Release Day! This Weekend Doesn't End Well for Anyone by Catherine Mack ~ My Thoughts #ThisWeekendDoesn'tEndWellForAnyone

Happy Release Day!

Congrats Catherine 

on the release today of 

This Weekend Doesn't End Well for Anyone!

This Weekend Doesn't End Well for Anyone by Catherine Mack

(The Vacation Mysteries #3)

Cozy Mystery, Humorous Fiction, 343 pages

Published April 28, 2026 by Minotaur Books

The third in the witty and captivating series following bestselling author Eleanor Dash, who once again has to swap her sun hat for her detective hat, when a body is found at a murder mystery writing conference in the Bahamas.

Eleanor Dash can never catch a break. Not only has she had to solve two real-life murder plots in the past year, but both times it was when she was meant to be on vacation. Now she’s finally got a ticket to a relaxing weekend—an all-inclusive resort at the Bahamas where she’s speaking at a conference for murder mystery writers—but she arrives to find a body on the floor of her hotel room. Because of course she does.

With plenty of familiar faces at the resort, any one of them could have been the intended target or the culprit behind it all. Was it Oliver Forrest, Eleanor’s dashing boyfriend who’s in danger of getting dropped by his publisher because his sales are dwindling? Or Connor Smith, Eleanor’s infuriating ex-lover-turned-bestselling-rom-com-author with a sordid past of his own? Or her sister Harper, whose own stilted writing career has been a sore point for years as Eleanor’s has soared? Perhaps it’s one of the other writers also in attendance, as friends, frenemies and foes from Eleanor’s past all seem to be invited to the island.

Surrounded by mystery writers who know all too well the many ways to craft the perfect crime, Eleanor is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery and do whatever it takes to get out of this weekend alive.

  

 My thoughts about This Weekend Doesn't End Well for Anyone ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first lines.)

First line—"HOW TO WRITE A MURDER by Eleanor Dash -- In this murder, we'll follow a three-act structure broken down in three sequences."

I've been a huge fan of this series from book one! I love the characters and the humor that this author has created. And to be privy to the thoughts and strategy of writing a murder mystery is over the top entertainment. I love the little sidebars and insights that the main character shares with the reader. And I have to mention the footnotes. So much fun!

Eleanor and her merry band of hilarious characters are at it again. This time they travel to the Bahamas for a mystery writers conference. And guess what? Dead bodies start falling all over the place. Ha! Who would have thought? Oh, Eleanor!

I love this story so much and loved revisiting all the zany, suspicious people in Eleanor's world. This Weekend Doesn't End Well for Anyone is laugh-out-loud fun and I am so ready for the next escapade. I highly recommend this book and this whole series!

I received an ARC of This Weekend Doesn't End Well for Anyone and this is my honest opinion of the book.

Vacation Mystery Series

Read my thoughts about book #1 here and book #2 here.

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About the author

Catherine Mack (she/her) is the pseudonym for Catherine McKenzie, the USA Today and Globe & Mail bestselling author of over a dozen novels. Her books are approaching two million copies sold worldwide and have been translated into multiple languages including French, German, Portuguese, and Polish. Television rights to Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies and its forthcoming sequels sold in a major auction to Fox TV for development into a series, with Mack writing the pilot script. 

A dual Canadian and US citizen, she splits her time between Canada and various warmer locations in the US. ~ Goodreads

Connect with Catherine

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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Release Day! Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies by Catherine Mack ~ My Thoughts @CEMcKenzie1 @MinotaurBooks #EveryTimeIGoOnVacationSomeoneDies

Happy Release Day!

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies by Catherine Mack

(The Vacation Mysteries #1)

Cozy Mystery, Humorous Fiction, 344 pages

Published April 30, 2024 by Minotaur Books

Ten days, eight suspects, six cities, five authors, three bodies . . . one trip to die for.

All that bestselling author Eleanor Dash wants is to get through her book tour in Italy and kill off her main character, Connor Smith, in the next in her Vacation Mysteries series―is that too much to ask?

Clearly, because when an attempt is made on the real Connor’s life―the handsome but infuriating con man she got mixed up with ten years ago and now can't get out of her life―Eleanor’s enlisted to help solve the case.

Contending with literary rivals, rabid fans, a stalker―and even her ex, Oliver, who turns up unexpectedly―theories are bandied about, and rivalries, rifts, and broken hearts are revealed. But who’s really trying to get away with murder?

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies is the irresistible and hilarious series debut from Catherine Mack, introducing bestselling fictional author Eleanor Dash on her Italian book tour that turns into a real-life murder mystery, as her life starts to imitate the world in her books.

  

My thoughts about Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first lines.)

First line—"Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned. I want to commit a homicide."

I knew from the very first line that I was going to enjoy this story and this character. Eleanor Dash and her cast of book tour group attendees turned out to be a hoot. The BookFace Ladies? Hilarious, but maybe with an agenda?

It's not all fun and games though, as suspicious things start to happen, and people start to die. As Eleanor tries to solve the myriad of crimes around her—because why not, she writes mysteries for a living—the predicaments she finds herself in made me laugh. But seriously, who is behind all the bad stuff that is happening?

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies is the first book in a brand new series by Catherine Mack, a pseudonym for one of my favorite, must-read authors. I love everything she writes and I'm excited that she is branching out and taking on this new series. I can't wait to see what other situations Eleanor gets herself into. 

I highly recommend Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies for lots of laughs and escapism. You won't regret picking this one up!

I received a copy of Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion of the book.

About the author

Catherine Mack (she/her) is the pseudonym for Catherine McKenzie, the USA Today and Globe & Mail bestselling author of over a dozen novels. Her books are approaching two million copies sold worldwide and have been translated into multiple languages including French, German, Portuguese, and Polish. Television rights to Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies and its forthcoming sequels sold in a major auction to Fox TV for development into a series, with Mack writing the pilot script. 

A dual Canadian and US citizen, she splits her time between Canada and various warmer locations in the US. ~ Goodreads

Connect with Catherine

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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The New Mother by Nora Murphy ~ My Thoughts #TheNewMother @NoraMurphyBooks @StMartinsPress

Congrats Nora

on the recent release of

The New Mother!

The New Mother by Nora Murphy

Mystery Thriller, 336 pages

Published May 30, 2023 by Minotaur Books

A relatable and nerve-wracking, sympathetic and bone-chilling story—a fresh new twist on motherhood and murder in suburbia.

Isolated. Lonely. Tired. It's hard being The New Mother. Sometimes it's murder.

Nothing is simple about being a new mom alone in a new house, especially when your baby is collicky. Natalie Fanning loves her son unconditionally, but being a mother was not all she wanted to be.

Enter Paul, the neighbor.

Paul provides the lifeline she needs in what feels like the most desperate of times. When Paul is helping with Oliver, calmed by his reassuring, steady presence, Nat feels like she can finally rest.

But Paul wants something in return. It’s no coincidence that he has befriended Nat—she is the perfect pawn for his own plan. Will Nat wake up in time to see it?

My thoughts about The New Mother ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first lines.)

First lines—"He had never seen me before, but he knew me inside and out. He'd lived, grown, wriggled inside me for nine months. Here he was. A stranger."

'It wasn't the sort of neighborhood for murder.' That was the tag line in the promos I had seen for this book, and it was also at the beginning of the book. So of course, that line drew me in and made me want to know more. 

As Natalie tries to settle in as a new mother with a colicky, demanding baby, the nice stay-at-home father who just lives down the street comes to her rescue and seems to be her lifeline to sanity. Motherhood is hard and to have someone to lean on is a god-send. As she comes to depend on him more and more, things take a turn, and maybe their friendship isn't what she thought it was.

The New Mother was intense as I tried to figure out who was going to die, and how it was going to go down. I kept setting up scenarios for a murder and then I would be wrong. The ending was very satisfying and the last sentence? Wow, just wow! Is she serious? 

I received a copy of The New Mother from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

About the author

Nora Murphy attended law school in Washington, D.C., then worked as a judicial law clerk before transitioning to private practice. A practicing attorney, Nora writes as much as she can, usually long before the sunrise or on her phone while holding her infant son. Nora resides in Maryland with her husband, children, and five rescue pets.

Connect with Nora

Website | Goodreads | Instagram | Twitter

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Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier ~ My Thoughts #ThingsWeDoInTheDark

Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier

Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, 352 pages

Published July 19th 2022 by Minotaur Books

Things We Do in the Dark is a brilliant new thriller from Jennifer Hillier, the award-winning author of the breakout novels Little Secrets and Jar of Hearts. Paris Peralta is suspected of killing her celebrity husband, and her long-hidden past now threatens to destroy her future.

When Paris Peralta is arrested in her own bathroom—covered in blood, holding a straight razor, her celebrity husband dead in the bathtub behind her—she knows she'll be charged with murder. But as bad as this looks, it's not what worries her the most. With the unwanted media attention now surrounding her, it's only a matter of time before someone from her long hidden past recognizes her and destroys the new life she's worked so hard to build, along with any chance of a future.

Twenty-five years earlier, Ruby Reyes, known as the Ice Queen, was convicted of a similar murder in a trial that riveted Canada in the early nineties. Reyes knows who Paris really is, and when she's unexpectedly released from prison, she threatens to expose all of Paris's secrets. Left with no other choice, Paris must finally confront the dark past she escaped, once and for all.

Because the only thing worse than a murder charge are two murder charges.

My thoughts about Things We Do in the Dark ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first lines.)

First lines—"There is a time and a place for erect nipples, but the back of a Seattle police car definitely isn't it."

Things We Do in the Dark starts out strong and never lets up! 

Paris' world is turned upside down when she is found all bloody next to her dead husband's body. But that is only just the beginning of her problems—the world is not done with her yet. Secrets and revenge fill the hearts and lives of Paris and Ruby as they battle it out with the age old question of who will triumph in the end. 

Thing We Do in the Dark will keep you in suspense until the very end and leave you very satisfied. I highly recommend it for all thriller lovers.

I received an ARC of  Things We Do in the Dark from Goodreads and this is my honest opinion.

About the author

Jennifer Hillier imagines the worst about people and then writes about it. Born and raised in Toronto, she spent eight years in the Seattle area, which is where all her books are set.

She's the USA Today bestselling author of seven psychological thrillers, including the national bestseller Little Secrets, which was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and the Anthony Award, and Jar of Hearts, which won the ITW Thriller Award for Best Hardcover Novel and was shortlisted for the Anthony and Macavity Awards.

Her earlier novels are Creep, Freak, The Butcher, and Wonderland from Gallery Books.

Things We Do in the Dark, is coming July 19, 2022 from Minotaur Books.

Connect with Jennifer

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram

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Release Day! The Favor by Nora Murphy ~ My Thoughts #TheFavor #NetGalley

Happy Release Day!

Congrats Nora

on the release today of

The Favor!

The Favor by Nora Murphy

Domestic Thrillers, 288 pages

Published May 31, 2022 by Minotaur Books

A gripping debut domestic suspense novel, The Favor explores with compassion and depth what can happen when women pushed to the limit take matters into their own hands.

Staying is dangerous. Leaving could be worse.

Leah and McKenna have never met, though they have parallel lives.

They don’t—ever—find themselves in the same train carriage or meet accidentally at the gym or the coffee shop. They don’t—ever—discuss their problems and find common ground. They don’t—ever—acknowledge to each other that although their lives have all the trappings of success, wealth and happiness, they are, in fact, trapped.

Because Leah understands that what’s inside a home can be more dangerous than what’s outside. Driving past McKenna’s house one night, she sees what she knows only too well herself from her own marriage: McKenna’s “perfect” husband is not what he seems. She decides to keep an eye out for McKenna, until one night, she intervenes.

Leah and McKenna have never met. But they will. 

My thoughts about The Favor ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first line.)

First line—"The key is to go to a few different stores."

Wow! What an exciting thriller! This one kept me on-edge from the very beginning, all the way to the satisfying conclusion. And then to realize that this is the author's debut novel makes it even more amazing. Nice job, Nora Murphy. 

The lives that these women had to live and the happenings inside their houses was gut-wrenching to witness. Sadly, it's a way of life for so many women though. So heartbreaking. How these women escape their fate will rock your world. Strangers who become something much, much more.

I absolutely loved The Favor and cannot recommend it enough! This should be a must-read for all thriller lovers. Wait until you find out what the 'favor' is. 

I received an ARC of The Favor via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

About the author

Nora Murphy attended law school in Washington, D.C., then worked as a judicial law clerk before transitioning to private practice. During law school, she participated in two clinics through which she represented and studied the issues facing survivors of intimate partner violence. 

A practicing attorney, Nora writes as much as she can, usually long before the sunrise or on her phone for brief moments when the inspiration strikes. Nora resides in Maryland with her husband, young son, and five rescue pets. When she’s not working, writing, or chasing her toddler, Nora can be found contemplating her next ice cream run or reading. The Favor is her first novel. ~ Goodreads

Connect with Nora

Goodreads | Amazon

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Release Day! Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier ~ My Thoughts #LittleSecrets #NetGalley

Happy Release Day!!

Congrats Jennifer

on the release today of

Little Secrets!

Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier
Print and e-book, 352 pages
Published April 21st 2020 by Minotaur Books

From the author of Jar of Hearts, a mother driven to the edge by the disappearance of her son learns her husband is having an affair with the woman who might have kidnapped him.

Four hundred and eighty seconds. That’s how long it took for someone to steal Marin Machado's four-year-old son.

Marin had the perfect life. Married to her college sweetheart, she owns a chain of upscale hair salons, and Derek runs his own company. They're admired in their community and are a loving family. Up until the day Sebastian is taken.

A year later, Marin is a shadow of herself. The FBI search has gone cold. The publicity has faded. She and her husband rarely speak. The only thing keeping her going is the unlikely chance that one day Sebastian reappears. She hires a P.I. to pick up where the police left off, but instead of finding him, she discovers that Derek is having an affair with a younger woman.

Kenzie Li is an artist and grad student—Instagram famous—and up to her eyeballs in debt. She knows Derek is married. She also knows he's rich, and dating him comes with perks: help with bills, trips away, expensive gifts. He isn't her first rich boyfriend, but she finds herself hoping he'll be the last. She's falling for him—and that was never part of the plan.

Discovery of the affair sparks Marin back to life. She's lost her son; she's not about to lose her husband, too. Kenzie is an enemy with a face, which means this is a problem Marin can fix. But as she sets a plan in motion, another revelation surfaces. Derek's lover might know what happened to their son. And so might Derek. 

   

My thoughts about Little Secrets ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first line.)

First line—"Pike Place Market is a tourist trap on a regular day."

Little Secrets is full of secrets, both big and small. This book is amazing and in this time of unease, when I've been having trouble concentrating on reading, this story and the lives of these people captured my attention and kept me spellbound. I was hooked from the heart-wrenching first chapter. So intense!  

I loved this book and all of the drama and secrets. Jennifer is a new author to me but I've already got more of her books on my TBR list. I love her dark and twisty mind, er stories. I highly recommend Little Secrets if you like to read edge-of-your-seat, page turners that you can't put down. 

I received a copy of Little Secrets via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion. 

About the author

Jennifer Hillier writes about dark, twisted people who do dark, twisted things. Born and raised in Toronto and a proud Canadian, she spent eight years in the Seattle area, which is where all her books are set.

She loves her son, her husband, the Seahawks, and Stephen King. Not equally, but close. She's the author of six novels, including Jar of Hearts, which won the Thriller Award, and was shortlisted for the Anthony and Macavity Awards.

Her newest psychological thriller, Little Secrets, will be out on April 21, 2020 from Minotaur Books.

Learn more about her at jenniferhillierbooks.com ~ Goodreads

Connect with Jennifer

Website | Goodreads | Instagram | Twitter

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What Rose Forgot by Nevada Barr ~ My Thoughts #WhatRoseForgot #NetGalley

What Rose Forgot

What Rose Forgot by Nevada Barr
Print and ebook, 304 pages
Published September 17th 2019 by Minotaur Books

In New York Times bestselling author Nevada Barr's gripping standalone, a grandmother in her sixties emerges from a mental fog to find she's trapped in her worst nightmare

Rose Dennis wakes up in a hospital gown, her brain in a fog, only to discover that she's been committed to an Alzheimer's Unit in a nursing home. With no memory of how she ended up in this position, Rose is sure that something is very wrong. When she overhears one of the administrators saying about her that she's "not making it through the week," Rose is convinced that if she's to survive, she has to get out of the nursing home. She avoids taking her medication, putting on a show for the aides, then stages her escape.

The only problem is—how does she convince anyone that she's not actually demented? Her relatives were the ones to commit her, all the legal papers were drawn up, the authorities are on the side of the nursing home, and even she isn't sure she sounds completely sane. But any lingering doubt Rose herself might have had is erased when a would-be killer shows up in her house in the middle of the night. Now Rose knows that someone is determined to get rid of her.

With the help of her computer hacker/recluse sister Marion, thirteen-year old granddaughter Mel, and Mel's friend Royal, Rose begins to gather her strength and fight back—to find out who is after her and take back control of her own life. But someone out there is still determined to kill Rose, and they're holding all the cards.

     

My thoughts about What Rose Forgot ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first lines.)

First line—"Rose's head drops, jerks, and she's awake. I've fallen asleep meditating, she thinks." 

I love Rose, and Mel, and Marion. I loved all of the endearing, zany characters in What Rose Forgot. This is a story of Rose, who finds herself locked up in a home, diagnosed with Alzheimer's. She realizes something is wrong and that she has to get out. And then the fun begins. 

I can't believe the predicaments that Rose finds herself in. I totally admire her resourcefulness and spunk as she gets the better of her would-be murderer and learns the truth behind all of her troubles. She counts on her quirky sister and her independent granddaughter to help her figure out who's behind all of this. I laughed at Rose's antics while also feeling her stress and pain as she worked through the mess of her life.

I absolutely loved What Rose Forgot and love this other side of Nevada Barr's writing. I've been a huge fan of her Anna Pigeon series and this one is a complete departure from those books. I would love it if this became a series because I'm not ready to let Rose and her family go just yet. 

I received What Rose Forgot from NetGalley and this is my honest review. 

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About the author

Nevada Barr is a mystery fiction author, known for her "Anna Pigeon" series of mysteries, set in National Parks in the United States. Barr has won an Agatha Award for best first novel for Track of the Cat.

Barr was named after the state of her birth. She grew up in Johnstonville, California. She finished college at the University of California, Irvine. Originally, Barr started to pursue a career in theatre, but decided to be a park ranger. In 1984 she published her first novel, Bittersweet, a bleak lesbian historical novel set in the days of the Western frontier.

While working in Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Barr created the Anna Pigeon series. Pigeon is a law enforcement officer with the United States National Park Service. Each book in the series takes place in a different National Park, where Pigeon solves a murder mystery, often related to natural resource issues. She is a satirical, witty woman whose icy exterior is broken down in each book by a hunky male to whom she is attracted (such as Rogelio).

Currently, Ms. Barr lives in New Orleans, LA. ~ Goodreads

Connect with Nevada

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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