Out of the Woods

 Out of the Woods

Detective Margot Phalen Series #5

Kate Wiley

Reviewed by Helen

We are back with Detective Margot Phalen and she is still hunting the Redwood Killer, he is at the moment San Francisco’s most elusive killer and her and her partner Wes Fox are not giving up, too many young woman hade been murdered by his hands and what she has uncovered already leads them to some of the city’s most powerful families and the police department and they must tread carefully, but Margot will get her man and anyone involved.

And there is also the cold cases that she is working with the FBI and her notorious serial killer father Ed Finch now he is offering to lead them to his last killings but he has another proviso will Margot give in to him to find those last bodies and if she does what will happen one thing for sure she is sure that she will never visit her father in jail again.

This is a fabulous ending to this wonderful series I have really enjoyed reading it, Margot is a wonderful character that I have gotten to know, her life has been hard but her strength to go forward shows her courage and is there a chance that her relationship with Wes will finally move forward past just work partners? And what of her father Ed, how will that end? And will they as a team bring down the Red wood Killer and stop more killings? I do highly recommend this one and the series.

Good news is that we will see more from Margot in a new spin off series that I look forward to.

My thanks to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for my copy to read and review.

4 stars

August 20, 2025 by Storm Publishing

Dark Mountain Ambush

 Dark Mountain Ambush

A Western Edge Mystery #2

Nicole Helm

Reviewed by Helen

We are back in Marietta with Sam Price and now Nate Bennett at Honor’s Edge Investigations, after working together in their last case and seeing two people close to them charged with murder, they are now a team and a good one but still there is a tension because of what has happened between the two families over the last fifteen years, this is why Sam is so shocked when Aly Cartwright and Landon Bennett ask them both to come to the Bennett ranch where they are asked to investigate vandalism on Aly’s car.

Aly has lived on the Bennett ranch since she was born her father was a ranch hand there and now she is, her and Landon are now a couple and Aly was once Sam’s best friend but there has been a lot of water under the bridge since then and now Aly’s car has been vandalised and a couple of days later the mother she never knew arrives in town is she here for good or bad, it is time Sam and Nate looked into this as well, what answers will their investigation bring?

Eldest Bennett brother Cal arrives home as well with his own problems and Aly’s neighbor and friend Jill Harrington are all helping in some way the investigation digs deeper the answers they find pull in different directions, will they find answers or is there more danger coming?

This is a fabulous story such a great mystery it had me turning the pages to get answers, there are fabulous characters in this one all characters have been hurt in their past and by family in some way or another but they still show strength and courage to get to the truth which must prevail, I do highly recommend this one and am very much looking forward to another one in this series.

My thanks to Tule Publishing for my digital copy to read and review.

5 stars

August 6, 2025 by Tule Publishing

Nameless

 Nameless

A Karin Baxter Mystery #1

Mel Hammond

Reviewed by Helen

Karin Baxter grew up in the mining town of Nameless in the Pilbra region of Western Australia, her father worked with the mining industry and Karin loved it but when her father died in a terrible accident fifteen years ago her mother packed her and her two brothers up and moved them to the suburbs of Perth, never touching the money that was deposited into her bank account, these days Karin is an award winning investigative journalist and is returning to Nameless for the wedding of her best friend, is it also time to find out what really happened to her father all those years ago?

Karin has arrived in town in her van with her dog Trouble and meets up with not only Jess the bride to be but the other bridesmaid Bec and the guy who was the love of her life all those years ago Lukah and plans begin on the wedding but Karin also starts asking questions about what happened to her father and is getting warnings to leave the past alone, this of course just pushes her more to find the answers and when she is handed a USB she really starts uncovering secrets from the past, secrets that just might pull apart the towns big wigs but will it also hurt the people who are so very close to her.

This is a nail biting mystery set in a fabulous setting with wonderful characters and yay it is the first in a new series, Karin is strong and capable but the betrayal and secrets she uncovers is shocking but together her and her friends ensure that the truth will come out, with Karin’s investigative skills I am sure that there will be more for her to uncover and of course being with the friends she dearly loves is a good reason to stay in town.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one, it kept me turning the pages to get the answers that were being asked, this is one that I would highly recommend to any reader who loves a good mystery.

My thanks to the author for my digital copy to read and review.

5 stars

June 25, 2025

The Palazzo

 The Palazzo

Kayte Nunn

Reviewed by Helen

This one was intriguing and kept me turning the pages, newly widowed beauty entrepreneur, Vivi Savidge is about to celebrate her fortieth birthday and decides with the help of her ever faithful assistant Jade to book the Palazzo Stellina in the foothills of The Italian Alps for a week of celebrations with some of her family and closest friends but this week will end with a body and these people uncovering secrets that they have all held for many years, who died and was there a murder?

Vivi’s sister Alice and her sixteen year old twins Mia and Isla, old friend Carolyn who lives in Turin and also Pete and his new husband Nick from Boston arrive at this beautiful Palazzo owned and run by disgraced chef Marco who lives there with his elderly grandmother Stella.

The book starts with the discovery of a body and then goes back each day of their visit there is a lot going on with each guest and also Vivi has been getting mysterious text messages and emails that are threatening blackmail, Vivi is worried that the blackmailing threats are coming from one of her guests, could it be?

The week is hot, the food is fabulous there is plenty to drink and entertain the guests but answers need to gotten, this one did certainly keep me turning the pages, I don’t think I liked any of the characters much they all seemed a bit selfish to me but it is a great story and one that I would highly recommend to any reader of a good mystery, thriller.

4 stars

June 4, 2025 by HarperCollins Au

Final Exit

 Final Exit

Martha's Vineyard Murders #4

Raemi A Ray

Reviewed by Helen

We are back on Martha’s Vineyard with Kyra and Tarek, it is winter and freezing, Kyra really isn’t used to this weather, but it is Tarek’s birthday soon and she wants to give him something that she is sure he will love she organises a meet and greet with two of his favourite true crime podcaster Murder and MayFemme, they are here to investigate a years old murder cold case.

Forty years ago a teenage actress at a summer theatre camp is found bludgeoned to death and her roommate vanishes, the case seemed to have been closed very quickly and the podcasters want to get the answers, but at their first meeting Kyra and Tarek are not convinced that this is true, do they want answers or something else?

Kyra and Tarek are right onto this and the more they investigate the more they uncover, then both the podcasters are found murdered and Kyra and Tarek must uncover the truth and find out what happened all those years ago, and who is trying to keep I unresolved, of course Chase is in there helping out and then one of them is in series danger, will they come out alive, will they get the answers to what?

This is another awesome story in this fabulous series, they are so well written and plotted out, the author pulls her readers into tales of mystery, murder and mayhem and I do highly recommend this one and the series and I am thrilled that there are going to more in this series, I can’t wait to read them, I love Kyra, Tarek, Chase, Grace and Charlie and all of the fabulous characters who live on Martha’s Vineyard.

My thanks to Tule Publishing for my digital copy to read and review.

5 stars

May 28, 2025 by Tule Publishing

Vanish

 Vanish

PI Lane Holland #3

Shelley Birr

Reviewed by Helen

I thoroughly enjoyed the first two books in this series and this one as well, I think Lane Holland is a fabulous character and I do hope that there will be more books in the series.

Lane Holland is a private investigator who is now residing in a correctional facility after his last case although parole is due soon he is keen to get out but his thoughts are on what he will do when that happens, investigating is what he does and does well, he has one case that he is keen to solve and that is a missing persons case of Matilda Carver who vanished two decades ago and her father happens to be the warden at his facility and soon he finds himself residing on a farm near Albury and doing a re-training course to learn to become a farmer and this happens to be the last place Matilda was known to be.

Lane starts doing what he does best as soon as he arrives and what he uncovers leads him to more and more, and someone else is here that he should not be with, his parole is on the line here if he steps over the line, will he uncover what happened to Matilda and the other people who have vanished from the farm as well, is the owner of the farm hiding things, or is it a commune or a cult?

Lots of twists and turns in this one as Lane uncovers clues along the way, this one is intriguing as Lane gets to know some of the people living on the farm and stress levels jump as he puts his parole on the line. I really enjoyed this one and it is one that I highly recommend to anyone reader who loves a good mystery.

4 stars

April 30, 2025 by Hachette Australia & New Zealand

In The Blood

 In The Blood

Detective Margot Phalen Series #4

Kate Wiley

Reviewed by Helen

I am loving this series and this one is no exception, in this one Margot finds herself pushed into visiting her serial killer father Ed Finch again, something that she said she would never do again but when he dangles clues she must get the answers and then her young brother turns up on her doorstep asking her to do a documentary with him about their father, not to mention the murders from the park that she is still working on and then another horrific attack on a woman, this one will keep you turning the pages.

Margot is struggling big time in this one and there seems to be more and more happening, her partner Wes Fox is a rock someone that she knows she can lean on, could there be more to the relationship other than a work one, Margot is way too busy to find out at the moment, the tension mounts and Margot never stops uncovering clues to solve the cases, and of course meeting her father is very hard, where will it all end?

I loved this one and I do highly recommend it and the series, Margot is a fabulous character, there is so much, it is filled with suspense and so many emotions, Wes is the best partner for Margot and the next one will be the last, and I can’t wait to read it, I can’t wait to see how everything turns out. A fabulous story.

My thanks to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for my copy to read and review.

4 stars

May 14, 2025 by Storm Publishing