The Other Emily by Dean Koontz

 The Other Emily by Dean Koontz

Rating (1-5) - 📘📘

Genre - Thriller, Murder, Suspense, Psychological Thriller

Format - Paperback

Length - 365 pages

*Amazon Blurb*

A decade ago, Emily Carlino vanished after her car broke down on a California highway. She was presumed to be one of serial killer Ronny Lee Jessup’s victims whose remains were never found.

Writer David Thorne still hasn’t recovered from losing the love of his life, or from the guilt of not being there to save her. Since then, he’s sought closure any way he can. He even visits regularly with Jessup in prison, desperate for answers about Emily’s final hours so he may finally lay her body to rest. Then David meets Maddison Sutton, beguiling, playful, and keenly aware of all David has lost. But what really takes his breath away is that everything about Maddison, down to her kisses, is just like Emily. As the fantastic becomes credible, David’s obsession grows, Maddison’s mysterious past deepens—and terror escalates.

Is she Emily? Or an irresistible dead ringer? Either way, the ultimate question is the same: What game is she playing? Whatever the risk in finding out, David’s willing to take it for this precious second chance. It’s been ten years since he’s felt this inspired, this hopeful, this much in love…and he’s afraid.

*My Review*

I remember Dean Koontz was one of my favorite readers when I was younger. I know that there's a lot of people who enjoy his books. Unfortunately, it seems that the books I've read by him as I've gotten older I haven't cared for. This was one of them. 

Now don't get me wrong, I did enjoy the book.....right up until the end. There was a lot going on with Maddison and could she be Emily, but how and I felt cheated with the ending. It was almost like he just wanted to finished it and threw something together or had someone else write an ending to a book and he decided to use it for this one. Maybe it's just me and what my interests are, but I felt the ending was a totally different genere.

The Desolations of Devil's Acre (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children) by Ransom Riggs

The Desolations of Devil's Acre
(Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children)
by Ransom Riggs

Rating (1-5) - 📘📘📘📘

Genre - Children's Books, Teen & Young Adult, Fiction

Format - Paperback

Length - 512 pages

*Amazon Blurb*

The last thing Jacob Portman saw before the world went dark was a terrible, familiar face.
Suddenly, he and Noor are back in the place where everything began—his grandfather’s house. Jacob doesn’t know how they escaped from V’s loop to find themselves in Florida. But he does know one thing for certain: Caul has returned.
After a narrow getaway from a blood- thirsty hollow, Jacob and Noor reunite with Miss Peregrine and the peculiar children in Devil’s Acre. The Acre is being plagued by desolations—weather fronts of ash and blood and bone—a terrible portent of Caul’s amassing army.
Risen from the Library of Souls and more powerful than ever, Caul and his apocalyptic agenda seem unstoppable. Only one hope remains—deliver Noor to the meeting place of the seven prophesied ones. If they can decipher its secret location.

*My Review*

 

I have enjoyed this series more than I probably should have since it's more of a young teen book (in my opinion). I did feel like this one sort of dragged on a little bit longer than need be in some spots, but it was worth the read. As with all the previous books, the story picks up where the last one left off so you're not trying to remember what happened. I was sad that the series was ending. I have watched the movie for the first book in the series (Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children) and really wish they made movies for the rest of them. Generally the book to movie adaptations really suck, but they were able to match the characters perfectly and stick to the storyline.

The Last Word by Taylor Adams

The Last Word by Taylor Adams

Rating (1-5) - 📘📘📘📘📘

Genre - Conspiracy Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Thriller

Format - Hardcover

Length - 400 pages

*Amazon Blurb*

Emma Carpenter lives in isolation with her golden retriever Laika, house-sitting an old beachfront home on the rainy Washington coast. Her only human contact is her enigmatic old neighbor, Deek, and (via text) the house’s owner, Jules.

One day, she reads a poorly written—but gruesome—horror novel by the author H. G. Kane, and posts a one-star review that drags her into an online argument with none other than the author himself. Soon after, disturbing incidents start to occur at night. To Emma, this can’t just be a coincidence. It was strange enough for this author to bicker with her online about a lousy review; could he be stalking her, too?

As Emma digs into Kane’s life and work, she learns he has published sixteen other novels, all similarly sadistic tales of stalking and murder. But who is he? How did he find her? And what else is he capable of?

Displaying his trademark command of rapid-fire pacing, unnerving atmosphere, and razor-sharp characterization, Taylor Adams once again delivers a diabolically disturbing—and deadly—game of cat and mouse.

*My Review*

This book was like a rollercoaster. The beginning was like standing in line. I thought that everything seemed a bit to coincidental. But when you finally get on the ride you can't stop. Just when you thought you'd reached the top to go down the other side, you would start climbing up even higher. I remember getting to multiple points in the book where I was like, this is it, I've reached the end.....but there's still so much left to read. That's because it was never "it". Taylor keeps you in suspense the entire book. The "who done it" bounced all over and made me second guess myself constantly. I was also kept on my toes by the "book" that was being written during the story. Who was writing it? Was it true? What happens? 

Happy Birthday Melanie Lopata!!

 

Melanie Lopata published her first book, Hammy's New Home on February 2, 2021 and has since went on to publish multiple other children's books including a series about her 3 rescue dogs. Melanie is a huge animal lover and her book, Annie To The Rescue was written for and dedicated to an animal rescue group called Pause 4 All Paws of Herkimer County, NY and the founder's daughter, Anicia. A portion of all book proceeds is donated to this group.

Melanie has also published adult fiction novels including Buried Secrets and rumor has it her best is yet to come with a new book titled The Silo. 

You can find Melanie on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and even TikTok. Let me not forget to mention that she even owns a publishing company!! If you or someone you know is looking to get a book published and want to keep your royalties, you will definitely want to check her out.