Book Review: MIRACLE CREEK by Angie Kim

Part contemporary whodunit, part compelling courtroom drama, and part poignant family saga, Miracle Creek is a terrific debut that will appeal especially to fans of literary crime fiction, and of stories about relationships, particularly those of mothers and their children.

I listened to the audio book, narrated by Jennifer Lim, and heartily recommend it! It concludes with a wonderful interview between the author and Sarah Crichton, the publisher and editor. In the interview, Angie Kim discusses her writing process, and reveals that many details of the narrative are based upon her own experiences as a Korean-American immigrant.

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Book Review: BLOOD OATH by Linda Fairstein

Confidently written and utterly engaging, Blood Oath is number twenty in Linda Fairstein’s Alexandra Cooper, legal thriller series, but it is my first book by this author, and can certainly be read as a standalone. An honest-to-goodness page-turner, especially if you, like so many right now, are interested in the procedure involved in bringing a criminal case to trial in the United States, “press pause” on the news, and make Blood Oath your next weekend read!

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MINM Book Review: The Wife by Alafair Burke

This layered, well-plotted, richly-characterized story sucked me in from the beginning, and called my name whenever I was unable to listen to Xe Sands’ engrossing audio book narration! The Wife ramps up to a twist-upon-twist crescendo, and, ultimately, finishes with an ending that will haunt readers, long after the final sentence. The Wife has been added to my list of Mystery in Minutes favorites for 2018! Author Alafair Burke has a new fan!

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On MINM: Jar of Hearts Video and Excerpt!

Happy Summer, crime fiction readers! Last month, Mystery in Minutes read, and LOVED, Jar of Hearts by Canadian crime writer, Jennifer Hillier. Jar of Hearts became available to the public on June 12th, and in celebration, Mystery in Minutes is sharing a video of the author discussing Jar of Hearts, plus, a three-chapter excerpt of this buzz-worthy novel!!

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MINM Review: JAR OF HEARTS by Jennifer Hillier

Put this Jar of Hearts in your beach bag with the sunscreen, or slip it into your carry-on; this tightly-plotted, yet multifaceted, book of character-driven, psychological suspense is a recommended, buzz-worthy addition to your summer - or anytime - TBR! Perfect for a long flight or train ride, once started, you will not want to stop reading! In the midst of all of the red herrings, the twisty, page-turning goodness, as well as a blossoming, romantic attraction between characters, Jar of Hearts addresses how sex can be weaponized for self-validation, manipulation, and dominance, and explores what exactly constitutes a "healthy" sexual, and loving relationship.

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MINM Review: Don't Believe It by Charlie Donlea

Just in time for those “lazy, hazy days” ahead comes new-to-Mystery-in-Minutes author Charlie Donlea’s Don’t Believe It, a crime novel set partly on a Caribbean island, making it a terrific choice for pool-side, beach-side, summer reading!  Fans of bestselling author Lisa Gardner are sure to enjoy Charlie Donlea's thought-provoking and entertaining latest offering!

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MINM Review: Our Kind of Cruelty by Araminta Hall

Haunting and thought-provoking, with an underlying sense of inescapable menace, Our Kind of Cruelty by Araminta Hall is a psychological drama that keeps the reader enthralled and turning the pages right up until its unsettling finish.

Our Kind of Cruelty is, at its heart, the tale of one character's obsessive fixation with another.

Or is it?

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