Book Review: Murder at the PTA (Maya and Sandra Mystery, #1) by Lee Hollis

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Murder at the PTA (Maya and Sandra Mystery, #1) by Lee Hollis is the first installment in the Maya and Sandra Mystery series, a cozy mystery series centered on private investigators. The story follows Sandra Wallage , the wife of a U.S. senator and the newly elected president of Portland High School’s PTA, who becomes the latest target of a vicious gossip website called Dirty Laundry . After a heated PTA meeting, Sandra crosses paths with Maya Kendrick , a private investigator who has uncovered the identity of the person behind the gossip site. When the two women attempt to confront the culprit, they instead discover a dead body. Was it really a suicide, or did someone have a motive for murder? I’m a longtime fan of books by Lee Hollis , which is actually the pen name for sibling writing duo Rick Copp and Holly Simason . They’ve written several cozy mystery series, and what I appreciate most about their books is that they aren’t overly kitschy, unlike some other cozy mysteries I’ve ...
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Book Review: Confessions on the 7:45 by Lisa Unger

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Confessions on the 7:45 by Lisa Unger opens with a commuter train that has stalled and Selena Murphy striking up a conversation with another passenger named Martha. Martha admits that she's having an affair with her boss. Selena confesses that she thinks her husband is having an affair with the nanny. A few days later, Geneva, the nanny, disappears causing Selena's life to fall apart, and Selena begins to wonder just who Martha is.

I belong to several book related groups on Facebook, and Confessions on the 7:45 by Lisa Unger was recommended by another member. When I read the synopsis on Goodreads.com, I was immediately intrigued and purchased the ebook version from Barnes and Noble Booksellers.  At first, I wasn't sure I would like the book, but I persisted, and I am so glad I did.  The further I got into the story, the better it got, and I absolutely ended up falling in love with this novel, so much so that I want a sequel.

The story was told from various different perspectives, and at first, I wasn't sure how they all connected to one another. It definitely kept the story twisting and turning, which I loved because I definitely didn't have a clue how it was going to turn out. The one thing to keep in mind if you plan on reading this book is that it switches back and forth between the present day and the past. At first, this threw me for a loop.

Characters were very well developed in my opinion, even the children in the book were evolved, which was a nice change to see. There were characters that I loved and felt emotionally attached to.  And, of course, there others that I despised and wanted them to get their just dessert. Furthermore, the writing was superb. My heart pounded in all the right places and broke where it was supposed to.

I've seen several people compare Confessions on the 7:45 to the novel Strangers on a Train. I haven't read the latter, but it definitely makes me want to read it so I can make a comparison and form my own opinion. There's nothing bad I can really say about this book. I gave it five out of five stars, and I plan on reading more books written by Lisa Unger.

If you liked Confessions on the 7:45 by Lisa Unger, you may like Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris.


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