Natalie Bishop

It's a paranormal thriller as well as a romance...heavier on the paranormal. It's also a very long book and it was sometimes made even longer by the author...for some unknown reason... repeating lines verbatim in several different chapters. In spite of that small flaw...the characters are well developed and, even with its length, you just have to find out what was going to happen. There were lots of twists and turns and lots and lots of red herrings to keep the reader in suspense. Many times show more I I thought I knew who did it, but I didn't actually figure that out until nearly the end. I always have felt that If a writer can keep the mystery going until the very end then they have done their best job. Any mystery and suspense or thriller fan will love this trilogy...and this is only book 1. show less

The Gossip by Nancy Bush
River Glen #2

Have you ever wondered if genetics, events, or some other elements determine the path a person takes? Why can one person be bullied and become a murderer and another a philanthropist and a third end up committing suicide? I did ponder that a bit as I read this book and even though I found out the “why” of what one person was up to…I didn’t feel what he chose to do could be justified by what he seemed to have experienced…at least in comparison to show more others. Anyway…

What I liked:
* Mac: a woman who left her profession for personal reasons and yet is not willing to give up on finding justice for others. A good sister, daughter and potentially a super sleuth.
* Taft: a PI who left policing as he did not fit the mold – he still wanted to seek justice so seeks truth through investigating privately.
* Emma: I knew and cared for people like her…people mentally alert but neurologically impaired. She could star in her own book and hope to see more of her in the future books of the series.
* Duchess: Emma’s canine companion, protector, and alarm system.
* Twink: very aware cat that had a special sense that some in the nursing home feared – hope she ends up okay.
* Emma’s and Mac’s families – they were supportive and good people…for the most part.
* The sleuthing and searching for answers and the path that Mac & Taft ended up following
* The way the information found lead to answers and tied up some cases.
* Getting to know the characters – had not read book one of the series and wonder if it would have given more backstory but was fine without having read the previous book.
* The potential for romance between Mac & Taft in the future.
* That the book ended without a cliffhanger but did set up for book three in the series.

What I didn’t like:
* The killer: a man who seemed more than a wee bit deranged and very into what he was doing if somewhat inept at times.
* Knowing that bullying does take place and can cause serious mental damage to those bullied.
* More than one characters in the story…but only those I was meant not to like.
* Not feeling that I really connected to the main characters…and that could be because I didn’t read book one?

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author/in this series? I think so…

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington-Zebra for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars show less

This was my first book by author, Nancy Bush. I thought it was a thriller but moved it to my mystery shelf. I’m more of the mind it is a mystery with a splash of thriller and dash of horror. I enjoyed reading it though it moved slowly for me. This resulted it a longer time reading it where I picked up various other books. This is how I read though so your experience may be different. I usually have several books going at once.
The book has two time spans on the crimes. One happened when show more Jamie was a teenager. The one we are most concerned with happens when Jamie returns home as an adult. Emma, Jamie’s sister, was a victim in the first crime. She is still dealing with that when Jamie returns home with her teenage daughter, Harley. The attack on Emma has one group of characters. The fresh attack has a different, though connected, set of characters. If you aren’t good at keeping the characters straight, I would suggest using paper and pen to jot them down along with who they are connected to. (I would never be able to keep it straight if I had been listening.)
Both mysteries are well done. I was all over the place on who did what. Yes, I was surprised at the reveals. That’s about all I’m going to give on the mysteries.
I liked Jamie, Emma and Harley. I also liked Cooper, the detective. Jamie made a few questionable movies but I felt she was doing what she felt was right. Emma, though damaged, was a lot stronger than I think she is credited as being. The rest of the many characters were made up of a few people I liked but more that I didn’t. The dogs were amazing. Haha.
The book reminded me of being a teenager and babysitting at a time when babysitting cautionary tales ran rampant. I loved it. I was also reminded of the many babysitting books and horror movies I enjoyed. Overall, it’s a book I would recommend and I do plan to read more by this author. show less

I received this novel as an ARC from Kensington Books through The Romance Man’s Blog.
To be honest, I had a difficult time first getting into this story. The first few chapters explain her childhood, which was terrible, and introduces us to multiple characters, with whom I had a hard time keeping up with. Saying that, once the action started, I really could not put it down!
The hero and heroine of this novel is a most unlikely couple! August Rafferty, known as Auggie, is an undercover cop, show more just coming off a long dangerous assignment. Olivia Dugan, is a young woman, in her own opinion “damaged” from a childhood spent in a mental hospital. She had, on her fifth birthday walked into the family kitchen and found her Mother dead, apparently having hanged herself. Apparently, because Olivia refuses to believe her Mother would kill herself. She is now an adult, working an unexciting job in a software company, as a low level bookkeeper. On this particular day, she has received a package from her mother’s attorneys that was to be delivered on her twenty-fifth birthday. It is a quite mysterious package. She heads out to a late lunch to ponder the contents. When she returns, she opens the door to a blood bath.
She panics and starts running. She ends up in a coffee house to sit and gather her wits. While standing in line, she hears people discussing “the massacre” that had occurred at a nearby office. She immediately rushes out of the shop, and sees a man getting into his car right in front of the shop. She jumps in his car, pulls a gun she was concealing in her backpack (unloaded), and orders him to drive. Now, our hero and heroine have met!
There are twists and turns on every page. Olivia has a brother, who is brain damaged, and somehow, seems to be involved. Auggie has a twin sister, September who is a homicide detective assigned to the case. Her nickname is Nine, just another quirk in this wild ride of a story. While being held hostage Auggie starts to believe Olivia’s reasoning. He tries desperately to keep her from knowing he is also a detective assigned to keep an eye on her. The excitement, and danger continues till the last page. Thank goodness there is an epilogue.
I enjoyed this book, but felt there were unnecessary characters. It would not keep me from trying another Nancy Bush novel. I would recommend this novel to people who love romantic suspense, with a little quirkiness on the side. show less