J.T. Ellison

All The Pretty Girls: A Book Review

March 5, 2019

Back at it with another book review! I have been working my way through the Taylor Jackson novels and this is the second novel in the series…it did not disappoint!

All the Pretty Girls as described by Amazon:

“Nashville Homicide lieutenant Taylor Jackson is working to catch a serial rapist after a local girl falls prey to a sadistic killer. The Southern Strangler is slaughtering his way through the Southeast, leaving a gruesome memento at each crime scene—the prior victim’s severed hand. Taylor finds herself in a joint investigation with her lover, FBI profiler Dr. John Baldwin, as they pursue the vicious murderer.

Ambitious TV reporter Whitney Connolly is certain the Southern Strangler is her ticket out of Nashville; she’s got a scoop that could break the case. But she has no idea how close to this story she really is—or what it will cost her.

Battling an old injury and her own demons, Taylor is desperate to quell the rising tide of bodies. But as the killer spirals out of control, everyone involved must face a horrible truth—the purest evil is born of private lies.”

My personal review of the book:

First of all, although this is the second book in the Taylor Jackson novels, this is not necessarily a continuation of a complete story line. Think of it like a TV series where you have the same characters, but, there are different story lines. For instance, this book provided a continuation of Taylor’s relationship with Baldwin (pretty cute by the way) and all of her co-worker’s. They case(s) that they take on in this book is far different from the first novel. There are essentially two in one for this novel. I don’t normally like to feel like I’m bouncing back and forth in a book, but, this one flowed so well that it was easy to follow and not get things mixed up. I will say that as things ramped up in the end and they were about to catch the Southern Strangler my eyes widened as I listened to who it was in the book. I think in the back of my mind I kind of knew who it was, but, it still had a ‘NO WAY” moment.

I really did enjoy this book and recommend the series for anyone that enjoy crime related genres. I have taken a little break from the series to listen to another book that I’ve been dying to dive into – stay tuned for that review. Once that one is finished, I will pick up where I left off with the third novel!

What have you been reading lately?

Field of Graves – a Book Review

January 7, 2019

Back at it with another book review for you on this beautiful Thursday! Remember when I posted about this book written by J.T Ellison? Well I went and read Field of Graves written by her and let me tell you, it did not disappoint!

Synopsis per Amazon:

All of Nashville is on edge with a serial killer on the loose. A madman is trying to create his own end-of-days apocalypse and the cops trying to catch him are almost as damaged as the killer. Field of Graves reveals the origins of some of J.T. Ellison’s most famous creations: the haunted Lieutenant Taylor Jackson; her blunt, exceptional best friend, medical examiner Dr. Samantha Owens; and troubled FBI profiler Dr. John Baldwin. Together, they race the clock and their own demons to find the killer before he claims yet another victim. This dark, thrilling and utterly compelling novel will have readers on the edge of their seats, and Ellison’s fans will be delighted with the revelations about their favorite characters.

My review:

As I am a fan of J.T. Ellison, I definitely enjoyed reading the first novel in a series of murder mystery, bone-esque type story line. For those of you that are fans of Bones, NCIS, and really any other murder mystery/police procedure shows and story lines, then this series is for you!

I appreciated the details about the characters written into the plot. When it comes to a series, in my mine it is especially important to really get a “relationship” with the main character…I hope that made sense haha. There is quite a bit of violence (obviously…it’s about a serial killer) so if that’s not your cup of tea then I recommend not giving a go.

I would definitely give this book a 4/5 rating. I love the plot, and the characters are likable. The only con for me was that the ending was a tad bit predictable for me. Ultimately, we all knew that they’d catch the killer, I figured out who the killer was about half way through before they were announced…don’t worry, I won’t spoil the ending for you. Despite the predictable aspect for me, I am moving forward with reading the rest of the series and I am excited to start the next one!

What have you been reading lately?

No One Knows: a book review

October 9, 2018

I have been a bookworm for as long as I can remember. I refer to myself as an “equal opportunity book lover.” If the book is well written, the genre doesn’t really matter to me. It’s not unlike me to be reading more than one book at a time. I always listen to an Audible book as I get ready each day, and have another book either in my purse, or, on my nightstand to read as I please. My goal is always to read a minimum of 1 book per week – not always successful, but, I still try because I enjoy it.

This week I am reviewing No One Knows by J.T. Ellison.

Here’s the description according to Amazon:

“Aubrey Hamilton has been mourning her missing husband for five years, despite being even while she was considered the prime suspect in his murder. But when he is officially declared dead, there are still more questions than answers: Why didn’t Josh show up at his friend’s bachelor party? Was he murdered, or did he run away? And who is the new, mysterious and strangely familiar figureman suddenly appearing in Aubrey’s life? And has she finally lost her mind after years of loneliness and confusion?

No One Knows is an evocative mystery that explores the complex darkness within all of us, perfect for fans of Gillian Flynn, Liane Moriarty, and Paula Hawkins.”

Here’s my review:

First of all, I couldn’t put the book down. This is always a good sign. I loved that the book kept me on my toes all the way until the end.

Is Aubrey going crazy? Where did Josh go? Is he alive?!? What the what?!?!?

I would consider this book to be your basic thriller. There’s love, loss, death, mystery, etc. You name it, this book has all the right ingredients. Despite some of the negative reviews about the book, I really enjoyed the book…until the very end.

Don’t worry, I won’t give away major details, but, I kind of felt a little empty inside when I finished the book – definitely saying, “what the hell just happened?” During the entire book Aubrey has her own inner dialogue which is great to get to know her better. The ONLY thing I didn’t appreciate about the book is that, that inner dialogue never once revealed the truth about her involvement in her husbands disappearance. When the truth is revealed at the end, I legit said, “WHAT?!? Are you effing kidding me right now?” Which then caused my husband to give the people’s eyebrow (if you don’t know what that is, we may no longer be friends).

Here’s the deal, I totally dig J.T. Ellison’s writing style. So much so, I began reading one of her many series. She’s a great writer and really knows how to pull you into the characters lives which I appreciate. I may not have liked how the book ended, but, that’s not a dealbreaker for me. If the book doesn’t elicit some sort of emotional response (good, bad, or, otherwise), then it’s not worth reading.

Have you read No One Knows? If so, I’d love to hear your thoughts!

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J.T. Ellison

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