, and the dynamics of a dysfunctional family captivated me, making it impossible to put down. 

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

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Mark Edwards writes psychological thrillers about scary things happening to ordinary people. He has sold more than five million copies of his books and topped the bestseller lists numerous times since his first solo novel was published in 2013.

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Review - Deceptions

Title:  Deceptions

Author:  Jeffery Deaver   

Publisher:  G. P. Putnam’s Sons

Genre:   Mystery & Thrillers

Format:  Kindle ARC

No. of Pages:   304

Date of Publication:   August 4, 2026

My Rating:   4 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

The New York Times bestselling author and master of suspense returns with a devious collection, featuring two never-before published stories in which fan favorites Colter Shaw, adapted for TV (CBS's Tracker, starring Justin Hartley), and Lincoln Rhyme are united by the layers of deception taking over New York City.

A murder at a crime writers' conference. The method is entirely literary, the motive seems obvious—but can the detective who was first on the scene puzzle out what needs reading between the lines?

A brilliant sleuth, obsessed with Sherlock Holmes’s mysteries, turns his attention to a serial killer stalking the streets of New York City. But as his deductions bring him closer to his prey, he starts to wonder who is really doing the hunting.

A mysterious woman has gone into hiding and Colter Shaw is tasked with bringing her to a safe house. But with a hitman on his trails, the race toward safety takes on a whole new meaning.

A serial killer with a motive never before seen in the history of crime challenges Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs to rethink everything they know about the nature of evil—and the evidence its perpetrators leave at the scenes. No stranger to the cat-and-mouse chase or our favorite twists and turns, Jeffery Deaver brings his chops to Deceptions, where every story unearths trickery and the truths that lie buried deep under.

Link to purchase the book

MY THOUGHTS:

Deceptions is an enjoyable collection of short stories with mystery and intrigue at its core. The overall theme is exactly what the title promises: deception. The protagonists are familiar faces - reward seeker Colter Shaw and forensic criminologist Lincoln Rhyme. As the description notes, most of these stories have already been published, with two new ones included for longtime fans of Jeffery Deaver.

Every story here is fast-paced and engaging, and honestly, it whetted my appetite more than I expected. It reminded me that I’ve only read a handful of the Colter Shaw books, so I’m now itching to catch up on the rest of the series. And since Lincoln Rhyme has such a long-running series of his own, getting to meet him in this collection was a real treat. Now I am certain that I want to binge through the Rhyme books in the very near future.

Many thanks to G. P. Putnam and Sons and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jeffery Deaver is an international number-one bestselling author. His novels have appeared on bestseller lists around the world. His books are sold in 150 countries and translated into twenty-five languages. He has served two terms as president of Mystery Writers of America, and was recently named a Grand Master of MWA, whose ranks include Agatha Christie, Ellery Queen, Mary Higgins Clark and Walter Mosely.

The author of 48 novels, 100 short stories and a nonfiction law book, and a lyricist of a country-western album, he’s received or been shortlisted for dozens of awards.

Deaver has been honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention, the Strand Magazine’s Lifetime Achievement Award and the Raymond Chandler Lifetime Achievement Award in Italy. He has also been awarded or shortlisted for scores of award from around the world.

His book A Maiden’s Grave was made into an HBO movie starring James Garner and Marlee Matlin and titled Dead Silence. His novel The Bone Collector was a feature release from Universal Pictures, starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie. Lifetime aired an adaptation of his The Devil’s Teardrop. NBC television recently aired the nine-episode prime-time series, Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector. CBS TV is airing Tracker, a prime-time series based on his novel The Never Game, featuring his character Colter Shaw.

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Review - You’ll Be Sorry

Title:   You’ll Be Sorry

Author:  Lisa Gardner

Genre:   Mystery/Thrillers

Publisher:  Grand Central Publishing

Format:  Kindle ARC
No. of Pages:   368

Date of Publication:  August 4, 2026
My Rating:  4 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

A newlywed couple each with their own secrets. An abandoned lodge with a horrific decades-old mystery. And a small mountain town where everyone believes they know their neighbors…except they don’t.

For Raquel and Theo Collins, it appeared to be love at first sight. Raquel, a renowned interior designer, and Theo, a brash financial wizard met and married in a matter of months, only to confront a terrible tragedy. Now, unbearably aware of the distance between them, they’ve come to a remote town in New Hampshire to begin anew.

Perched on a ledge with stunning views, the Dixon’s family lodge was once a crown jewel of the mountains. Until late one August night, when both parents and their four children vanished, leaving behind a trail of bloody footprints, and a mystery that has endured for thirty years. Now, its latest occupants, the Collinses, are arriving, and the former grand lodge is once more stirring to life.

For Amanda Grady, following in her father’s footsteps as the recently appointed Shereford police chief, it’s good to see a fresh start for the derelict Dixon place. However, not everyone is happy about a new family in the old home and its hidden past may have returned with a vengeance.

When a stray dog leads to the discovery of a skeleton on the property, Raquel and Theo face a daunting choice of what to believe, who to trust, and how to survive. Because in the tiny village of Shereford the time has come. The local residents, the new neighbors, and the fledgling police chief must work together to unravel the terrifying events that happened one night thirty years ago, or…

You’ll be sorry.

Link to purchase the book

MY THOUGHTS:

Do nothing. Say nothing. You’ll be sorry. 

Raquel and Theo Collins are newly married and have already endured a shared tragedy. More than that, they are bound together by the secrets they keep - even from one another. Hoping for a fresh start, they move to a remote New Hampshire town and purchase a house steeped in a dark history. Decades earlier, the Dixon’s, a family of six, vanished without a trace, leaving behind a mystery that was never solved. Theo and Raquel plan to restore the property and, in doing so, perhaps erase some of the stain left by its troubled past.

When local police chief Amanda Grady returns to Sheresford, she can’t help but revisit the decades-old case of the missing Dixon family. Her father was the former police chief, and he was never comfortable with the fact that he couldn’t determine exactly what happened to them. Now Amanda is determined to uncover the truth that eluded him.

But this is no ordinary cold-case story. The mystery reaches back even further, into the lore of eighteenth-century witchcraft and a devastating history involving the deaths of several babies. How does this centuries-old tale connect to the disappearance of the Dixon family? And what does it have to do with the secrets Raquel and Theo are desperately holding onto?

Thoroughly atmospheric and compelling, with a sinister edge that never lets up, this story reaches far beyond Theo and Raquel and Amanda’s search for answers. An unusual and fascinating cast of characters adds another layer of intrigue, leaving readers constantly wondering who can be trusted and who may be hiding something darker. And an unnamed narrator slowly begins to fill in the blanks, revealing just enough to keep readers guessing and leaving us breathless with anticipation.  Lisa Gardner skillfully intertwines past and present, creating a haunting mystery filled with secrets, suspicion, and twists that make You’ll Be Sorry difficult to put down.

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

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Lisa Gardner is the #1 New York Times bestselling thriller author of the Frankie Elkin series, as well as the Detective D.D. Warren, the FBI Profilers and the PI Tessa Leoni series.

Her current suspense novels feature Frankie Elkin, an everyday, average person who specializes in finding missing people. When the locals have given up, when the media has never bothered to care, Frankie takes on the challenge. From looking for a missing teen in inner city Boston to searching for a missing hiker in the wilds of Wyoming to rescuing a possibly kidnapped girl on a remote island in the Pacific, Frankie is on the case!

Lisa lives in the mountains of New Hampshire with two crazy pups. When not writing, Lisa loves to hike, play cribbage, and, of course, read!

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AUDIOBOOK REVIEW - The Women in White

Title:   The Women in White

Author:  Sarah Pekkanen 

Publisher:  St. Martin’s Press and

  Macmillan Audio

Genre:   Psychological Thriller 

Format:  Kindle ARC and Audiobook ALC

Narrator: Saskia Maarleveld

No. of Pages:  304

Length:   7 hrs 57 mins

Date of Publication:  August 4, 2026

My Rating:   5 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

The newest next thriller from #1 Bestselling Author Sarah Pekkanen combines a decades-old mystery with spine-tingling paranormal elements in this twisty novel of the seen and unseen.

Extrasensory perception.
The Gift.
A Sixth Sense.
Or something else….

In 1964, four remarkable young women at a prestigious university became the subjects of parapsychology experiments by a visionary scientist. On the cusp of a historic breakthrough, the women mysteriously vanished and the program was erased from history.

Decades later, Riley Bell, newly divorced and desperate for a fresh start, accepts a caretaker job for an elderly widow named Betty. Riley steps into a home that is frozen in another era - no microwave, television, or cell phones, and Betty has never heard of the internet.

(Why has Betty lived in such profound isolation for so many years, and why does she need Riley now? As the story unfolds across two timelines - Betty’s 1960s era of 5 o’clock martinis and high-stakes experiments, and Riley’s quest to uncover the truth about the missing women - old secrets rise to the surface. And the only way to survive is to confront the mystery that has lingered for sixty years.

Link to purchase the book

MY THOUGHTS:

 

Experiments or hidden powers? Four women are mysteriously connected by a series of questionable tests conducted more than six decades ago at a parapsychology lab at Duke University. Led by Dr. Trimble, the experiments seemed to be on the verge of a groundbreaking discovery - something that could change history - when they suddenly came to an end. The four women have disappeared, and the university went to extraordinary lengths to erase the entire program from its records.

In the present day, Riley Bell takes a caretaker position with elderly Betty Sadler. Riley is immediately struck by the fact that Betty seems to be living in the past: no cell phone, no internet, and little interest in the modern world. For Betty, it is almost as if time stopped decades ago.

The two women form an unexpected connection. After Betty is widowed, she discovers papers belonging to her husband that bring the past rushing back. Riley becomes entangled in Betty’s search for answers as they try to piece together what really happened in the 1960s. This might give Betty closure if she can find out what became of her three friends.

Part paranormal mystery and part psychological thriller, The Women in White is an intriguing story of friendship, secrets, memory, and the possibility of powers we may not fully understand. Betty’s desperate need for answers and Riley’s determination to help her create a compelling partnership. As they get closer to uncovering the truth, Betty’s memories of that painful period begin to surface, revealing just how deeply the past has remained with her.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching Betty and Riley’s relationship evolve as they gradually unravel the mystery together. Their journey certainly sparks speculation, even about what is real. Moreover, the question of what has been forgotten and what secrets may have been deliberately buried all begin to unravel, introducing danger into the story. 

Pekkanen skillfully blends psychological suspense with paranormal elements to craft a captivating and thought-provoking narrative. Saska Maarleveld’s brilliant narration captivated me, making both Betty and Riley incredibly relatable and engaging.

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:

SARAH PEKKANEN, coauthor of the New York Times besteller The Wife Between us. Her personal interests are: Chocolate, reading, writing, long walks with my rescue lab Bella, procrastinating, Reality TV (though it shames me to admit it), sharing a bottle of wine with my girlfriends, and hanging out with my kids. Her favorite books are: In Her Shoes, Something Borrowed, Bitter is the New Black, The Nanny Diaries, Bridget Jones' Diary... far too many to list. I'm a book-a-holic.

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