Table of Contents

Ok so I did not really enjoy the first half of Amanda Kyle Williams The Stranger that You Seek, but the second half of the book was really good, and propelled me on to the second book in the Keye Street series Stranger in the Room.

For me, there was no weak first half in this book, it grabbed me from the start and did not let go until the last page!

Stranger in the Room the Mystery is Set

Miki Ashton, Keye Street’s cousin returns home after a night on the town, puts the key in the front door of her house, before she can open the door, she hears footsteps in the supposedly empty house!!

When she makes her way to the window in the front of the house, and peers in, she sees a slightly overweight man standing in the shadows, as he stands there he forms a gun with his fingers and he pretends to shoot Miki!!  So begins this great twisting mystery!! Who was this stranger in the room?? Why was he there?? Is he the source of the mysterious calls, and noises that plague Miki??

A Second Layer is Added

Meanwhile. Keye’s boyfriend Detective Aaron Rauser is investigating the murder of a young baseball player on the cusp of good things! Soon the mystery man and the boy are entwined in an ever-growing murder investigation and Keye is once again drawn into the hunt for a murderer. Can she and Rauser put the pieces of the puzzle together before more lives are lost?  Soon Miki  and Keye become the focus of  the murderer’s wrath!! Why??

My Reaction to The

My Reactions to Stranger in The Room

I imagine that one of the reasons that I liked this book more than its predecessor, is that now I know the players. All the characters from Book 1 are back including of course Keye and Rauser, along with Keye’s adoptive parents, her work partner, stoner computer geek Neil, Tyrone the bail bondsman who Keye does work for, as well as, Larry Quinn the attorney who supplies Keye’s PI firm work.

In this installment Quinn asks Keye to  investigate into the actions of a North Georgia Crematorium. This subplot was better than the investigation of a missing cow in the last book!

But I think that’s only half of the reason I enjoyed the book more.  The other half is the story itself. In this book, I thought that Keyes profiling of the perp was more in-depth, and it really brought to life the how and why of the killer’s actions, but profiling alone does not capture a criminal, so the work of Rauser and hs team played a big role in the discovery of the identity of the killer.

Final Thoughts

Bottomline: This book was a real page turner for me. A good police procedural that coupled Keye’s keen profiling skills with Rauser’s dogged police work, kinda like Bones and Booth without the bones or the FBI!  Along the way there was also Keye’s addiction battle, juxtaposed against Miki’s love for both alcohol and drugs, and Keye’s mom’s  attempt to be the next “Paula Dean” which made the book enjoyable on more than one level! So I am now a fan and I am ready to move on to Don’t Tak to Strangers book 3  in the series!! Now watch when I checked out both Book 1 and 2 book 3 was on the shelf what do you want to bet that tomorrow, when I take back this book, book 3 will be gone!!

Series Links

Author Website

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Purchase on Amazon

 

About Amanda Kyle Williams

Amanda (1957–2018) was a master of the “unconventional sleuth.” A former freelance courier and process server, she brought real-world grit to her Atlanta-based Keye Street series. Her work was shortlisted for the Townsend Prize and the Shamus Award, and translated into nine languages.

(Book 32 of 2014 — Post Recreated & Updated Feb 2026)

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Through the years, I have read many of the books in Bill Pronzini’s Nameless Detective series. I read my first Nameless Detective novel in 1990. In fact in that year I read four of the books in the series.

From 1990 until 2001 I read the series from book Deadfall #15 to # 26 Crazybone and only missed one book Hardcase #15. While I was moving on the other authors, Pronzini was making major changes to the Nameless series.

Bill Pronzini transforms the Nameless Detective series

At the end of Crazybone Nameless and his wife Kerry are planning to adopt a child. Pronzini wanted to move the characters in a different direction. However, he returned to the series with major changes.

The series continued with an ensemble cast. Nameless becoming older, grayer and wiser. He moves away from being a solitary investigator to hiring both a savvy female assistant Tamara as a partner of their new agency. Additionally, they hire an ex-cop Jake Runyon to held cases..

From Crazybone on each of the books features at least two storyline featuring Nameless and another member of the ensemble.

Savages is the third book I have read in the series since these changes have been made. It is book #31 in the series. I read book #29 Nightcrawlers in 2006. Twelve year later I read book #30 Mourners. Now in 2025 I have just read Savages book #31 in the series.

Savages – The Story

Savages follows the same ensemble cast direction of the books post Crazybone. Both Nameless and Jake Runyon are working separate cases.

Nameless Detective is talked investigating the accidental death of the sister ofa former client, a sharp-tongued woman named Celeste Ogden. Celeste is convinced her sister Nancy Mathias’ death was a homicide not an accident.

Celeste has never liked her sister’s husband Brandon Mathias. She had previously hired Nameless to perform a background check on him before her sister marriage. Nameles found no evidence of wrongdoing.

Now, with Nancy dead in what officials call an accident, Celeste is convinced of murder and insists Nameless is honor-bound to prove it. As he delves into Nancy’s life, he becomes more inclined to believe it was a murder, despite ethical dilemmas and a lack of clear evidence. 

Concurrently, his agency partner, Jake Runyon, takes on a case to serve a subpoena, which escalates into a complex investigation involving serial arson and murder. The novel weaves these two cases together, keeping the entire San Francisco detective agency on edge. 

My Thoughts

Reading Savages was a nice return t the world of Bill Pronzini’s Nameless Detective. Typical of all Bill Pronzini books the characters are all well-drawn and the storylines are both compelling. Of the teo storylines I found the Jake Runyon story the better of the two.

Jake was just delivering a subpoena to a witness in a San Francisco court case. When he is thrust into the middle of a homicide AND arson case. Where nothing seems to add up. The prime suspect was friends with the victum and he seems to be liked by all! There’s a few twists and turns in the investiation enough to keep the pages turning. The ending somewhat surprising was satisfying

. While Nameless’s case was less satisfying for some but a surprise ending.

While Savages average rating was 3.68 It was a strong 4.o for me. Now I do believe you can read this book as a standalone. I do think think should read the four books that come before it to get to know the characters. As for me, I think I need to go back and read it Bleeders and Spook!

Links

Wikipedia
Goodreads
Amazon

Bill Pronzini Page

About Bill Pronzini

and Nameless Detective

Bill Pronzini (born April 13, 1943) is an American writer of detective fiction. He is also an active anthologist, having compiled more than 100 collections, most of which focus on mystery, western, and science fiction short stories.[1] Pronzini is known as the creator of the San Francisco-based Nameless Detective, who starred in over 40 books from the early 1970s into the 2000s. Wikipedia

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The. Black Highway is the third book in the Laughton Rees series by Simon Toyne. The first two books Dark Objects and The Clearing set a pretty high bar for the series. The Black Highway clears that bar and leaves me eagerly awaiting the next installment in the series.

The river Thames aka The Black Highway is the backdrop for the third book in the Laughton Rees series from Simon Toyne. Dr. Laughton Rees is a professor and a forensic specialist who provides assistance to the London police

The Story

.The previous two books in the series Dark Objects and The Clearing were both outstanding, as was Sanctus the first book in the Sanctus trilogy (of which I have only read one book Boo Me!)
In The Black Highway the case becomes extremely personal. When a headless and handless body is pulled from the Thames, with Laughton’s home address on its arm a target is placed on both Laughton and her teenage daughter.

Soon Shelby Facer a figure from Laughton’s checkered past shows up. Shelby has been recently released from prison after serving a 16 year prison sentence in Florida. The drug deal gone bad that resulted with Shelby’s arrest was overseen by none other than Laughton’s father John Rees. Oh and Shelby unbeknownst to him is Laughton’s daughter’s father!

When a second body is found in a similar condition and it’s related to the Shelby’s prison sentence it appears that the murderer is out to avenge their imprisonment. Does that make Laughton and he daughter targets because of her father’s association with the case!
And from there story is masterfully told

My Thoughts a Book of Relationships and Murder?

The Black Highway is another gem of a book by Simon Toyne. I enjoy books and series where the character relationships are as important to plots of the novel as the action occurring be it a murder, a kidnapping or other action.

I guess that’s why I love the Cork O’Connor books where many of the story-lines revolve around Cork and is family relationships, as well as, his relationship with his Ojibwe roots. Another example is the Joe Pickett where Joe’s relationships with his family, Nate Romanowski and even the Governor of Wyoming are important to various books in the series, Oh, I forgot Joe’s relationship with his mother-in-law Missy!
Boy do relationship form the core of The Black Highway.

First there’s the relationship of Laughton, her daughter Gracie and Shelby, How do you deal with the appearance of you daughter’s biological father who is not only a convicted criminal but is now associated with a murder investigation and a potential target. But also represents a time in your life you would rather forget.

Then there is the relationship of Laughton with her own father former police commissioner John Rees. Laughton blamed her father for her mother’s murder and left home at the same age as Gracie! Oh,my! Could he have been responsible for what happened to Shelby?

Finally, there is the relationship between Laughton and Kahn Tannahill. which was just blooming. The actions throughout the book certainly put a strain on their relationship.

So all these relationship are tied into the weaving story line of The Black Highway resulting in a rip-roaring finish that I believe sets the stage for more Laughton Rees books in the future, At least I hope!

(oh Laughton is named after the actor Charles Laughton!

Links

Author’s Website
Facebook
Pinterest
Goodreads
Amazon

About Simon Toyne

Simon Toyne was born February 29th, 1968 in Cleethorpes, England, but spent his formative years in Peterborough. He moved further south, to Goldsmiths College, part of the University of London, to study English and Drama then ended up working as a producer, director in commercial television for almost twenty years.
He quit in 2007, just shy of his fortieth birthday, to try and focus more on writing. His first book, Sanctus, became the biggest selling debut thriller of 2011 in the UK and also an international bestseller, translated into 27 languages and published in over 50 countries.More at Goodreads

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Unraveling Michael Robotham’s Close Your Eyes Mystery

(Joseph O’Loughlin #8)

Close Your Eyes Begins….

From Goodreads….

When a former student bungles a murder investigation, clinical psychologist Joseph O’Loughlin steps in to face a ruthless killer.

A mother and her teenage daughter are found murdered in a remote farmhouse, one defiled by multiple stab wounds and the other posed like Sleeping Beauty waiting for her Prince. Joe O’Loughlin is drawn into the investigation when a former student, trading on Joe’s reputation by calling himself the “Mindhunter,” jeopardizes the police inquiry by leaking details to the media and stirring up public anger.

With no shortage of suspects and tempers beginning to fray, Joe discovers a link between these murders and a series of brutal attacks where the men and women are choked unconscious and the letter “A” is carved into their foreheads. Read More

Joe Faces Family Problems

Along with the above there is a secondary storyline the book. Joe is asked by his estranged wife to move back into their cottage with his family which includes his wife and their two daughters. Joe is thrilled at the prospect of reuniting with his wife and daughters only problem is that his wife has cancer. And once again Joe is faced with the problem of balancing his work and his family!!

Bottom Line:

Close Your Eyes is another excellent book from Michael Robotham. This series is one of my favorites and like many of them it keeps getting better which is very hard to do because Robotham set the bar really high with his early books!!

I will even forgive him for joining the ranks of William Kent Krueger and Karin Slaughter

Ratings: Goodreads **** (4.15)  *RGrandad **** 1/2 (4.5)

Links

Michael Robotham Website
Amazon
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads;

About Michael Robotham

Michael Robotham is an Australian crime fiction writer who has twice won the CWA Gold Dagger award for best novel and twice been shortlisted for the Edgar Award for best novel. His eldest child is Alexandra Hope Robotham, professionally known as Alex Hope, an Australian producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Wikipedia

Born: 1960 (age 64 years), Casino, Australia

Notable awards: The CWA Gold Dagger, 2015, 2020

Notable works: Life or Death

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Table of Contents

Hidden Creed – Ryder Creed #6 – Alex Kava

I’m not a dog person — we’ve always had cats.
But Alex Kava through her Ryder Creed series has convinced me just how many incredible things dogs can do that cats can’t (or simply won’t). Hidden Creed was book #41 for me this year, and it might just be the best yet in the series.

My History with Alex Kava

I’ve been reading Alex Kava since 2005, when I first picked up A Perfect Evil, the debut Maggie O’Dell novel.
The only Maggie O’Dell book I haven’t read is Stranded (#11) — and yes, I’ve checked it out from the library more than once, even started it, but always got sidetracked by another book. That’s worth noting because Stranded is the story where Ryder Creed and Maggie first meet — and that case is mentioned here in Hidden Creed.

Why the Ryder Creed Series Stands Out

For me, the heart of this series is the characters — both human and canine.
Ryder Creed and Maggie O’Dell are two of my favorite fictional characters, and Kava has surrounded them with a strong supporting cast:

• Brodie – Ryder’s sister
• Hannah – his business partner
• Jason – an ex-soldier and valued employee
• And, of course, the dogs — my personal favorite being Grace, the fearless Jack Russell Terrier.

As Tracie Hotchner of the Radio Pet Lady Network™ put it:

“It’s impossible not to care about and root for the human and canine heroes in Kava’s series.”
I couldn’t agree more.

The Story

During a K-9 training session in Florida’s Blackwater River State Forest, Ryder and Brodie follow Grace’s lead straight to a shallow grave. Soon, more bodies are discovered — and it becomes clear this is the isolated dumping ground of a serial killer.

Meanwhile, Maggie O’Dell is in Pensacola investigating a storage locker purchased at auction. Inside? An array of body parts and containers — possibly the twisted cache of a killer.

Kava weaves four distinct storylines together, creating a tense, fast-moving thriller where the suspense doesn’t let up until the very last page.

The Bottom Line

If you love page-turning thrillers with memorable characters, Hidden Creed is a must-read. While it works as a standalone, I recommend starting with Desperate Creed (#5) to get the most out of the relationships and backstory — especially between Ryder and Brodie.

And if you want to fully understand Maggie O’Dell, go back and read some of her solo cases. She’s had some fantastic adventures of her own!

Links

Author’sWebsite |
Wikipedia
Goodreads
Amazon

Alex Kava is the New York Times, USA Today and Amazon bestselling author of twenty-three novels that include the critically acclaimed series featuring K9 handler Ryder Creed and the international bestselling series with FBI profiler Maggie O’Dell.

She’s been awarded two Nebraska Book Awards, a Florida Book Award and the Mari Sandoz Award.

Published in thirty-five countries, her novels have sold seven+ million copies and have appeared on bestseller lists in the UK, Australia, Germany, Poland, Italy and Japan. Full Bio

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Summit Lake is Charlie Donlea’s debut novel and a smashingly great debut it is!

From Goodreads…..

Set in a small, picturesque North Carolina town, Charlie Donlea’s suspenseful debut novel tells the haunting story of a murdered law school student, the reporter assigned to her story—and the intimate connection that comes when the living walk in the footsteps of the dead.

“No suspects. No persons of interest. Just a girl who was alive one day and dead the next.” Read More

The Story

The murder victim is Becca Eckersley a first year law student and the daughter of a powerful attorney who is about to become a judge. After Becca is murdered investigator Kelsey Castle is sent by her employer Events magazine to Summit Lake to find out what happened.

Once she arrives Kelsey discovers that the murder appears to be more complex than the theory that the Feds are promoting that it was a random robbery gone bad. The story is told from dual perspectives—Becca’s in the months before her death and Kelsey’s in the present—the book is a fast-paced thriller filled with twists and intrigue. 

The story also explores the connection between the living and the dead as Kelsey walks in Becca’s footsteps, uncovering dark secrets that may help solve the crime and confront her own past. 

Bottom Line:

Summit Lake was a very good read. It took me a while to get into the story and I must admit that I found some aspects of the story somewhat implausible. Particularly the willingness of the county police chief to give police files to Kelsey.

But the overall story more than made up for those minor dislikes

Ke

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Three- Inch Teeth  is the 24th book in the Joe Pickett series from C.J.Box, It is also the 23rd book I have read in the series. The only book in the series I haven’t read is Cold Wind. (Note to self read Cold Wind this year!). As a long-time fan of the series, while Three- Inch Teeth is one of his best books, it is for me one of the most disturbing. 

About Three-Inch Teeth

The story begins when a rouge grizzly bear attacks and kills a fly fisherman in Joe Pickett’s territory. Everyone is surprised by the grizzly;s presence because they aren’t supposed to be in the area. The other surprise is the victim could have been Joe’s future son-in-law! 

Meanwhile, former rodeo star and Saddlestring resident Dallas Cates is released from prison. Joe helped put Cates in prison  Joe was involved in the deaths of several members of Cates’ family. These deaths happened after Cates had attacked Joe’s adopted daughter April and left her for dead. (See books Endangered and Vicious Circle). Anyway, Dallas is out for revenge and his hit list includes: the judge, the county prosecutor, Joe and his wife Marybeth and Nate and Live Romanoski.

Enlisting in some allies to help him extract his revenge, Dallas devises a way to use the bear attacks as a cover for his murderous plan.One of his allies is Alex Soledad, who appears in Storm Watch.

The Bottom Line (Spoiler Alert)

Three-Inch Teeth is a little grisly (no pun intended). However, I think it’s one of Box’s best books. The characters, as always, are well-developed and the action and suspense is great throughout the book. It was disturbing for me because of the deaths of some of the characters in this book and past books.

While I think Three-Inch Teeth could be read as a standalone, it would be that much better if the books I mentioned earlier were read first!

The ending of Three-Inch Teeth was upsetting. It set the stage for future books in the series. And I can’t wait! So, Check it Out!

Links

• Author’s Website
• Facebook
• Goodreads:Joe Pickett Series
• Amazon

About C.J. Box

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Midnight Creed is the 8th book in Alex Kava’s Ryder Creed series — a spin-off from her long-running Maggie O’Dell novels. Since Maggie and her FBI colleagues play such an integral role in Ryder’s world, the series often feels like an extended Maggie O’Dell universe.

The Story

In this installment, Maggie O’Dell is investigating the serial killings of homeless people up and down the East Coast. Meanwhile, Ryder Creed and his dogs are searching for a missing boy, while also preparing for a shipment of K9s left behind when U.S. troops withdrew from Afghanistan.

When another boy goes missing — one Ryder’s coworker Jason knows personally — Ryder and his team launch a frantic search. At the same time, the serial killer Maggie’s tracking is headed to Florida. The question is: will these two cases collide?

My History with Alex Kava

I’ve been reading Alex Kava since her debut A Perfect Evil, the first Maggie O’Dell book. Across the first 11 O’Dell novels, Maggie faced everything from serial killers and arsonists to a potential mall bomber, electrocuted teenagers, and deadly pathogens.

The Entwining of Maggie and Ryder

Kava introduced Ryder Creed in the 2015 release Breaking Creed. A former Marine turned K9 search-and-rescue trainer, Ryder rescues dogs and trains them for life-saving missions. Over the first seven books, Maggie and Ryder’s professional relationship has deepened, and in book 7, they finally acknowledged their love for each other — though they still live apart. Maggie can’t leave the FBI and Quantico, and Ryder can’t leave his dogs.

Final Thoughts

Once again, Kava delivers a well-paced, character-driven treat. Alongside Maggie and Ryder, supporting characters like Jason and Ryder’s sister Brodie have grown in importance. (Brodie has been part of the backstory since the beginning, but readers only met her in recent books — raising the question: where was she all this time?)

Midnight Creed can be read as a standalone, but I suspect you’ll want to dive into the earlier Ryder Creed books — and maybe even the Maggie O’Dell series — once you’ve read it.

Explore More About Alex Kava:

Wikipedia

Website

Facebook

Goodreads

Amazon

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…..

Book 22 – Romeo’s Way (Mike Romeo #2) – James Scott Bell

Through the years I have had many of my favorite mystery and thriller characters whom I liked because of their wise-cracking and  often times self-deprecating nature. Mike Romeo has joined that group. In fact, he may be the current leader of the group! And with his espousing of philosophical quotes, he may be in a group all by himself. For me he may be the most interesting character in the mystery genre.

In Romeo’s Way, Mike is hired by a political candidate, who is being accused by his opponent, of having an affair. Mike is tasked with going undercover and joining the opposition’s campaign team to discover what’s happening. And the path leading to the final solution is a wild twisting one!

Romeo’s Way was a quick read. It was a well interesting throughout the book so the pages just flew by.

When I went to store the book on my Goodreads shelf I saw that Romeo’s Way was the winner of the International Thriller Writers Award for beat e-book original. In my opinion it is a well-deserved award.

Additionally, while I have several books on my “to be read” library shelf, I wouldn’t be surprised if I snuck Romeo’s Hammer  book #3 in the series into the mix!! So Check it out!

Links for the Further Exploration of the Writing of James Scott Bell

Author’s Website
Facebook
Twitter
Amazon
Goodreads

A former trial lawyer associated with one of L.A.’s top law firms and later working out of an independent office, JAMES SCOTT BELL is now a full-time, award-winning suspense writer. He lives and writes in Los Angeles. You can visit his website at www.jamessottbell.com.

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Desperate Creed – Ryder Creed #5 – Alex Kava

Today, in addition to running this morning, I also finished my 40th book of the year: Desperate Creed by Alex Kava, the fifth installment in her Ryder Creed series.

I became a fan of Kava’s writing back in June 2003 when I picked up her debut, A Perfect Evil. By September of that year, I’d read all the Maggie O’Dell novels available at the time. Since then, I’ve read all but one of the twelve books in the Maggie O’Dell series.

In 2015, Kava introduced Ryder Creed in Breaking Creed. Ryder is a former Marine who now trains and handles K9 search-and-rescue dogs. That book chronicled his first meeting with Maggie O’Dell, and Desperate Creed marks the fifth time the two have appeared together.

A Different Kind of Threat

In her Author’s Notes, Kava says:

“With every new book, I try to cover something different — human trafficking, the bird flu, contamination of our foods, or the everyday struggles of our veterans. For the Ryder series, I’m always looking for new ways to show off the numerous talents of scent detection dogs. For Desperate Creed, I wanted to concentrate on how amazing scent detection dogs are in finding victims after natural disasters when every moment counts.”

That’s exactly what makes Desperate Creed stand out — it’s not just about the human danger, but also the life-saving work these dogs perform in the aftermath of disaster.

About Desperate Creed

In this installment, Ryder and his dogs are in Alabama, assisting in the search for bodies after a deadly tornado.

Meanwhile, Frankie — a lifelong friend of Ryder’s partner Hannah — witnesses the murder of a coworker via a cell phone video. The coworker and a friend had hacked into the computers of a major U.S. cereal manufacturer and uncovered information that could threaten a major international deal.

As a favor to Hannah, Maggie agrees to meet Frankie at a restaurant in Alabama. But soon, both a tornado and a hitman are heading directly toward Maggie, Frankie, and Ryder. Which one will cause the most damage? And can they survive the wrath of both man and nature?

The Bottom Line

I read both the Ryder Creed and Maggie O’Dell series not only for the strong, suspense-driven plots but also for the way Kava has developed her characters over time. Both Ryder and Maggie have endured personal tragedies that have shaped them and made them stronger.

For Ryder, it’s the disappearance of his younger sister from a Florida rest stop — a loss that drove him to create his K9 search-and-rescue business. This thread runs throughout the series and adds depth to his character.

While Desperate Creed works as a standalone, I highly recommend reading the earlier books first to fully appreciate the relationships and backstories.

So check out Desperate Creed — and as for me, I’m on to book #6, Hidden Creed, to see what Ryder and Maggie face next.

Explore More About Alex Kava:
Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon | Wikipedia

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