Review - Labyrinth

Title:   Labyrinth

Author:  Catherine Coulter
Series:  FBI Thriller #23

Genre:   Mystery/Thrillers

Publisher:   Gallery Books

Format:  Kindle ARC
No. of Pages:  512

Date of Publication:  July 30, 2019

My Rating:  5 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

The #1 New York Times bestselling FBI Thriller series returns with another tour de force in which Agent Sherlock risks losing her career—and her sanity—over a case that is more complicated and twisted than any she’s ever encountered. 

On a dark night, Agent Sherlock is driving along circuitous mountain roads in West Virginia when her car is suddenly T-boned at an intersection. As her car spins out of control, a man’s body slams against her windshield and then—blackness. When she finally comes to, Sherlock has no memory of the accident, nor of the moments that led right up to it. But what she does know is that the man she hit is a local CIA analyst…and now he’s missing.

Meanwhile, in the small town of Gaffer’s Ridge, Virginia, Special Agent Griffin Hammersmith has just rescued a kidnapped woman who claims her captor admitted to the murder of three teenage girls. However, the man she accuses is related to the local sheriff and a member of a very powerful family. Special Agent Hammersmith reaches out to Sherlock for help, and they soon realize that the disappearance of the CIA analyst is actually connected to the string of murders. But how?

Link to purchase the book

MY THOUGHTS:

When you peek at an ARC and see: “The #1 New York Times bestselling FBI Thriller series returns with another tour de force in which agents Savich and Sherlock stumble into a bizarre case that’s more complicated and twisted than any they’ve ever encountered.” Well, you throw your TBR out the window!

If you love FBI Agent Lacey Sherlock as much as I have come to, no doubt you will feel emotional when you read of Sherlock’s car accident and the bevy of emotions that her husband, fellow agent and boss, Dillon Savich, experienced. What a way to open a book!

While Dillon helps Sherlock to recover, as she has suffered a memory loss, Special Agent Griffin Hammersmith has just rescued a woman who says she escaped a brutal kidnapper who admitted to killing several other women. When Griffin appeals to Dillon for help, he and Sherlock head to Virginia. Dillon feels this is the only way for Sherlock to heal, and that is to be with him. This proves invaluable, because Sherlock's instincts are spot on and Dillon feels that working might help her to heal.

The case involves a missing CIA analyst. What is more is that what draws Griffin to the situation is that he hears screams for help. He cannot explain it, but he is lead to the home of a female reporter and he manages to save her life. This story, like one or two of the others in the series, lends to Dillan and Griffin experiencing a bit of psychic talent. While this is a part of the story that I did not expect, as it is not a tenet of the series, it did not take away from solving the mysterious case.

All the while, readers got to see the team working together flawlessly, as well as witnessing the growing love between Dillon and Sherlock. While reading of her losing most of her memory was painful, it was inspiring to watch her begin to heal. This fast-moving story had me riveted from the arresting introduction to the shocking conclusion.

Many thanks to Gallery Books and NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Catherine Coulter is the author of over 83 novels, including 78 New York Times bestsellers, occasionally, after exhaustive prayers, hitting #1. She earned her reputation writing historical romances to pass the time while aboard the ark. She added suspense thrillers to her repertoire - with great success. The Cove, the first book in her bestselling "FBI Suspense Thriller Series" spent nine weeks on the New York Times list and has to date sold well over 3 million copies. Since then she's written 22 more bestselling thrillers in the series, including The Maze, The Target, The Edge, Riptide, Hemlock Bay, Eleventh Hour, Blindside, Blowout, Point Blank, Double Take, Tailspin, Knockout, Whiplash, Split Second, Backfire, Bombshell, Power Play, Nemesis, Insidious, Enigma. Her 22nd FBI thriller PARADOX is available now in all formats now. Coulter is also writing a new suspense thriller series - A Brit in the FBI - co-writing with bestselling author JT Ellison. The 6th book in this action-packed series, The Last Second, will be out in March 2019.

For Coulter's first novel, The Autumn Countess, she chose a Regency setting for her debut because, says Coulter, "as any published author will tell you, it's best to limit the unknowns in a first book, and not only had I grown up reading Georgette Heyer, whom I worship, but I earned my M.A. degree in early 19th century European History and could fight in Napoleon's army, or join the Allies and beat his butt with Wellington."

Following The Autumn Countess, Coulter wrote six more Regency romances. She then turned to long historicals and eventually interspersed them with contemporary suspense novels, beginning with False Pretenses in 1988, her very first hardcover.

Coulter grew up on a horse ranch in Texas, and graduated from the University of Texas, receiving her graduate degree from Boston College. She became a speechwriter on Wall Street, then, to her joy, she was able to quit her day job and become a full-time writer.

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Review - The Last Second

Title:   The Last Second

Author:  Catherine Coulter, J.T. Ellison
Series:  A Brit in the FBI #6

Genre:   Mystery/Thrillers

Publisher:   Gallery Books

Format:  Kindle ARC
No. of Pages:  515

Date of Publication:  March 26, 2019
My Rating:  5 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

From New York Times bestselling authors Catherine Coulter and J.T. Ellison comes a riveting thriller pitting special agents Nicholas Drummond and Michaela Caine against a private French space agency that has the power to end the world as we know it.

Galactus, France’s answer to SpaceX, has just launched a communications satellite into orbit, but the payload actually harbors a frightening weapon: a nuclear-triggered electromagnetic pulse.

When the satellite is in position, Galactus’s second-in-command, Dr. Nevaeh Patel, will have the power to lay waste to the world with an EMP. A former astronaut, Patel believes she is following the directions of the Numen, aliens who saved her life when she space-walked outside the International Space Station. She is convinced that with the Holy Grail, just discovered by the owner of Galactus—eccentric treasure hunter Jean-Pierre Broussard—she can be reunited with the Numen, change the world’s destiny, and become immortal with them.

The countdown has begun when Special Agents Nicholas Drummond and Michaela Caine are thrown into the pending disaster. They must stop the EMP that would wreak havoc on communication and electronic systems on Earth, resulting in chaos and anarchy.

With their signature “nonstop action with enough realism to keep you thinking and scare the daylights out of you at the same time” (Suspense Magazine), Coulter and Ellison have created a thriller to take you on a breakneck and breathtaking journey.

Link to purchase the book

MY THOUGHTS:

It has been nearly a year since I read The Sixth Day by these very talented authors and I really wondered if, like just about every novel I have read from either of them, whether or not it would be worth the wait. Well, it was! Not only that, I read this book in just two sittings. The story is utterly captivating and not the fare I expected when about to read the next in The Brit in the FBI series.

Dr. Nevaeh Patel has been pulled from space. After a space-walk outside of the International Space Station, Nevaeh is now touting her first-hand experience with the Numen, who she believes are aliens who are communicating with he. Furthermore, she is convinced that with the aid of the Holy Grail, something long sought after and recently discovered by treasure hunter Jean-Pierre Broussard, she can change the destiny of the entire world.

To achieve her purpose, Nevaeh takes extreme measures. As the story is told, readers see that her belief in the Numen is 100% real. She really wants back in space. So, she has a dual purpose. What Nevaeh does in order to achieve both of these goals is nothing short of extreme madness. Yes, mad beyond belief. Her nefarious activities prove that she is certainly not afraid of consequences.

The Last Second is a thriller beyond compare. Michaela "Mike" Cain and Nicholas Drummond are the FBI agents handling the case. While healing from a badly damaged ankle, Mike and Nicholas are visiting Grant and Kitsune Thornton (familiar characters from previous tales), and they become involved in what happens to Broussard when cooky ex-astronaut Neyaeh tries and grabs to newly found Holy Grail.

Whether on land, air or water, action is never ceasing in The Last Second. All the while, readers are sucked into the very sick mind of Neyaeh. No one is safe from danger, even those perpetrating it. I loved all the techno talk in this book - whether from the former astronaut (who is the epitome of an unreliable character), or from Broussard while on his ship, the Galactic. Then the heroic actions of the FBI team is nothing short of spectacular.

Obviously, I could go on and on and on. But, no matter what I write here, I am desperately striving to avoid spoilers. I definitely think that fans following this series will be as drawn into this story as I was. As a matter of fact, this book certainly is already one of my Top Picks for this year! I look forward to the next book in this series.

The previous five books in the series are The Final Cut, The Lost Key, The End Game, The Devil's Triangle and The Sixth Day.

Many thanks to Gallery Books and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.


ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Catherine Coulter is the author of over 83 novels, including 78 New York Times bestsellers, occasionally, after exhaustive prayers, hitting #1. She earned her reputation writing historical romances to pass the time while aboard the ark. She added suspense thrillers to her repertoire - with great success. The Cove, the first book in her bestselling "FBI Suspense Thriller Series" spent nine weeks on the New York Times list and has to date sold well over 3 million copies. Since then she's written 22 more bestselling thrillers in the series, including The Maze, The Target, The Edge, Riptide, Hemlock Bay, Eleventh Hour, Blindside, Blowout, Point Blank, Double Take, Tailspin, Knockout, Whiplash, Split Second, Backfire, Bombshell, Power Play, Nemesis, Insidious, Enigma. Her 22^nd FBI thriller PARADOX is available now in all formats now. Coulter is also writing a new suspense thriller series - A Brit in the FBI - co-writing with bestselling author JT Ellison. The 6^th book in this action-packed series, The Last Second, will be out in March 2019.

For Coulter's first novel, The Autumn Countess, she chose a Regency setting for her debut because, says Coulter, "as any published author will tell you, it's best to limit the unknowns in a first book, and not only had I grown up reading Georgette Heyer, whom I worship, but I earned my M.A. degree in early 19th century European History and could fight in Napoleon's army, or join the Allies and beat his butt with Wellington."

Following The Autumn Countess, Coulter wrote six more Regency romances. She then turned to long historicals and eventually interspersed them with contemporary suspense novels, beginning with False Pretenses in 1988, her very first hardcover.

Coulter grew up on a horse ranch in Texas, and graduated from the University of Texas, receiving her graduate degree from Boston College. She became a speechwriter on Wall Street, then, to her joy, she was able to quit her day job and become a full-time writer.

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J.T. Ellison is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of twenty critically acclaimed novels, including LIE TO ME, NO ONE KNOWS, WHAT LIES BEHIND, and ALL THE PRETTY GIRLS, and is the coauthor of the "A Brit in the FBI" series with #1 New York Times bestselling author Catherine Coulter. J.T. also cohosts the EMMY® Award-winning television series A Word on Words.

With millions of books in print, Ellison’s work has been published in twenty-six countries and fourteen languages. Her novel THE COLD ROOM won the ITW Thriller Award for Best Paperback Original. Her novels FIELD OF GRAVES and WHERE ALL THE DEAD LIE were each a RITA® nominee for Best Romantic Suspense. She is also the author of multiple short stories.

Ellison grew up in Colorado and Virginia. After graduating from Randolph-Macon Woman's College and receiving her master's degree from George Washington University, she was a presidential appointee and worked in The White House and the Department of Commerce before moving into the private sector to work as a financial analyst and marketing director for several defense and aerospace contractors.

After moving to Nashville, Ellison began to research her hidden passions, forensics and crime, and was compelled to begin writing down her stories. To research her books, she has worked with the Metro Nashville Police Department and the FBI, as well as performing autopsies and studying survivalists.

In 2012, Ellison teamed up with #1 New York Times bestselling author Catherine Coulter to co-write a new FBI series. The first book, THE FINAL CUT, released in September of 2013 and hit every major bestseller list. The series continues with THE LOST KEY, THE END GAME, THE DEVIL'S TRIANGLE, and THE SIXTH DAY. The next installment will be published in Spring 2019.

Ellison published her first standalone novel, NO ONE KNOWS, a Nashville-based domestic thriller, in 2016 with Gallery Books, followed by the critically acclaimed LIE TO ME, published in 2017 with MIRA Books. Her newest standalone, TEAR ME APART, will be published on September 18, 2018.

She also has co-written with Erica Spindler and Alex Kava on two anthology collaborations: SLICES OF NIGHT and STORM SEASON.

J.T.'s interests go beyond writing books—she publishes them, too. In 2015, Ellison founded her own independent publishing house, Two Tales Press, which features spine-chilling short stories and novellas, including THE FIRST DECADE and DEAD ENDS. An avid oenophile, Ellison teamed up with her right-hand, Amy Kerr, to launch The Wine Vixen, a wine review website focusing on all varietals and price ranges.

In 2015, Ellison was named a cohost of the Nashville literary television series A Word on Words. The series was hosted by respected journalist John Seigenthaler for more than 40 years and remains a favorite among viewers. The rebooted show builds on Mr. Seigenthaler’s distinguished legacy with an exciting new version of the literary series. The show won its first Emmy for Best Interstitial in 2017. Follow #keepreading for more updates on the show guests and lively literary discussions.

She also has an active following on Twitter @thrillerchick and Instagram @thrillerchick, and has a robust Facebook community.

She lives with her husband and twin kittens in Nashville, where she enjoys fine wine and good notebooks.

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Review: The Whispering Room

The Whispering Room by Dean Koontz

My rating: 5 Stars

The Whispering Room has Jane Hawk still on the run. Her options are running thin while she hopes to find the people responsible for the death of her husband and for the threat to her young son. It hasn’t taken her much time to realize that many, many more people are affected. While first on leave from the FBI, she is now on their most wanted list, and is also being chased by ruthless killers. She finally finds a man that she is certain can help her and her cause, but that ends up not panning out either.

Jane is determined to find someone to help her to get to the bottom of this incredible conspiracy where mind control is at play. The picture is huge, as the bad guys are equally mixed in with the supposedly good in Koontz's second book in this series. The action begins on page one and anxiously carried me right through to the end.

Review: The Silent Corner

The Silent Corner by Dean Koontz

My rating: 5 Stars

Following the devastating suicide of her husband, Jane Hawk has been granted leave from the FBI. She begins an unofficial investigation of his suicide, but she discovers several things right away, including the fact that there is a huge conspiracy at play. Getting to the bottom of this is critical to Jane, especially because they have threatened her young son and now she has him in hiding.

Why are so many people suddenly taking their own lives? Jane quickly uncovers a conspiracy of unimaginable proportions. What is this nefarious, apparent mind control going on? Who will listen to Jane? How many lives have to be lost while she is trying to stay one step ahead of government agencies and the ruthless people that will stop at nothing to put an end to Jane's search for the truth?

So many questions, so little time. This book caused me to lose a night's sleep because I could not put it down. I literally read this book from cover to cover in one sitting. Dean Koontz has outdone himself with this first book in his Jane Hawk series. I am currently reading The Whispering Room with the same eagerness.

Review: It Ends With Her

It Ends With Her by Brianna Labuskes

My rating: 4 Stars

FBI agent Clarke Sinclair has been tracking serial killer Simon Cross for years. Simon has been providing her with clues that have been haunting her to the depths of her soul. However, he always succeeds in the murders, breaking Clarke more and more with each victim. Simon has a pattern. This time, however, he has broken it and has changed his timetable. This break in pattern is leading Clarke into a trap. Will she be able to save the latest victim – and herself?

I was so touched by Clarke. She is one tough agent, despite a troubled past. Working alongside her mentor Sam allowed the true depth of her pain become all too real to me. However, it was the connection between all of the characters and the timelines played out that really astounded me. It Ends With Her is truly a truly dark thriller that captivated my attention, and yanked on my heartstrings more than once.

Many thanks to Thomas & Mercer and to NetGalley for this book to book to review.

Review: Cross Your Heart

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Cross Your Heart by Kierney Scott

My rating: 5 Stars

While on medical leave, FBI Special Agent Jess Bishop has started an unofficial investigation on a cold case. A serial killer has been targeting little girls. When she is reinstated, the case takes on an official nature. More critical details are now available to Jess, but then another little girl is abducted. Time is of the essence, as they are desperate to locate her, especially since they do not have many leads. The only thing that they do have is a common link between all of the girls.

Meanwhile, Jess is still running from her own personal demons. In Kierney Scott’s first book in the series, Forget Me Not, we learned much about Jess and what makes her tick. In the first book we learned about what Jess experienced and how it has affected who she is now. However, if she was already a dark, disconnected soul, then she is ever more so now. This is due to her last case where she was injured and almost lost her partner Jamison – who is extremely special to her. So she must now struggle with her personal traumas while racing against time to prevent another little girl from being snatched.

Cross Your Heart is an excellent one-sitting read! When I got this book for review, I decided to read the first in the series. This is a habit of mine really. I like connecting with the characters and by reading these two titles back-to-back I felt as if I knew all of the players really well, especially Jess. This characterization, as well as a fast-moving plot, kept me riveted to the story. This book has a sharp twist and incredible sadness to it also. I kept wishing, obviously, for the perpetrator to be stopped, but also for Jess and Jamison. I have a strong feeling that as the series progresses, that they can heal, even just to be able to be friends again. Only time will tell. One thing is for sure, Kierney Scott has a new fan in me.

Many thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for this ARC to review.

Review: The Sixth Day

The Sixth Day by Catherine Coulter

My rating: 5 Stars

Nicholas Drummond and Michaela “Mike” Caine are at his London estate for brief vacation. When a high-ranking political figure dies mysteriously, they are charged with the investigation. Meanwhile, there is a soon-to-be-connected mystery regarding the historical Voynich Manuscript. Dr. Isabella Marin becomes embroiled as she is an expert at the twin language associated with the Manuscript. At the bottom of all of this, is Roman Arderlean, wealthy cyber-security genius, who has a very ill twin brother. He is hoping that the secrets of this Manuscript will cure his twin.

Roman is also creating an army of drones, and he is hell-bent on using those drones to achieve whatever purpose he sets out. Anyone that will get in the way of this goal is collateral damage. This includes Nicholas and Mike, as their investigation proves fruitful from the start.

In this thrilling story, quite a bit of lore is interjected. For starters, Roman is a descendent of Romanian Vlad the Impaler, know as Count Dracula. Also, Roman is a falconer, one who artfully trains falcons. Add this to his work with drones and he is more than lethal.

This story hits the ground running, and hardly leaves you with a moment to catch your breath. I love the twists and turns that this fifth entry in A Brit in the FBI series has taken.

Many thanks to Gallery Books and to NetGalley for this ARC to review.

Review: The Crooked Staircase

The Crooked Staircase by Dean Koontz

My rating: 5 Stars

In this next entry in his successful Jane Hawk series, Jane is not only on leave from the FBI, she is on the top of their most wanted list. As a matter of fact, she is wanted by every government agency out there, as well as some nefarious and critically dangerous people. Jane is driven to believe that her husband's suicide has much more to the story. She has come very close to figuring out what is going on, and who is behind the death of her husband, as well as the threats to her young son, whom she has put in hiding.

Let’s root for Jane to get to the bottom of this tragic drama. Who are the key players in this deadly game of cat and mouse? How much longer can this go on? As Jane is on an unrelenting search for the truth, no matter what the cost, I found myself saying “Wow” many times while reading this thrilling story! To see the whole account, be sure to read the first two novels in the series. Readers will be glad to know that Dean Koontz has at least two more books planned.