Jackpot Summer by Elyssa Friedland

Rating: 3 of 5 stars 

Pages: 384 pages
Published: June 2024

Jackpot Summer by Elyssa Friedland was a top pick in the Modern Mrs. Darcy Book Club's 2024 Summer Reading Guide. It was listed under family drama, and this book had plenty of that. A year after their mother dies of lung cancer, the four adult Jacobson children gather in their family's beloved beach home for one last vacation before their father sells it to retire in Florida. While cleaning out their things, the youngest sibling, Noah decides to buy a lottery ticket. The two sisters go in with him, but their older brother and his wife refuse to participate. As luck would have it, they win and are quite literally millionaires overnight. But as we have often learned in real life, money does not buy happiness. Instead this family gets a lot of unfulfilling material items, emotional baggage including guilt and resentment, and a large physical rift amongst the haves and have-nots within the Jacobson clan. 

The story was engaging and kept my interest in that I was curious to learn what happened to this fictional family, but I didn't really care. It wasn't like they were truly struggling before, and the winnings brought out some of their most undesirable traits. I do appreciate the greater lesson, the author crafted along the way. I do enjoy this particular author's writing style (see The Most Likely Club), but this story just didn't live up to the hype like I thought it would. It was a light summer read with a happy ending, and, upon reflected, I think that's all I should have expected.

Recommendation: This book was a little on the long side, and it wasn't my favorite read for the summer nor was it the worst thing I've read. I'm putting this one in the take it or leave it category. 

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

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The Love of my Life by Rosie Walsh

Rating: 3 of 5 stars 

Pages: 384 pages
Published: March 2022

Full transparency … I chose The Love of my Life by Rosie Walsh because I liked the cover art and the title. Being in a very romantic stage of my life with a wonderful person made the title resonate with me. So, yes, I shallowly chose a book because of its cover. Judge me. I don’t care. 

This Book of the Month selection is about a woman with a heavy past that catches up to her in present day. The main character, Leo is living a happy, “normal” life with his wife of 10 years, Emma, and young daughter, Ruby. Emma is a well-known marine biologist. Leo is an obituary writer. When Emma suffers an illness, Leo tasks himself with crafting her advance obituary, which requires him to begin to dig into Emma’s past. As he researches more, he learns his wife is not who he thought she was. Her name is not even Emma. Emma doesn’t exist on paper at all. The suspense-filled mystery leads Leo to the truth and Emma to face the dark truth about her past. 

Book of the Month categorizes this novel as psychological and romance; however, after completion, I would call it a mystery. I found the the title is a little misleading, but the story is intriguing. It kept me reading to the complete conclusion. As a reader, you experience some of the feelings that Leo is experiencing as he learns the truth about his beloved wife. The alternating perspectives add to the suspense and speed up the pace to an otherwise slow novel.  

Recommendation: This was not the best book I read so far this year, but it certainly isn’t the worst either. I never thought I would put it down. I always intended to finish reading the story. So, the burning question: Should you judge a book by its cover? I don’t know. It wasn’t as good as the cover and title led me to believe, but it sure does look nice on my book shelf. 

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

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Sister Dear by Hannah Mary McKinnon

Rating: 3 of 5 stars

Pages: 384 pages
Published: May 2020

I borrowed a copy of Sister Dear by Hannah Mary McKinnon from a work colleague. It's an odd little story about Eleanor who on the same night she learns her father is not who she thought he was, he dies. As a result, she learns the name of her biological father and seeks to learn more about him. By interjecting herself into his life she becomes friends with his daughter, her half sister, Victoria. Victoria is everything Eleanor is not, and she wants everything Victoria has. Over the course of the novel, we see how her attempt to attain what Victoria has plays out, ultimately to her detriment. 

This was a quick little read for me over a weekend, but I think the story had several plot holes and situations that were just not realistic. One of them being the relationship between Eleanor and her mother and younger sister. I just didn't understand all of the acrimony in the relationship, and it wasn't really explained well. Also, Eleanor's biological father was very unlikeable and unrealistic, I just couldn't see a person being that cold to flesh and blood. However, I don't know how the other half lives; perhaps people do go to these limits to hide major secrets. 

Other than these character development issues, the story was interesting. It kept me engaged over the couple of days I read it. I liken it to one of those family mysteries you'd catch on the Lifetime Movie Network. I wouldn't say the book was time well spent, but it wasn't time wasted either. 

Recommendation: This is a twisty work of fiction that anyone could find themselves lost in over the course of a couple of days. 

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

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Beach Read by Emily Henry

Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Pages: 361 pages
Published: May 2020

A solid 4 stars for Beach Read by Emily Henry. I learned about this book from Book of the Month but snagged a paperback copy during Target's "Buy 2; Get 1" sale this summer.

The story is about two writers, January, who writes romance novels that are happily ever afters and Augustus, who is committed to dark literary fiction. The two genres and writers are as different as their seasonal names suggest (i.e., summer/winter). They have a history with one another dating back to their college days and consider each other literary rivals. Both writers are also at difficult points in their personal lives, suffering from writer's block in their professional ones, and just happen to be living in adjacent beach houses. Their professional troubles lead them to make a bet of sorts, January will write a literary fiction as her next novel and Augustus will write a romantic one for his. This agreement takes them on several adventures togethers, and as you might suspect, a friendship develops.

By the cover, you might think this book is chick lit or a rom-com, and that would be true, there are some steamy scenes. However, the plot much deeper than romance. The personal issues the protagonists are struggling with are very real and somewhat dark. I picked up this book thinking I would get a light read, but I got more than I bargained for and I think it made for a successful story. A reader might be looking for a light, thoughtless read to push through the hot summer days, and there are plenty available. Beach Read is a little heavier, and as a more mature reader I appreciated the mix of light and dark.

The reason for the lacking star is the slow start. It takes awhile for the author to build the story and early on the construction of her sentences made some parts difficult to understand causing me to have to re-read several sentences. I feel like about a third of the way into the book she found her rhythm and the pace picked up for me.

Recommendation: It was a slow start but well worth the finish. A great beach read for my summer quarantine sans the beach.

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

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A Good Marriage by Kimberly McCreight

Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Pages: 400 pages
Published: May 2020

What constitutes a good marriage? If you're looking for the answer, you're not going to find it in this book. However, the novel, A Good Marriage, is a legal mystery full of twists and revelations that keep you turning the page until you learn who the killer is. This Book of the Month Club selection features Lizzie, a former federal prosector who is now working as an attorney in the private sector. She gets a late-night call from her former college mate, Zach, who has been arrested and is the main suspect in his wife's murder. Lizzie reluctantly takes his case and becomes an amateur sleuth in trying to find out what happened to his wife, Amanda. On top of that, Lizzie is having some pretty serious marital problems of her own.

The book is told through the alternating perspectives of Lizzie and Amanda and also includes grand jury testimony and other correspondence to give the reader clues for solving the mystery. Having said that, I was unable to discern the killer until the very end. The author, Kimberly McCreight, included several red herrings in the story that threw me off.

I enjoyed reading this book. I found it to be very engaging, and I think McCreight is a masterful storyteller. There were a couple of elements she introduced that added more suspense to the plot, but I don't think she closed the loop on. These are very minor and don't affect the story greatly. There was also foul language that I don't think added value to the story, and at times, seemed forced. Overall, this was an entertaining read, especially during this time of quarantine.

Recommendation: I give this novel 5 stars. I highly recommend it. Fans of Law & Order might enjoy this book.

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

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The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James

Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Pages: 336 pages
Published: February 2020

I don't even like ghost stories or the paranormal, but I absolutely loved The Sun Down Motel by Simon St. James. It was my first book from BOTM club, and it did not disappoint. I devoured this book every free moment I had over the course of six days. I would have finished sooner, but alas I have a full-time job.

The book vacillates between 1982 and 2017 where Carly, in the more present time, is working as an amateur sleuth to solve the mystery of her aunt who, Viv, who vanished without a trace more than 30 years earlier. In her attempt to find the truth, Carly takes on the life that her aunt lived those many years ago in a town that really hadn't changed as much since the 80s. The atmosphere is spooky, and the hotel that both Viv and Carly work(ed) at is the center of a lot of paranormal activity.

The author did a fabulous job of creating suspense, mystery, intrigue, and fear with her literary devices. I would be lying if I told you I didn't get a little uncomfortable reading some of the passages. The writing was so engaging that there were times when I had to close the book because I was home, alone, at night. My only criticism is that, even with the decades time difference, I sometimes had difficulty discerning if I, as the reader, was reading about what happened in 1982 or 2017. Each chapter did have a label at the beginning that identified the time period and perspective (Viv's or Carly's), but once I turned the page and was deep into one chapter I'd sometimes forget. This may have been intentional by the author to demonstrate how the town of Fell, New York was still stuck in the past.

Recommendation: Overall, I enjoyed this book and think that my new BOTM membership will be well worth the money paid. I don't even like ghost stories ... until I did. Thanks to BOTM and Ms. St. James for opening me to a new genre!

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

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Speaking of Summer by Kalisha Buckhanon

Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Pages: 288 pages
Published: July 2019 

I can't remember where I first heard about Speaking of Summer by Kalisha Buckhanon, but as soon as I read the synopsis, I knew I had to add it to my to-be-read list. I enjoy a good mystery, and I was excited that this one featured African American women. Additionally, I found the twin element intriguing. The publisher, via the synopsis, describes this book as follows:

"On a cold December evening, Autumn Spencer's twin sister Summer walks to the roof of their shared Harlem brownstone and is never seen again—the door to the roof is locked, and no footsteps are found. Faced with authorities indifferent to another missing woman, Autumn must pursue answers on her own, all while grieving her mother's recent death.

With her friends and neighbors, Autumn pretends to hold up through the crisis. She falls into an affair with Summer's boyfriend to cope with the disappearance of a woman they both loved. But the loss becomes too great, the mystery too inexplicable, and Autumn starts to unravel, all the while becoming obsessed with murdered women and the men who kill them."

Sounds good, right? Well, if that was the story I read I would agree. This was my biggest issue with the book - the synopsis - hence the 4-star (rather than 5) rating. Because the synopsis is was drew me to this book in the first place, I felt a little cheated after having completed it.

The story I read, I thoroughly enjoyed. It was a little slow to start, and I was a little put off by Autumn and some of her behavior, but the book kept tugging at me and I kept reading it - finishing in just two days. But the book is not a "literary thriller" as described. I would say it is more of a psychological study of how major trauma affects women and how it can be dangerous just living as a woman, a Black woman, in the United States. The prose is enticing. Ms. Buckhanon has a way with words that, as a lover of words and collector of quotations, I can appreciate. The plot twist is interesting but expected, with the indicators that the author placed leading up to it. Once this twist is revealed, the novel changes course and becomes a more complete piece of literary fiction focusing on a very important and relevant topic.

Recommendation:  I don't want to give too many specifics to spoil this book for potential readers. I do highly recommend it. Just go into knowing the published synopsis is a bit misleading. Read it through the lens of violence against women and healing from it in the age of the me-too movement.

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

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When You Read This by Mary Adkins

Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Pages: 375 pages
Published: February 2019 

I may have mentioned this before, but I really do enjoy reading epistolary novels. I like getting a peek into others' correspondence and thought processes. So, when my fellow blogger friend offered this book up for review, I quickly put myself on the hold list for When You Read This, Mary Adkins' debut novel.

In short, this novel is about, Iris, a lady who dies of cancer like a lot of people do - way too young. The unique angle is she leaves behind a digital trail of blog and message board posts where she shares her journey of her illness leading up to her untimely death. As a dying wish of sorts, Iris leaves these writings behind for her boss, a public relations professional, Smith. (Yes, Smith is his first name.) Smith must work with Iris' sister Jade, who is reluctant to have the material compiled in book form.

This book is a quick read since it's all emails, text message chains, and digital postings. However, don't equate the quickness for weakness. The book tackles the heavy subject of death and the grief of those we leave behind. But it's not all darkness, I had several laugh-out-loud moments while reading this book. There were also points that made me reflect. In the end I appreciated the character growth illustrated through flawed but likable characters.

Recommendation:  I think this book is for anyone. It has a myriad of elements that would appeal to most any reader. The summer may be for light reading, but I think this book gives the reader a nice balance heavy and light material. This is a strong 4.5 out of 5 stars for me!

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

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What We Lose: A Novel by Zinzi Clemmons

Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Pages: 213 pages
Published: July 2017 

At its core, What We Lose by Zinzi Clemmons is a story about grief, depression, and healing. In this short fictional novel, Clemmons presents a story centered around Thandi, born of a South African mother and black American father, who loses her mom to cancer. The plot is Thandi working her way through this loss. She also explores seemingly unrelated themes of femininity, race, sexuality, and identity.

Clemmons has received rave reviews on her debut novel. I'm not as impressed. While there were some touching passages that resonated with me, I found the book to be very disjointed and lacking fluidity. Maybe she was trying to illustrate the emotional elements of grief through her writing. I found it very cumbersome. At times I could not tell if she was writing fiction or non-fiction. She references real life events and scientific studies like the book is a work of non-fiction, but then she has Thandi's story, which is somewhat fictional, sitting on top of the book. I say "somewhat" because she, the author, has admitted to borrowing experiences from her relationship with her own mother and using them in the novel. I know authors do this - you write what you know. I truly believe this gives the stories depth. However, in my humble opinion, Clemmons did not execute this well. I found myself re-reading passages to understand if the events she was writing about were regarding a real life person, like Nelson Mandela or Barack Obama or if she was referring to the fictional character, Thandi.

I liken the tone and pace of this book to Heart Berries by Terese Marie Mailhot. There seems to be a trend of authors writing their trauma through their books. I suppose this is a tool to heal. I just don't know if it's effective from a creative standpoint.

Recommendation:  This was an interesting read that I finished in about two hours. Obviously, it has resonated with many people. It just wasn't my cup of tea. The one thing I did take from it was: Love your mom while she's still here. Happy Mother's Day, Mom! :-)

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

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It's Not Supposed to be This Way by Lysa TerKeurst

Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Length: 256 pages
Published: November 2018

Anyone who follows my blog writings knows that I participate in many of Proverbs 31 Ministries online Bible studies. The latest study was authored by the organization's president, Lysa TerKeurst. In It's Not Supposed to be This Way: Finding Unexpected Strength When Disappointments Leave you Shattered, TerKeurst shares her most vulnerable side with her readers as she dealt with a myriad of crises. And I say "as she dealt with" because she wrote the book, in real time, while she was in the midst of several major life upsets. Because of this I think this is her most emotional, raw, and real work to date. 

TerKeurst is a talented writer, an amazing survivor, and a strong Christ follower. Because I participated in the online Bible study I reaped the benefits of supplemental study materials. However, the book stands alone, and it effective in its own right. I did enjoy hearing and observing the author through the teaching videos, which is why I don't know why she doesn't narrate the audio version of her books. She has a lovely voice, and hearing her tell her story of transformation in her own words and her own voice is a treat.   

As always, TerKeurst reminds us that when we are at our weakest moments is when we should lean into God the most - changing our focus from the problem to our Problem Solver. 

Recommendation: I strongly recommend this book. The perspective, insight, and authenticity make the book a treasure that can be read again and again.

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

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Us Against You by Fredrik Backman

Rating:  4.5 of 5 stars
Length: 448 pages
Published: June 2018

Us Against You is the second book in the series by Fredrik Backman surrounding a small, fictional hockey town in Sweden - Beartown. Beartown is the first book in the series. Us Against You picks up just a few months after the plot of Beartown. The local hockey team is the center of the town, and both the town and hockey team are trying to rebuild after a tragic event that occurred between a hockey player and the team manager's daughter. Us Against You is about this community healing and moving forward from the events of the first book.  

Us Against You is very similar to Beartown in its themes and style. They are both stories about division, hiding from oneself, and learning how to overcome the obstacle of public shame. As usual, Backman does a lovely job with his writing. He creates tension and tells a compelling story that propels the reader deep into his narrative. 

I enjoyed the second book a little more than the first because it rounds out the overall plot, ending on a hopeful note. However, I must admit, I am hoping for a third book set 10 years in the future so I can learn more about how the characters, especially the children, mature as adults. If you couldn't tell, I've become emotionally invested in these characters and their respective stories. 

This was a quick and enjoyable read. I felt it most necessary to read after completing Beartown. 

Recommendation: I'd definitely recommend this book to Backman fans, literary fiction readers, and if you've read Beartown you must read Us Against You.

Other Fredrik Backman books I've reviewed on A Page Before Bedtime:
Beartown
A Man Called Ove
My Grandmother Asked me to Tell You She's Sorry
Britt-Marie was Here
And Every Morning the Way Home gets Longer and Longer

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

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The President is Missing by Bill Clinton and James Patterson

Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Length: 513 pages
Published: June 2018

Earlier this year, I purchased a copy of The President is Missing by former President Bill Clinton and James Patterson during a blitz sale for $4.99. I really hadn't done much research into the plot, but I thought: a former President, a bestselling author, for less than $5 bucks, how can I go wrong? 

I do enjoy reading mystery and suspense novels, but this isn't a book I would normally read. I get plenty of politics via the talking heads on news commentary shows and via social media soapboxes. However, I was intrigued by this author pairing. I dove right into the story, and it kept my attention the whole way through. I was reading and listening to two other books while I read The President is Missing, so it took me a little longer than usual to get through it. For 500 pages, the story flowed well. The details and technical jargon were not overdone, making it easier to comprehend. You don't have to be in politics or even a U.S. citizen to appreciate the story. 

The story was suspenseful propelling this reader to the satisfying conclusion. There were some thought-provoking passages (check out my highlights on Goodreads.) The best thing about this book is that fact that President Clinton could offer a perspective that James Patterson could not have accomplished on his own. The only critique I could offer is that perhaps the book could have been edited down another 50-75 pages making it a little more digestible.  

Recommendation: I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to someone looking to read a story from an insider's perspective. 

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

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Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou

Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Length: 341 pages
Published: May 2018

After reading journalist John Carreyrou's investigative book, Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup, I do believe truth can be stranger than fiction. How in the world did such a young lady fool so many tenured business people and politicians? This book is an in-depth look at Elizabeth Holmes and her startup, Theranos. The genesis of the book was derived from Carreyrou's October 2015 Wall Street Journal report. 

Simply put this book is investigative journalism at its finest. 

I think the prevailing theme in this book is that we, as a society, have to get back to the facts. The lies and deception have to stop. We are not better off having been persuaded to one person (or group's) way of thinking. Rather, the truth shall set us free. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the way Carreyrou presented this fact-based story. He was very detailed, explaining complex science and medical processes in a way that made it easy for this liberal arts major to understand. Having said that, some of his format caused confusion for me. The way that he interchanged the identification of key players by using their first names and last names made it difficult to follow because there were a lot of players involved. Also, I found the change of perspective midway through the book troublesome. He told the first part of the story in third person, and then when his role was introduced, he abruptly changed to first person. 

Googling "Elizabeth Holmes" will generate a plethora of articles, videos, and photos. Check out the free Way Back Machine to get some insight to the now defunct Theraonos website. I've watched some online videos, and I can certainly see the effectiveness of her persuasive communication skills. She doesn't offer up a whole lot of science, but she uses her words very well. It is easy to see how her charisma and charm won over so many people (especially older men who were ridiculously memorized by her). 

The saddest thing about this whole story is that Holmes had a good idea. Despite knowing the outcome, I found myself pulling for her technology to work. What if she wouldn't have gotten in her own way and succeeded? What if she had listened to the many voices of reason and developed a societal-changing product? She not only robbed her investors, partners, and customers but also society as a whole because tunnel vision and greed resulted in Theranos' demise. Instead, the only thing Holmes succeeded in was proving the old adage true - If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. 

Recommendation: If you want to learn more about this fascinating true story, please check out Bad Blood. This book offers so much more than what you can glean online. 

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful. 

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Karma's A Killer by Tracy Weber

Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Length: 9:19:00
Narrator: Anne James
Published: March 2018

Karma's a Killer by Tracy Weber is the third in a series of cozy mysteries that features Kate Davidson, a yoga instructor, and her faithful canine companion, Bella. While this book is the third in the series, it stands alone and can be read independent of the other books in the Downward Dog Mystery series. The story centers around the murder of an animal rights activist, Raven, and the murder suspect, Dharma, who happens to be Kate's estranged mother. As a result of these tumultuous events, Kate finds herself in the midst of an informal investigation and race to find out the truth about her mother. 

I know the old saying is you can't judge a book by its cover, but this cover art was just so fun and piqued my interest. Once I started listening, the author wasted no time getting right to the action, thus engaging me as a reader. Weber's writing style is certainly suited for audio reading/listening. You can really see what she is describing. James, the narrator, also did a good job acting out the character's voices, making it easy for the reader to follow the plot. Overall, I found the story to be fast-moving with enough mystery elements and captivating dialogue to keep the reader following along. I also appreciated the strong portrayals of women in this story, specifically that of the protagonist and her best friend, Rene. 

I have very few critiques. At the beginning, I found the audio to be a little muffled and not as clear as some other audiobooks I've listened to; however, over time it got better and there was more clarity. I also could have done without Kate's seemingly obsession with weight. I would classify this book as chick lit, and I think the focus on women's physical appearance was a bit problematic. 

Recommendation: I really enjoyed this book, and I would recommend it to anyone interested in cozies, mysteries, or just a good book to enjoy over a relaxing weekend. 

Until next time ... Read on!

Thanks to Midnight Ink and Audiobookworm Promotions for an Audible.com copy of Karma's a Killer by Tracy Weber. Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

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The Mind's Eye by Perry Prete

Genre: Adult Fiction

Publisher: Sands Press

Date of Publication: March 7, 2018

Pages: 243

Synopsis | My Review | Buy Now | About the Author | Giveaway | More Blogs

Nicole Baker is a quiet girl - the type of person who is seldom noticed by anyone. That is until one day she discovers she has the unique ability to see images move on photographs. At first, she uses her ability to entertain friends at parties and work. Then senior detective Paul Hammond learns of her ability and enlists her help in a case of unsolved murders that he has not been able to make any headway on.
​
Carl Kadner, a rookie reporter with the local paper is investigating the murders as well. And he learns what it takes to be the kind of reporter he wants to be when he puts himself in danger for the sake of the story. It is only when Carl, Nicole and Detective Hammond pool their resources that things start making sense.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars 

The Mind's Eye by Perry Prete is a psychological thriller that will grasp you from the start and keep your attention the whole way through. Detective Paul Hammond is on a search for a serial killer who is attacking women and mutilating their bodies. Nicole Baker is a woman with a special gift of prescience. Carl Kadner is a new journalist hungry for his first big story. Chance (or fate, depending on how you look a it) brings all three characters together in a suspenseful situation as they race against the clock to locate and stop the killer. 

This book reminded me of a twisted episode of the now defunct show, Medium, and Criminal Minds combined. The book starts off with the three main characters in disparate storylines. By the midpoint of the book, the reader is able to see how they will all come together to work the case. I was completely vested in learning about these characters and finding out who was responsible for these horrific crimes. Because of the content I consider this book very graphic. Prete does a great job offering descriptive scenes that the reader can truly picture. I think this is an indicator of a strong writer who can paint such vivid pictures with words. The story is complete and leaves the reader satisfied. I do have to admit, for a while, I was worried there might be a cliffhanger. However, the author kept me guessing till the very end but also provided a fulfilling conclusion. 

While the story was tight, there were some typos that probably could have been resolved with more vigorous editing. My main issue with this book was the language. The author uses a lot of expletives and vulgar language that I did not care for, and I don't know that it really added to the story. I think it would have been just as strong without it. Also, I suspect because Prete has worked in the healthcare industry, he offered some technical jargon that slowed me down a bit. These issues were relatively minor and did not stop me from appreciating the novel.  

Recommendation: If you're in search for a thriller that might have you looking over your shoulder as you walk to the car at night, I think you will enjoy this book. Be sure to pick up your copy today or enter the giveaway below! 

Until next time ... Read on!

I received a free print copy of The Mind's Eye from iRead Book Tours. Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful. 

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Perry Prete is a Canadian crime writer and paramedic. His first novel, All Good Things, introduced us to Ethan Tennant, a City of Ottawa paramedic who looks at crimes from the medical perspective.

Perry continues to work full-time as a paramedic and uses his thirty plus years of life changing and sometimes dramatic experiences to bring realism to his gripping medical novels. His other works include, The Things That Matter Most and All Good Things.

He is also a business owner, specializing in the pre-hospital care field. His company sells medical equipment across North America, primarily to EMS agencies.

A native of Sudbury, Ontario, Perry, graduated from Fanshawe College in London but now lives and works in Brockville, Ontario.

Connect with Perry.: Website | Twitter | Facebook 

Prizes: Win a paperback of The Mind's Eye by Perry Prete (10 winners total) Four winners will also get a $10 Amazon GC (open to USA & Canada)

(ends Sept 29, 2018)

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