If you have every considered using an online dating service, author Wendy Corsi Staub’s latest novel may have you reconsidering that option.
Staub’s release, THE BLACK WIDOW, is the third installment in her Social Media series, but is a standalone book.
Narrator Allyson Ryan does a superb job giving distinct voices to all the characters. Her inflections and varied pace enhances the tension and emotions of the characters as the story is told.
Gaby Duran is trying to come to terms with the loss of her child and the divorce from her husband Ben that followed. At the urging of her cousin, Gaby decides to try an online dating service. At the same time, Ben has also decided to try the same service.
The couple, who still has feelings for one another, cross paths through the service. Meanwhile, Alex is on the same site and has a definite agenda when it comes to meeting someone new.
As the story unfolds, a number of men who have used the service simply disappear. It seems the disappearances occur every three months on a Friday. Mix in a pregnant woman, a couple of dedicated cops investigating the disappearances, and several unique dating service clients and you have a story filled with suspense, twists and turns, and intrigue.
When Ben is seen with a woman under suspicious circumstances and later can’t be reached, Gaby is determined to find answers and put her life back on track.
Staub blends suspense, modern culture and technology, romance, and heartbreak into an electrifying thriller you can’t put down or turn off. The story will keep you guessing as it holds you spellbound.
The characters are well developed and realistic. They embody people you may know and have traits you can relate to.
THE BLACK WIDOW will have you looking at things differently as you wonder ‘what if?’ The story flows smoothly and quickly with heart-stopping results.
The Black Widow by Wendy Corsi Staub, Social Media Series Book #3, Narrated by Allyson Ryan, Harper Audio, @2015, ISBN: 978-1481533355, Unabridged, Run Time: 11 Hours and 5 Minutes
FTC Full Disclosure – A copy of this audio book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review. The thoughts are completely my own and given honestly and freely.
Thanks for stopping by today. Hope you’re having a wonderful Saturday. Have you ever used an online dating service or known someone who did? If so, were the results good or a bad experience?
*This post contains affiliate links.
I have two awesome books to share with you today. Hope you enjoy.
Many find blogging a great way to relax and connect with others resulting in happy experiences. Author Wendy Corsi Staub takes blogging to a darker level in her latest release, THE PERFECT STRANGER, the second installment in her Cyber Predator series.
Narrator Allyson Ryan does a superb job giving each character their own unique voice. Her mannerisms enhances the emotions of the characters and adds depth to the story. Her cadence heightens the suspense of the story.
A group of women come together online to encourage and support each other in their fight against cancer. They find solace, sharing things about themselves they can’t share with people in their lives. Several of the women draw closer, forming their own little online group.
When one of the bloggers is killed, an apparent victim of a burglary, the others decide to meet for her funeral. It’s the first time Landry, Elena and Kay have seen each other in person. They had hoped that Jaycee would join them, but she doesn’t. Having never seen a photo of Jaycee, the trio doesn’t know she’s also at the funeral but not speaking to anyone.
The trio discusses Meredith’s death and they secretly begin to wonder if the killer could be one of them. As paranoia sets in, the author increases the suspense making it plausible anyone of the group could be the killer. Add to that Jaycee’s mysterious actions and shocking background, the suspect list grows. In addition, Meredith’s daughter begins to suspect her father’s recent actions.
The story moves at a good pace with adrenaline fueled moments and unexpected twists. The characters are realistic. The author has done her research in relating the mixed bag of emotions the characters express dealing with cancer. The author also points out the highs and lows of giving out too much personal data online.
THE PERFECT STRANGER is a suspenseful novel dealing with problems readers/listeners can relate to and highlights complications an online presence can create, if one is not careful. This story will have you re-evaluating just how much information you share online.
The Perfect Stranger by Wendy Corsi Staub, Cyber Predator Series Book #2, Performed by Allyson Ryan, HarperAudio, @2014, ASIN: BOOK8EWRWM, Unabridged, Digital Download, Listening Time: 11 Hours and 19 Minutes
FTC Full Disclosure - This audio book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review. The thoughts are completely my own and given honestly and freely.
The Perfect Stranger by Wendy Corsi Staub, Cyber Predator Series Book #2, Harper, @2014, ISBN: 978-0062222404, Mass Market Paperback, 416 Pages
FTC Full Disclosure – A copy of this book was sent to me as part of the author’s virtual book tour in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review. The thoughts are completely my own and given honestly and freely.
* I had the good fortunate to begin reading this book in paperback and then finishing it by listening to the audio version. It was nice enjoying the book in both formats and I would recommend both.
When a book series has a long run life, you know there will have to be changes to keep the storyline fresh.
Author Fern Michaels has done that in her Sisterhood series. Her latest release, KISS AND TELL, is a product of those changes. This continues to be a fun series, but missing some of the delightful characters from the earlier installments. With this book, Michaels brings a few of those characters back briefly.
Narrator Laural Merlington does an excellent job giving distinct voices to these characters – young and old, male and female. The modulation of her voice puts the right spin on the characters’ emotions. She captures the idiosyncrasy of each character in such a manner to enhance the story.
A number of anonymous emails suggesting shady deals leads Myra Rutledge and Annie de Silva to snoop around a wealthy assisted-living facility. They discover the dealings involve an investment broker who is running a Ponzi scheme. With the help of a few of the old gang, the ladies once again right the wrongs.
During their mission to bring the investor down, Myra encounters her own heart break at home. While the problem wasn’t solved, there was a hint of more to be resolved concerning the matter. In addition, the author gives a lead way into a new series featuring the men of the Sisterhood. Between the Sisterhood and the Brotherhood, the bad guys don’t stand a chance.
KISS AND TELL is the 23rd installment in the Sisterhood series and can be read/listened to on its own. However, I would recommend reading/listening to the series in order to get the full pleasure of the characters as they grow and develop. This is another delightful story of a wrong being righted, just miss all the sisters being involved.
Kiss and Tell by Fern Michaels, Sisterhood Series Book #23, Performed by Laural Merlington, Brilliance Audio, @2014, ISBN: 978-1480566323, Unabridged, 8 Discs, Listening Time: 9 Hours and 28 Minutes
FTC Full Disclosure - This audio book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review. The thoughts are completely my own and given honestly and freely.
Thanks so much for stopping by today. I hope I’ve enticed you to check out these two books further. Both are available in book and audio formats. May your Sunday be a day of joy and resting (with a good book handy, of course). Have you listened to any audio books lately? What book are you currently enjoying or what book do you plan to read next?
*This post contains affiliate links.
Have you ever met any of your blogging friends in person?
With blogging a large part of our lives, author Wendy Corsi Staub has incorporated that into her latest thriller, THE PERFECT STRANGER, the second installment in her ‘cyber predator’ series that was released yesterday.
Wendy is joining us today to answer some questions about her writing and her latest book. First, here’s a brief description of THE PERFECT STRANGER.
During the darkest period of her life—her battle with breast cancer—Alabama mom Landry Wells found solace in a group of online bloggers who had been in her shoes and lived to tell the tale. She's shared things with her online friends that even her husband and children didn't know. Things that now, looking back, make her uneasy.
At last, years later, the close-knit, geographically scattered circle of online friends is about to meet in person at a funeral for a fellow blogger.
Though these women are no strangers to death, they never expected they would have to mourn a friend’s death after she was viciously murdered. And, as the story unfolds after their meeting, Landry suspects that her beloved friend’s death wasn’t as random as it seems—and that the killer might be masked behind a familiar screen name. These women are her closest confidantes in the world: they understand her; they know everything about her --- and one of them might be a cold-blooded killer.
Early praise for this latest thriller:
"In a word: terrifying…” — RT Book Reviews
“Solid gold suspense!” — Lee Child
Please join me in welcoming Wendy as she graciously answers my questions.
Mason - What was your research process like for this book?
Wendy:
My research process for any book is always hands-on, extensive and ongoing, beginning long before the first word is written and stretching to the very last page. THE PERFECT STRANGER is the second in my trilogy of social networking thrillers that began with THE GOOD SISTER (HarperCollins, October 2013) and will conclude with THE BLACK WIDOW (HarperCollins, March 2015), so naturally I spent a lot of time online, not just learning about internet predators, but lurking on various social media forums, absorbing the rhythms, nuances, shorthand, etc., of how strangers interact with each other.
This particular book focuses on bloggers who are all breast cancer survivors and was initially inspired by my sister-in-law’s personal experience, so I was able to get a firsthand take on some of it. And because it features a group of characters who are scattered around the country, I visited all the locations in person to make the settings (Alabama, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Boston, and L.A., in addition to my own home city New York) as authentic as possible. In addition to the usual forensics, police procedural, criminal psychology, etc., I did extensive research into what I can only refer to as “turtle lore,” for reasons that will become clear to anyone who reads the book.
Mason - Now that THE PERFECT STRANGER has been published, what surprised you the most about this project and its outcome and your Cyber Predator series in general?
Wendy:
All three books in this trilogy are cautionary tales about
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| Photo Credit: Lisa Nasca |
the dangers of sharing too much online. It continues to amaze me that people are so willing to make themselves vulnerable by sharing intimate details and personal information with total strangers in the cyber world that they might think twice about sharing with even a casual acquaintance in person.
Mason - If you could write a book with any author (living or dead), who would it be and what would the book be about?
Wendy:
I’d collaborate with my author pal, the wonderful Laura Lippman, and any other contemporary authors who care to contribute to a collection of essays about our favorite vintage YA novels/series. (Don’t be surprised if this actually comes to fruition someday—Laura and I and some fellow Beany Malone enthusiasts had a field day with this topic on a recent Facebook post on my page.)
Mason - What do you hope readers take away from reading your latest release?
Wendy:
My longtime readers are loyal and clever and appreciate a complex plot filled with unexpected twists, so it’s always a challenge to stay one step ahead of them. I owe them a satisfying read and I work hard to ensure that I meet their expectations. My goal with every release is to ultimately unmask a villain the audience least expected or throw in a curve they never saw coming.
Mason - Do you have any habits/rituals you follow when writing such as a certain place to write, favorite beverage to drink, quiet verses noise, etc.?
Wendy:
These days I travel constantly, and my deadlines are tight, but I’m not one of those writers who can casually open a laptop on a plane and bang out a chapter. While I occasionally have to do just that, I prefer to write in my home office, on my desktop Mac computer. I sip coffee in the morning, wine in the evening, and coconut water in between. We moved to our neighborhood two decades ago because it was quiet and idyllic—the perfect working environment for me--so the chaotic, noisy, constant construction disruption of a house being built next door over the past eight months was infuriating and literally caused me to blow a deadline. Now I’m making up for lost time. As always, when I’m home, I work 12-14 hour days, seven days a week, so that I’m living and breathing my fictional world. I try to save the many non-writing tasks that go with my career for days on the road. (I’m actually answering these interview questions in the midst of a 7-hour Amtrak trip!)
Mason - Are you currently working on any new projects?
Wendy:
Always! I’m currently reviewing the copy edit for THE BLACK WIDOW, the third book in my social networking thriller trilogy—it’s set in the world of online dating and will be published by HarperCollins in March. I’m under contract with them for a new suspense trilogy set in a fictionalized Hudson Valley town, Mundy’s Landing, with a notoriously bloody past that stretches back to the first settlers. I just finished writing the first book, tentatively entitled BLOOD RED, and it will be published sometime next year. Before I begin working on the second, I’m finishing a top-secret project that I hope to share soon!
Wendy, thanks for joining us and sharing this insight into THE PERFECT STRANGER. In listening to the book, I’ve been wondering if you had personal knowledge of someone with breast cancer from the tone of the characters. Now I understand how you captured their essence so well.
Now let me sharing some background on Wendy.
New York Times bestseller Wendy Corsi Staub is the award-winning author of more than seventy-five published novels and has sold more than four million books worldwide. Under her own name, Wendy achieved New York Times bestselling status with her single title psychological suspense novels. Those novels and the women's fiction she writes under the pseudonym Wendy Markham also frequently appeared on the USA Today, Barnes and Noble Top Ten, and Bookscan bestseller lists.
Wendy’s latest suspense novels for HarperCollins are linked by a social networking theme and include THE GOOD SISTER (Harper, October 2013), which has been optioned for television by Fox, as well as the upcoming THE PERFECT STRANGER (July 2014) and THE BLACK WIDOW (2014).
Earlier in 2013, she concluded a bestselling, award-winning trilogy that was launched by HarperCollins in September 2012 with NIGHTWATCHER, which won the 2013 Westchester Library Association Washington Irving Prize for Fiction. It was followed in October by the New York Times bestselling SLEEPWALKER, which went on to become a finalist for the prestigious Simon and Schuster Mary Higgins Clark Award presented at the Mystery Writers of America Edgars Symposium in April 2013. The trilogy’s final title, SHADOWKILLER, was released in February 2013.
Wendy now lives in the New York City suburbs with her husband of twenty years and their two children. A 1986 graduate of the State University of New York at Fredonia, she proudly delivered the keynote commencement address at her alma mater in May 2008, was a featured speaker at the 2011 Academic convocation, and is serving a three-year appointment to the Dean's Advisory Council for the College of Arts and Sciences.
For more on Wendy and her writing, visit her website and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.
Now to tempt you even more to pick up a copy of this tantalizing thriller, is the book trailer for your viewing pleasure. THE PERFECT STRANGER may have you rethinking what you share online.
Thanks so much for stopping by today and visiting with Wendy. Do you think as a society we share too much online with perfect strangers? If so, why do you think we do that?
*This post contains affiliate links.
At first it seems the author has multiple stories going on at the same time. Then little by little the stories begin to merge and the pieces connecting them fall in place.
Narrator Allyson Ryan breathes life into the various characters created by author Wendy Corsi Staub. She vocalizes the emotions of adults and teenagers alike giving each their own unique voice. Her mannerisms will hold you captive as you try to identify the killer.
The story begins with a mysterious notebook discovered in a hidden section of an old house. Then a lonely teenager is being bullied at a new school. From there the teenager’s mother recalls her own adolescent years at the same school. Mixed in are the thoughts and actions of the madman bent on making things right for a wrong he believes happened many years earlier.
A teenager apparently commits suicide and within days another teen takes her own life. Their only connection appears to be their parents knew each other in high school. The mother of the bullied teenager begins to worry as she was also friends with the parents of the suicide victims. The twists and turns will keep you on the edge of your seat as you sort through the intermingled lives of the characters and come to a heart-pounding shocking end.
Staub has crafted well-developed, complex characters. They are realistic with strengths and flaws. She does an excellent job touching on issues teenagers and parents face daily in person and online.
THE GOOD SISTER can be a bit confusing at first with several threads of the story going on, as well as a number of the characters sharing their thoughts in between the conversation. But you quickly get the rhythm of the plot and you’re hooked.
This is a tantalizing thriller filled with well-blended characters, intrigue and dark secrets from the past. You don’t want to miss this gripping tale of how far one sibling will go for another.
The Good Sister by Wendy Corsi Staub, Performed by Allyson Ryan, Harper Audio, @2013, ASIN: B00F6EM382, Unabridged, Digital Download, Listening Time: 11 Hours and 46 Minutes
FTC Full Disclosure - This audio book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.
Thanks so much for visiting today. What have you been reading and/or listening to lately?
I’ve been listening to a lot of audio books lately…in the car, while cooking and cleaning, doing yard work, just relaxing. I still enjoy the feel of a print copy of a book in my hands, but sometimes I need to be doing other things and an audio is the perfect way to ‘read’ and do what I have to do.
The two books I have to share with you today are both suspenseful and by authors I had not read before. One is a new release and the other is new on audio but a re-release of an older book. See audios also help you find books you missed that are ‘old but new again’ by being re-released.
When it comes to psychological thrills and suspense, author Nicci French knows how to draw readers in with TUESDAY’S GONE.
Narrator Beth Chalmers does an excellent job giving voice to the numerous characters and bringing them to life. Her English accent adds to the feel of the story, as her cadence pulls listeners into the fascinating plot of twists and turns.
Making a routine home visit a London social worker finds her psychotic client, Michelle Doyce, serving tea to a naked, decomposing corpse. With no way to identify the man, Chief Inspector Karlsson asks psychotherapist Frieda Klein to see what she can make of Michelle’s confused ramblings.
In time Frieda learns that the man is Robert Poole, an extraordinary con man who has touched many lives. As she discovers more, Frieda begins to wonder if Poole’s death was an attempt by someone from her past to pull her into the investigation. She tries to put the pieces together to determine if she will be the next victim.
TUESDAY’S GONE is told from a number of viewpoints and time frames. With the switching back and forth from the heroine to an unknown person, place and time; I wasn’t sure it would be easy to follow. It was, however, and the more I listened the further I was drawn in wanting to know how the psychological puzzle fit together.
The characters are well-developed and the story moves at a steady pace. Filled with suspense, just when you think you have something figures out the author adds a new twist will lead you in a different direction.
TUESDAY’S GONE is the second book in the Frieda Klein psychological thriller series by the internationally bestselling husband and wife writing team of Nicci Gerard and Sean French writing as Nicci French. While there are references to events in the first installment, BLUE MONDAY, readers/listeners will not be lost reading TUESDAY’S GONE as a stand alone.
This psychological thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat and then eagerly WAITING FOR WEDNESAY.
Author Nicci French’s website is http://www.niccifrench.co.uk/
Tuesday’s Gone by Nicci French, A Frieda Klein Novel, Performed by Beth Chalmers, Penguin Audio, @2013, ISBN: 978-1101605134, Unabridged, Digital Download, Listening Time: 12 Hours, 46 Minutes
FTC Full Disclosure - A digital download of this audio book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.
Author Wendy Corsi Staub created a protagonist in Elizabeth Baxter that I both hated and loved. I hated her because she was continuously going over the same circumstances again and again in her head. I loved the character because those same flaws made her more realistic. Her fears were plausible and her actions what most of us would do in the same situation.
Narrator Allyson Ryan brings the characters to life with her delightful interruption. Her vocalization of Elizabeth’s fear and concern places the listener along side the protagonist as she agonizes with her worries.
Elizabeth Baxter is paranoid. She doesn’t have friends, she doesn’t socialize, she doesn’t go outside her home unless she absolutely has to and then she wears dark sunglasses and constantly looks over her shoulder. In the sleepy little village of Windmere Cove, RI, Elizabeth is living in fear. If her past catches up to her, she’s a dead woman.
As she considers five years has been long enough and she can finally make a friend or two, it happens. A card with no return address, just the message that sends Elizabeth’s world into a nosedive - ‘I know who you are.’
In the past Elizabeth had been Hollywood’s hottest young actress Mallory Eden. At the height of her career, a mysterious stalker had entered her life making it a living nightmare. Feeling she had no choice, Mallory had faked her own death and began a new life as Elizabeth.
It appears the stalker has found her. Frightened, Elizabeth isn’t sure what to do. Should she trust the locksmith she recently befriended after her house was broken into or her neighbor the cop? The more she learns about each, the less she knows what to do.
FADE TO BLACK will hold you spellbound as you come to feel Elizabeth’s paranoia. The twists and turns will make your breathless as you try to figure out who the real stalker is and why.
Staub has gone into great detail with her characters giving them both good and bad traits to keep you guessing. The story moves at a steady pace and is filled with an endless array of possible stalkers. This is a thriller that will have you second-guessing yourself.
Author Wendy Corsi Staub’s website is http://wendycorsistaub.com/
Fade To Black by Wendy Corsi Staub, Performed by Allyson Ryan, Harper Audio, @2013, ISBN: 978-0062285133, Unabridged, Digital Download, Listening Time: 10 Hours, 32 Minutes
FTC Full Disclosure - A digital download of this audio book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.
Thanks so much for stopping by today. Hope your week is going okay so far. Have you given audio books a try yet? If so, what do you think? If not, why not?
