"The Edge of Guilt", by David Miraldi

A Legal thriller

Inspired by true events this gripping legal drama is captivating to no ends. It tells the story of a father devastated by the tragic death of his daughter, convinced that her psychiatrist is to blame. He seeks an attorney and enters Paul Schofield, a struggling attorney, taking the case….

What a well-crafted story told with a measured prose and efficient pacing while it delves into the human psyche. The more Paul digs, the more he uncovers buried secrets and ethical dilemmas that shake him to his core. The author’s words reflect the inner turmoil he faces with aplomb. Nicely said and done. The courtroom scenes are filled with tension ….a fine line between greed and justice becomes rather vague…all along the proceedings I stood on the fence undecided if I was on the father side or not, whether I wanted Paul to win or loose the case.

I was hooked from the start; the storyline is captivating and plays with your emotions to keep you engaged till you reach the final verdict. What a wonderful blend of courtroom suspense and ethical ambiguity. The author excelled in bringing to life a case where the areas of justice, morality and grief are conflicting.

Well-done, well-said.

Thank you Book Whisperer for providing this ARC for my thoughts: this is the way I see it.

"The Silo", by Greg Heist

What an outstanding debut novel by a retired Police Captain, Greg Heist. In this gripping psychological thriller, the author has brought first hand knowledge by blending authentic police procedural with a family mystery.

Set in rural Midwest, we follow Detective Frank Braun interrogates Jacob Weaver, a young man facing life in prison. The case is not that simple, as the interrogation goes on, family traumas and truths rise to the surface to finally end in a confrontation at the long-abandoned silo at the Weaver family farm.

I simply loved this short story of around 170 pages. It is one of the best police procedurals I read this year.

It is mainly said in dialogue, exchange between Frank and Jacob as the Detective pursuits his questioning. The language is clear and shows the characters internal struggles. Jacob is a scare young man and Frank shows empathy towards him and wants to help him reveals his dark family secrets at his own pace. The author paints vivid picture of the going-on, every word is active and well placed. The characters are easy to love not really any bad guys just people put in awkward position trying to get a grip on the situation. It has a shocking ending but what an ending it was.

This thriller is well-said and well-done. I hope to be privilege once again.

My thanks to Lisa from Swell Media for providing me with a copy of this book

"The Last Secret Agent", by Pippa Latour, Jude Dobson

This book is the extraordinary untold story of a heroine who parachuted into occupied France in 1944, spied for Britain, defied the Nazis and never told a soul till the day her sons surfing the internet found out about their mother's exceptional achievements and asked her to write her story.

Pipa Latour was one of the last female special operations agents in France to get out alive after its liberation in WW11

Pipa was only 23 years when she was trained by the British and sent to France posing as a 14-year-old selling soap to help her grandparents survive. Her cover story enabled her to travel freely on her bicycle selling soap to German soldiers and sending information back to England via code.

This book tells how her life was: rough, foraging for food and sleeping in the woods….and being in constant danger. What an astonishing life of bravery, if she been discovered, she would have been shot instantly.

She made it out and ended up in New Zealand and before she died last year at age 102, she told her story to Jude Dobson, the co-author.

Being told in the first-person narrative makes the reading personal. The tempo is very active and visual. It is easy to stay tune and in step with Pipa. What a brave young woman she was. Following her was quite a trip and a scary one many times over.

Pipa’s memoir is well-said, interesting and captivating.

Bravo for bringing this extraordinary person to life and giving us her amazing story.

My thanks to St. Martin’s Press for this ARC which I received via Netgalley