A. J. McCarthyReseñas

A Charlie & Simm Mystery book # 3

In a few words:

When a strange man approaches Shanna McGuire and shocks her with a story that makes her question her family history. She asks Simm to investigate the man’s claim. A former private investigator and pub owner in downtown Montreal he and his wife Charlie love to tackle simple case of genealogy and see what they will uncover. But what they think is a straightforward case soon takes a dangerous turn with threats, violence and homicide.

My thoughts:

I love how Ms. McCarthy incorporated in her tale the dark period in Quebec’s history, “The Duplessis Orphans” and has concocted masterfully an engaging mystery around this shameful time. Laced in, is a complicated family dynamics and an unwavering persistence to find the truth. Charlie and Simm exchanged their point of view in a good-humoured teasing way, it is pleasant to follow them. The many characters in this tale are interesting and are essential to propelling the plot forward which leads to a smashing disclosure. Not only, is this fast-paced and engaging story marred by the mistreatment of orphans it also takes us into a web of lies and betrayal while Charlie and Simm race against the clock to avert another murder.

I love this puzzle set in my home town and love how Charlie and Simm with their lovely pug Harley navigated the perilous journey while facing bodily threats. This story is well said, well-done and is captivating from start to finish.

I received a free copy of this book and I leave a voluntary review, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own

"Legacy of Fear" by A.J. McCarthy is a gripping and suspenseful novel that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.
The book follows the story of Marcy, a young woman who inherits her grandfather's farm in rural Canada. As she settles into her new life, strange and sinister events begin to occur, and Marcy finds herself embroiled in a dangerous mystery that threatens to destroy everything she holds dear.
One of the book's standout features is the author's skillful use of tension and suspense. The plot twists and turns, keeping readers guessing until the very end. The author's descriptions of the eerie and isolated setting add to the sense of unease, creating a chilling atmosphere that is both thrilling and unsettling.
The characters in the book are also well-developed, and the reader gets a sense of their complex motivations and actions. Marcy is a relatable and likable protagonist, and the other characters in the book are equally intriguing and well-rounded.
Another notable feature of the book is the author's writing style. The prose is descriptive and engaging, and the book is a fast-paced and enthralling read.
Overall, "Legacy of Fear" is an excellent suspense novel that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. The author's skillful use of tension and suspense, combined with the well-developed characters and engaging writing style, make this book a must-read for fans of the genre. The book is a testament to the author's exceptional talent for storytelling and is sure to leave a lasting impression on readers.

I'm a die-hard Louise Penny fan and never imagined I'd find another series with a setting and characters to compare. Now AJ McCarthy's convinced me I need to move north, settle into the back corner of a pub, and read the rest of her books. The Other Side provides a mysterious disappearance in rural Quebec and a pair of irresistible married investigators. I've often heard readers don't care about the plot, they just care about how the plot impacts their favorite characters. McCarthy went above and beyond with a plot so full of threatening twists and turns the future of our detecting duo of Charlie and Simm is in peril. Well done!

From the beginning the author draws us into an exciting tale of hunter and prey in the wintery Canadian landscape. McCarthy is a great suspense author and I hooked from the start. I want to read more of her work.

After an injury on the job, officer Chantel Pouliot of the Quebec City police force, is assigned to a white collar crime, a job she is not at all happy about especially after two RCMP officers from Toronto are assigned to work with her.. However, when this safe job quickly warps into a murder case, she soon finds herself confronted with a great deal more excitement and danger than she could have possibly anticipated or been prepared for.

Faux Friends by A.J. McCarthy starts out with a bang but quickly slows down. Not to say it wasn’t still a decent police procedural but it lacked the promise of that opening. It also was marred by the character of Chantal who comes off as both immature and dangerously reckless.

The fact that, despite these criticisms, I quite enjoyed the story is down to the twisty plot line that kept the story moving even when it slowed down as well as the interaction between many of the characters. And, if the villain and his motives stretched my willing suspension of disbelief fairly far, he certainly was interesting. I also loved the descriptions of Quebec City., a city I only visited once, a fact I will certainly remedy in the future.

So, overall, although I can’t say I loved Faux Friends, I certainly enjoyed it enough to plan to read more by McCarthy in the future and to recommend it for fans of police procedurals especially those with female protagonists,

½

Didn't finish it. From the first page I was annoyed by lead person Emily and I kept being annoyed by her and her dumb actions. The plot was far fetched, very far, and I wasn't interested. After chapter it, I read the last two chapters. That was it.
Disclaimer: I got this book in the Librarything Early Reviewers

I received this book as part of the LibraryThing's Early Reviewer's giveaway, in exchange for an honest review. So, thanks to LibraryThing and Black Rose Writing for sending me a copy.
The synopsis sounded promising. However, the actual plot itself failed to keep me hooked.
The original white-collar case the team started working on just ended up being a side-plot-ish. The main scheme of the villain was something else altogether. And I was not convinced of the kind of plotting done by the villain, and all for what? Revenge?
Again, the team assembled was promising, in terms of the mixture of skills and personalities. But it didn't feel like it was developed to any good level.
The protagonist, Chantal, turned out to be very irritating, immature, and altogether not likeable.
Unfortunately, not one of the books I enjoyed.
The snippets about Quebec city and its architecture was the only highlight.

Faux Friends was a solid police mystery novel. I would not necessarily consider Chantel a "likeable" character, and as others have pointed out, you spend quite a bit of time in her head reliving old events. Overall though the twists and turns in the narration kept me engaged and it was a satisfying conclusion.

The story in a few words:

This mystery brings Chantal Pouliot of the Quebec police force working with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in a white-collar-cyber-crime. The safe, tedious job she envisioned swiftly becomes a murder case with possible link to organized crime......

Chantal undercover detective status was put on hold after her last case terribly went wrong six months earlier. She is now back on the saddle and thrown into the life she wanted.....

My thoughts:

Ms. McCarthy pens a suspenseful story with many twists one that kept my attention trying to unravel the truth behind the crime. The investigation leads Chantal and her partner Jeff Lafond on an unexpected adventure through the streets of Quebec City, deep into the criminal underworld and through a mine field of violence. This mystery is a rollercoaster ride of police procedural where no one really trusts anyone. It starts with a bang and never lets up.

In general the characterisation is good but I am not too fond of Chantal, the protagonist. In my eyes she is a spoil brat, always mad and one that doesn’t get along with her male counterpart, a frustrated b...in other words. Too bad Chantal get a grip on yourself.

As for the supporting cast, the players are well defined and play expertly their part whether they are mafia thugs or police officers. Having said this I still love how they interact with each other including all the shenanigans they bring to the table. The story is set in a French environment so a mix of the French language from time to time gives the experience a tad of flair and reality. Well-done and well timed.

“Faux Friends” is a fun and twisted read I enjoyed quite a bit.

I received a free copy of this book and I leave a voluntary review, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

I received a free copy of this book as part of LibraryThing's Early Reviewers scheme.

This was an enjoyable book with a plausible plot. I agree with another reviewer that far too much was made of Chantel's previous experience. Perhaps a better way to get this across would be with a chapter at the beginning summarising what happened. I felt as if I was reading book 2 in a series without reading book 1.

I enjoyed reading a booked based in Canada rather than America, it made a nice change. I like a book that ties everything up and this book did that nicely.

A good story line but very slow. Hard to get to know the other characters other than Chantal.

Faux Friends was an okay read but there was too much focus on the tendency of Chantal to question herself and her abilities as an officer in the police force. They made the point that she had a bad experience in a previous case but then the kept bringing it up. Besides that it it wasn't too bad.

The style of writing had my interest captured from the first page but the main character’s coyness regarding the details of her dilemma was a cheap trick in my opinion. I’d already guessed ‘why’ before the end of the 3rd chapter… otherwise her blind stupidity would have been even more annoying. An entertaining enough action romance.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Loved the characters and the story line. A little slow to start out but the further I got into it the harder it was to put down. Will definitely read more books by this author.

I really enjoyed Legacy of Fear. It kept me on my toes from the first sentence. I was enthralled with the story and I never wanted the book to end! This was my first book that I’ve read by AJ McCarthy and I was very impressed! I’m really wanting to read more by the author now! Thanks to netgalley for the book in exchange for an unbiased review!

In short, I was not a fan of this book. I haven’t read anything else by this author, but I am willing to give other books by them a chance, just this one was a miss for me.

Disclaimer: I received this book for free from LibraryThing in return for an honest review.

Emily Burton loves her quiet life on Vancouver Island, a place where there is virtually no crime and you don't have to lock your doors. However that illusion is shattered when Emily is brutally attacked while running on the beach. They only reason she survived the attack was because an innocent bystander steps in and is murdered in her place. The police think it is a random attack until Emily finds herself being threatened and attacked again. With the protection and help of her new neighbor, Dustin, she uncovers a similar crime that occurred sixty years ago. But how does that crime connect to what is happening today? And is her new neighbor who he appears to be?

This mystery kept me guessing till the end. I did not see the murder coming. I did find the protagonist to be a little too naïve but overall I enjoy this book.

Pretty good story. I enjoyed the setting, and the mystery. I definitely didn't see the ending coming. Fun!

Excellent mystery. The characters were well developed and the mystery built in suspense through the entire book. I liked the way the author brought in the main character's family history as the plot developed. Didn't figure out the 'bad' guy until the end.

Tori is searching Danny. We don't know why she's searching him, and that's why you keep reading on. The first half of this book was really good. It kept me guessing and reading. But the more I got to know Tori the less I liked her. She's kind of annoying, whiny and childish. But fortunately for her she had the Canadian police force catering to her every need. But I guess a reaction of any kind is a good thing. It would be worse if you just didn't care at all.
The book is packed full of action. And we learn that Canadian police excel at disguises. Always good to know.
Thank you LibraryThing and Black Rose Writing for a copy of this book.

TL;DR I’m not quite certain where to start with this book, there’s just too much to say. I liked it at first and everything seemed to be going well in the beginning stages. McCarthy definitely kept us guessing about Tori’s background and the mysterious stranger she found on in the cabin but all this faded too fast, and I don’t mean with the reveal about Danny and their no doubt complicated relationship.
In no particular order, I’m going to talk about what made me choose to DNF this book and I’m going to attempt to list some things the author could have done better. Disclaimer: I have only made it through a third of this book and consequently I will only be reviewing the portion I read.
The mystery surrounding Ben was a nice touch as I said before but there were instances when it seemed as though the author brought out an element of toxic masculinity in an effort to enhance that mystery. In one instance, he throws Tori over his shoulder and carries her back to his cabin. I didn’t understand the need for this, I mean she was freezing and unable to walk but perhaps he could have asked first? My issue with this is that characters that often do this in books are portrayed as alpha males and it’s harmful stereotype to portray to readers.
He also speaks to Tori in a way that “leaves no room for disagreement” which to me is nothing short of ridiculous because he has no power over her and shouldn’t be able to dictate what she does simply because she’s staying in his cabin. If she wants to do something as simple as taking a cab to the motel she’ll be staying at then there’s no need for Ben to get territorial and insist on driving her. If she said no she said no, simple as that.
And while we’re on the subject of Ben I may as well add that the reveal of his name took too long for my liking. We had to endure Tori referring to him as “the man” for an entire chapter, which may not seem like much but it was a long chapter and she had quite a bit of interaction with him. This is not like ‘s/he said’ which most writers say readers ignore, no. It grated on my eyes to have to constantly read ‘the man said’ ‘the man did this and that’ ‘the man looked there’. It was nothing short of irritating.
Onto Tori now. A little too naïve for my taste. This was especially obvious during her internal monologue about how Danny “would never have ordered anyone to kill her”. This one statement makes it apparent that Danny would in fact do something like that especially since we later learn he’s some sort of drug lord. All this leaves us wondering if Tori was too crazy in love to see the truth for what it was or just plain old stupid.
Another issue was the platonic-at-first-but-progressively-non-platonic relationship Tori had with all the male characters we were introduced to: Ben, Mario and of course Danny whom she’d been in a relationship with off-screen. When her feelings for Ben began to sprout I was ready for the author to dive a little deeper into his character and I may have been expecting some pay-off regarding his mysterious past but instead we jumped to Mario who Tori also began to have feelings for and later kissed and seemed to like very much.
I’d also like to mention that Mario’s territorial behaviour over her (all due to one kiss) is a disappointing trend I’m seeing in today’s authors. I don’t understand why the general perception of strong men in literature must entail immediate and unconditional obedience from their love interests or other (mainly) women around them. How does this equate to power or higher status? Why do writers keep expecting it to do exactly this in the readers’ minds?
The speed with which Tori trusts strangers is also alarming. She mentions on several occasions that Ben “didn’t appear threatening to her” and something to the effect that Mario “was a trustworthy man” which I find ludicrous because she barely knows these people and the fact that she’s living with a complete stranger (Chantal, Mario’s sister) just did it for me. It was all to unrealistic for me to continue.
The writing definitely could have been better. The word ‘dazedly’ was used a lot of times and some sentences could have done with some shortening and word-substitution.
Otherwise, it wasn’t the best thing I’ve ever read but it certainly wasn’t the worst either. I look forward to seeing something a little more polished next time!

I really enjoyed reading the book Cold Betrayal, it was a excellent suspense/thriller. A easy and fast read, full of intrigue and lots of layers to the plot lines in the story. I loved the two main characters in the story, and will certainly read more books from this author. I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys suspense/thrillers.