An Uncollected Death by Meg Wolfe
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Have you ever read a book you just COULDN'T relate to? Yeah... I may be white, but I am not, nor have I ever been, that *special* kind of privileged white that knows the truly expensive name brands and can call 911 twice within ten minutes, as easy and carelessly as changing a takeout order...

I gave this book 5 chapters to grab my interest before heavy sighing and rolling my eyes into the back of my brain and calling it a "nope".

Here's what I can say, about a book whose premise sounded enticing...

If you like REALLY LooooONG lists, like pages and pages worth of lists describing a setting; or a closet full of clothes; or a crime scene- minus the crime details but instead, the antique designer furniture pieces and collectibles... this book is for you. If you like to hear about privileged white people out of touch with reality, whose kids go to college in France because of that one time their mom decided to lie-to-kick-it with the big shots; this book is for you. If you like chapters of lists with no story substance and forced romance implications early on; and you also enjoy talking with that one pretentious party guest whose yarning about how great their life is/was but somehow, *poor me* and you DON'T end up gouging your eyes out with the toothpick from an hors-d'oeuvre... then this is DEFINITELY YOUR BOOK.

I'm kinda over stories that are written with no basis in reality. I've personally and unfortunately, have had to call 911, a few times in my life... NEVER have I, nor has ANYONE I know, called 911 (TWICE within ten MINUTES) and then hung up (BOTH TIMES) so nonchalantly, like, "okay cool... See you in a bit," ESPECIALLY at a potential MURDER SCENE??? THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN.

I just... can't. I can't go further with this review, just like I couldn't go further with this book that I'M SURE is an excellent read. But hey, don't take my word for it.

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Condo by Kerry Costello
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Despite the setting being Florida & the beachy/resort environment one associates with "Florida", I would also categorize this book as a "beach read", and here's why...

The murder/mystery plot was enough to keep me interested although as far as "believability" goes, this one really stretches the possibilities. I mean, the knit together details are solid but extreme. And in this day and age, I'm just not sure how copacetic it is to read/write a story where an older white man is totally given carte blanche to take over a murder mystery after being suspected as a suspect, to begin with. Sure, that probably happens, but since I don't relate to that kind of privilege (no, not an SJW, just grew up poor, so not about that life), I honestly didn't care for it. But to be fair, the story is based in an apartment complex in Florida where the majority of people there are retired, semi-wealthy, white people. So I'm sure in some ways this whole premise and audacious-ness are realistic to someone out there? Basically, this isn't for me, but it was still a good quick read that read easily. 3.5 stars.

*I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review.

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Absolute Sunset by Kata Mlek
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was asked to review this book, way back in 2016, I think? Shortly after that, my life got a little crazy and this book, along with several others, was put aside and forgotten about. Long story short... wow. This book was horribly good. Here's what I mean...

Plot: An abused child (yeah, it starts out that deep & dark), living with her parents in modern-day Poland, is haunted by a raven in her dreams, which only leads to trouble and heartache further on as the story progresses.

Characters: We get to see Hanka grow up from a seven-year-old to an adult. I hate her story, but only because so much of it is familiar in so many ways. Her parents remind me of my parents but in reverse. For Hanka, the alcoholic abuser is her mother, the enabler- her father. The story pretty much revolves around these three (and the raven) and I can say that each character was fleshed out & believable even if unlikeable.

The Writing: The story itself was easy to read cadence/prose-wise. There is a bit of syntax difference due to Ms. Mlek being a native Polish speaker and a few spelling mistakes... but nothing that got in the way of enjoying this dark story told in 3rd person POV.

In case you wanted to know: Dude. This is NOT a happy, feel-good story. It is dark and upsetting. There is child abuse (physical & neglect) and it is written in a normalized way. If reading this type of story offends you- you'll want to skip it. If you think it might trigger you- skip it. If however, you were raised in & survived an abusive upbringing, & have mostly healed/overcame all that comes from being abused as a child AND also (forgot to mention) can relate to a mental break & mental issues without wanting to self-harm- then you might be okay to read this. For anyone/everyone else- also know that there is infanticide, general poverty, alcoholism, infidelity, and lots of death.

Overall: So why would I rate this a 4.5/5 star? Because I wasn't expecting it. I wasn't expecting to feel so much for a character as I did for Hanka. And although this didn't leave me feeling all sweet & mushy- it DID leave a memorable mark on my damaged brain. I would recommend to anyone who is willing to go dark.



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The Unclaimed Victim by D.M. Pulley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

D.M. Pulley’s books are like bags of Cheetos… They’re addicting and I NEED more! Disclaimer: I might just suck at solving mysteries. I think? Real Life problems and scenarios of whodunit- no problem; but written suspense novels, I’m almost always unsure. Well, maybe 80% of the time. Some stories kinda leave enough clues that it’s just obvious I guess… But so far, not D.M. Pulley, she has me guessing 'til the very end and then it’s so beautiful how it all comes together! Anyway, on with the review… sorry!

Plot: If you read her first book, ‘The Dead Key’, I’d say that this book follows the same formula. If you didn’t read her debut novel- you NEED to. The plot of this story follows a fictional theory of what might explain who was behind the (very real) “Torso Killer” killings of Cleveland, in the 1930s and beyond; (it’s) based off of real events, real characters, and real evidence. And, just like with ‘The Dead Key’, I’ll repeat the same sentiment; the plot was well thought out, there were no loose ends left untied. All questions were answered – beautifully – with surprises. The story kept me guessing until the satisfying end.

Characters: The story follows from 3rd person POV, the two main characters, Kris Wiley and Ethel Ann Harding. Kris is our present-day protagonist, who doesn’t believe that her father is really dead (even though pieces of him have been found); so she snoops through all of his belongings for clues and stumbles upon his notes on the Torso Killer. And so begins her journey to find out what he knew, how he was involved in the investigation, and who is behind his tragic death. Ethel is Kris’s 1930s counterpart who is alive and present during the initial period of Torso killings. She is a prostitute, who by a twist of fate ends up being right smack in the middle of the events that have haunted history for decades. She too is trying to find answers and possibly stop the killer, before another friend or even herself ends up hacked to pieces. Both women have a cast of supporting characters that are equally well-developed.

The Writing: I devoured this book in a few hours. Ms. Pulley’s style is so easy to read and flows effortlessly…even with the dual timelines/back-and-forth (Every 3) chapters of Kris and Ethel's individual experiences.

In Case You Wanted to Know: A majority (like half) of this book takes place in the 1930s where wars were done and a new one was on the horizon. Human life wasn’t valued if you were poor and living in the slums. Unfortunately, these souls were seen as expendable/disposable, and White Supremacy was rampant. Do not head into this book expecting to not be exposed to the vileness that is- Men in Power, and some women as well. Trigger warnings for some sexual and abuse situations, and violence, as well. Expect to see life differently. Expect to be bothered and concerned, and possibly offended by the behaviors of some characters. But do take all of this into consideration – the story reads like a real-life/true crime story. This is not a pretty tale. Although I'm sure you will agree it ended well.

Overall: I can’t leave this review without commenting on the very real similarities that this story illustrates to “back then” and “now”. Yes, Ms. Pulley’s take on who might’ve been behind the murders is, in my mind, plausible; but for the sake of contrast, the link between some of the worst people in history, and the idea that these people just went underground until it was time to rise again, is a hard truth in today’s political atmosphere that I can’t ignore. The author used this thread artistically, without pushing an agenda… something I think is brilliant and easily missed by those that choose to believe history cannot/is not repeating itself.

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Exposed Fury by Marie Flanigan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After getting shot on the job, Annie Fitch recovers, quits the Police Department, and begins working as a Private Investigator for the town’s wealthy & well to do. An accidental discovery pulls her in and links her to a murder mystery that had me guessing whodunnit right til the very end. The characters, even the minor ones, were beautifully real & fleshed out with specific, clear personalities. Btw, I especially loved Annie’s friend, Celia! Details were sprinkled in evenly, as opposed to using major info dumps. The plot for me was solid. The murderer’s motives could be seen as questionable, but rage and jealousy know no limits of space or time… So, again, for me, I felt that the story just made perfect sense. Of course, I’m a sucker for a good, fast, murder mystery, and this one definitely delivered. Told in 3rd person POV, there is nothing in the writer’s style that makes this novel less than perfect. There were hardly any cuss words (2 f-bombs in the whole thing), no typos or spelling errors… Exposed Fury was simply an enjoyable book to snuggle into a chair with on a rainy afternoon, hot cup of coffee in hand.

*I received a FREE copy of this story, in exchange for my honest review.


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