Showing posts with label J.T. Ellison. Show all posts
Showing posts with label J.T. Ellison. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 28, 2018

Tear Me Apart by J.T. Ellison (Book Review)

Title: Tear Me Apart
Author: J.T. Ellison
Publication: Mira Books, Trade Paperback, September 2018 (ebook also available)
Genre: Psychological Suspense
Giveaway:  I have one copy to give away to US or Canadian readers. Please leave an email by 9/7/18 if you are interested!
Plot: The follow-up to her critically acclaimed Lie to Me, J.T. Ellison’s Tear Me Apart is the powerful story of a mother willing to do anything to protect her daughter even as their carefully constructed world unravels around them.

One moment will change their lives forever…

Competitive skier Mindy Wright is a superstar in the making until a spectacular downhill crash threatens not just her racing career but her life. During surgery, doctors discover she’s suffering from a severe form of leukemia, and a stem cell transplant is her only hope. But when her parents are tested, a frightening truth emerges. Mindy is not their daughter.

Who knows the answers?

The race to save Mindy’s life means unraveling years of lies. Was she accidentally switched at birth or is there something more sinister at play? The search for the truth will tear a family apart…and someone is going to deadly extremes to protect the family’s deepest secrets.

Moving through time, Tear Me Apart examines the impact layer after layer of lies and betrayal has on two families, the secrets they guard, and the desperate fight to hide the darkness within.

Audience: Readers who don’t mind staying up late!

My Impressions: I could not put down this thriller and finished it about 2 am! It starts with an attractive young skier bound for the Olympics who instead has a bad fall – a situation we have all seen and sympathized with – and then it takes off as years of lies are exposed, bit by bit, moving from the past to the present and back again. I especially liked the talented and empathetic aunt (surprise!), Juliet, who is devoted to her niece, Mindy, but still clearsighted about the issues surrounding her medical situation. I did not find the segments from the past to be very convincing; moreover, certain aspects of the plot were signposted to the reader and there were holes that a self-respecting detective should have investigated, which lessened the impact of the last 20% of the book. Despite these flaws, this was an enjoyable if not entirely convincing read by an author who knows how to deliver suspense, and it was perfect for the last few weeks of summer!  I had read and reviewed Lie to Me by this author but I liked this much better.
Purchase Links: Barnes & Noble * IndieBound * AmazonBooks-A-Million

Source: I was provided a copy of this book by Mira Books and TLC Book Tours for review purposes. You can visit other stops on the tour and read the reviews by clicking below:

Monday, August 27th: @prose_and_palate
Monday, August 27th: Patricia’s Wisdom
Tuesday, August 28th: Bewitched Bookworms
Thursday, August 30th: Palmer’s Page Turners
Friday, August 31st: Jathan & Heather
Monday, September 3rd: Books & Bindings
Tuesday, September 4th: Moonlight Rendezvous
Wednesday, September 5th: @katyslibrary
Thursday, September 6th: The Book Diva’s Reads
Friday, September 7th: Becky on Books
Monday, September 10th: Novel Gossip
Tuesday, September 11th: 5 Minutes for Books
Wednesday, September 12th: Midwest Ladies Who Lit
Wednesday, September 12th; @girlwithnoselfie
Thursday, September 13th: @basicbsguide
Friday, September 14th: Girl Who Reads
Monday, September 17th: Helen’s Book Blog
Monday, September 17th: @bookishconnoisseur
Tuesday, September 18th: Thoughts on This ‘n That
Wednesday, September 19th: @bookenetics
Thursday, September 20th: Why Girls Are Weird
Friday, September 21st: Cheryl’s Book Nook
Monday, September 24th: @hollyslittlebookreviews
Tuesday, September 25th: Thoughts from a Highly Caffeinated Mind
Wednesday, September 26th: No More Grumpy Bookseller
Thursday, September 27th: A Bookworm’s World
Friday, September 28th: Book Reviews and More by Kathy

Sunday, September 24, 2017

Lie to Me (Book Review)

Title: Lie to Me
Author: J.T. Ellison
Publication: Mira Books, trade paperback, 2017
Genre: Suspense
Description: They built a life on lies. 

Sutton and Ethan Montclair’s idyllic life is not as it appears. They seem made for each other, but the truth is ugly. Consumed by professional and personal betrayals and financial woes, the two both love and hate each other. As tensions mount, Sutton disappears, leaving behind a note saying not to look for her.

Ethan finds himself the target of vicious gossip as friends, family and the media speculate on what really happened to Sutton Montclair. As the police investigate, the lies the couple have been spinning for years quickly unravel. Is Ethan a killer? Is he being set up? Did Sutton hate him enough to kill the child she never wanted and then herself? The path to the answers is full of twists that will leave the reader breathless.

Audience: Fans of novels of psychological suspense

My Impressions: This break out novel was a fast-paced read with lots of surprises and I quite enjoyed it.  The book is told from several different points of view, beginning with Ethan, the slightly narcissistic husband, who wakes up to find his wife missing and becomes the chief suspect behind her disappearance.  Later, we get his wife's perspective on their relationship.  Who is lying?  Is everyone lying?   Will the detective see past the distractions to find the truth?  Although very derivative of Gone Girl (it's not the first and won't be the last) and full of unlikable characters, it was sufficiently unpredictable to hold my interest and, in fact, I stayed up until 2 am to finish it.  I will certainly investigate Ellison’s other books.

About the Author: New York Times and USA Today bestselling author J.T. Ellison is best known for a series starring Nashville Homicide Lt. Taylor Jackson and medical examiner Dr. Samantha Owens, and also writes the international thriller series “A Brit in the FBI” with #1 New York Times bestselling author Catherine Coulter. Cohost of the Emmy Award-winning show, A Word on Words, Ellison lives in Nashville with her husband.
Source: Thank you to TLC Book Tours and to Mira Books for providing me with a copy of this book in return for an honest review.   Please visit other stops on the tour below:

Tuesday, August 29th: Jathan & Heather – guest post, “On a Good Marriage”
Tuesday, September 5th: Clues and Reviews blog and Instagram
Tuesday, September 5th: Books & Bindings
Wednesday, September 6th: Bewitched Bookworms
Thursday, September 7th: Why Girls are Weird
Friday, September 8th: Novel Gossip and Instagram
Monday, September 11th: That’s What She Read
Monday, September 11th: Tome Tender
Tuesday, September 12th: Book Reviews and More by Kathy
Wednesday, September 13th: Buried Under Books
Friday, September 15th: Mama Reads
Monday, September 18th: No More Grumpy Bookseller
Tuesday, September 19th: Moonlight Rendezvous
Wednesday, September 20th: Jathan & Heather
Wednesday, September 20th: BookBub Blog – 12 of the Best Psychological Thrillers Coming This Fall
Friday, September 22nd: The Book Diva’s Reads
Monday, September 25th: Patricia’s Wisdom
Monday, September 25th: Suzy Approved
Monday, September 25th: Snowdrop Dreams
Tuesday, September 26th: Read Love Blog
Wednesday, September 27th: Becky on Books
Thursday, September 28th: A Bookworm’s World
Friday, September 29th: Thoughts on This ‘n That