Grand Central Publishing

The Drowning Woman
By Robyn Harding
Published by Grand Central Publishing, 9781538726761, June 13, 2023, 336 pp.

The Short of It:

Harding does it again.

The Rest of It:

Lee Gulliver never thought she’d find herself living on the streets–no one ever does–but when her restaurant fails, and she falls deeper into debt, she leaves her old life behind with nothing but her clothes and her Toyota Corolla. In Seattle, she parks in a secluded spot by the beach to lay low and plan her next move–until early one morning, she sees a sobbing woman throw herself into the ocean. Lee hauls the woman back to the surface, but instead of appreciation, she is met with fury. ~ Indiebound

I’ve read a few Harding books and they never fail to pull me right in. I mean, to the point where everything is pushed aside so I can be left to read. The Drowning Woman was no exception.

Lee, forced to live in her car and desperate for human interaction can’t help but fall under Hazel’s spell. What is this woman’s story? Why is she trying to kill herself? Outward appearances will tell you that Hazel has everything. A gorgeous beach house, money at her disposal and a handsome husband. But Hazel’s life is a mess and she wants out. Is Lee desperate enough to get tangled up in this web of lies if it means a chance to improve her life?

There are plenty of plot twists to keep the story moving. I eagerly picked the book up in-between work assignments, chores, and the like. I enjoyed it!! Recommend.

Source: Review copy provided by the publisher.
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

Bloodless
By Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
Grand Central Publishing, 9781538736708, August 17. 2021, 400pp.

The Short of It:

Didn’t disappoint. Loved visiting with Agent Pendergast again.

The Rest of It:

Agent Pendergast faces his most unexpected challenge yet when bloodless bodies begin to appear in Savannah, GA.

This was a fun story to read right before the big trip to Missouri. Bloodless bodies begin to appear. The first body is torn apart. The second is almost entirely intact, the only mark left is the exit wound where the blood was removed from the body. Is it the work of a vampire? Someone thinking he’s a vampire? Agent Pendergast is called and when he arrives to investigate the evidence left behind, he is reunited with some people from his past. Some, have their own secrets to hide.

The setting for this one made the book for me. Savannah, GA with all its old school charm, marred by these horrible killings. I have to tell you though, it has a little bit of “woo woo” in the story if you know what I mean and a tiny bit of time traveling. Kind of. But Pendergast is Pendergast with all the mannerisms that we readers have grown to love. This the perfect book to entertain you as we head into Fall. Would be good for the R.I.P Challenge too. I have not read every book in the Pendergast series and yet, they all read like stand alones to me so I think you can still enjoy this one without reading the others.

Recommend.

Source: Review copy provided by the publisher.
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

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