Saturdays at the Café

Saturdays at the Café is a weekly feature hosted here to talk about and discuss the books I’ve discovered during the past week, added to my shelf and am excited about reading. They may be new/scheduled releases I’ve seen on NetGalley, at the library, or from publishers or they may be older titles my friends have reviewed and shared on Goodreads or blogs.

Two murder investigations, decades apart, threaten to expose a cold case agent’s darkest secrets in a pulse-pounding thriller by the Edgar Award-nominated author of The Taken Ones

The bodies of three teenage girls are found in central Minnesota—each with her mouth fixed in a ghoulish grin, smiling at a deadly joke no one can hear. But authorities eventually close and forget the curious case, dubbed the Laughing Dead.

Decades later, cold case agent Evangeline “Van” Reed is called to the scene of a crime where the victim wears that same horror-movie smile. But this time someone seems to be sending a Van’s police ID has turned up at the scene, making her the prime suspect. It’s not that outlandish, considering her secrets—ones she’s never even told her partner, forensic scientist Harry Steinbeck.

As she feels others closing in, Van reopens the mystery of the Laughing Dead, hoping to find a connection to clear her name. But the search only gets darker. Because the more Van digs backward in time, the closer she comes to a terrible Everything she has spent her life trying to hide is returning to haunt her.

This third book in the series is scheduled for release in July. It’s an audio review hopeful.

Phillip Brown wakes up one bitter November morning to find a woman near frozen on the stoop of the Baltimore home he shares with his sister and uncle. The unconscious woman eventually awakens, unwilling to share who has terrified her while she makes a recovery in the Brown home. He continues his work at the Wiest Oyster Cannery and pouring beer on occasion at his neighborhood brewery while guarding his family from dangerous criminals’ intent of silencing his discoveries about the woman.

Daughter of the Wiest Oyster Cannery owner, Virginia Wiest hears the story of the unconscious woman by chance and is intrigued and determined to help. Deemed sickly as a young girl and cossetted by a widowed father, Virginia is drawn to helping the less fortunate and aiding Brown unravel the mystery surrounding the woman and her missing child.

When Virginia makes an ill-fated attempt to save the child, Phillip finds himself and his heart in danger. The daring rescue from a well-heeled brothel nearly ends him and his dreams.

This historical mystery includes a Happy for Now (HFN) conclusion

It’s the first in a new historical mystery series by one of my favorite indie authors and I have it for review. It’s scheduled for release in May.

From critically acclaimed author Jon Bassoff, The Memory Ward is a haunting Russian doll of a novel about one man’s attempt to discover what’s real and what isn’t …

They say it’s always beautiful in Bethlam, Nevada. No place you’d rather live. The people are friendly, if a little nosy, and there’s no crime to speak of. Life is pretty perfect.

But postal worker Hank Davies has started to suspect something is off in this idyllic little town. And he’s certain of that when he realizes the letters he’s been delivering are just blank pages.

Hank isn’t the only one who’s noticed the oddities in Bethlam. One such person knocks on his window in the middle of the night, urging him to investigate his bedroom wall. When Hank pulls back the wallpaper, he discovers dozens of sheets of paper, full of a story that is either complete madness or unbelievable truth. As he begins looking beyond the veneer of his smiling neighbors and their white picket fences, Hank is drawn further and further into a disturbing new reality …

Told in Bassoff’s lyrical and evocative style, The Memory Ward is a disquieting page-turner that examines the nature of identity, trauma, and what it means to be human.

Finally gave in and got this for audio review after so many friends gave rave reviews.

One family. Four generations. A secret son. A devastating addiction. A Texas family is met with losses and surprises of inheritance, but they’re unable to shake the pull back toward each other in this big-hearted family saga perfect for readers of Mary Beth Keane and Claire Lombardo.

Ryan and Lillian Bright are deeply in love, recently married, and now parents to a baby girl, Georgette. But Lillian has a son she hasn’t told Ryan about, and Ryan has an alcohol addiction he hasn’t told Lillian about, so Georgette comes of age watching their marriage rise and fall.

When a shocking blow scatters their fragile trio, Georgette tries to distance herself from reminders of her parents. Years later, Lillian’s son comes searching for his birth family, so Georgette must return to her roots, unearth her family’s history, and decide whether she can open up to love for them—or herself—while there’s still time.

Told from three intimate points of view, The Bright Years is a tender, true-to-life novel that explores the impact of each generation in a family torn apart by tragedy but, over time, restored by the power of grace and love.

I initially gave this a pass when it was offered for audio review until I read the great review by Larry @ Get Booked with Larry.

Leo “Ren” Jameson is a Navy SEAL with a mind as sharp as his combat skills. A tactical genius, he’s always one step ahead.

Until her…

For months, Ren has been drawn to demure CIA analyst Sofria Kirk, but their relationship fizzled before it really began, and Sofria left the country for a new job. That’s when Ren discovers Sofria was not who she claimed to be. Sofria Kirk is actually a government agent named Stella Keen who has been sent to spy on him and find out who is stealing the research for Ren’s top-secret drone project.

Determined to confront Stella and get answers, Ren embarks on a relentless pursuit. As Ren digs deeper, the mystery grows more dangerous. A traitor is selling government secrets and targeting Ren and Stella. With danger closing in, the pair escape to a clifftop house in a remote Maine fishing village, where Ren quickly realizes Stella Keen is nothing like the bookish introvert she pretended to be. Brash, sultry, and constantly pushing his buttons, she’s everything Sorfia Kirk wasn’t–and everything that was missing. Ren is torn between his anger toward the woman who deceived him and his all-consuming attraction to Stella.

The clock is ticking to find the traitor.

With an assassin closing in, Ren and Stella work to solve the mystery. As the sparks between them burst into flame in this hypnotic clifftop setting, Ren and Stella must capture the spy and unravel the tangled knot of their attraction.

This high-octane, twist-filled romantic thriller is perfect for fans of Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Jack Reacher, and authors Nora Roberts, Catherine Coulter, and Sandra Brown.

Siren Song is book seven in the Bishop Security series. The books are interconnected standalones. For maximum enjoyment, the series should be read in order.

Be advised: This story contains scenes of violence equivalent to an R-rated movie and explicit sexual situations.

This is one of my most favorite series and as soon as I learned the 7th book was released this week, I one-clicked for the kindle book. I can’t sing enough praises for this indie author.

Walker

There’s nothing better than a packed house on a Saturday night, and co-owning the hottest restaurant and bar in town with my best friends, isn’t so bad either. We put everything into Burgers and Brew. My job is to keep the alcohol moving and the patrons coming back for more. I won’t let anyone break my focus.

That was until I saw her.

As much as I try, I can’t fight it. Mallory makes me crave a future I never wanted for my own.

Now, I want it all.

Mallory

When I started my new job at a local specialty burger restaurant, I wasn’t expecting to find a tall, dark, and devastatingly handsome distraction in the form of Walker Meyer. He’s one of the owners, which means hands off. Only problem, it’s a lot easier said than done.

Especially when he’s so good with my daughter.

I try to keep him at a distance, but he’s insistent, slowly breaking down every one of my walls. He’s fighting to convince me I can trust him with not only my heart, but my daughter’s too.

I pray he’s right.

I’d not heard of the author or this series until it was selected by the Romance Readers Club as this month’s freebie. I love the sound of it. It’s still free on Amazon.

What books did YOU add to your shelves this week?