Boney Creek by Paula Gleeson

 I'm between 3 and 4 stars...

This is spooky enough to leave you wanting more.

Addie and Toby are moving to a small town where 7 deaths have occurred in the past 4 months. The town itself has the feel of a forgotten place and hiden secrets in every corner.

The premise is pretty good. Soon enough, Toby, the husband, introduces a new subplot, as does Addie, the wife, who is trying to face the consequences of a previous mistake.

Publication date: June 3rd, 2025

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

The past is doled out in small doses that compel you to continue reading, and the murder cases are meaningful enough to make you care about what happened.

In the middle, the pacing slows down, as is often the case with this kind of story, but it is interesting nonetheless, and I truly enjoyed it.
However, there are some resolutions I was not happy with, as Toby’s story is not resolved in a tangible way, and Addie’s secret is dealt with too quickly–for all the pain she has suffered because of it, it felt unfulfilling.

As someone who is not a big fan of spooky towns and scary stories, I liked it much more than I thought I would. It was fun experience.

Thank you to #Thomas&Mercer and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this #ARC called #BoneyCreek in exchange for my personal opinion.

Rating: ★★★⯪☆

A Hired Kill (Garrett Mann #2) by Steven Konkoly

First, I would like to thank the Thomas & Mercer publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC version of #AhiredKill in the Garrett Mann saga in exchange for this review, which is completely personal and freely offered.

This is a fast-paced, action-filled adventure featuring Garrett Mann as the leader of a mismatched team of not very rule-abiding FBI agents and Mexican ex-different-forces that find themselves involved in a plot much bigger than they initially expected.

This is the continuity of the previous book in the saga, A Clean Kill. Having not read the first one, I was thrown into the dynamics of a group of characters with many names that were initially hard to keep track of. However, some of them grow on you as you turn the pages.

It really is an action thriller, with a little heart that I would have liked it a bit more explored. What I liked the most is the delicate balance Mann and Serrano had to maintain. They had mutual respect and admiration, but duty intertwined with the pact they had made, and they had to dance around that sense of betrayal that strains their relationship.

Apart from Mann and Serrano, there were a few characters that I really liked, such as James or Gupta, they had something special that ticked. I really liked how James casually pretended not to hear the news. The group's playful ways of teasing Gupta, when he doesn’t catch on to sarcasm. These moments are what make the characters both likable and memorable. And when there are so many, this is important.

There were other personal plots that weren't developed enough. It's hinted that Serrano and Mann had feelings for each other, but then... there's no follow-up on that. The ending also felt a little bit incomplete. I don't want to spoil the very end, but there aren't enough clues to tell if that's the conclusion or if there will be a sequel. I would have appreciated more hints leaning toward the latter.

Expected publication date: May 27, 2025  

Overall, it was a well-paced action thriller. Quite entertaining. However, I highly suggest reading them in order, starting with A Clean Kill.

Puntuación: 3,75/5*