A young Black man with a bright future. A tragic misunderstanding. A city on the edge.
Darius Porter has everything going for himāa promising future in medicine, a supportive family, and the determination to rise above the challenges of his working-class Camden neighborhood. But when he returns home from college for a weekend visit, an ordinary evening takes a devastating turn.
As tensions rise, Detective Jada Edgars finds herself caught between the police department she serves and the community that raised her. Tasked with investigating the disappearance of two young Black women, she soon realizes that their cases are more than isolated incidentsāthey’re pieces of a larger, more dangerous puzzle. With the city erupting in protests and pressure mounting from all sides, Jada must navigate the thin line between duty and justice, confronting the very system that has long failed those it claims to protect.
The Line Between Us is a powerful, thought-provoking novel that explores racial injustice, identity, and the fight for truth. With a gripping narrative told through multiple perspectives, it’s a must-read for fans of The Hate U Give and When No One Is Watching.
Will justice prevail, or will the voices demanding change be drowned out once again?
The story starts off with a young Black man, home from college, is mistakenly gunned down by police who believed he was an intruder in his own home. In the aftermath, Detective Jada Edgars finds herself overwhelmed by the turmoil engulfing the city. On top of everything, sheās handling two missing persons cases involving young Black women who disappeared around the same time, adding to the mounting pressure.
Jada struggles to balance her loyalty to her job and her commitment to her community, knowing the weight of whatās at stake. The city is torn, grieving Dariusās death and demanding justice, yet Jada hopes to prevent violence from eruptingāwhether against the police or the people of Camden.
The story unfolds with a smooth and compelling flow, though watching Jada shoulder so much responsibility is intense. The writing keeps everything aligned, creating an engaging and thought-provoking narrative. Iād recommend this to anyone who enjoys crime thrillers and wants a gripping story that offers insight into law enforcement from am a different point of view.
**Rating:** 4 āāāā
Thank you to the author for allowing me to share my honest review***
When a young woman falls to her death from a luxury London apartment, Poppy Taylor’s world is turned upside down. Because the prime suspect isn’t just anyone: it’s ex-boyfriend Elliot Gardner, the charming millionaire and social-media influencer who introduced her to a life of holiday villas, designer handbags, and first-class plane tickets.
But Poppy knows all about the real Elliot. The gas-lighting. The abuse. And she knows that he’ll do anything to walk free.
To stop him, she’ll have to confront her past – and the memories she’s been running from – to relive it all; from first falling for Elliot’s charming advances, to discovering his darker side, and the breakdown of a relationship which left her reputation and her life in pieces.
After all, men like Elliot always get away with it. Don’t they?
Review
First off this was my first time reading anything by this author and I’m glad I Will Follow You was my first introduction to the author’s writing. This story is a thriller, it’s about finding out the real truth to what happened when a woman named Rebecca was pushed off a balcony from a 15th floor hotel room. She was with a man who is very popular and rich named Elliot Gardner. All things are pointing at Elliot as to say he was the one who pushed her. He was able to clear his name at the trial.
But now his former girlfriend Poppy knows the real Elliot and won’t stop until she uncovers the truth about what happened to Rebecca and why she was murdered.
This story goes back and forth to present time and past time when Poppy was dating Elliot. During both timelines you are able to see the changes of Elliot has become and even how intense Poppy is to make sure he is behind bars.
I really enjoyed how intense this story was. I really enjoyed the author’s writing style and how real the scenes were. There were times when I was really guessing who the real murderer was and going back and forth in forth in my mind as I was reading.
This story kept me guessing the whole way through which I enjoyed, also it was fast paced.
I’m glad I had the chance to read I will Follow you I recommend it to anyone who wants to read a mystery and something fast paced.
Rating 5ā
Be sure to check out lovebookstours.com for more tours dates
Before
my world came crashing down, I had it all. The successful career I
dreamed of. The beautiful red-brick home where I could relax in front
of the fire. The handsome, devoted husband whose blue eyes and
charming smile always made me feel safe.
As I call time of
death, my voice is steady. My colleagues stand hushed around me,
their eyes on me, confused, concerned.
I
have never lost a patient until today.
My
hands tremble inside their gloves. I slide down the cold tiled walls,
my heart racing in my chest.
I
have never hated a patient until today.
But
what choice did I have, once I recognized him?
And
what will I do to protect myself, if someone learns the truth?
A
totally gripping psychological thriller that will have you racing
through the pages, gasping for breath until the final jaw-dropping
twist. If you love Freida McFadden, Shari Lapena and The
Girl on the Train,
you wonāt be able to put this down.
See
what readers are saying about The
Surgeon:
āWow!!!ā¦ absolutely
page-turning psychological thriller!!!!ā¦ will
shock you over and over again!!ā¦ absolutely
addictive.ā Bookworm86,
āāāāā
āI
was clinging to it word for word!ā¦ suspense,
intrigue, action, murder, mystery, betrayal, and some crazy twists
and turns!ā¦ kept
me glued to my Kindle!ā¦ Definitely
donāt miss out on this one!ā NetGalley
reviewer, āāāāā
āAs I write this review, I’m
secretly giggling and giddy! I
have never read such a fantastic thriller in my life!!!!I
was constantly
in suspense, holding my breath, and keeping an eye on my page count
because I absolutely could not wait to see how the book ended!!!!ā¦ If
I could, this book would be 10 stars!ā Goodreads
reviewer, āāāāā
āA riveting, fast-paced thrillerā¦.
hooks you from the start,
taking you on a wild and twisted journeyā¦ I
was able to read this one in like 9 hours because I refused to do
anything else!ā¦ incredibly
suspenseful, absolutely addictive page-turnerby
this amazing author!ā @rubie_reads,
āāāāā
āWhat
a suspenseful read!ā¦ my
heart is racing!ā¦ from
cover to cover, I was hooked. I devoured The
Surgeonin
less than 2 days!ā¦ absolutely
perfect!ā NetGalley
reviewer, āāāāā
āI
could not quit readingā¦ mind
blowing!ā Goodreads
reviewer, āāāāā
āI
love Wolfeās plot twists.
Sheās a master of themā¦ I always give 5 stars to an author who
can trip me upā¦ Wolfe
gets all the stars for getting me MORE THAN ONCE!ā¦ I
could go on and on and on about what I loved about this.ā
Goodreads reviewer, āāāāā
āCompletely
gripping and intense!ā¦ jaw-dropping
twists, and a blow you away endingmake
this one you can’t miss.ā NetGalley reviewer, āāāāā
āI
was hooked right from the beginning; I
started and finished it in less than 24 hours!The
suspense was constant and the
twists were endless!ā¦ The
ending left me in shock!ā Goodreads
reviewer, āāāāā
āOmgā¦ had
me thinking about the ending for two days afterwards!!ā¦ a
twist that I did NOT see coming!ā Goodreads
reviewer, āāāāā
āYou
will not get any sleep until you finish this bookā¦ The
twists were mind
blowingā¦ will
leave your heart in your mouth. The anticipation of waiting on the
next shoe to drop will leave
you glued to the pages of this book until you see the words āThe
Endā.ā
Goodreads reviewer, āāāāā
āYES!!
YES!! YES!!ā¦ I
was hooked and
needed to know more!ā¦ Hooked me instantlyā¦ Mind-blowing.ā Heidi
Lynnās Book Reviews,
āāāāā
āHad
me hooked from the BEGINNING!!! The
twist literally had
my jaw in the floorā¦ impossible
to put down.ā Goodreads reviewer, āāāāā
Leslie
Wolfe is a bestselling author whose novels break the mold of
traditional thrillers. She creates unforgettable, brilliant, strong
women heroes who deliver fast-paced, satisfying suspense, backed up
by extensive background research in technology and psychology.
Leslie
released the first novel, Executive,
in October 2011. Since then, she has written many more,
continuing to break down barriers of traditional thrillers. Her style
of fast-paced suspense, backed up by extensive background research in
technology and psychology, has made Leslie one of the most read
authors in the genre.
Reminiscent
of the television drama Criminal Minds, her series of books featuring
the fierce and relentless FBI Agent Tess
Winnett would
be of great interest to readers of James Patterson, Melinda Leigh,
and David Baldacci crime thrillers. Fans of Kendra Elliot and Robert
Dugoni suspenseful mysteries would love the Las Vegas Crime series,
featuring the tension-filled relationship between Baxter
and Holt.
Finally, her Alex
Hoffmann series
of political and espionage action adventure will enthrall readers of
Tom Clancy, Brad Thor, and Lee Child.
Leslie enjoys engaging
with readers every day and would love to hear from you. Become
an insider: gain early access to previews of Leslieās new
novels.
The Stepfamily
Silicon Valley Series Book 1
by Bonnie Traymore
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Laura Foster’s not the type to go looking for trouble. But it seems to be looking for her.
Lauraās on the verge of living the life sheās always wanted. At the age of twenty-seven, she put her career plans on hold, married handsome widower Peter Foster, settled down in his Silicon Valley home, and helped raise his two children.
Twelve years later, itās her turn to shine. Her career is thriving, the kids are out of the house, Peterās company is on the verge of an FDA approval that could garner a windfall in stock gains for them, and sheās training for the Ironman world championship in Kona.
But when a series of freak accidents can no longer be chalked up to bad luck, it becomes clear that someone is out to get her. Is it someone from work, jealous of her promotion? Or is it perhaps someone more dangerous? Someone closer to home?
Laura has no enemies that she knows of, but she senses that husband Peter is keeping something from her. And when she starts digging into the familyās past, she ends up with more questions than answers. But with the walls closing in on her, she needs to find out why someone would want to harm herā¦and what really happened to his first wife.
Before it’s too late.
What readers are saying:
“This book had a bit of everything! It had suspense, intrigue, murder, mystery, and a few crazy twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting and kept me glued to my Kindle!” Netgalley Reader
“I devoured this in a few short hours. Very easy to read and the story keeps you coming back for one more chapter.” Netgalley Reader
āExcellent and gripping – recommended.
The author’s writing style is truly engaging and the plot is well-crafted, with plenty of twists and turns that kept me guessing until the very end….. I def recommend The Stepfamily to anyone who enjoys a really good psychological thriller.ā – Amazon Reader
āI read The Stepfamily by Bonnie Traymore in a day and a half; only much-needed sleep had me putting this book down….Some jaw-dropping moments took me by surprise….I will read more by this author. I give this a 5 out of 5 stars. – Amazon Reader
How did you come up with the concept and characters for the book?
I lived in Silicon Valley for eight years, and my husband worked in venture capital funded biotech firms. I thought it would be interesting to set the book there. Although itās predominately a domestic suspense thriller, there are side plots about both the husband and the wifeās workplaces that reflect the region and its high tech, fast-paced culture. The issue of the pros and cons of technological advancement is embedded in the main plot, but I canāt say much more without giving it away. A fun fact is I started writing the book before Chat GPT came out, and I was sort of reacting to it in real time because Iād created a fictitious company for Laura, the protagonist, and the product was made obsolete when Chat GPT was released, so I wrote that into the story line.
Fun Facts/Behind the Scenes:
A fun fact, or perhaps a cautionary tale, is that the part about random vandals cutting peopleās brake hoses is true! I found out when I was researching the idea of how hard or easy it is to cut someoneās brake line, and I wrote that into the story, when Lauraās trying to figure out what happened to her car. Turns out, itās hard to cut the brake line, but not that hard to cut the rubber hose. I have no idea why someone would want to cut the brake hoses of strangers, but be sure and pump your brakes before you start driving.
If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
There has been some controversy about the choice of POV in the book. I used first person for Laura and third person limited for her husband and the PI. This allows the reader to feel closer to the protagonist but also give some other perspectives to add spice to the story. Some people love it and find it engaging and some people donāt seem to like very much. If I had to do it over, I might rethink it, but then Iāll have to see how itās received by the wider audience. Michael Connelly did this in The Poet, and thatās where I got the idea. But then, Iām not Michael Connelly! If you read it, let me know what you think.
Bonnie Traymore is an author, educator, and consultant. A world traveler, she loves to include vivid settings in her novels. She is also an accomplished non-fiction writer, historian, and educator with a doctorate in United States History. She has taught at top independent schools in Honolulu, Silicon Valley, and New York City for over 20 years, and she has taught history courses at Columbia University and the University of Hawaii. Originally from the New York City area, she resides in Honolulu with her husband but frequents the Hudson Valley and New York City areas.Author Links
Website: https://www.bonnietraymore.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bonnietraymore Twitter: https://twitter.com/btraymore Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bonnietraymore/ Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/bonnie-l-traymore Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Bonnie-Traymore/author/B09Y92P6FZ Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22411066.Bonnie_L_Traymore
When her friend Sandy asks for help, Anne Wilson leaves her small, lonely life in Miami for the picturesque island of Saint Martin. But as soon as she arrives, Sandy is murdered, and her death exposes lies: an alias, a secret past, stolen money. Suspected of murder and trapped on the island, Anne is shocked when a cryptic message arrives:
Find the money. Take it and run.
She follows Sandyās trail of obscure clues, desperate for proof of her innocence and must decide if she can trust the two men who offer help-the dark, mysterious Brit or the American with a wide grin and a pickup truck. When memories resurface-dark truths sheād rather leave buried and forgotten, her past becomes intertwined with her present.
Her only way forward is to face her own secrets.
Interview:
On writing:
Which was the hardest character to write?
Anne. Have you ever disliked someone the first time you met them, but then as you got to know them you realized they were just shy and perhaps quite sad? Thatās how it felt to write Anne. I didnāt approve of her choices, but chapter after chapter she showed such strength, and I warmed to her.
What is your writing process like?
Like hiking through progressively larger hills. I canāt see very far ahead, and everytime I climb a hill, Iām surprised by what I find.
What advice would you give budding writers?
Three things: write, read, share. You hear the advice āwrite every dayā because itās so essential to success. Reading inspires your creativity. And finally, let other people read what you write. Join critique groups, ask friends and family to give you feedback. Constructive criticism will make you a better writer.
Your book is set in Saint Martin, an island in the Caribbean. Have you ever been there?
Yes. (sigh) Such a beautiful place. I want to go back.
Do you have another profession besides writing?
Iām a bookkeeper by day. Itās the opposite of creative writing.
How long have you been writing?
Iāve always journaled, but I began writing novels about nine years ago – which is about the time my first marriage fell apart. Huh, I never made that connection before. Whew. Thatās a breakthrough of sorts, isnāt it?
What helps you overcome writerās block?
There isnāt one remedy. I do laundry or go for walks and listen to loud, angry chick-rock. Sometimes I pull out bins of yarn to design a new knitting project, but then I usually just end up fondling my yarn until I solve the block and return to the computer screen. Yarn is my muse.
What is your next project?
Book 2: Accused. Anneās story continues! It will be released in 2023.
What is a favorite compliment you have received on your writing?
The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. But the one comment that stands out is when an Amazon reviewer said that Anne (my main character) was so REAL. That was amazing to hear.
How are you similar to or different from your lead character?
We are very different, but we do have a couple things in common. She works in accounting like I do, and weāve both suffered significant loss – the kind of loss that you never really recover from. Writing her character was so interesting because she dealt with her loss so differently than I did.
What is something you had to cut from your book that you wish you could have kept?
A scene between Anne and Luke. It was such a sweet moment between them, but nothing really happened, and I had to cut it. But the banter between them was so much fun. And, of course, we all want more time with Lukeā¦
On rituals:
Do you snack while writing? Favorite snack?
Tortilla chips. But never from the bag or I wonāt stop. The crunching helps me stay calm during suspenseful scenes – like eating popcorn while youāre at the movies.
Where do you write?
Everywhere. At my desk, in my favorite armchair, in the car (when Iām not driving,) on a plane. Iāve written during warmups at my sonās soccer games, sitting in the parking lot waiting for jiu jitsu to finish, and on a sailboat. That wasnāt a good idea though. Iām not sure how my laptop didnāt fall into the Pacific ocean.
Do you write every day?
No. (slight chuckle.) Some days it just isnāt possible. But I try to write even if I know Iām going to delete all of it the next day.
Is there a specific ritualistic thing you do during your writing time?
I listen to music. Really loud music. It blocks out everything else so I can focus on the story. A few indie bands like Metric, but sometimes I plug in my earphones and play catchy mainstream pop. And I like it.
In todayās tech savvy world, most writers use a computer or laptop. Have you ever written parts of your book on paper?
In the first part of a flight, I scribble furiously in a notebook until that glorious ādingā sounds, and I can start typing.
If youāre a mom writer, how do you balance your time?
Define balance…The truth is I donāt have balance. I work too much. But I think ābalanceā is overrated. We threw out the idea of traditional gender roles in my house. My husband and I are a team. I work, and he does almost everything else. (Except matching socks. He cannot figure that out.)
Fun stuff:
Favorite travel spot?
Kansas City. Such a friendly place. It always inspires creativity. I love the Nelson-Atkins museum and City Market on the weekends. Also, thereās a place in Westport Plaza that makes the best Matcha ever. Donāt get me started on the barbequeā¦yum.
If you were stuck on a deserted island, which 3 books would you want with you?
Ulysses. I might be able to read it cover to cover once Iām stuck on a deserted island. One of the Harry Potters because Iād want a little magic. And Iād bring one of my husband’s books on boat building because then I could escape to get back to all the other books!
Any hobbies?
So many hobbies. Knitting mostly, but I enjoy loads of crafts, jewelry and macrame. I want to try pottery, but my yarn takes up too much space. I simply donāt have room in my life for clay. Yet.
What TV series are you currently binge watching?
A while ago, season 1 of Silent Witness popped up as a recommendation on my BritBox. It should have come with a disclaimer like āDonāt watch this unless youāre prepared to commit several months to it.ā Sheeshers. I just finished Season 25. I donāt regret a thing. Well. Maybe I regret some of the popcorn.
What song is currently playing on a loop in your head?
I just watched Free Guy with my son, so that Mariah song. So. Freaking. Catchy. Itās in your head now too, isnāt it?
What is something that made you laugh recently?
I live in SoCal, so we donāt get a lot of weather. My son went out for a bike ride and came back after only three minutes and put on a second sweatshirt, a beanie, and gloves. Five minutes later he returned for knee pads and a chest plate because the āwind was bitter cold.ā It was 56 degrees.
What is your go-to breakfast item?
A beet smoothie. I know. Gross, right? I hate beets, but they resolve my gallbladder issues. I roast golden beets and blend them with spinach and frozen berries to hide the taste.
What is the oldest item of clothing you own?
Such an embarrassing question! I have a favorite T-shirt that I keep because maybe someday Iāll be the same weight I was in college. The shirt is not even that cool. Itās faded green with a well worn cartoon frog. But itās so soft and comfy.
Tell us about your longest friendship.
Marie. We met in college because our boyfriends were roommates, and we both instantly had a āyouāre my personā moment. I live in California, and she lives on the East Coast, so we meet annually in random cities in the middle of the country to hang out. Sheās still my person after all this time.
What is the strangest way you’ve become friends with someone?
LikeOne of my friendships started during the darkest period in my life. We were at a youth football practice that my ex-husband was coaching. I canāt even remember why, but I had to move my chair, and someone I barely knew carried it for me. Thatās it. She carried my chair. It was a tiny thing, but the gesture meant the world to me. And weāve been close friends ever since.
About Author:
MHR Geer was born in California but grew up in the Midwest. She attended the University of California, Santa Barbara to study Physics. After school, she moved to Ventura, CA and started a small bookkeeping business. She lives with her two sons and her unicorn husband (because he’s a magical creature).
