Carries Book Reviews

Pretty Wicked by Kelly Charron
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Fifteen year old Ryann is on the outside what everyone would consider the perfect daughter. Ryann is a straight A student, a cheerleader and always follows the rules and listens to her parents. However, Ryann is harboring one huge secret, she’s always been obsessed with serial killers and has the urge building inside her to try to become one herself.

Ryann is no stranger to killing though, she actually had killed another young girl when a few years before when the girl was very badly injured so instead of getting help Ryann ended her life. Now Ryann’s taste for blood has grown and since her father is a police officer she’s done her homework and things she’s ready to avoid the police and start her killing spree just like her idols.

Pretty Wicked is actually the first book in a new series by Kelly Charron. The is a dark and twisted young adult thriller told from the prospective of the girl next door who turns into a psychotic murderer. With the main character in the story being only fifteen she does have a bit of immaturity about her but that perfectly fit what I would expect from a fifteen year old.

The book was rather compelling as Ryann begins her killing spree, I just could not stop reading wanting to know what she was going to do next, who her next victim would be or whether she would be caught for her crimes. She does make a lot of silly mistakes but again with her only being fifteen being a bit impulsive was very believable but on the flip side coming from being raised in a family with a law enforcement officer it was also believable when she was doing thing right.

Overall, quite compelling young adult thriller told from the perspective of a young female striving to be a cheerleader by day and a murderer by night.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Saved by the Montana Hero by Vella Munn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Kolina Childs has been on her own and independent for a long time and is now working towards her goals as a waitress at Lake Serene. Terron Sax on the other hand has been responsible for his family for years and now that his parents have passed is trying to become independent himself taking on a job on the remodeling crew at Lake Serene.

When Terron and Kolina meet they are drawn to each other by their shared difficult and painful pasts and love of the nature around them. The pair end up spending more time together as Kolina tries to rescue a stray dog trying to get it to trust humans and give it a loving home.

Saved by the Montana Hero is the fourth book in the Montana Lakeside series but the first of the series which I myself have read. The story within this book read fine as a standalone novel though so I don’t believe it would be necessary to have read the others to enjoy Terron and Kolina’s story.

The one thing I found with this read was that I wish the author would have kept the story a strictly clean romance between Terron and Kolina. Kolina has an injury in the story and it always sort of makes me cringe when a character is dealing with pain and the story goes to the steamier moments between a couple. Otherwise this was an enjoyable read with as much as the couple had opposite between them they also had in common bringing them together as they shared details with each other.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Wishing you all the best in 2017!!

The Killer Inside by Kerry Wilkinson
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Detective Sergeant Jessica Daniel has been called in to head up an investigation when a body turns up inside of a locked home. With very little to go on in the investigation things really heat up when a second body is discovered putting even more pressure on Jessica to get the case solved. To make matters worse there seems to be a journalist that knows more than he should and now the headlines have turned into the Houdini serial killer on the loose.

The Killer Inside is the first book in the Detective Jessica Daniel series by Kerry Wilkinson. While I thought this got off to a somewhat strong start I can’t say there wasn’t a bit of room for improvement in the future editions with Jessica leaving me to rate this one at 3.5 stars.

The story is compelling enough with a killer on the loose that somehow gets in and out of homes without a trace with no signs of a break in. I did sometimes feel though that things just didn’t quite seem completely believable with a detective on a case. Also, I did have my suspicions of the killer fairly early on too but I don’t believe it was completely obvious either. In the end I’d continue on with the series to see just how Jessica grows as her story continues.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Dead and Breakfast by Kate Kingsbury
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After a messy divorce Melanie West decides to take her grandmother up on opening up a bed and breakfast in the small town on the Oregon coast. The ladies have already named their upcoming B&B the The Merry Ghost Inn due to the rumors that the house they’ve purchased is haunted and it doesn’t take long for them to start hearing the ghostly laughter.

Unfortunately, while Melanie and Liza are in the middle of remodeling to get ready to open the Inn they come across an actual skeleton in a hidden closet. The police are called in but seeing that the body had been there for years the case gets put on the back burner for a more recent homicide that needs solving so Melanie and Liza decide to do some investigating of their own to try to help since they won’t be able to open until the case is solved.

Dead and Breakfast is the first book in the new Merry Ghost Inn series by Kate Kingsbury. I found this cozy mystery to be quite charming with likable characters and a fun setting. Liza is one of those grandmothers that you just fall in love with as a character, a bit of a spitfire and feisty but a very loving grandma nonetheless. And who doesn’t love a fun read that includes a ghost in the mix?

The ladies so their bit of investigating simply by asking around the small town and stumble across a few clues in their home so the story comes across as something that could happen. A somewhat simple mystery that if following the clues you should be able to figure out but still a fun read following along with this pair as they solve the case. I will certainly be looking forward to more adventures happening in the Merry Ghost Inn in the future.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.