seen from Yemen
seen from Russia
seen from United Kingdom
seen from United States
seen from Brazil
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United Kingdom
seen from Iraq
seen from Belarus
seen from United States
seen from Malaysia
seen from United States
seen from Yemen
seen from Argentina
seen from Yemen
seen from Russia
seen from United States
seen from United Kingdom
Books Read and Reviewed in June 2025!
Here it is already the end of another month. Where does the time go? I have been busy as usual reading some wonderful books for the month of June of 2025. Here are the 8 books I read and reviewed for June. I might have read even more if I didn’t have a few WIP. But I always seemed to have a WIP! That fact never stops me! I hope you enjoy reading these reviews. I love sharing my eclectic reads in…
View On WordPress
On Having a Rough Go
I've been having a really rough time getting out of bed in the morning. There's a lot of uncertainty concerning a very good friend, and the not-knowing anything is eating me alive. I walk around all day with a lump in my throat. I can't sleep. I have trouble eating. Maybe I should be writing about it.
I’ve been having a really rough time getting out of bed in the morning. There’s a lot of uncertainty concerning a very good friend, and the not-knowing anything is eating me alive. I walk around all day with a lump in my throat. I can’t sleep. I have trouble eating. Maybe I should be writing about it. There’s an article on the website for Writer’s Digest titled “7 Ways Writing Heals Us—Even…
REVIEW
The Drowning Game by Barbara Nickless
Taking a chance on a new book is much easier when every book previously read by the author has been excellent. I met this author on her second book, was hooked, and have been on the line ever since. This is either a standalone novel or perhaps (fingers crossed) the beginning of a new series.
What I liked:
* The Legend of the Merlion and how it tied into the story
* The perfect title for the book and the story behind it
* The epigraphs that introduced each section
* That Cassandra Brenner’s introduction in August grabbed me and made me want to keep reading
* Nadia Brenner: yacht designer, wealthy, close to her sister Cassandra, daughter of generational megayacht family empire, loves her family, believes in the work she does, in a relationship with Matthew, learns and grows a lot, has inner strengths she finds in this story
* Cassandra: strong, enjoys excitement, loves Shanghai, puts family first, protective, caring, not seen much but pivotal piece in this book
* The yin/yang of the sisters personalities
* Learning more about yachts and yacht building
* The plot, pacing, setting, and writing
* The subplots that bring in more than one family name and the issues and the family histories that impact the present in a variety of ways
* The new tidbits learned about Asia, Asian philosophies, games I’d never heard of
* The tension and reason for it
* The twists, turns, secrets exposed, and how it all came together in the end
* The ending…but also wondering if perhaps it is just the beginning of a new series…would love to get to know the main characters better?
What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* Thinking about Karma and wondering about how it might have played a part in some of the characters’ lives
* The loss of some of the lives of some of the characters
Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC – This is my honest review.
4-5 Stars
BLURB
A woman’s investigation into her sister’s death exposes the dark side of a secret life in a gripping novel of power, money, and murder by a Wall Street Journal bestselling author. Sisters Nadia and Cass Brenner are heirs to Ocean House, a decades-old empire that builds superyachts for the rich and emirs, oligarchs, and titans of industry throughout America and Europe. They’re a next-generation success with the design of their soon-to-be-commissioned megayacht for a Chinese billionaire. But the sisters’ entrée into the coveted Asian market is tragically cut short when Cass falls from a fortieth-floor hotel window. A Singapore detective rules suicide. Nadia’s been in the yacht business too long not to be suspicious. Especially when she discovers Cass’s involvement in dangerously illicit activities. Pulled into the same web of betrayal, lies, and secrets that trapped her sister, Nadia is on the most perilous mission of her life. Because uncovering the truth behind her sister’s death could tear the Brenner family apart—and it just might get her killed. From Seattle to Austria to the South China Sea, Nadia must hold on to the one thing that can keep her safe. It’s the Brenner family Trust no one.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Barbara Nickless is the Wall Street Journal and Amazon Charts bestselling author of Play of Shadows, Dark of Night, and At First Light in the Dr. Evan Wilding series, as well as the Sydney Rose Parnell series, which includes Blood on the Tracks, a Suspense Magazine Best of 2016 selection and winner of the Colorado Book Award and the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence; Dead Stop, winner of the Colorado Book Award and nominee for the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence; Ambush; and Gone to Darkness. Her essays and short stories have appeared in Writer’s Digest and on Criminal Element, among other markets. She lives in Colorado, where she loves to cave, snowshoe, hike, and drink single malt Scotch—usually not at the same time. Connect with her at www.barbaranickless.com.
The Drowning Game by Barbara Nickless Thomas & Mercer | January 1, 2025 | 380 pages | Trade Paperback Original | ISBN 9781662510014 $4.99 Kindle e-Book | ASIN B0D183RYWK $19.99 Digital Audio | ISBN 1511344261
REVIEW
Play of Shadows by Barbara Nickless
Dr. Evan Wilding #3
A’maze’ing, immersive, interesting, and intellectually stimulating ~ Great addition to the series!
What I liked: all of it really but specifically…
* Evan Wilding: professor at the University of Chicago in semiotics, linguistics, and paleography; consultant to police, height challenged – refers to himself as a dwarf, brilliant, older brother to River, likes animals, tenacious, puzzle solver, intriguing
* River Wilding: archaeologist, explorer, possibly a spy, a year younger than Evan, one and a half feet taller than his brother, always on the move, supportive, capable, leaps into the fray, a doer, interesting and intriguing, rather taken with Evan’s assistant Diana, in town to help Evan
* Diana: Evan’s assistant, specialized in another area of ancient civilizations and languages, ax thrower, athlete, like a sister to Evan, rather taken with River
* Addison “Addie” Bissett: homicide detective, Evan’s friend, works with Evan on some cases, strong, determined, caring, dedicated, is at a crossroads in her life with decisions to make
* Detective McBrady: Addie’s work partner and a father figure at times, protective, wise, grounded
* Evan’s animals: Perro the Welsh Corgi that was once Diana’s and Ginny the hawk that Evan flies in the park
* The brothers together, their comradery, the way they communicate and care for one another, the great team they make when working together
* The plot, pacing, setting, and writing with twists, turns, and surprises – really drew me in and made me care
* The mysteries and how they were resolved through police procedure and the unlocking of clues based in ancient symbols
* That there was hope at the end a future book to look forward to
What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* Thinking about how twisted some people are and how they impact those around them – for good or for evil
Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Definitely!
Thank you to Thomas & Mercer for the ARC – This is my honest review.
5 Stars
BLURB
An ancient creature of Greek mythology drives a killer’s unspeakable motives in a pulse-pounding thriller by the Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Dark of Night.
On a stormy Chicago night, renowned semiotician Dr. Evan Wilding and his brother, River, who’s back from an archaeological dig, reunite in a mystery. A package addressed to both of them contains a hand-drawn maze, an ancient Cretan coin, and a cryptic greeting: Let the game begin.
The opening move is murder.
In a downtown alley, a man has been found nearly cleaved in two, a symbol drawn on his forehead and a savage rip in his throat. Given the clues, Evan sees a parallel to a fearsome Greek myth. Which means his friend Detective Addie Bisset is on the trail of a legendary flesh-eating monster—one terrifyingly human and tumbling a panicked city toward chaos.
Evan, Addie, and River scramble to discover who’s behind the appalling crimes and decipher the baffling motives. The body count is rising. The endgame is nowhere in sight. And the stakes are nothing less than life and death.
Dark of Night (Dr. Evan Wilding)by Barbara Nickless 367 pages, Paperback First published November 15, 2022 Literary awardsColorado Book Awar
Book Review: Dark of Night by Barbara Nickless
Book Review: Dark of Night by Barbara Nickless
I was so impressed with the first in Barbara Nickless’s Dr. Evan Wilding series At First Light that I immediately ordered the second in the series, Dark of Night. Author Nickless demonstrates great plotting, fascinating historical references, little-known trivial tidbits, and intriguing characters. I adore the main character, Evan Wilding, Ph.D., an intelligent professor who is a four-foot,…
View On WordPress
BOOK REVIEW: At First Light (Dr. Evan Wilding Book 1) by Barbara Nickless
BOOK REVIEW: At First Light (Dr. Evan Wilding Book 1) by Barbara Nickless
I can’t express how much I enjoyed At First Light. Author Nickless demonstrates great plotting, fascinating historical references, little-known trivial tidbits, intriguing characters, and a “ticking clock.” I have been binging on all things Viking lately, and At First Light is a contemporary take on the subject. I adored the main character here, Evan Wilding, Ph.D., an intelligent professor who…
View On WordPress
My November 2022 books read. Best thrillers: Dark of Night and At First Light by Barbara Nickless. Best cozy mysteries: Shadow on the Glass and Three Can Keep a Secret by M. E. Hilliard.
