CHAIN REACTION.....DEZ LIMERICK'S BACK....WITH NEW VILLAINS WHO NEED DEZ-IMATING....(*****)

 Chain Reaction by James Byrne (2025)

A 5 star Welcome Back to the unstoppable Dez Limerick, wandering soldier-of-fortune, cheeky knight errant, and whenever he can pick up a gig, an ace band guitarist. Not to mention his best quality (and the reason I can't wait till each of his new adventures comes out).....he's the scourge of global villainy and thorough thwarter of armies of terrorists.

     This time around, he's up against a deadly combination of Russians and a mysterious assassination consortium who require some serious Dez-struction.

     Dez shows up at the grand opening of a vast new shopping-entertainment complex, thinking he's been invited to play in a band. But the invite's nothing but a phony lure and he finds himself in the middle of a full scale invasion by Russian terrorists. With the goons shooting innocent hostages, you just know our man Dez, master of all deadly combat skills, won't sit still for it.

     Now this is where I start keeping my mouth shut about all the non-stop action and twists and turns that follow Dez and his new unlikely ally Cat Valdivia, a drop dead gorgeous master thief......other than to say they find themselves facing an adversary who more than matches (and may well surpass) Dez Limerick's gift for outfighting and outwitting any opponents. All that's left to say.....buckle up and prepare to spin through the pages as fast as the flying bullets.

     Everything and anything a lover of action-adventure could ever want in one book is all here.......with no end of fun watching the ever affable Dez wade through thugs, plotters and surprises with his 'particular set of skills', (including deadpan wit and a talent for finding makeshift lethal weapons when there's no gun available. And woe to anyone who dares underestimate him.

     I can't praise this series highly enough. And for those anxiously awaiting news of a new James Bond movie, here's your best option for enjoying just as much thrills and some wicked humor......join up with Team Dez.

       5 stars (*****)

THE RIVAL.....CHILDHOOD FRIENDS, TURNED YA FRENEMIES, TURNED....(HMM, WONDER WHAT COMES NEXT?....) (****)

 The Rival by Emma Lord (2025)

     Now here's a challenge that faces any author brave enough to attempt yet another 'childhood-friends-to-adolescent-enemies-to-at-long-last-sweethearts' YA romcom.

     How to you make your book distinctly different from the hundreds upon hundreds of similar titles that came before yours?

     My reading hat's off to Emma Lord, who somehow arrives at Mission Accomplished.

     How did she do it? To start, she makes sure her 'lovebirds-but-they-don't-know-it-yet', Sadie and Seb, are extra vulnerable and impossibly adorable. Next, she places these lifelong neighbors and rivals as incoming freshman in a college that seems like a Cozy Never-Neverland - awash in all sorts of oddball clubs that receive precious little funding from an administration that lavishes donor money on athletics.

     Sadie and Seb, both gifted writers with separate career goals, fiercely compete for coveted positions on 'Newsbag', the school's celebrated zine. Extraordinary wits as well, the snap-crackle-pop of their back and forth repartee makes whole chunks of this book a laugh-out-loud joy to read.

     I Is it even necessary for me to describe what develops between them as they do verbal battle with each other while upending the college's corrupt overfunding of sports? But when the inevitable kissing finally arrives, you can't help but happily sigh while turning the pages.

     I'm even willing to forgive author Lord for tacking on one of those endless, redundant epilogues, since I did find these characters, their families and pals still fun to hang out with. (Which often isn't the case in lengthy wrap-ups I've encountered in books that wore out their welcome.)
 
     Yes, a well worn storyline for sure, but told with genuine heart and plenty of sharp humor.

      4 stars (****)

SHE DOESN'T HAVE A CLUE......A MYSTERY AUTHOR GETS A REAL CASE TO SOLVE....(****)

She Doesn't Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Moke (Release Date 1/21/25)

     What could possibly go wrong at a destination wedding held on a remote island off the coast of Seattle....smack in the middle of a raging storm that'll leave all the guests stranded there. One of two things, usually.....either murder within a rich family dynasty of relatives at each other's throats, or a red hot second chance romance.

     This book throws both tropes into the mix, as well as a 'what-kind-of-person-was-I-meant-to-be' journey for its lead character, mystery author Kate Valentine.

     Kate's best selling alter ego Loretta Starling (bartender by day, sleuth by night), is a crime solver extraordinaire. But Kate herself, unlucky in love and far clumsier than Inspector Clouseau on a bad day, leaves a trail of soured romances and accidentally overturned furniture wherever she goes. Yep, she's a guest at that storm tossed island wedding......where the groom is her ex-fiance and another guest (also another ex) is a Hemsworth-worthy hottie who still makes Kate's temperature rise.

     So you know it's only a matter of time before a corpse pops up and Loretta's coping with enough suspects to fill up a rush hour train, as well as both the groom and the Hemsworth Hunk vying for her attention. Not to mention the murderer trying to frame her by borrowing episodes from her last Loretta puzzler.

     A busy book here, what with Kate's conflicted romances, her attempts to channel her inner Loretta, identify the killer, and stumbling in and out of enough secret passageways to turn Nancy Drew dizzy.

     A bit overlong and repetitious (Kate's slapstick moments seem overdone and movie-ready), but I still had a good time with this one. For fans of combo mystery-romcoms, here's one stop shopping for you.

        4 stars (****)

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THE BUSINESS TRIP......STRANGERS ON PLANE END UP AS GONE GIRLS.....(***)

 The Business Trip by Jesse Garcia (2025)

     I'm torn in two different directions trying assign a rational, sensible rating to this book.

     As a fast, fun read, I got a huge kick out of it. It reads like the wind and its major twists did in fact had me picking up my jaw when it dropped. to the floor.The pull-the-rug-out-from-under-you twist the occurs halfway through the book staggered me with its cleverness. and clockwork precision. And the final twist is almost its equal in surprise. I swiped pages through my Kindle at 60 miles an hour.

     But having said all that, I cannot avoid saying that there's not one of these whopper reveals that's even remotely credible, believable or come within 100 miles of reality. The twists, clever and outrageous, are also absurd, eye rolling and borderline laughable.

      Not much detail I'd dare to share about the plot, which involves two disparate women who cross paths on a flight to San Diego. Jasmine's a waitress escaping a miserable trailer park existence and an abusive boyfriend. Stephanie's a successful local TV news manager on her way to a conference for her fellow TV journalists. Somehow, through texts to their friends, they speak of encountering and being charmed by the same man, Trent McCarthy. And shortly thereafter, nobody hears from them again. And then we're off and running to Twist-landia.......

     The first Big Twist left my mouth truly agape and the book eats up a lot of time and chapters laying out how it was accomplished. Impressively detailed yes, but it also had me muttering 'you gotta be kiddin' me' all the way through. By the time the second off-the-rails, nutso Big Twist comes along, I could only chuckle and shake my head.........but to author Jessie Garcia's credit, I never wanted to stop reading either.

     That's why I'm calling "The Business Trip" a 3 star (***) Very Guilty Pleasure. Sure, it's untethered to common sense, and ridiculous, but I still gobbled it up like that tub of buttered popcorn you just know is not good for you.

A SERIAL KILLER'S GUIDE TO MARRIAGE.....A MARRIED COUPLE TO DIE FOR.....PAINFULLY. (*****)

A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage by Asia Mackay (2025) 

     Never thought I'd hear myself say this, but I'm starting to lose track of how many books I've read about serial killers who specialize in eliminating only rapists, bullies, abusers, generally obnoxious guys.....and other serial killers.. If this was happening in real life, you'd think the crime rate would've taken a deep dive by now.

     Well here's a book that not only sticks it to the patriarchy (literally), but provides an all-too-true portrait of the hills and valleys of married life. Or in this case, the married life of a couple who happily rids the world of terrible people we'd all be better off without.

     Hazel and Fox fell deeply in love as they discovered their shared mutual love of offing really bad guys, just for the fun and thrill of it. These crazy kids can't keep their hands off each other, not to mention a whole lot of other unlucky suckers who long had it comin' to them.

     Fox came from wealth, now estranged from his reptilian parents who exiled him to Europe when they discovered his....uh...proclivities. Hazel, on the other hand, came up from a hard scrabble unhappy childhood but can reinvent herself to walk amongst her betters. Once they connect and wed, they're a couple to die for, and any number of guys do just that.

     Thanks to Fox's trust fund, our lovebirds live a carefree life, touring Europe, littering the continent with corpses. But then baby Bibi comes along and suddenly they're a family of three. And as in all marriages, even the ones that don't pursue homicide as a hobby, Fox and Hazel settle into the normal everyday life of a London family. Fox, who's embraced fatherhood with a passion, decrees an end to their killing careers, which rankles Hazel. Their sweet union moves into the bumpy 'who left the wet towel on the bathroom floor' stage.

     Hazel tries her best at normality, befriending a single mom with troubles of her own. But her itch to kill gets the better of her, plunging her and Fox's marriage into already choppy waters. Every couple has their spats, but usually not with knives in hand......
If you're getting the idea that this book's a buncha fun to read, you're right. Author Asia Mackay throws all manner of twists and complications at Fox and Hazel and takes us through an unflinching honest tour of how marriages constantly evolve when children happen. Quite a balancing act since the book's also tossing dead bodies into domestic mix.

     Had a swell time with this one and wouldn't mind a sequel to see what the merry marital murder squad's up to next.

     5 stars (*****)

VANTAGE POINT.....A KENNEDY-ESQUE FAMILY DYNASTY, ACCURSED AND UNDONE....(*****)

 Vantage Point by Sara Sligar (2025)

     This book pushed all the right buttons for me. If there's a powerful, wealthy family dynasty afflicted by accursed tragedies, you had me at 'accursed tragedies'. If they live on a fabulously massive estate that sits on a Maine island that they rule like a royal family,.....oh yes, sign me up. Throw in troubled family members with the constant threat of the legendary curse that hovers over them, then I'm rubbing my hands in gleeful anticipation.

     And 'Vantage Point' gets right to the point. Kennedy-esque Teddy Wieland is running for the U.S. Senate. By his side, his wife Jess, a lifelong friend of his emotionally tormented sister Clara. Clara's lived with agonizing guilt over the accidental death of her and Teddy's parents and she's spent her young lifetime in and out of eating disorder clinics. Unlike the Wielands, Jess came from a lower middle class upbringing and now she finds herself uncomfortable in her role as political helpmate to Teddy - she fears the press and public see her as an undeserving Grand Prize lottery winner of membership in a golden family.

     The Wieland curse then goes into overdrive. Teddy's campaign is upended and sabotaged by release of embarrassing videos that seem to reveal Clara and himself as depraved, entitled wastrels.......images that'll no doubt repulse potential voters. His campaign manager/spin doctor wastes no time labeling the videos as deepfakes......and an increasingly unhinged Clara can't convince Teddy or Jess that these deepfakes tie into disturbing real sights now afflicting her, including appearances of her dead mother and father.

     Author Sara Sigar brings in some sharp wit and well written insights into the family dynamics (and some dreaded secrets) of Teddy, Clara and Jess. And I thoroughly enjoyed how the book manages to make the very latest hi-tech factor into the story's creepy Gothic atmosphere.......as if it feels like 'Rebecca' with state-of-the-art CGI. (And the insert histories of previous Wieland family deaths are dark humored gems....)

     A great overstuffed package of dynasty melodrama, political posturing and a properly traumatic finale.  5 stars (*****)

THE PERFECT HOME.....HOME RENOVATION DARLINGS TURN NOT-SO-DARLING IN PUBLIC.....(****)

The Perfect Home by Daniel Kenitz (2025)

     The only thing less than perfect about "The Perfect Home" is the predictable inevitability of its climactic scene... Anyone who consumed mass quantities of 1990's movie suspense thrillers can see it coming from 20 miles away. But that didn't make it any less fun for me to read. and the book had me barreling through the pages all the way through.

     I started loving this story right away as it casts a knowing witty gaze at the blatant unreality of 'Reality TV'. Just about every suspicion you've ever had about such shows is confirmed here.....that the participants merely craft fake personas for the camera, that greed and hunger for attention fuels them, that the shows themselves are as fictitious as any scripted dramas, comedies and professional wrestling.

     Exhibit A - the Deckers, Wyatt and Dawn, America's home renovation sweethearts and stars of, what else....The Perfect Home.

     Wyatt's the dashing, smiling, happy hunk who thrives on audience love, high ratings, and millions of social media clicks. On the show, Dawn plays the role of practical, reserved helpmate who's not nearly as attractive as her effervescent husband. Off the show, she's shy and uncomfortable when forced into all the required public appearances their fame demands.

     But trouble in Paradise erupts. Dawn gives birth to twins, but only after Wyatt consumed overdoses of an illegal fertility drug to increase his sperm count. When Dawn discovers his addiction to the pills has turned Wyatt dangerously psychotic, she flees with the twins. As you'd already expect of him, Wyatt wages a clever vicious publicity war on his fugitive wife, painting Dawn as an unhinged, post-partum threat to their babies.. With the entire country now on the lookout for her and the twins, the odds couldn't possibly be more stacked against her.

     And that's where the real psychological tug=of-war (and all the nasty fun) begins as Wyatt and Dawn's competing stories vie for media attention.......all leading to an exciting wrap-up that we knew was on its way as sure as the sun shines in the morning. I realize that while 'The Perfect Home' is not the first thriller to skewer celebrity darlings, I found it by far the most fast paced, sharply written and entertaining of the bunch. Terrific beach read, but I'd advise don't even wait for the beach.

     4 stars (****)

WICKED JENNY.....WHO OR WHAT'S HAUNTING AND STALKING THESE NOW GROWN CHILDHOOD BUDDIES? (****)

Wicked Jenny by Matt Hilton (2025) 

     Grim, dark and horrific, hardly anyone escapes this book unscathed. And tragically more than few don't escape at all.

     Four men, now grown into middle age, become haunted and tormented by a terrible, guilty secret dating back to their childhood in 1988. It's possible they wrongfully accused another boy as the killer of a young girl and permanent maiming of her stepsister. Their accusation led to the boy's arrest and suicide in jail. And the 'haunted' part of these woeful events might now have turned literal- is it a legendary tall tale wraith of their young nightmares that's making frightening appearances to them? Or is it actually that surviving stepsister who's come back to stalk them on some vengeful quest? To add to their increasing anxiety, one of their original group has been found brutally murdered.....by someone all too real.

     Author Matt Hilton skillfully turns up the mounting dread as the two parallel threats, (both supernatural and corporeal) head for a surprising, blood soaked collision. But don't expect to find anyone (other than the original victims) to sympathize with......the steady pile up of horror and death stays undiluted to the very end., with a final moment that's both satisfying, disturbing, and grotesquely sad at the same time.

     Here's one that you'd want to keep more than just the reading light on while it sucks you in.

      4 stars (****)

THE LAST BOOKSTORE ON EARTH....TWO TEEN GIRLS STRUGGLE THROUGH WORLD'S END....AND EACH OTHER....(*****)

 The Last Bookstore On Earth by Lily Braun-Arnold (2025)

     Frightening and heartbreaking, this is the end of the world as experienced by two teen girls thrown together in a struggle to survive.......and somehow struggling with their growing connection to each other.

     In the uncomfortably nearby future, Mother Earth's uncontrollable climate takes an apocalyptic turn with lethal acid storms that wipe out all but isolated pockets of humanity. In a pocket all to herself sits 17 year old Liz, now the sole proprietor and resident of the abandoned bookstore where she used to work. A few wandering stragglers left alive stop in to trade their random valued items for books, interrupting Liz's solitude. But then Maeve, another teen girl breaks into the store for a longer stay and she's Liz's opposite in every possible way....except one. Maeve's own terrible ordeals toughened her enough to stay alive and she's got the practical skills that could help Liz turn the bookstore into an acceptable shelter. And it's a shelter they'll desperately need since another toxic storm is heading their way.

     Liz and Maeve's separately tragic stories slowly bring them together as more than just colliding survivors. You'll feel your heart aching for them as they find a way to a working, uneasy friendship and then on to genuine deep affection. And all of this occurs as the girls face one life threatening challenge after another...what's worse, there's more than the storm coming for them.....

     Believe me, that makes for a glued-to-the-pages, can't-put-it-down book.

     If you're willing to endure and plunge into the nightmarish scenario that author Lily Braun-Arnold so vividly envisions, "The Last Bookstore on Earth" takes you on the kind of emotional ride that's well worth the read.

       5 stars (*****)

THE GIRL GOES HOME.......THE FEARLESS EMILY CALBY TANGLES WITH A DYNASTY OF VILLAINS....(*****)

 The Girl Goes Home by Dorian Box (2025)

     Here's as honest as I can get. I think I've finally run out of adjectives to describe how much I love this series of books. Any thriller fan who wants genuine heart and soul mixed in with all the suspense and action......look no further. These books are a pure goldmine of page turning grippers that keep you up all night.

     Emily Calby, sole survivor of the home invasion slaughter of her mother and little sister, has been toughened by cruel fate to become a force to be reckoned with.......and a fierce avenger against those who harm others. And yet at the same time, she's an achingly hurting, troubled girl, even as she takes on evil while up against impossible odds. Fortunately, in the midst of her chaotic and dangerous coming-of-age, she acquired ex gang leader Lucas as her mentor-protector and at times, exasperated father-figure.

     Now a fledgling new lawyer starting her own practice, Emily's contacted by a fellow young attorney back in her original home of Dilfer County Georgia. He's found suspicious documentation concerning the adoption of her late father, who died in a tragic farm equipment accident. Or was it an accident after all?

     Emily's return to Dilfer County to get to the bottom of things runs her afoul of a powerful, corrupt family dynasty who control everything in the county including the courts and police. This repugnant, murderous clan think they have nothing to fear from a skinny little blonde girl. But as Emily continues her relentless hunt for the truth, they find out how terribly wrong they were to underestimate her.

     What's truly remarkable about all of Emily's perilous adventures is the expert way these books tug on your heart strings even as they're serving up the violent action. (You might practically tear up and/or smile warmly at Emily's first tentative steps at affection and love). I can only hope that author Box doesn't choose to end the series here.

       The five stars I'm giving "The Girl Goes Home" is only because the rating system here won't let me go any higher....(which I would in a heartbeat.) Highest recommendation.

      Oh, did I mention 5 stars? Here they are. (*****)

      (P. S.:  You can read this book, #4 of a series as a stand alone....but I guarantee you'll immediately want get your hands on the first three....)