Shannon Hollinger

Would You Rather by Shannon Hollinger

Dark twisted twisty tale that drew me in on page one and kept me captivated till the very end ~ Couldn’t put it down.

What I liked:
* Oliver Sager: healthy, strong, athletic, attractive, intelligent, hard working, caring, good brother and friend, protective, has secrets, has a lot to deal with before the story ends
* Emanuel “Manny” Hernandez: bullied often, father died when he was young, raised by his clingy overprotective detective mother, stronger than he thinks he is
* Jasper: one person that gave Oliver a chance and the strong friendship that developed between them as they worked on Jasper’s shrimp boat
* The Plot, pacing, setting, and writing
* The twists and turns and big surprises at the end
* That it was believable
* That I cared about the outcome
* Being glad that my own high school days were NOT like those of Manny, Oliver, and Rachel
* That it made me think, question, and contemplate my past and what it might be like for those in high school now
* The title and what it referred to
* The ending and contemplating what will happen to the characters in the future

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* Thinking about bullies, abusers, predators, and their deviant entitled behavior that damages and destroys
* The town’s little mindedness

Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Books Go Social for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars… (más)

The Shadow Girl by Shannon Hollinger
Chief Maggie Riley #3

Dark, gritty, and compelling ~ Could not put this book down!

What I liked:
* Chief Maggie Riley: brilliant, capable, skilled detective, listens to her gut instincts, moved to Coyote Cove, Maine after a personal loss and going rogue at work, engaged to Steve, upholds the law, works with minimal staff, has a difficult relationship with her parents, brother disappeared when he was young, has a missing girl to find in this series while still dealing with a population that is less than accepting
* Steve Winters: Maggie’s fiancé, financial wiz who lost his fire and moved to the country, understands and loves Maggie, protective, loving, caring, loves his mother and sister though they are not always easy, has secrets from the past that are beginning to emerge – do hope he can figure out what to do about Wesley,
* Kal Kishore: New lieutenant hired by Maggie at the end of the last book, wants a change of scene, has dealt with racial bigotry, broke up with his fiancé before moving to Coyote Cove…seems there is a secret that may come out later, strong, reliable, intelligent, does what it takes, gets the job done, want to know more about him
* Sue: Maggie’s assistant at work, wears interesting clothes to work, a bit of a mother-hen
* The mysteries to be solved: a deceased “runaway” teen that has been gone a couple of years, an abused teen, and a potentially abducted teen to be found – the killer(s) need to be found
* The issues related to Maggie’s brother and parents, Steve’s old “friend” that shows up in this book – imagine he will have a part in the next, wondering how the issue of Maggie’s brother will be resolved, and how the town is beginning to come around and accept the Chief and her team
* The setting, plot, pacing, and writing that was emotive, visceral, visual, immersive, emotive, and at times humorous
* How all the pieces fit together seamlessly
* That it made me think and feel and care and consider the “what-ifs”
* Wondering what will happen next

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* Thinking about predators and the harm they do
* Being so upset by the adults who kept glossing over and blaming the teens rather than believing them

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Definitely

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars… (más)

Their Angel’s Cry by Shannon Hollinger
Chief Maggie Riley #2

Gripping, dark, and gritty ~ compelled to continue reading into the wee hours of the morning!

What I liked:
* * Chief Maggie Riley: brilliant, capable, skilled detective, listens to her gut instincts, moved to Coyote Cove, Maine after a personal loss, engaged to Steve, upholds the law, working solo with Sue as her assistant after losing her lieutenant in the previous book, is pushed physically and mentally in this book, have a feeling she has an agenda related to the secrets she is keeping that will play out in this series
* Steve Winters: financial wiz who lost his fire and moved to the country, loves his rather difficult if loving mother, understands and loves Maggie, has secrets that will be exposed in time-I think, there for those he loves
* The plot, pacing, setting, and writing
* Dr. Erika Ricky: medical examiner, cat owner, steps out of her comfort zone in this book and grows a lot, someone I hope to see more of
* Sue: Maggie’s assistant, a child guardian and qualified to step in when children are at risk, capable, caring, good friend
* The various characters that might be the killer of the three people found on the mountain – and finding out which one actually did the deed ~ also enjoyed finding out what the others were really up to
* Laurel: protective canine that heroically saved a baby
* Looking forward to what will happen in book three

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* The evilness of some of the amoral criminals in this story and the harm they did to more than one person

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars… (más)

The Girl Who Lied by Shannon Hollinger
Chief Maggie Riley #1

Excellent ~ Couldn’t put it down!

What I liked:
* Chief Maggie Riley: brilliant, capable, skilled detective, has secrets, derailed professionally after losing her younger brother and moved to Coyote Cove, Maine, in a relationship with her neighbor-Steve, upholds the law, have a feeling she has an agenda that will play out in this series
* Steve Winters: financial wiz who lost his fire and moved to the country, understands and loves Maggie, has secrets, sometimes depressed
* Wanting to know the secrets Maggie and Stever are holding close
* The murder mysteries to be solved and finding out who the murderers were
* Being glad I was NOT friends with more than one character in this story
* The setting, plot, pacing, and writing that was emotive, visceral, visual, immersive, emotive, and at times humorous
* How all the pieces fit together seamlessly
* That it made me think and feel and care and consider the “what-ifs”
* Wondering what will happen next

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* Thinking about how evil, cruel, abusive, and amoral some people can be and what it would be like to be raised by such a person

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars… (más)