Genre: Mystery

The genre of mystery novels is a young form of literature that has developed since the early-19th century. The rise of literacy began in the years of the English Renaissance and, as people began to read over time, they became more individualistic in their thinking. As people became more individualistic in their thinking, they developed a respect for human reason and the ability to solve problems.

Perhaps a reason that mystery fiction was unheard of before the 1800s was due in part to the lack of true police forces. Before the Industrial Revolution, many of the towns would have constables and a night watchman at best. Naturally, the constable would be aware of every individual in the town, and crimes were either solved quickly or left unsolved entirely. As people began to crowd into cities, police forces became institutionalized, and the need for detectives was realized – thus the mystery novel arose.

Inherit the Bones

Inherit the Bones by Emily Littlejohn
on December 13th 2016
Series: Detective Gemma Monroe #1
Pages: 322
See it @ Goodreads

Synopsis

Secrets and lies can’t stay buried forever in Cedar Valley.
In the summer, hikers and campers pack the small Colorado town’s meadows and fields. And in the winter, skiers and snowboarders take over the mountains. Season by season, year after year, time passes and the lies, like the aspens and evergreens that surround the town, take root and spread deep.
Now, someone has uncovered the lies, and it is his murder that continues a chain of events that began almost forty years ago. Detective Gemma Monroe’s investigation takes her from the seedy grounds of a traveling circus to the powerful homes of those who would control Cedar Valley’s future.
Six-months pregnant, with a partner she can’t trust and colleagues who know more than they’re saying, Gemma tracks a killer who will stop at nothing to keep those secrets buried.

In Emily Littlejohn’s debt novel we are introduced to Gemma Monroe, a pregnant police detective. A clown with a traveling circus that has stopped in Gemma’s Colorado mountain town turns up dead. This death unleashes Gemma’s nightmare’s about the bones she found of two boys who died over thirty years ago, how does the death of the clown tie to what Gemma found three years ago? Gemma’s dogged persistence makes for a well tuned police procedural. The book is well-written and plotted, there is an ease between the characters that works well.

I look forward to her second novel, A Season to Lie due out later this year.

The Cutaway

The Cutaway by Christina Kovac
Published by Atria / 37 Ink on March 21st 2017
Pages: 320
See it @ Goodreads

Synopsis

The Cutaway draws you into the tangled world of corruption and cover-up as a young television producer investigates the disappearance of a beautiful Georgetown lawyer in this stunning psychological thriller, perfect for fans of Paula Hawkins and Gillian Flynn.
When brilliant TV news producer Virginia Knightly receives a disturbing “MISSING” notice on her desk related to the disappearance of a beautiful young attorney, she can’t seem to shake the image from her head. Despite skepticism from her colleagues, Knightly suspects this ambitious young lawyer may be at the heart of something far more sinister, especially since she was last seen leaving an upscale restaurant after a domestic dispute. Yet, as the only woman of power at her station, Knightly quickly finds herself investigating on her own.
Risking her career, her life, and perhaps even her own sanity, Knightly dives deep into the dark underbelly of Washington, DC business and politics in an investigation that will drag her mercilessly through the inextricable webs of corruption that bind the press, the police, and politics in our nation’s capital.
Harkening to dark thrillers such as Gone Girl, Luckiest Girl Alive, and Big Little Lies, The Cutaway is a striking debut that will haunt you long after you reach the last page.

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to review The Cutway.

If you are looking for a good mystery then I would recommend The Cutway, Virginia Knightly, a nightly news producer for a Georgetown television station, intrigued by a missing person report that comes across her news desk begins looking into the disappearance. With a new news editor trying to edge her out of her job and an anchorman, whom she has mixed emotions about, Knightly finds herself getting involved in more than just a young and beautiful missing lawyer.

“O, what a tangled web we weave when first we practise to deceive!”[1.Marmion is an epic poem by Sir Walter Scott about the Battle of Flodden (1513). Published in 1808.] I am sure that we wish our real news media were as intent on getting to the truth of the matter, as this TV producer. Despite the lack of support from her staff, a police detective, and powerful political opponents Knightly doggedly keeps searching for answers.

The plot is good, I felt the author did a good job of moving the story along. At times the characters are a little flat but, I really didn’t mind so much cause I was enjoying the story.

Burning Bright

Burning Bright by Nicholas Petrie
Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons on January 10th 2017
Series: Peter Ash #2
Pages: 432
Format: arc_pdf
Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Suspense
See it @ Goodreads

Synopsis

"Lots of characters get compared to my own Jack Reacher, but Petrie s Peter Ash is the real deal."--Lee Child In the new novel featuring war veteran Peter Ash, an action hero of the likes of Jack Reacher or Jason Bourne (Lincoln Journal-Star), Ash has a woman s life in his hands and her mystery is stranger than he could ever imagine. War veteran Peter Ash sought peace and quiet among the towering redwoods of northern California, but the trip isn t quite the balm he d hoped for. The dense forest and close fog cause his claustrophobia to buzz and spark, and then he stumbles upon a grizzly, long thought to have vanished from this part of the country. In a fight of man against bear, Peter doesn t favor his odds, so he makes a strategic retreat up a nearby sapling. There, he finds something strange: a climbing rope, affixed to a distant branch above. It leads to another, and another, up through the giant tree canopy, and ending at a hanging platform. On the platform is a woman on the run. From below them come the sounds of men and gunshots. Just days ago, investigative journalist June Cassidy escaped a kidnapping by the men who are still on her trail. She suspects they re after something belonging to her mother, a prominent software designer who recently died in an accident. June needs time to figure out what s going on, and help from someone with Peter s particular set of skills. Only one step ahead of their pursuers, Peter and June must race to unravel this peculiar mystery. What they find leads them to an eccentric recluse, a shadowy pseudo-military organization, and an extraordinary tool that may change the modern world forever."

This is the second book in the Peter Ash series, it was a great read. Well plotted story, good character development, moves along at a good pace.

June’s mother, a brilliant programmer was a victim of a hit and run accident, now someone
Is trying to kidnap June in effort to get access to June’s mother’s program. Peter Ash a veteran with PTDS meets up with June, together they try to figure out who wanted June’s mother dead to get her last program.

Peter and June with a full cast of characters pursue and are pursued making for an action packed read. I received this book from Penguins First to Read, for an honest review.

The River at Night

The River at Night by Erica Ferencik
Published by Gallery/Scout Press on January 10th 2017
Pages: 304
Format: arc_pdf
See it @ Goodreads

Synopsis

A high stakes drama set against the harsh beauty of the Maine wilderness, charting the journey of four friends as they fight to survive the aftermath of a white water rafting accident, The River at Night is a nonstop and unforgettable thriller by a stunning new voice in fiction.
Winifred Allen needs a vacation.
Stifled by a soul-crushing job, devastated by the death of her beloved brother, and lonely after the end of a fifteen-year marriage, Wini is feeling vulnerable. So when her three best friends insist on a high-octane getaway for their annual girls’ trip, she signs on, despite her misgivings.
What starts out as an invigorating hiking and rafting excursion in the remote Allagash Wilderness soon becomes an all-too-real nightmare: A freak accident leaves the women stranded, separating them from their raft and everything they need to survive. When night descends, a fire on the mountainside lures them to a ramshackle camp that appears to be their lifeline. But as Wini and her friends grasp the true intent of their supposed saviors, long buried secrets emerge and lifelong allegiances are put to the test. To survive, Wini must reach beyond the world she knows to harness an inner strength she never knew she possessed.
With intimately observed characters, visceral prose, and pacing as ruthless as the river itself, The River at Night is a dark exploration of creatures—both friend and foe—that you won’t soon forget.

The River at Night is about 4 women who decide to spend a weekend white water rafting in the backwoods of Maine. The woman lose their guide and spend the next three days trying to get back down the river to civilization. Along the way there are people who are trying to stop them.

The story is billed as psychological thriller but it is more just a suspense/mystery. It is well plotted and the characters are interesting enough. It is a very readable story and I enjoyed it. Anyone who loves a mystery would enjoy this book.

Thanks to Gallery/Scout Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.