Review: Don't Say A Word (Angelhart Investigations #2) by Allison Brennan

 

 

 A tragic accident…or a murder?

The police ruled Elijah Martinez’s death an accidental drug overdose, but the teen’s grieving mother isn’t convinced. With the case officially closed, Angelhart Investigations is the only one who can help her find the truth. Margo Angelhart’s sure this will be an easy solve—she’ll talk to Elijah’s friends and employer, retrace his steps, and figure out what happened in his final hours.

Except none of his friends believe he did drugs, and the teacher who’s been vocal about the police mishandling the case turns up dead. Every thread Margo pulls leads back to a dangerous drug ring that once ran through the school.

When Margo’s brother Jack, a former cop, can’t get straight answers out of the police, they don’t know if it’s because of an active case…or a cover-up. Margo’s only sure of one thing—she has to find out what really happened to Elijah before more teens become pawns in a twisted scheme.

 

More information about the series: 

https://allisonbrennan.com/angelhart-investigations/#2

 

What I thought about Don't Say A Word

 

Margo takes a pro-bono case to investigate the death of a young high school student. His death has been ruled an accidental overdose, but family and friends don't believe it and they ask Margo to investigate.

The investigation brings back a thirty year old case, introduces some new collaborators and kept this reader turning the pages until the very end. I guessed the culprit somewhere along the way and it became a matter of law enforcement and Angelhart investigations to connect all the dots.

There was also some romantic elements with Margo meeting a new potential date among the collaborators. This was an very nice and welcome addition to the story.

I'm loving this series and I see that I may get my wish with Mother Angelhart getting more involved. Looking forward to more in the series.

 

 

 

 Other books in the series

 

 

 

Angelhart Investigations # 0.5 

 

 

 

Things are heating up in Arizona in this thrilling novella introducing a page-turning new series by New York Times bestselling author Allison Brennan

Margo Angelhart was recently certified as a private investigator, but she isn’t convinced that it’s her calling. All of her cases have been minor, mostly for family and haven’t paid the bills. She’s more than happy to keep bartending and figure out her post-military career later. That is, until prosecutor Andy Flannigan walks into her bar and offers her a case she can’t turn down…

Nineteen-year-old Sergio Diaz has confessed to murder—except Andy doesn’t buy it. With his own job on the line, Andy asks Margo to work the case discreetly. The more she digs, the more she’s convinced an innocent kid is going to prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Now she just needs to figure out why he’d confess. Can Margo prove Sergio’s innocence and help Andy find the real killer before anyone else dies? 

 

Read my review

 

 

Angelhart Investigations #1 

 

 

 Nothing brings family together like crime.

Working alone as a private investigator is tough. Estranged from her PI family, Margo Angelhart does what she must to get by—including taking on sordid cases that pay the bills, even if she’d rather be helping those the justice system has failed.

That is, until a cheating husband case she’s working intersects with her siblings’ corporate espionage investigation, forcing Margo to cooperate with the Angelhart firm. Now, as the siblings compare notes, it’s clear they need to work together before a white-collar crime escalates to murder.

With far more questions than answers and a key suspect on the run, they’ll need the whole family to pitch in. But as they investigate the ever-twisting mystery, Margo isn’t sharing everything. Can she learn to trust her family and heal their once-close relationship before her secrets put those she loves most in danger?

 

Read my review 

 

 Angelhart Investigations #1.5

 

A fabulous new series from the queen of crime fiction. —J.T. Ellison, New York Times bestselling author of It’s One of Us

In this suspenseful new novella in New York Times bestselling author Allison Brennan’s Angelhart Investigations series, the PI team’s biggest client hires them to look into a burglary that quickly escalates into a case with deadly stakes.

Logan Monroe’s family is in danger. After his sister, Laura, and her kids are run off the road and their house is broken in to, Logan tasks the Angelharts with keeping them safe, and the PIs drop everything to take on the case.

But they quickly realize there’s more to the situation than anyone thinks. First, the burglars didn’t take anything—were they just trying to scare her or were they after something they didn’t find? Then Laura can’t reach her ex-husband, who was supposed to take the kids for the weekend. While Jack protects the family, Margo tries to find the ex…but he seems to have disappeared.

As she digs deeper, Margo uncovers someone hiding in the shadows who will do anything to get what he wants—including killing anyone who stands in his way.

Read my review 

Review: Cowboy's Last Stand (His to Protect #1) by Jill Sorenson

 

U.S. Marine Jason Reed survived wounds that should have ended him. Instead, he’s stepping into the streets of Last Chance, Texas, to honor a battlefield promise to his fallen comrade. Haunted by war and torn between duty and the cowboy life calling him home, Jason plans to check on widowed Natalie Luna and move on. But Natalie’s fragile beauty and fierce resilience kindle a hunger he can’t outrun. When a dangerous suitor threatens her, Jason’s protective instincts surge, compelling him to stay awhile.

Natalie is barely holding on, juggling two jobs and a spirited son who tests her every day. She has no time for a charming stranger, even one trading handyman skills for a place to rest his head. Yet Jason’s disruptive presence stirs a longing she can’t ignore. She wants him in her bed, and if he proves worthy, maybe more. But Jason is a man of secrets—dare she trust him?

Can Jason protect Natalie from danger and win her heart? Or will the truth he hides destroy their shot at love? 

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What I thought about Cowboy's Last Stand

Young widow Natalie has her hands full working two jobs as a single parent. She doesn't complain about it, she just puts her nose down and does what needs to be done. Ever since her husband was killed in action, she's had to carry the entire load for the family. When she meets Jason one night at work, she doesn't know that it will change many things in her life.

Jason has been traveling on foot after a serious injury in combat. He didn't expect to fall for Natalie but he can't seem to leave her alone, especially after Jason experiences an altercation in the bar where she works that escalates into more drama and danger later in the evening. It's all the typical small town behaviors -- look out for those that live there -- and be very suspicious of outsiders. Jason is the outsider and he seems to attract trouble.

There aren't too many surprises in this romance. You'll figure out the big secret of jason's appearance on your own probably, but that's okay. It's the slow burn and development of Jason and Natalie's feeling for each other that makes this a lovely romance. They are good for each other and it just takes a while for both to get on the same page.

There are some light suspense elements to this story as well, when a murder occurs in town and outsider Jason gets accused. Everything comes to a head and Jason and Natalie are forced to figure out how they feel about each other.

The pace of the story is slow and steady, which works with the growing attraction between the two main characters. While this is insta-attraction, it takes a while for the deep feelings to develop. With a precocious son to help season things, Cowboy's Last Stand is a quiet, deliberate romance that I enjoyed. I'm looking forward to more in this series.

5 stars for We Are All Guilty Here (North Falls #1) by Karin Slaughter

 
The first thrilling mystery in the new North Falls series from Karin Slaughter, New York Times bestselling author of Pretty Girls and the Will Trent series.

Welcome to North Falls—a small town where everyone knows everyone. Or so they think.

Until the night of the fireworks. When two teenage girls vanish, and the town ignites.

For Officer Emmy Clifton, it’s personal. She turned away when her best friend's daughter needed help—and now she must bring her home.

But as Emmy combs through the puzzle the girls left behind, she realizes she never really knew them. Nobody did.

Every teenage girl has secrets. But who would kill for them? And what else is the town hiding?

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What I thought about We Are All Guilty Here

Missing persons and small town America come together in this new series from Karin Slaughter.  Emmy Clifton is second generation law officer, working with her father who is the Sheriff of North Falls. When two teenage girls go missing, they must work against the clock to find them and apprehend the killer. There are some close ties to family here in the investigation and as with a small town, there are deep secrets to unfold.

One of those secrets is the discovery of child pornography during the investigation. The heat gets turned up quite a bit and Emmy does a great job of keeping her focus on the case when things get personal and so difficult.The case becomes more complicated when DNA analysis shows the wrong person was arrested years ago.

Here is where things get really interesting and complex. Another FBI agent comes to assist and brings both expertise and drama to Emmy and her family. I don't want to spoil anything, so that's all I will say.  

I just loved this story.  The pace is excellent. I didn't want to put it down, and I was engaged with the story from the start.  I'm still thinking about it days later, especially since there is a big twist near the end that just flips a few things in a completely different direction and sets the stage for more of this series.  I don't know how I've never read this author before, but the author and this book will be on my list of favorites for 2025. 

If you enjoy a well-crafted mystery with excellent writing and story elements, you just might like this one as much as I did. 

 

 

Review: The Witch's Orchard by Archer Sullivan

A ninth generation Appalachian herself, Archer Sullivan brings the mountains of North Carolina to life in The Witch’s Orchard, a wonderfully atmospheric novel that introduces private investigator Annie Gore.

Former Air Force Special Investigator Annie Gore joined the military right after high school to escape the fraught homelife of her childhood. Now, she’s getting by as a private investigator and her latest case takes her to an Appalachian holler not unlike the one where she grew up.

Ten years ago, three little girls went missing from their tiny mountain town. While one was returned, the others were never seen again. After all this time without answers, the brother of one of the girls wants to hire an outsider, and he wants Annie. While she may not be from his town, she gets mountain towns. Mountain people. Driving back into the hills for a case this old—it might be a fool’s errand. But Annie needs to put money in the bank and she can’t turn down a case. Not even one that dredges up her own painful past.

In the shadow of the Blue Ridge, Annie begins to track the truth, navigating a decade’s worth of secrets, folklore of witches and crows, and a whole town that prefers to forget. But while the case may have been buried, echoes of the past linger. And Annie’s arrival stirs someone into action.

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What I thought about The Witch's Orchard

Private investigator Annie Gore needs a client, so when she is offered a job in a small mountain town in North Carolina, she takes it. Ten years ago three girls went missing, and the brother of one of the girls is looking for something -- the answer to what happened to his sister, and whether she's still alive. Annie comes to town to uncover all the secrets and shake things up in a big way.

The action moves along quite nicely in this story, with the witch's tale bring a taste of the supernatural and it illustrates just how a story can change as it gets told over and over. I liked that part of the story.

Annie runs afoul of the locals as she investigates the missing girls. She might be an outsider, but she's aware of how folks in a small town act and react to strangers poking around.  It isn't long before she finds herself in real trouble.

The pacing is good, and Annie is an interesting main character. There are hints of a relationship with a former colleague throughout, but it's all very hazy at this point. Annie likes to shake things up and I liked that about her.

Overall, a very engaging mystery with plenty of what-happened-there moments and a few twists.  I really didn't see the ending coming about the way it did, and that contributes to the suspense of the story.  The secondary characters, especially the witch in the woods, help round out the story by representing their unique environment. I enjoyed this look inside the small Appalachian town and the mystery of the missing girls. It kept me interested until the very end. 

 

 

Review: The Soldier (Alpha Cove #1) by Susan Stoker

  

In this steamy contemporary romance about family, unforeseen circumstances, and unexpected love, an ex-military man and a down-on-her-luck woman find more than they bargained for when they find each other.

When Chad Young moves home, it’s not a decision he makes lightly. A former military man, he doesn’t make any decision lightly. But his father’s passing has left the family—and their business—reeling. Now more than ever, they need to stick together.

Britt Starkweather moved to Maine with her boyfriend, never imagining he’d abandon her there. With no money and nowhere to go, she accepts the Youngs’ offer of a job and room on their property. What more does she have to lose?

Although they just met, Chad makes Britt feel safe in a way no one has before. And she makes him feel things he’d given up on finding. But even as they grow closer, Britt realizes that something is amiss at Lobster Cove…and Chad will do whatever it takes to keep her safe.

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What I thought about The Soldier

 When Chad Young's father passes away, he decides to move back home along with his other brothers to run the family business. He meets Britt one morning and offers her a job and a place to stay because he just senses that she needs some help, and she does. Chad and his brothers are all ex-military and they have character and charisma for everyone, and it doesn't take long for Britt to understand that Chad is just a good, decent man. Unfortunately, not everyone holds the same standards in Lobster Cove, which causes a good deal of drama and peril for Britt and Chad's mom. 

I was really looking forward to digging into this story. This author has a good reputation for writing romantic suspense and I was ready for that sort of story. What I got was something closer to romance than romantic suspense. I don't want to say more because it might spoil it for you, but I thought with all that military background in the family, that it would come into play, but that wasn't the case here. 

Overall, this is a pleasant romance with some insta-attraction between two good-hearted people. It's hard not to get behind Chad and Britt's romance. The drama and suspense is light-weight and quickly resolved without too much trouble, which I why I found this to be more romance than romantic suspense. A sweet romantic tale starts this Alpha Cove series.

Review: The Sound of Us & Steal My Breath Away by Sarah Castille

 The Sound of Us (Havencrest U #1)

 

 A Star is Born meets Good Girl Complex in this angsty, deeply emotional, heated romance perfect for fans of Colleen Hoover. 

They say music is a universal language…Skye Jordan thought she had it all figured out. Eighteen months ago, she was in college and dreaming of a basketball career. But in a split second her world fell apart. Now she’s back at Westfield U, broke and desperate. She has no use for sexy, bad boy musicians who kiss her senseless. . . until she lands an internship at the radio station where he works.

DJ Dante Romano has lost every person close to his heart. All he has is his music. Consumed by guilt and driven by vengeance, he has no time for love, and yet the fiery new intern who shares his passion and feels his pain tempts him like no other. For Dante, Skye is off limits. And yet from the moment he meets her, he can’t turn away.Soon their scorching attraction develops into something deeper. 

Together they could make beautiful music, but will their untold secrets force them apart?

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What I thought about The Sound of Us

Skye Jordan had dreams of playing basketball, but those dreams are lost, sending her back to college. She needs a job and finds one at the local radio station with DJ Dante Romano. He's got working through some things of his own and this brings Dante and Skye together as they try to figure out what they want in themselves, in their lives and in a partner.

Music form the backdrop of this story through the radio station and as a coping mechanism to provide solace to their respective past circumstances. Even though Skye and Dante should stay away from each other as coworkers, they can't help themselves. They have a somewhat dysfunctional relationship, with Dante using his past trauma when he needs an excuse and Skye enabling him. Pretty much the usual new-adult themes of moving from young adult to adulthood and dealing with everything that comes with it. After some inst-attraction, there's some steamy moments between Skye and Dante to spice things up.Somewhere along the way, they give each other what they need.

This was an okay story for me. I like the music backdrop, but I thought both characters were immature and that made it hard to love them. The first half was a bit slow as well, so I didn't get invested in these two characters like I want to in a romance. Overall, just okay story but it may appeal more to a younger reader.

Steal My Breath Away (Havencrest U #2)

 

New York Times bestselling author Sarah Castille brings another angsty, deeply emotional, heated romance that blends Ana Huang’s Twisted Games with Katherine Center’s The Bodyguard.

Emotions run high, but the tempo thrums higher as music, heat, and angst collide between a singer and her bodyguard.

Haley Chapman has struggled against rules all her life. As the daughter of a senator, she’s expected to finish her college degree, but music is her one true love―the only outlet she has for her wild, impulsive feelings.

When Haley becomes the target of a brazen kidnapping attempt linked to her mother’s high-profile Senate career, the Senator insists on round-the-clock protection. Having a security detail follow her around college feels like overkill, but the Senator has the perfect solution.

Ace Murphy was her brother’s best friend, and a former Air Force pilot, now working in personal security as a celebrity bodyguard. He was also Hailey’s teenage crush and the man who abandoned her when she needed him most, breaking her fragile heart.

Now, as Ace poses as her boyfriend on campus, their personalities clash. He may be her protector but to Haley, Ace is just another obstacle to her freedom and a painful reminder of the past. But as the threats escalate, their forced proximity ignites a connection they can’t ignore—one that could either save them or break them all over again.

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What I thought about Steal My Breath Away

In this second book in the Havencrest U series from Sarah Castille, Ace plays bodyguard to his best friend's sister Haley when she goes to college. There's some history between them, with Haley crushing on Ace in her younger life. The story is told in dual point-of-views and with a dual timeline so that the reader can understand what happened in their past.

As with the first book in this series, I found these characters to be a bit immature. Haley is naive and Ace is closed off, which doesn't make for a good pairing, but their past connection through Haley's brother keeps them tethered together.

I found Haley's circumstances a little difficult to believe as her mother is a political figure with someone after her, and therefore, Haley needs a bodyguard. There's an insta-attraction between Haley and Ace that takes a while to get sorted as they do the push-you-away / pull-you-back-in game. I've been disappointed in the lack of maturity of these characters in both books in this series, and I know that this author can do much better, so I hope if there are more installments, that the main characters would have some modicum of maturity.

Overall, the typical bodyguard story, complicated with second chance romance and forced proximity between Haley and Ace. I was rooting for them, but the story was a bit predictable, so that took the wind out of this reader's sails. 

 

Review: Rush Week by Michelle Brandon

 

An irresistible, juicy contemporary novel based on the TikTok phenomenon #BamaRushTok—about four sorority sisters brought back to the top-tier house they ruled at the University of Alabama, when secrets they’d thought long buried threaten to resurface.

Four sorority sisters. Each with dark secrets. They must stop the unexpected opening of a time capsule created as part of a sorority rush ritual that was supposed to hold their deepest secrets buried forever...

Five years after they thought they’d said goodbye forever, a group of sorority sisters find themselves back at the University of Alabama for Rush Week. Some return to rekindle their friendships, and others to keep long silent secrets from being exhumed. Unbeknownst to them at the time, the infamous “Spill Book” they wrote confessions in as a trust (hazing) exercise over the years was placed into a time capsule—now it’s been stolen, and the anonymous thief is threatening to expose them all on Bid Day.

Rush Week is a juicy, wild, drama-packed novel filled with good—and not so good—girls behaving badly, dark humor, and sexy scandals. As the sisters navigate their present and not-so-distant past, unbreakable bonds of friendship are put to the test, and regrettable mistakes threaten to change everything if exposed. But perhaps if they confess their sins to each other, they can begin to mend not only themselves, but their sisterhood— before the world finds out just how wicked they are. 

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What I thought about Rush Week

Four sorority sisters return to their alma mater to circumvent the reading of the infamous "Spill Book" that could ruin them all!  Sounds like a terrific premise for story, and I was hooked as soon as I read the description.  

The story is told in multiple point of views, and with a now-and-then timeline, so it takes a little bit of time and effort to be sure whose voice you are reading.  That was the first problem I had with this book.  The content was exciting as they describe how much this scandal this Spill Book can bring to them, but I had to work to figure out who exactly was telling the story.

These characters, Taylor, Annabelle, Brooklyn and Asana aren't the most likable characters either with all their privilege, but they may appeal to the Tiktok crowd.  I really thought that the opening of the time capsule seemed to be happening too soon and that some of this was far-fetched, but I decided I'd stay on the ride. 

Overall, I liked the story content, but found that the pacing was a bit slow and dragged things down for me and the unlikable characters annoyed me.  I did like the incorporation of today's technology and social media.