Last Girl Standing ~ Lisa Jackson and Nancy Bush

Last Girl Standing by Lisa Jackson and Nancy Bush
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was excited to read this ARC from Netgalley. The first Lisa Jackson book I ever read was one that she and Nancy Bush had done together. After that I managed to score a whole slew of Lisa Jackson novels and I've enjoyed everyone.

Summary:
First they were five. Then they were four. Who's turn will it be next?

New York Times bestselling Sisters of Suspense join forces for a gripping novel about a clique of popular girls whose high school friendship is marked by a tragedy that continues to haunt them decades later

My Take:
This one did not disappoint. Suspenseful till the last moment. The main characters are the mean girls from high school everyone loved to hate. Although this story is filled with small town secrecy and big time trouble. There was a level of intensity from each of the First Five, which can be hard to maintain with so many characters in play. I think the authors have done an excellent job building believable teenagers who are so wrapped up in their emotional lives that can't truly see whats going on around them. It also shows how sometimes tragedy shapes a community more than anyone might realize.
As the storyline heats up you realize things are even crazier than you thought.I promise you this one will keep you guessing till the very end.

Thicker Than Blood ~ Mike Omer

Thicker than Blood by Mike Omer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Available June 23, 2020

The best one in the series!

I received this novel from Netgalley for an honest review. I was really excited to get my copy. Since I really enjoyed the first two in the series I dove right into the third installment and I was not disappointed.


Summary:
A murderer who drinks his victim’s blood? FBI profiler Zoe Bentley and Agent Tatum Gray thought they’d seen it all, but this young woman’s barbaric murder is especially hard to stomach.

They didn’t expect to work this case. But vampirism aside, the murderer’s MO is identical to that of Rod Glover—the serial killer who’s been pursuing Zoe since childhood. Forensics reveals the murder to be his work, but not his alone; desperate to fulfill his sick purpose, he has taken on an equally depraved partner.

Zoe’s own frustration grows after another woman turns up dead and drained—and another goes missing. Time is running out: Zoe knows her own death will be the climax of Glover’s sinister play, which has been unfolding for twenty years. To stop Glover and his vile partner, she’ll need to plunge deep into their motives; but this means drawing ever closer to becoming another casualty of a dark, dark thirst. 
My Take: **SPOILERS**

We find ourselves on the hunt for the ever slippery Rod Glover. Back in Chicago chasing leads Zoey and Tatum find themselves back in the thick of things with another strange serial killer. I try not to write too many spoilers as a rule but be warned here come a few.
When it becomes clear that the killer(s) are interested in blood drinking Zoe makes contact with the head of Chicago's Vampire scene. I found this plot line intresting on a personal note because a few years ago I was also able to interview a practicing Vampire who was originally from New York and had helped start the New York Vampire scene. As a Urban fantasy lover I also enjoyed that this took place in Chicago the home of some of my favorite Vampires (Chicago Land and Mercy Thompson) so it seems the place to write about Vampirism.
This novel wasn't really about Vampires though it was just an interesting line of questioning. A peak into another lifestyle most people wouldn't even know exsisted. The heart of the novel is the hunt for the Killers and the dissociative breakdown of the blood drinker. Having read many psychological thrillers I felt that the author did an excellent and believable job with Glover and the blood drinker. I enjoyed the realness of the FBI not being able to bust down every door and hack every computer. This isn't an episode of Criminal Minds and that makes the scene much more real for the reader.
The pacing was done well and I didn't feel any lagging moments or weak plot points. Truly a fantastic novel and probably the best FBI novel I have read in some time.

In case you were interested heres the link to my Interview with Vlad from a few years ago.

Interview with a Vampire, No really

Audible review ~ Body of Proof

Body Of Proof by Darrell Brown
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Summary: A woman disappeared. A man was convicted. Case closed?

Body of Proof, a true crime podcast, examines the many unanswered questions surrounding the disappearance and death of Suzanne Pilley in Edinburgh in 2010 and the subsequent conviction of David Gilroy. Journalists and TV producers Darrell Brown and Sophie Ellis spent two years investigating the case and spoke exclusively to David Gilroy, who was convicted of murdering Suzanne Pilley and disposing of her body. Sentenced to life in a Scottish prison, Gilroy maintains his innocence. Although police believe they have the right man, key components of the prosecution’s case are missing: there is no body of the victim, no witnesses to the crime, and no physical evidence (no DNA, CCTV video, or murder weapon).
My Take :
This was more of an Audible Drama than a book. Recorded in similar fashion to a true crime TV show you'd see on BBC. I found the whole story just a little crazy. Maybe its because I'm from the US. Or maybe I have more faith in our justice system than I thought. Either way its pretty interesting to me that they could convict someone of murder with no blood, forensic evidence or body. Essentially they have some circumstantial evidence and a guy no body likes. I found it so interesting I recommended it to a few friends so we could discuss our takes on the case. If you want a real life head scratcher this is a good one.
As for my own opinion After all of the evidence I feel like he did do it. But not at all the way the prosecution said he did. I think as a juror I would have had to vote not guilty just because the complete lack if evidence leaves too much reasonable doubt. This is one of those things that we will hopefully hear an answer to years later.
There is actually a large amount of internet web pages devoted to the case so you can look up the info for yourself if your interested.