Archives for February 28, 2025

* Review * HUSBAND MISSING by Lisa Regan

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * HUSBAND MISSING by Lisa ReganHusband Missing by Lisa Regan
Series: Detective Josie Quinn #22
Published by Bookouture on March 19, 2025
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five-stars

Detective Josie Quinn’s world shatters when she returns home to find her house ransacked, and her husband, Noah, missing. When she kissed him goodbye hours earlier, called to the discovery of a woman’s body at a protest, they were putting the finishing touches to a nursery for their first adopted child. But now the house is empty, Noah’s bloodied handprints trailing the walls.

Every fiber of Josie’s being screams to investigate. But her team warn her to keep her distance as they follow a connection to a recent robbery in Denton. But Josie can’t quiet the voice telling her the handprints Noah left are leading her somewhere, and the trail ends at an upturned box of her long-dead abusive mother’s possessions: faded photos, jewelry, a lock of hair, and a few old newspaper clippings.

Beside herself with worry for Noah, and unexpectedly confronted by the trauma of her past, Josie throws herself into work. The woman’s body found during a demonstration outside a children’s hospital belongs to Gina Phelan, daughter of the powerful and influential Phelan family. Trawling the CCTV is a welcome distraction, but everything changes the moment fingerprints from the knife that wounded Gina match to prints found in Josie’s own home.

Her head spinning as the two cases collide, Josie’s only option is to delve into the life of the monster who terrorized her as a child. The key to everything is hidden in the box of her mother’s mementoes. But is Josie strong enough and fast enough to find it in time? And at what devastating cost to those she loves most?

 

Action packed and heart-wrenching! Lisa Regan shines at heartfelt suspense and this edition of Detective Josie Quinn really lets her shine as she delivers worry and despair all at the same time as keeping a case fresh and addictive in the forefront! It’s always a joy to watch Josie tear a case apart and get justice for those wronged, but when a case personally touches her, we get to see the heart of the person she is when she has to come to grips on her fear and emotions while still prioritizing getting to the truth in time to make a difference. Great core cast, great suspense and really filled with heart in each and every book. I can’t wait to see what’s next for Josie!

five-stars

* Review * GRINDING by Jami Davenport

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * GRINDING by Jami DavenportGrinding by Jami Davenport
Series: Portland Icehawks #6
Published by Cedrona Enterprises LLC on February 27, 2025
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four-stars

Camden
I’m a grinder, an expendable guy who’s always on the edge of losing my spot on whichever team I’m on at the time. When I’m put on waivers by my current team, I’m picked up by the Portland Icehawks, a second-year expansion team. And that’s when things start to get really interesting.

Inez
I’ve been promoted to assistant GM of the Icehawks hockey team. My first move was to claim Camden Hale off waivers. Now I’m facing a backlash of criticism. There’s even more trouble brewing. Camden and I have explosive chemistry, the kind that blows up in our faces and destroys everything around us. Now my boss wants me to cut Camden, but I can’t let him go. I believe in him even though no one else does, including Camden himself.

 

 

Endearing characters and explosive chemistry! I’m a big fan of Davenport’s hockey teams and this one is really fun to get into the heart of because it’s an expansion team and the guys are coming into the mix of things with hurt feelings and regret on their mind as they are handed over from their previous home with lots to prove. In the beginning it was touted as a series with a mix of romantic suspense as well, but that aspect has never been successfully fleshed out to really make it a plus of the series. This book for instance had a huge opportunity of a missing brother that could have been acted on and investigated, but fell disappointingly flat. I liked Camden and Inez, but wanted more development … especially once the sneaking around was over. The characters were both easy to like and their support system of friends/family were beneficial to the set up. I’m looking forward to more to come in the series.

four-stars