Three couples sublet a glass beach house for a week for some kid-free conversation. Susan has just moved to town and has invited her neighbours to join her and her workaholic husband. Each couple picks up on the other couples frustrations as well as reveal their own. The next morning one of the women is found dead on the private beach. Detective Gabby Watkins has to figure out who the killer is and as she questions everyone staying in the house she learns that every one of them is hiding something that could tie them to the murder. I'll be honest this book didn't grab my attention at first. I set it down for months and months, I'd try every now and then to get into it, but nope. Then one day I picked it up and read over half the book in one day. I couldn't get enough! All the secrets and motives and just when I thought I had it all figured out the author would throw something else into the mix. I wasn't crazy about the detective's parts in the story at first, bu...

Cupcake caterer Emory Gosser Martinez has just seen, with her own eyes, her husband and her best friend Tori together. Several people witness the public altercation that took place outside Tori's house. Not only did Tori break up Emory's marriage, she also posted a fake photo of Emory in a compromising situation - a photo that went viral. So when Tori is found murdered, Emory is the prime suspect. It seems to her that the police aren't even looking into anyone else. It's up to Emory to dig into the past of her ex-best friend and find out who wanted her dead. This is a little more gritty than the cozies I've read. It was kinda refreshing. I liked Emory. One thing after another was thrown at her and she persevered. Some of the goodies she baked sounded delicious - there's lots of recipes included! It was interesting to dig up Tori's past. An entertaining read and a good start to a new series. I look forward to reading book number two! Thank you to Netgalley an...

I don't really know what to say about this one. I could not get into it at first. I got to 25% and set it down for months. At times it is long and seems to go nowhere. But in the end I can appreciate the cleverness woven throughout. It's an interesting enough story, although maybe a bit far-fetched. The characters felt real. Lots of twists and turns. I can't wait to read more from these two! Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC. 4/5.

When Cassidy Pratt was seven she accidentally started a fire that killed her friend. She can't actually remember it happening, but that's what she's been told. Melody Davenport has never let Cassidy live it down because that was her cousin that died. But Melody goes missing, and Cassidy thinks she has information that could help. But she can't go to the cops. It's up to her to figure out what happened. This was a compulsive read for me. The story seemed to flow and it was easy to lose track of time. We get little morsels that kept me flying through the pages. I couldn't wait to discover exactly what happened, not only to Melody but with the fire all those years ago as well. I liked the twists and turns. Great cover! I was not disappointed with this young adult novel! Thank you to Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire for an ARC. 4/5.

Arden Maynor was only young when she was swept away while sleepwalking. She was missing for days and was eventually found alive, clinging to a storm drain. She was a living miracle, but fame took its toll and when she was old enough she changed her name and disappeared from the public eye. She's now known as Olivia and is living hundreds of miles away from the place she grew up. But the twentieth anniversary of her rescue is coming up and the media will no doubt have something planned. She feels like she's being watched, she begins sleepwalking again - something that hasn't happened in a long time. One night she wakes up outside her home and finds a corpse at her feet. I'll admit I had trouble getting into this one at first. The writing seemed abrupt and disjointed. But I kept plugging away and eventually I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. I'll also admit that I did not read the part about the corpse on the blurb so I was really excited when I read about tha...

After I read book one in the author's Paige Comber series, I signed up to receive her newsletter and also received this short story. In this, two workers are finding the last 15 minutes of work to be 15 minutes too many. Can they break out? Well-written and humourous.  4/5.

Emma's marriage has just fallen apart and she finds herself and her daughter moving into the headmaster's former cottage on the grounds of the school she attended long ago. It's in this cottage she finds an explicit photograph of Tessa - a former student who fell to her death twenty-five years ago. Emma had long suspected that Dr. Brownley, now headmaster, had been involved with Tessa. When Emma starts to question what really happened all those years ago, all involved must deal with the consequences of their actions. I thought this would be more of a mystery than a chick-lit, but I was wrong. With that being said, I enjoyed the book a whole lot more than I thought I would. Everyone has their own story, something they remember differently from everyone else and each story is tied into the whole big picture nicely. I liked the characters. There's lots of drama and secrets. A very solid and entertaining read for me. Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for an...

I won a copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway. Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for my copy. Who is this woman who hands her baby to a stranger before she jumps in front of a train?! Are they really strangers? This was a fast-paced, suspenseful page-turner. The characters were developed and I couldn't help but feel for them. I had this book sitting on the shelf for a few months and I'm really sorry I waited to read it. I spent every moment I could reading this, I could not get enough! 4/5.

Kate McKay can't say no to the assistant movie director who desperately wants to shoot a scene at  Lickety Splits Ice Cream Shoppe. Kate's going to get big bucks and all she has to do is tolerate a film crew for a few hours and provide an important prop - a scoop of ice cream. But up-and-coming actress Savannah Crane drops dead after a taste of some chocolate almond fudge. She was poisoned and the blame is on Kate. Kate is determined to clear her name and get the crime scene tape off her shoppe. I love the cover! I like reading the ice cream facts at the beginning of each chapter, I think it's a nice touch. There's nothing different I can say from the second book in the series - great characters, great setting, great mystery. I felt like I was part of and not just reading a book. Lots of creativity in that ice cream shoppe! I look forward to reading more. 4/5.

Kate McKay is back in the quaint little village of Wolfert's Roost, where she grew up, to help care for her grandmother. She decides to make her dream of opening an ice cream shop a reality, but things don't turn out the way she thought they would when her childhood frenemy, Ashley, starts selling frozen treats in the bakery directly across the street. But before Ashley can kill Kate's new business, someone kills Ashley. To make matters worse for Kate the murder occurred after a crowd of people saw the two having a heated argument. Kate is determined to clear her name. I love the cover! I loved the setting. Lots of good stuff happening here - descriptive writing, three-dimensional characters, great mystery, delicious ice cream flavours! Including recipes is always a nice touch. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more in this new series! 4/5.

It has only been six weeks since the grand opening of Lickety Splits Ice Cream Shoppe and owner Kate McKay is ecstatic that she has been enlisted to cater a gala at world-famous fashion designer Omar DeVane's home. But things go sour pretty quickly when Omar's body is found. The murder is keeping customer's away from Lickety Splits, so Kate decides to crash high-profile photo shoots and mingle with fashion's biggest stars to find clues that will lead her to the killer. This is the second book in the series but it was the first one I read. I had no problem following along. I loved the idea of an ice cream shoppe with creative flavours - some of them sounded really good! I felt like I was included in the story. Great characters, great setting, great mystery, great cover. I will definitely read that first book and look for the others in the future! Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington for an ARC. 4/5.

Hadley James is on her way to check on a cat. But she did not except to find the cat's owner dead. This woman wasn't the nicest but who would want her dead? Hadley's twin brother, Paul, is the deputy sheriff. And Hadley, along with her best friend Suze, can't help but get involved in the case. This is an entertaining and enjoyable start to this series. I like the jam making aspect and the fact that Hadley's twin brother is the deputy sheriff. It's easy to read and everything flowed well. I look forward to reading more! 4/5.

There are five different topics - suspicious deaths, false flag operations, cover-ups, political conspiracies, and espionage and covert operations. This book spans from ancient Egypt and modern-day Pakistan and everywhere in between. Each conspiracy is no more than a few pages but they're packed with interesting information. Alternative theories are also provided. This book definitely got me thinking. I really enjoyed it.     4/5.

Kat Harper has recently returned to her hometown of Cherry Hills, Washington. She notices her neighbour's cat, Matilda, in the hallway of their apartment building. The door is ajar and Kat discovers poor Mrs. Tinsdale's body. Kat and Matilda will have to work together to solve the mystery of who would want Mrs. Tinsdale dead. This was short and light. Not a whole lot of depth or action - the main character doesn't really put herself in danger, but it is a promising start to the series. Kat is a likeable character. There's also an actual cat, that's always a good thing. I look forward to reading more from the Cozy Cat Caper series. 4/5.

Leah is a popular and beautiful teenager and she's nervous about starting her first day of school tomorrow. She decides to take a moonlit paddle on the beach of her mother's inn, The Black Dolphin. She disappears without a trace. The police believe it to be death by drowning. Her mother, Emmy, is devastated. In the days that follow, she finds a blog her daughter created as well as pornographic pictures that hint at a secret relationship with an older man. Emmy is suspicious of everyone and she's hellbent on finding out who this monster is. I was drawn in right from the start. Great writing, perfect pacing, nice setting, believable characters and believable situations, suspenseful. I couldn't wait to find out what was going on! I definitely had a lot of different emotions throughout this book. And I absolutely fell in love with the dog, Bo! 4/5.

Emma Madison's dream of launching her career as a jewellery designer has come true. She loves junkin' for old beads and baubles so she can give them new life. Emma had a good morning at a garage sale and decides to swing by the antiques shop her friend owns to share her finds, but she wasn't prepared to learn that her friend, Tina, has been murdered there at the shop. Emma wants the murderer locked up but it seems as though the police aren't finding any leads, so she uses her newspaper reporting experience to assist them. Someone doesn't want Emma snooping around, but Emma is determined to find the person responsible for Tina's death, no matter what. This book was filled with interesting things and creative characters - jewellery makers, painters, weavers, antiques, fashion and food. It's a small town so there's no shortage of gossip, but who would want Tina dead?! I couldn't figure it out. The writing was good which made it a fast and ...

Lara and Aunt Fran are preparing for the official opening of the reading room - a cozy place where kids can cuddle up with a cat and a book at the High Cliff Shelter for Cats. But the health inspector, Evonda Fray, shows up and says that the shelter qualifies as a cat café and that it must be shut down. When Evonda is found dead clutching a copy of the cease-and-desist order, suspicion falls on Lara and Aunt Fran. It's up to Lara to find the killer. I finished a five-star book before picking this one up and I could see the flaws in the writing, but it is a cozy and it did what it was supposed to do. The thing that drove me crazy was the shortened words - sitch, pics, sibs. I can't stand it!! This book has the same likable characters as before, lots of cats and the mystery was good. I liked getting the story on the unlikable victim, it was interesting to see how she ended up a miserable person (who, of course, did not deserve to die.) Thank you to Netgalley and Lyr...

It's been five years since the accidental shooting of Marley Bricket, who was only fifteen. Her friends that were there the day she died have reunited when a box is found in Marley's home. The letters inside lead the friends on a scavenger hunt that reopens old memories, wounds, and betrayals, but it also allows them to begin healing. I really enjoyed the writing. I was taken in right from the beginning. It's kind of a deep book and not so much a mystery. It has strong friendships, grief, hope, pain, memories, fun, forgiveness, strength, love. It's just a solid book with believable characters who are all just trying their best. Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for an ARC. 4/5.

Barry Sutton is a New York City cop. He's learning that memory makes reality as he's investigating False Memory Syndrome - a mysterious affliction that drives its victims mad with memories of a life they never lived. Neuroscientist Helena Smith believes the same thing. It's the reason she’s dedicated her life to creating a technology that will let us preserve our most precious memories. Only Barry and Helena, working together, stand a chance of defeating a force that not only attacks minds but the very fabric of the past. I'm not a big fan of sci-fi, but oh my god Dark Matter was so good! So of course I was excited for this one. Everything was great except for the repetition. I get that it's part of the theme, but it was just slow going and felt like a chore to get through. Overall though, very interesting stuff that not only makes you think but also makes you feel. I can't wait to see where Blake Crouch takes us next! Thank you to Netgalley and Cr...

Jules Larsen's has a new job as an apartment sitter. There's only two rules - no nights spent away from the apartment and no disturbing the other residents. She is now staying at the Bartholomew, one of Manhattan's most high-profile and mysterious buildings. There's a girl there named Ingrid who reminds Jules of the sister she lost eight years ago. Ingrid confides that the Bartholomew is not what it seems. Jules doesn't think much of it until the next day when Ingrid disappears. This one was a page-turner. Lots of weird, spooky things are going on in that big, beautiful apartment building. What secrets are within its walls? Where are these girls disappearing to and why is it happening? Oh, the suspense! Loved the gargoyle. Another well-written, engrossing read from Riley Sager. I can't wait for more! Thanks to Netgalley and Dutton for an ARC. 4/5.