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MelanieTheresa (997 KP) rated Paranoid in Books

Jul 30, 2019

Paranoid

Lisa Jackson | 2019 | Mystery, Thriller

9.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

When I first started reading thrillers, Lisa Jackson was one of the first authors I was drawn to, and while I haven't read much from her recently due to the ridiculous length of my TBR list, it's nice to see that she's just as good as ever.

Rachel, you poor, nervous thing....are you truly paranoid, or is someone actually out to get you? There are people in Edgewater, Oregon (an incestuous little town if ever there was one), who think that twenty years ago, Rachel Gaston got away with the murder of her own brother. But did she? Figuring this out is half the fun, so you won't find any spoilers here. There's alot going on in this story, and the author thoughtfully provides a ton of characters on which to cast your suspicions, keeping the reader off balance.

I do have a bone to pick: Rachel's kids. THEY ARE SUCH LITTLE ASSHOLES. They are the worst teenage cliches on two legs. I can't even tell you how many times I thought to myself "OMG I'd have slapped you by now." At one point, I thought that maybe Harper (the eldest and most bitchy child) would start to understand her mom's paranoia, and mellow the hell out.....not so. I also feel like the author spends far too much time on Dylan's little "side business" before actually telling us what it is.

The reveals definitely got me! I hadn't been able to guess up to that point, and that's a good thing. It also seems as though it may have been left open for a sequel? Not necessary, in my opinion, as it stands on its own.

Thank you to the folks at SheSpeaks.com for the advanced copy!

Kudos

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2464 KP) rated Here Comes the Body in Books

Feb 26, 2020

Debut You Won’t Want to Refuse

Mia Carina has returned home after her adulterous husband’s mysterious disappearance to work in the family business. Or, I should say, the family’s new business. Her father, reputed mobster Ravello, has recently acquired the Belle View catering hall in the Queens borough of New York City, and Mia is going to help him run it as a 100% real business. Her first week on the job, Mia is in charge of a bachelor party when disaster strikes. Not only does the stripper not jump out of the cake, she’s dead in the cake. With the police showing interest in the new business and especially her father, Mia begins poking around, hoping to figure out what happened. Can she do it?

The mob? New York City? Yes, this is indeed still a cozy. While those are the elements that help make up this different take on the genre, they only help provide the background. The heart of the book is still a great puzzle and charming characters. Mia already knows some of the supporting players in the book, and we can tell right away how much they love each other. The rest of the characters are entertaining, and the suspects are strong. The plot weaves in some interesting directions before we reach the logical and satisfying conclusion. We get some great humor as Mia deals with a return home that isn’t as smooth as she thought it would be. Being a culinary cozy, we get some delicious sounding recipes at the end and a fun party idea. I took advantage of a lazy Sunday afternoon to finish this book, and I enjoyed every page of it. I’m already anxious for the sequel. It would be a mistake to refuse this excellent debut.