The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel

Description
"Roanoke girls never last long around here. In the end, we either run or we die.
After her mother's suicide, fifteen year-old Lane Roanoke came to live with her grandparents and fireball cousin, Allegra, on their vast estate in rural Kansas. Lane knew little of her mother's mysterious family, but she quickly embraced life as one of the rich and beautiful Roanoke girls. But when she discovered the dark truth at the heart of the family, she ran fast and far away.
Eleven years later, Lane is adrift in Los Angeles when her grandfather calls to tell her Allegra has gone missing. Did she run too? Or something worse? Unable to resist his pleas, Lane returns to help search, and to ease her guilt at having left Allegra behind. Her homecoming may mean a second chance with the boyfriend whose heart she broke that long ago summer. But it also means facing the devastating secret that made her flee, one she may not be strong enough to run from again.
As it weaves between Lane s first Roanoke summer and her return, " The Roanoke Girls" shocks and tantalizes, twisting its way through revelation after mesmerizing revelation, exploring the secrets families keep and the fierce and terrible love that both binds them together and rips them apart."

Lane never understood her mother's depression, or hatred of her childhood home, until it was too late. She had never met any of her mother's family. They never wrote, or called. She always thought maybe they were dead, until her mother's suicide when she was told her grandparents wanted her to come and live with them. What at first seemed to be the first time Lane would ever have a normal family life turned out to be anything but normal. When Lane ran like hell after that summer in her grandparents home, she never expected to come back.
I liked the way it was told in alternating time periods of "Then" and "Now" as we learn what Lane ran from, and how it came to shape every aspect of her life and relationships.
Although a bit too predictable to hold any truly shocking moments it did hold my interest.
4 out of 5 stars from me.

I received an advance copy for review

Sam by Iain Rob Wright

Description
WANT TO HEAR A SECRET?
When washed-up priest, Angela Murs, and skittish ghost hunter, Tim Golding, are summoned to a vast country manor to help a sick little boy, they have no idea what to expect. It’s clear that young Sammie is a very disturbed child, but there’s surely no way he could have been behind the recent spate of accidents, or the death of his father. The child is dirty, malnourished, and perhaps the victim of a negligent mother, but as Angela and Tim’s investigations take them deeper into the mystery, they realise that there is much more going on than they ever could have expected. When the blood begins to flow, there will be no escape, and little Sammie will finally be forced to show his true nature.  

I admit I have a soft spot for creepy little kids. They scare the bejeezers out of me, so I got quite a case of heebie jeebies from Sam.

When Angela and Tim are basically forced into a meeting with Sam's wealthy mother they are expecting it to be some sort of scam or hoax, but it is so much more involved than that. Sam is not just acting strangely and looking seriously ill, he possesses knowledge that no mere child could possibly have. Things quickly escalate from strange to dangerous and not everyone will survive their encounter with Sam.
4 out of 5 stars from me.

Don't Tell a Soul by M. William Phelps

Cherry Walker was a devoted, trusting, uncommonly innocent young woman who loved caring for a neighbor s little boy. But when she was asked to testify in court against his abusive mother, Cherry never got the chance. She couldn't lie if her life depended on it and it did. Cherry s body was found on the side of a Texas road, after being doused with lighter fluid and set aflame.
Attractive, manipulative, and violent, mother of four Kim Cargill had a wealth of dirty secrets she'd do anything to keep hidden. This in-depth account by bestselling investigative journalist M. William Phelps takes you inside Cargill s shocking trial and into the mind of one of the most conniving female psychopaths in recent history and on death row.
Anything by Phelps is an eye-opening experience. "Suspense Magazine"
Phelps dares to tread where few others will: into the mind of a killer. "TV Rage"
Phelps is the king of true crime. --Lynda Hirsch, Creators Syndicate columnist
One of our most engaging crime journalists. Dr. Katherine Ramsland INCLUDES 16 PAGES OF DRAMATIC PHOTOS


This is a factual account of the cold blooded murder of Cherry Walker, and the trial and conviction of Kim Cargill for that murder. Cherry was mentally handicapped and although she was in her late 30s, she had only recently begun to live on her own with the help of an aid who would check in on her and help her with her daily living skills. Cherry was so proud of her little apartment, and everyone who knew her loved her, and was proud of her accomplishments. Everyone but Kim Cargill that is, who saw her as an easy target to be used and manipulated. Kim had 4 children by 4 failed relationships, often telling her various men that she could not get pregnant and then "surprising" them with a pregnancy in order to manipulate them further. She did not seem to want any of her children or get any joy from motherhood. Her children were an outlet for her anger, something to bully and beat on and take out her rage. But after already having lost custody of one child she was willing to kill to keep from losing custody of another. Not because she wanted him, or cared about him, or loved the child, but mainly because she did not want to have to pay child support. I am not a violent person but honestly this book made me want to throttle Kim Cargill myself. It was satisfying to learn how her lies caught up with her and ultimately landed her on death row. I would have liked to see pictures of her trial but the version I received did not contain any.

I received an advance copy for review

Dead by Morning (Rituals Of The Night #1) by Kayla Krantz

Description
Obsession is deadly. No one learns that better than Luna Ketz, a pessimistic high school senior. She wishes more than anything to graduate but things don’t always go as planned. Luna quickly finds herself trapped in a web of lies and murders, spun by the least suspected person in her hometown. It’s not long before she realizes she’s being targeted by the person she despises most in the world. When Luna figures out who is behind the killings, things make a turn for the bizarre when she is contacted by a friend she has not heard from in years. It is then Luna realizes she is very much in danger, but although she can avoid the killer in reality, she cannot avoid him in her dreams.

In this first installment of the trilogy Luna is what appears to be your average high school student, not a part of the in crowd but that's ok with her, she doesn't like them anyway, and she has her best friend Violet to hang out with. Chance is the most handsome and popular boy in school. Popular with everyone but Luna that is. She can't stand him, yet he stalks her on a daily basis. Other girls would love to have his attention but he is only interested in Luna and will not take no for an answer.
I thought this was gearing up to be your typical stalker thriller, but there is more to it than that. Chance has the ability not just to mess with Luna in this world but can even invade and control her dreams. There is a reason Luna is the only one who sees through Chance's false charm. There is a reason Luna is afraid to tell what she knows, and maybe nobody would believe her anyway. This story has a lot of elements going on at once. I hate to say maybe it was too many, but in a way for me it seemed to muddy up the story line a bit. There is a lot of action and suspense in this young adult thriller, and while it left me anxious to find out where it was heading and what would happen next there were some things that bothered me. Luna's home life left a bit to be desired. Her mother is only described as a strict business woman, other than that she is not really in the picture. This leaves Luna alone with her father David whose actions felt very unrealistic to me. (For example "punishing" Luna by forcing her to go to dinner and a dance.) On the one hand Luna is afraid for her life and the lives her friends (with good reason I might add!) yet on the other hand she is also easily manipulated with just a threat of being grounded. I did enjoy parts of this very creative tale.
3 out of 5 stars from me.
I received a complimentary copy for review