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8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
206 of 235
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The Echo Killing ( Harper McClain 1)
By Christi Daugherty
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

When a murder echoing a fifteen-year-old cold case rocks the Southern town of Savannah, crime reporter Harper McClain risks everything to find the identity of this calculated killer in Christi Daugherty's new novel The Echo Killing.

A city of antebellum architecture, picturesque parks, and cobblestone streets, Savannah moves at a graceful pace. But for Harper McClain, the timeless beauty and culture that distinguishes her home’s Southern heritage vanishes during the dark and dangerous nights. She wouldn’t have it any other way. Not even finding her mother brutally murdered in their home when she was twelve has made her love Savannah any less.

Her mother’s killer was never found, and that unsolved murder left Harper with an obsession that drove her to become one of the best crime reporters in the state of Georgia. She spends her nights with the police, searching for criminals. Her latest investigation takes her to the scene of a homicide where the details are hauntingly familiar: a young girl being led from the scene by a detective, a female victim naked and stabbed multiple times in the kitchen, and no traces of any evidence pointing towards a suspect.

Harper has seen all of this before in her own life. The similarities between the murder of Marie Whitney and her own mother’s death lead her to believe they’re both victims of the same killer. At last, she has the chance to find the murderer who’s eluded justice for fifteen years and make sure another little girl isn’t forever haunted by a senseless act of violence—even if it puts Harper in the killer’s cross-hairs…


This was really good I enjoyed it. I did catch on to the killer early on but it was still a really good read. Characters were interesting and the storyline was good. Looking forward to more.
  
Still Waters, Deep (Between Hill and Sea)
Still Waters, Deep (Between Hill and Sea)
Morgan Sheppard | 2026 | Contemporary, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
love the descriptive passages!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is the first in a new series by Ms Sheppard, and it reads a little bit different to her other books.

Seren is an archivist, and Talise a hydrologist. Catrin wrote about the water of Llyn Du, over 100 years ago, before she disappeared and now all three ladies are entwined by a red thread of fate.

It took time for the threads to weave, and as such, I didn't know where it was all going for a long time. It meant I had to slow down my reading, and concentrate really hard, which in turn meant it took me longer to read. Not a bad thing, just needs a comment, cos Book Feelings are important!

I enjoyed that Seren and Talise have a voice, and Eifion doesn't. I think if he had, the water might have muddled a bit(see what I did there?) between Catrin and Talise, around the lake and what was happening to Talise and what had happened to Catrin.

It's full of Ms Sheppard's signature Welsh myths and legends. There is a bit at the end that talks about Llyn Du and the red thread of fate. I didn't read it. but some might fine it helpful.

It's also full of descriptive passages that you can actually feel. You can feel how the lake reacts to Talise. You can feel how heavy the bell is, how Talise can feel it in her bones. You can feel how Seren reacts to the red thread, so far away from the lake. I love these passages, the way Ms Sheppard writes them. They come across so beautifully, so emotionally, so real.

There is no violence, and no smex. And I loved that there isn't!

Like I said, first in a new series, all connected by that red thread of fate, Welsh myths and nothing more. I look forward to reading what comes next!

4 very VERY good stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
Crimson: A Dark Sidhe Faerie Tale
Crimson: A Dark Sidhe Faerie Tale
Tiffany Speelman | 2023 | Paranormal, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
First time author nailed it!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

Ok so! As far as I can see this book is the only book currently written by this author. And if this is her FIRST book?? Oh my days, I cannot wait to see what she delivers next!

Because, bar two things, I bloody LOVED this book.

It's dark and deadly, with so much going on sometimes, I had to double back to check I fully understood. And that, for ME, is a good thing! I didn't find it especially explicit, for Kara and Alak, but for the Fae in general, it is. There is a lot of violence here too, but I think it is needed to get the way these folk live across. It's a truly multi-layered story and it takes time to get to where it's going.

Or rather, it takes time to get the whole point of the story across. And again, for ME, a very good thing. It kept me fully engaged from start to finish.

BUT.

It is a long LONG book, some 500 pages and it's not all easy reading. As I said, it takes time to build up to things. Some peeps don't like such long books. I did here, but it did take me a long time to finish. Mostly because of my next point.

AND.

Only Kara has a say. And if Alak had been given a voice, it would have broken this up a bit, and made it not seem quite so long. Because I really needed to hear from him at points along the way, especially when Kara is in danger.

Having said all that, I really REALLY enjoyed it, and I really REALLY hope we get a second book. Because while there is a HFN ending, Kara and Alak's story is by no means finished. And some other characters need a HEA, too!

So, for a first time author, I'd say Ms Speelman nailed it!

4 most excellent stars
  
A Star to Sail By
A Star to Sail By
Joy Lynn Fielding | 2023 | LGBTQ+, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
loved being kept on my toes!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

Crispin wanted to be in the Navy, and now he finds himself on a pirate ship, helping them. But these pirates aren't like anything he heard about and Billy, especially, calls to him for reasons he can't figure out. Billy knows though, and it takes a storm to bring them finally to admit to each other what they could be.

What I especially liked about this, was being kept on my toes!

We are aware that something happened to Crispin to mean he is surviving on a merchant ship, and is no longer in the Royal Navy, but not WHY. We know Billy hates Naval officers, but not WHY. And we get the answers to both almost at the same time. Very different reasons, but equally devastating to them. I'm not going to go into it, for spoilers, but difficult reading, Billy's especially. Be mindful of the trigger warnings on this book.

It's not especially explicit, but I didn't mind that here. It's more about the feeling these two men have for each other, and knowing that they can be together, in this time, and be safe.

It is, however, quite violent. These pirates are ...reasonable...in their behaviours, but things happen and then Crispin and Billy are dealt a nasty blow. The level of violence is not graphic, though it does carry some detailed descriptions of punishments and the aftermath. Also, the reason Billy hates Naval officers is described in some detail.

It's not a complicated read, and I found I read it faster than I normally would for a book of this length, some 370 pages.

First I've read of this author, I like the way she spins her tales. I'll certainly read more by this author.

A very enjoyable, 4 star read

*same worded review will appear elsewhere