Hanging Softly in The Night: A Detective Nick Larson Novel by Maria Elena Alonso-Sierra
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was a great read. It was full of twists and turns and the story was cohesive and easy to follow. It had good suspense and a nice New York detective storyline with originality and style. There was no shortage of details to keep you intrigued and immersed.
Black Canvas by Laura Rossi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I want to start this off by saying this does have triggers and brought out feelings in me that while making me uncomfortable, shows the true talent of this author.
This deals with very sensitive subjects and shapes our main character and effects her in her daily life.
Black Canvas by Laura Rossi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Wow just wow. How do I possibly put into words to describe this epic ness of this mind twisting story? This is a new author to me and I’ve got to say I’m so glad I found her! Because this book had me reeling from start to finish and in all the good ways. I knew I was in for a trip but consider me mind blown in the best way. There’s not much I can say before I word vomit everything that’s great about the story so I’m gonna stop myself with just a you have got to one click this book! It’s well written and completely mind blowing! You will be completely hooked from start to finish I promise. Five huge stars and so very highly recommended!
Hanging Softly in the Night
A Detective Nick Larson Novel
AUDIO BOOK
By Marie Elena Alonso – Sierra
☆☆☆☆☆
Nick Larson has got his hands full. Laura Howard, Nick’s true love, is dealing with a psycho twin sister. To make things worse she is a look alike and is wreaking havoc on Laura ‘ s work as well as her personal life. So is Nick dealing with, the his other officers down with the flu, a posible suicide or is it murder? Did Laura or her sister bring forth life damaging situations. This author has a way with words. Her story is fast paced and exciting to listen to. The suspense level is through the roof. I could not stop listening as more and more things began to come together. WOW! What a great Crime story. This is a must read for those who love an intense story. You won’t be disappointed.
Review@Cinful
States of Grace by Mandy Miller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book was a great read for sure! I enjoyed how it took it’s time to build up and reach the turning points. You had to read and learn as the story progressed. And when you got to the top of the hill, everything takes off very nicely. I really enjoyed this author’s writing and how they engaged me in this story!
For me I loved how realistic this book was and could be! Grace was facing hard times and had to turn to the dark side of things of life, to make do. Would this be a worth while decision or one she would later end up regretting? Grace was as real as a character can get. I really connected with her. She made the impact on this story as well as the side characters, the characters sprung to action and life for me, and this became a book I could bot put down, even if I wanted to!
The story had a lot of elements, and the suspense was amazing in every which way I could not get enough of this author’s wonderful writing truly. I really enjoyed the thrill and amazement of this book, especially as secrets came to light, I could not let go of the story and the characters! Loved it!
Loved this amazing book and this amazing author. They really know how to keep you hooked and wanting more, giving you treats to keep you interested in the story right up to the very end! Wonderful read, I do highly recommend this book and author! Both certainly are ones not to be missed out on!
Black Canvas by Laura Rossi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
5 Stars
Black Canvas by Laura Rossi
Black Canvas is a fast paced Dark Psychological Thriller that wasn’t anything at all what I expected it to be. I was drawn in by the cover and I just had to know more. Holy Cow what a thrilling ride this author took us on. I caught myself literally gripping my kindle while on the edge of my seat trying to figure everything out. This is a fairly new author to me and we are off to a great start ,I can’t wait to read more books by this author. This is a well written story and the characters make the story feel so real and engaging at the same time. I had a hard time putting it down . If you like psychological thrillers that keep you guessing till the end then I highly recommend reading this book. I can’t wait for what she brings us next.
States of Grace by Mandy Miller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I love curling up to a crime thriller book with my blanket and digging in. This book was a true page turner for me and I loved it! Our main character, Grace, has her struggles being a lawyer now on probation and defending a young girl whom is charge with a horrible crime of murder. I loved Grace’s character as she had empathy toward Zoe, whom she was defending but also struggled with demons of her own. This story really captures you from the beginning with twisty turns and I was pleasantly surprised and so happy I read this book!
Black Canvas by Laura Rossi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Usually I can read a book in a night or so, but I’ve been busy with work, and this is a book that needed my FULL ATTENTION. Holy space balls. This was incredible. Psychological thrillers aren’t my forte, but if more were written like this one I’d need them all. 5/5 big shiny stars for you madam!
Murder off Route 82 by Jane Suen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is the third book in the series, but it’s actually the first one I’ve read. I was able to follow the story fine and still enjoy it without knowledge from the previous books. However, I enjoyed this book so much I’ll be going back to read the others! It’s a fun, Nancy Drew-esque mystery, but it’s complex enough to keep you hooked and on your toes. I was wrong about some of the things I thought I had figured out, which makes it the definition of a good mystery!
Murder off Route 82 by Jane Suen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I was looking for a mystery that would help me escape reality for a while. This was the book.
Not long after solving a crime at the beach, college student Eve Sawyer is asked by a Mom to track down someone.
I have not read the other two novels in the series, but now I think I will marathon them, to learn more about Eve and her detective skills.
This was not a long book but it kept me busy reading and ignoring the world around me for sometime. I was sad when I finished it.
This definitely renewed my love for the mystery genre. I do not read them as often as I once did.
I really hope there is more to come for Eve.
Black Canvas by Laura Rossi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Talk about plot twist! Aria is a very interesting character with an interesting story. I really connected with the psychological aspects of this book, the human mind is a mysterious thing. I feel that the author was able to expose just how twisted and unpredictable our minds can work. Ivy was my favorite character, someone who knew what she wanted and was willing to do what it took to get it regardless of what others thought of her. Great story! Highly recommend!!
Murder off Route 82 by Jane Suen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Very fast paced book, and while I have read the previous books in this series I dont feel its completely needed to read them to read this book but it may help to understand who our characters are a little bit.
We follow our main leading young lady who gets asked to help with a mystery of a friend and her boyfriend who are missing.
I was able to keep up but felt some things could have been explained a bit more but otherwise a good book. And did not see that ending coming, at all!
I don’t have a lot of experience with audiobooks, but I thought I would give my favorite genre a try in an audiobook. It did not disappoint. I loved that the narrator used different voices for the characters. That made it easier for me to follow and understand which character was speaking and when. This was an excellent first choice for me. Overall I thought it was very well done, and held my attention throughout.
Black Canvas by Laura Rossi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Okay, this book was amazing. I have never read a book in this genre before and gave it a chance because I’m trying to expand what I read. I would recommend this book to anybody and everybody. I didn’t expect the ending that I did. You can’t guess the ending in this book, and I think that is part of the reason why I loved this book because I’m not a fan of books where you can guess the ending. I couldn’t put it down at all.
States of Grace by Mandy Miller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is such a well written and fast paced book. From the moment you start reading the author has your attention. And for me I think that is all because of the main character. She is so far removed from what you would expect from a heroin. The struggles that she is going through and the gritty past she has make her so perfectly flawed that it really adds to the depth of this story.
I honestly enjoyed this book far.more than I expected I would. It is a cleverly written thriller and I would highly recommend it to everyone.
Murder off Route 82 by Jane Suen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is the 3rd book in the series and I’ve enjoyed reading the stories written by this author. It’s great to read how Eve works through crimes in each book. The characters are great and I love Eve’s strength coming through in her thought process. The story had me thinking that I knew who the murderer was but it turned out to be someone different. Love it when things turn out how I don’t expect it. I highly recommend this author and hope to read more books from her in the future.
Black Canvas by Laura Rossi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
When on the outside you are a professional, strong woman trying to help the police in an investigation but secretly your world is falling apart and spiralling away from you.
Aria’s world seems stable from the outside but as she is brought in for her expertise with a woman who has been found wondering, so delves and self diagnoses herself trying to banish the demons in her head but can she help both of them.
This is the first book I have read by this author and oh whoa was a book, this book is a real mind bend and you are left thinking and absorbing what you have read for a few days after. The writing is brilliant and the story twists through the life of Dr Aria De Luca, with her narrative from inside her head this is a fascinating read.
The way the story is written you as the read are a character in the book, wondering through the narrative and drawing you own conclusions through the complex twists and turns. I really can’t wait to read more books by this wonderful author and recommend whole heartily this book to people who love a good phycological thriller.
Black Canvas by Laura Rossi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is the first book I’ve read by this author, but let me tell you- this book is absolutely ASTOUNDING. From the get-go, she pulls you into the world of Aria, and you can’t help but just dive in. She does a wonderful job showing the traumas of these women, artistically describing the pain and the beauty as she weaves this story together. Once you think you have it figured out- it changes on you and challenges you to keep up with Aria and her world. If you enjoy thrillers and crime, this is the book for you. I absolutely loved it and I can’t wait to see what else this author has in store with her other books.
This is my first audio by this author which I enjoyed listening to from beginning to end. I enjoyed how the narrator pulled me into the story by using different tones of voices. They kept the story engaging and made it easy to listen to. They made it easy for me to imagine the characters throughout the story. This is a suspenseful story that is a fast paced about a detective and a serial killer that needs to be found before more deaths happen. The twists and turns had me wanting to know more about what would happen next. This is a great audio and I can’t wait to pick up the next audio by this author. I highly recommend this audio.
Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
Reviewed: 12-19-21
I read this as a book several months back and enjoyed it. When I saw that it had come out as an Audible I wanted to hear it. The narrator is great!! His gritty voice gives it that perfect cop tone. The story with audio gives it so much more. It was as I’d pictured in my head: gritty cop; hard case; rough life. Absolutely fantastic! The story is well-written. It starts right off with action that grabs you by the wrist and says “come with me.” The characters are very relatable. Nick’s pain is palpable. I recommend this story to all who love cop mystery.
Black Canvas by Laura Rossi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Black Canvas is not your everyday psychological thriller. This is my favorite genre and this book has quickly climbed into my top favorite reads. It literally kept me on the edge of my seat trying to read faster just to see what happened next. The author tells this story in a way that keeps you guessing until the very last page. Pay attention because you won’t want to miss a single thing!
Hanging Softly in the Night: A Detective Nick Larson Novel AUDIO BOOK
By Maria Elena Alonso-Sierra
5 stars
This audio book was such a fantastic listen! I wasn’t 100% sure when I first read the synopsis but once I started it I was hooked from beginning to end. The author’s writing was fantastic, so gripping and engaging – it didn’t change the whole way through the book either. The characters were complex and the story was multi layered – it honestly is one of the best books that I have listened to this year! I can’t believe I have never come cross this author previously but that will absolutely change now I cannot wait to get my hands on more of her work!
As well as the amazing story the narrator was great too, really brought the story to life!
1 100% recommend this audio book!
Black Canvas by Laura Rossi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Black Canvas had me hooked fast! I couldn’t put this book down. Laura Rossi does an amazing job building her characters, setting the scenes just right, and making you question everything you thought was real! I love psychological and crime books and Black Canvas gets a high ranking on my list of great ones! The characters are so realistic and relatable and the emotions felt by the characters are felt by the reader as well. Your pulse quickens with the anxiety of anticipation, you hold your breath waiting for the next plot twist, and in the end, want to read it all over again because you find yourself wondering what the heck you just read! This book stuck with me far after the last sentence was read. I kept replaying the events in the book and wondering if there was anything I missed, some subtle clue as to the true nature of the characters. This is definitely a book I would read again and recommend to others!
Black Canvas by Laura Rossi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I honestly have no idea what to say about this book. I am in awe. From start to finish you are taken on a dark ride full of suspense, mystery, darkness.
The main character, Aria, is a psychiatrist who had lost a patient named Ivy a few weeks back. She decided to take time off of work to grieve. A girl named Claudia was found and instantly Aria was attracted to her story. Aria dove into her case causing a lot of previous stuff to come up.
Aria is still trying to figure out what went wrong with her previous patient while also trying to figure out her new patient. Both Ivy and Claudia’s story are very similar to each other so Aria is trying to figure out why and how they are connected.
The author did an amazing job getting into people minds and staying there. With huge plot twists around every corner, it kept me guessing from the first to last page.
Black Canvas by Laura Rossi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Black Canvas by Laura Rossi – Review by Allyson Ware
This novel was written so well. The character development is outstanding. The suspense killed me from the first page to the end of the book. I truly felt as if I were Aria/Ivy, or living inside of her head trying to figure out what is actually going on. Definitely a must read if you enjoy psychological thrillers.
From a psychological standpoint, the author did a great job interpreting mental health and the effects of it from that persons point of view. I am no expert in regard to Bipolar Personality Disorder, but I love that it was depicted in a Doctor’s point of view because that is the reality, right? No one can escape the effects of mental health, and that includes people that have PhD’s.
Review by @aware
Black Canvas by Laura Rossi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Wow. I honestly don’t know how to feel about this book. It dives so deep into the mind that it’s shocking to see the layers unfold. I’ve always loved psychological thrillers because of the twists and turns they take you through, and this book is no disappointment there. We all wear masks and have different versions of ourselves, and this story explores that with frightening depth and weaves a tale that is absolutely stunning. The characters, the internal thoughts, the dialogue – all of it is so intriguing, it’s hard to step away from and also keeps you pondering long after you’ve read the last word. Brilliant piece of work.
Black Canvas by Laura Rossi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is the first book that I’ve read by this author, but it certainly won’t be the last! I’ve read many psychological thrillers this year and this has got to be one of my favorites. Every time I put the book down I couldn’t stop thinking about when I would get the chance to read it next. All of the characters were so well written, making you feel as if you were the characters themselves. There were also many times I found myself questioning what I knew to be true and what to be false, and up until the very end I had no idea how the story would come to it’s conclusion! This story is perfect for fans of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train, both of which used to be two of my favorite thrillers but may now not be because of this book and others which I’ve read this year. I’m definitely excited to read more by this author!
Black Canvas by Laura Rossi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What a read!! At first with everything going on you get really wrapped up into the story. Psychology at its finest. You think you know what’s going on and about half way through all the way to the end your mind gets blown. Beautifully written, suspenseful, page turning thriller, attention grabbing, and just all around a great read. I can’t wait to read more from Laura Rossi
Black Canvas by Laura Rossi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
OMG!! The twists! I was hooked from the very beginning of this book! & I can normally predict twists and endings of books but… I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING!!! So good! Loved the characters. Loved the suspense. Loved everything about this book!
States of Grace by Mandy Miller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
4.5 stars
As a debut book this author’s work is compelling. Interesting (to say the least) and colourful characters take centre stage, including our protagonist/heroine Grace, who is funny, sassy and a mess in general with a smart mouth that leads her into a multitude of trouble. But the most curious and humorous of all is her new leg, Oscar.
Grace finds herself taking on the worst of the worst clients of the underground to ensure her survival. However, it is Grace’s empathy and compassion that has her in a race against time to ensure that her latest client is not falsely convicted of that in which she has been accused – murder.
With lots of twists and turns along the way you keep turning those pages to find out how things will turn out. A great start to the series and debut book.
Reviewed by @jennadb
