Criminal (Will Trent #6)
by Karin Slaughter
4.7 out of 5.0 stars

Karin Slaughter has become one of my favorite authors because her stories are consistently excellent. Criminal is included and one of the best in the Will Trent series.

The plot is complex. The story is told alternating between 1975 and present day in a corrupt Atlanta police station. The characters, as always, are full of depth and many times frustrating.

This book in particular, for me, brought many loose ends together re Amanda Wagner, Evelyn Mitchell, Will Trent, Sara, Faith and Angie. I have read the series out of order and thus it makes sense that my questions would be answered in #6, but having the past and future of these characters is really what made things come together.

It was hard to imagine that things were so tough for women and African Americans on the force. I was a child when the story took place and the racism and misogynistic ways that were accepted are harsh, really bad. But that only helps the female characters become stronger in my view, heroes really.

There were twists throughout. You knew the story was not going to come across too many happy moments, because the subject was so deep and dark. And the final twist? Brilliant.

I look forward to reading all of Slaughter's books and highly recommend this book and author to those who love crime, psychological thriller and great character development.

A bit on the author from Goodreads.com:
Born in The United States January 06
http://www.karinslaughter.com/
Twitter @slaughterKarin
Mystery & Thrillers, Fiction, Thriller
https://www.goodreads.com/KarinSlaughter

Karin Slaughter is the New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling author of seventeen thrillers, including the Grant County and Will Trent series, COP TOWN, PRETTY GIRLS, THE GOOD DAUGHTER and the e-original short stories “Snatched” “Busted" "Blonde Hair, Blue Eyes" and "Last Breath."

Slaughter was born in a small southern Georgia community, and now resides in Atlanta. She is widely credited with first coining the term "investigoogling" in 2006.

THE GOOD DAUGHTER, is available now!
Facebook: Facebook.com/AuthorKarinSlaughter
Website: http://www.karinslaughter.com/

Down the Darkest Road (Oak Knoll, #3)
by Tami Hoag
3.8 of 5.0 stars

Another great suspense read from Tami Hoag. The plot was well thought out and the characters were good too.

My only complaints, and remember, I gave the book an very good 3.8 of 5 stars...

I found myself getting annoyed with the main character, Lauren, because she kept telling us what she should do and she was very repetitive about this. She told us so many times she was a horrible mom to her remaining daughter and by the end I think I was like, Yes, you are. And that was a constant.

The other is the "coincidences" that are contrived to make the story work. I mean, in the end, everyone is put in their place obviously by the author intentionally. But for me, there didn't need to be so many connections behind the scenes.

The suspects turned out to be horrible people (of course) and their story lines were not satisfying to me. I wanted more. Or maybe I wanted revenge.

There were also loose ends (to me), the daughter cutting and no one following up on this and other very small things that stuck in my mind that felt unexplained.

I enjoyed the other Oak Knoll book I read in the series and I will most likely look to read the other next.

Tami Hoag is an excellent author. There are always parts of the book that I'm actually scared to read. The ending of this book, the last 30 pages or so, are incredibly suspenseful. To the point I had to skip ahead fearing for characters as I read with terror! Most authors cannot evoke this sort of reaction, great writing!

about the author from Goodreads.com:
Born in Cresco, Iowa, The United States 
Website http://www.tamihoag.com
Twitter TamiHoag
Genre Romance, Mystery & Thrillers

Tami Hoag is the #1 internationally bestselling author of more than thirty books published in more than thirty languages worldwide, including her latest thrillers--BITTER SEASON, COLD COLD HEART and THE 9TH GIRL. Renowned for combining thrilling plots with character-driven suspense, Hoag first hit the New York Times Bestseller list with NIGHT SINS, and each of her books since has been a bestseller. 

She leads a double life in Palm Beach County, Florida where she is also known as a top competitive equestrian in the Olympic discipline of dressage. Other interests include the study of psychology, and mixed martial arts fighting.

Visit her at www.tamihoag.com, Facebook.com/TamiHoag and on Twitter @TamiHoag

Look for Me (Detective D.D. Warren, #9)
by Lisa Gardner
4 / 5 stars

Another fantastic couldn't-put-it-down thriller from Lisa Gardner. 

One of the best parts of the book? Flora Dane is back in all her darkness. Loved that is still relevant to Lisa Gardner and I do hope to see her again.

The plot was, of course, twisty. Done brilliantly. I still had a full cast of characters that were all possible suspects nearing the end of the book. I was emotionally tied to not just D.D. and Flora but other characters that came to the defense of those weaker than them.

Also, loved that dogs were a large part of the book...the old ones and a brand new one. Rescues, of course. 

Every time I finish a novel by Gardner, I feel a little ... empty. Like I wanted it to just go on and yes, the ends of her novels are just that. Nothing that has you wondering if the plot was plausible or the outcome unrealistic. And more than just a bit of anticipation for the one that comes next. 

I recommend this novel for anyone who enjoys thrillers or contemporary fiction or police procedurals or reading. Really!

About the author from goodreads.com:

​Born The United States 
Website http://www.lisagardner.com/
Twitter LisaGardnerBks
Genre Mystery & Thrillers, Suspense, Romance
aka Alicia Scott

New York Times bestselling crime novelist Lisa Gardner began her career in food service, but after catching her hair on fire numerous times, she took the hint and focused on writing instead. A self-described research junkie, she has parlayed her interest in police procedure, cutting edge forensics and twisted plots into a streak of eleven bestselling suspense novels.

Readers are invited to get in on the fun by entering the annual "Kill a Friend, Maim a Mate" Sweepstakes, where they can nominate the person of their choice to die in Lisa's latest novel. Every year, one lucky stiff is selected for literary immortality. It's cheaper than therapy, and you get a great book besides. For more details, simply visit Lisa's website.

Lisa lives in the White Mountains of New Hampshire with her family, as well as two highly spoiled dogs and one extremely neurotic three-legged cat. Lisa graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in international relations.

Tell Me
by Lisa Jackson
4 of 5 stars 

​Lisa Jackson once again puts all the right ingredients into her thriller, Tell Me. 

Hard to put down, twists I never saw coming. Amd twists I expected that, of course, never materialized. That would be too obvious. 

It was especially clever the way Jackson had the reader totally fooled throughout the book about someone's identity but I cannot say more as it will spoil. But she really is so clever to weave this web!

I fall in love with her characters and find myself totally rooting for them. I always wish more revenge on the bad guys than they get but that's okay...justice is always served. 

I would have liked her to build upon a few characters even more, but it is already a nice meaty book.

I recommend this book to suspense lovers. She is truly at the top of her genre.

About the author from Goodreads.com:

Born in The United States 
Website http://www.lisajackson.com/
Twitter readlisajackson
Genre Romance, Mystery & Thrillers
https://www.goodreads.com/readlisajackson
Lisa Jackson is the number-one New York Times bestselling author of more than 85 novels, including Afraid to Die, Tell Me, You Don’t Want to Know, Running Scared, Without Mercy, Malice, and Shiver.  She is also the co-author of the Colony Series, co-written with her sister, Nancy Bush. There are over 20 million copies of Lisa Jackson’s books in print in twenty languages.  

Before she became a nationally bestselling author, Lisa Jackson was a mother struggling to keep food on the table by writing novels, hoping against hope that someone would pay her for them. Today, neck deep in murder, her books appear on The New York Times, the USA Today, and the Publishers Weekly national bestseller lists.

With over thirty bestsellers to her name, Lisa Jackson is a master of taking readers to the edge of sanity – and back – in novels that buzz with dangerous secrets and deadly passions.  She continues to be fascinated by the minds and motives of both her killers and their pursuers—the personal, the professional and downright twisted.  As she builds the puzzle of relationships, actions, clues, lies and personal histories that haunt her protagonists, she must also confront the fear and terror faced by her victims, and the harsh and enduring truth that, in the real world, terror and madness touch far too many lives and families.  

​Butchers Hill
by Laura Lippman
4 of 5 stars 

And she does it again. Laura Lippman is so good at this!

I have grown to love Tess Monaghan. No matter what I thought the first couple times around, now I get it. I get her. I think she is an amazing character ... she is basically color blind while living in a tough city that has been shaped by race. She is tough, says what she means, totally walks the walk. Yet, she is somehow quite insecure also, I think. She cares what people think (some of them, mostly family); she still doesn't go against her authority figures in her family; she carries a gun yet I'm not sure I would trust her with it. 

The story is filled with complex characters as always. It was a tiny convoluted in a few places, but the writing is so good I didn't feel thrown by it. The novel was written quite a while ago - 1998 - and I'm just thrilled that there are many Tess books to follow. I have not read them in order and so I do know that Tess grows up and gets to be a smarter private detective. Which is good because I do get frustrated at her naivety at times. I mean she blindly walks in to situations that have me surprised she's still around!

This book ended how I would have wanted. But no spoilers...suffice it to say, it was a fair ending although there were many deaths that I wish did not have to happen. I do question her basing the events on a loyalty that I just don't know is realistic. But it is also something I cannot judge because I've never been a foster child; never depending on my siblings for my life; never made promises based on a fear deep down in a place I literally probably don't have. 

Lippman's characters are always so well described that I continue to picture them in my imagination. But so clearly that I feel like I know the beautiful African American woman in the classy, matching outfits; the gentleman in his one brown suit and Panama hat in hand. Great detail! 

Laura Lippman is truly one of the best in her genre and I have not yet, not even once, been disappointed by her thrillers. I look forward to the next one!

About Laura Lippman from her website at http://www.lauralippman.net/

"Laura Lippman's stories  aren't just mysteries; they are deeply moving explorations of the human heart. She is quite simply one of the best crime novelists writing today." –Tess Gerritsen

Laura Lippman was a reporter for twenty years, including twelve years at The (Baltimore) Sun. She began writing novels while working full-time and published seven books about “accidental PI” Tess Monaghan before leaving daily journalism in 2001. 

Her work has been awarded the Edgar®, the Anthony, the Agatha, the Shamus, the Nero Wolfe, Gumshoe and Barry awards.

She also has been nominated for other prizes in the crime fiction field, including the Hammett and the Macavity. She was the first-ever recipient of the Mayor’s Prize for Literary Excellence and the first genre writer recognized as Author of the Year by the Maryland Library Association. Ms. Lippman grew up in Baltimore and attended city schools through ninth grade.

After graduating from Wilde Lake High School in Columbia, Md., Ms. Lippman attended Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. Her other newspaper jobs included the Waco Tribune-Herald and the San Antonio Light.

Ms. Lippman returned to Baltimore in 1989 and has lived there since. She is the daughter of the late Theo Lippman Jr., a Sun editorial writer who retired in 1995, and Madeline Mabry Lippman, a former Baltimore City school librarian. Her sister, Susan, is a local bookseller.




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