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The Last Thing He Told Me
The Last Thing He Told Me
Laura Dave | 2021 | Contemporary, Mystery, Thriller
10
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
When I read the synopsis for The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave, I was hooked. I knew this book would be one that I would really enjoy judging by the sound of it. I didn't judge wrong!

The Last Thing He Told Me was a definite page turner with a fast paced plot that I loved! I found myself trying to guess why Owen went missing and why Bailey had to be protected. I kept wondering how much Bailey actually knew or was she just an innocent. I also would second guess other characters' intentions throughout the book. I will say I was way off with my guesses about everything. The book does take a bit of an overdramatic turn about half way through, but although it's a bit far fetched, it's still plausible. Dave did a fantastic job with the world building as well. I felt like I was right there beside Hannah and Bailey the whole time. I especially felt like I was with them when they were in Austin, Texas trying to find out what happened to Owen and his whereabouts since Laura Dave described many landmarks within Austin that I've been to and near. There are no cliff-hangers in this book and all my questions were answered, but I was a little saddened by the ending, not because it wasn't written well (because it was written great!), but because of what happens.

I enjoyed the characters in The Last Thing He Told Me very much as they were all very fleshed out and felt realistic. I really loved the family dynamic that eventually develops between Bailey and Hannah. It was interesting seeing them grow closer due to Owen's disappearance. Even the minor characters felt like really people instead of just random characters in a book.

Trigger warnings for The Last Thing He Told Me include embezzlement, profanity, lying, violence, and murder.

Overall, The Last Thing He Told Me has an intriguing plot that will leave you guessing throughout. You'll never know who who is bad or who's good. I would definitely recommend The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave to those aged 16+ who enjoy fast paced mystery thrillers!
  
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Kristy H (1252 KP) Aug 23, 2021

This was a good one! Great review!

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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) Aug 25, 2021

Thanks! I had a book hangover afterwards, haha.

The Undiscovered Deaths of Grace McGill
The Undiscovered Deaths of Grace McGill
C.S. Robertson | 2022 | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
7
7.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Well, this is like no book I have read before and most definitely in a good way and whilst, in my honest opinion, I don't think the cover does it justice, please don't let it put you off.

I'm sure we have all read or heard about those very sad situations where someone dies and lies undiscovered for days, weeks or even months and have wondered what their story is and why they died so alone in the world; this is a story that unlocks some of that mystery but from a very unique perspective - the cleaner who removes all evidence of that lonely death.

Grace McGill is that cleaner. She does a job that very few people would want to do and she is good at it but there is more to Grace than meets the eye; she is an extremely interesting and complex character that is, what some might call, slightly odd but I found her fascinating.

Things plod on at a fairly sedate pace where we get to know Grace, her background, her foibles and eccentricities. She goes into great detail how she sets about cleaning a scene, which some might find a little too descriptive, and how she tries to get to know the person and their story.

One such death has her intrigued and she sets on a path to find out more and this is where the story and action really begins and just about half way through, there is a totally unexpected and jaw-dropping moment which totally surprised and shocked me and completely shifted the book into something else and I was hooked until the end racing through the pages to find out what was going to happen next.

This is like no other book I have read before; it's a little bit strange with a quirky but endearing main character and a unique story that I would recommend to others who enjoy reading things that are a little bit different from the usual.

I have never read anything by this author before but will definitely be looking out for him in the future and I must thank Hodder & Stoughton via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
  
Y
Yellow
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
🔞 Full on Trigger warnings for everything!! 🔞

WARNING: This book contains graphic content. Reader discretion is advised.


195 of 235
Kindle
Yellow
By Aron Beauregard
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF THEY TOOK EVERYTHING?


Oliver Fitch has a troubling issue; he lives in a state of constant terror. After purchasing a convenience store in a once civil society, the streets around him have rapidly devolved into utter lawlessness. They're now festering with sinister gutter scum that only live to harass and intimidate him. His pathetic profits are gouged under the threat of violence and there isn't a damn thing he can do about it. Because in a city with no rules, where the sun never shines, the authorities are no help. In fact, they're an equal part of the problem.


The relentless fear of confrontation is so obvious that even Oliver's wife Lydia has grown to resent his spineless existence. The absence of bravado opens the door to a horrific home invasion that leaves the miserable pair savagely maimed. From there, things only get worse until the criminal leeches have taken everything. Until there's nothing left inside but hate and the gnawing hunger for revenge. Until a switch finally flips and Oliver realizes that they all have to die.

First of all this comes with massive triggers in fact the whole book is one fat trigger warning so I don’t recommend if you have a sensitive nature.
This is my first venture into this genre and wow it hit hard!
I just couldn’t stop reading and I’m not sure how when it was bloody brutal.
After 2 men break into his home and brutally attack him and his wife Oliver goes on a vengeful killing spree taking out those corrupt and down right evil. These people terrorise the neighbourhood and it’s not just criminals. This is not for the faint hearted. It’s gore, graphic, horrific and just brutal (yes I’ve used that word a few times as I can’t think of any other way to describe it).

WARNING: This book contains graphic content. Reader discretion is advised.
  
Game Changer (Vancouver Orcas #2)
Game Changer (Vancouver Orcas #2)
Amy Aislin | 2023 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
delightful rad that hits a spot I didn't know needed hitting!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This Is book 2 in the Vancouver Orcas series, I have not read book one, Game Plan. I didn't think I was missing anything, but I WANT to read that book now, i don't need to, you know? So this can be read as a stand alone book, but be prepared to feel the same as I did after reading this one.

Blair has a self inflicted deadline, and he needs help to sort himself out so he can meet it. Charlie needs the extra cash, so steps up as general assistant and food prep person. Falling in love was not on the agenda for either of them.

I've read a couple by Amy Aislin, and they seem to carry a common theme, for me: warm and fuzzies and a whole lotta cute, and this book is no exception to that!

It really is a wonderful read, one that made me chuckle in places, it's emotional in places, it's steamy at some points, and hella smexy in others (and yes, steamy and smexy ARE different, but don't ask my book brain to explain it!) and it really is an all round great read.

There is no break up, no nutty ex, no real drama save for Charlie's cash flow problem, but that got fixed anyway. There are some family issues, but they get sorted once people see what they are doing.

I loved that once Charlie and Blair decide to be together, they go all in and Blair's team mates take Charlie in as one of their own.

It took me a wee while to place all of Charlie's cousins, and even longer to get that Matt Shore, Blair's coach, is one of those cousins! There is a clue to Matt's story here: his is the first book. And cousin Dorian, who plays a large part here, has the third book in the trilogy. I need that book too!

A delightful read, that really hit the spot I didn't know needed hitting.

4 very VERY good stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere