Under The Radar Books.

Tag: series

  • Book Review: We Are All Guilty Here by Karin Slaughter

    We Are All Guilty Here by Karin Slaughter

    Book Summary.

    WE ARE ALL GUILTY HERE

    Karin Slaughter

    A favorite author, a brand-new series, and it’s the talk of the summer.

    The book begins on July 4th. Emmy meets with a young girl. By the end of the night, she will be missing. This isn’t just any girl; it’s her best friend’s daughter.

    On the hunt, following clues as the mystery unfolds, each new layer holds the key, but to what?

    To find where the girls are, Emmy must reveal truths about her small town. Truths that expose the nature of a beast. A secret that is bigger and goes wider than Emmy ever thought. By the end of the novel, Emmy will think differently about the town, about the girls, about herself.

    The Review.

    I couldn’t wait to read this new book in a series by Karin Slaughter. Slaughter is one of my favorite authors. If you’re unfamiliar with her work, the one thing to know is that she’s not messing around.

    This book was fantastic. It sets the stage for the entire series. We are introduced to a cast of characters. All of which I look forward to learning more about and hearing their story.

    Emmy is perfect as an MC. She is flawed and doesn’t always do or say the right thing. She is human, and I loved following her in this book.

    If this isn’t already on your summer TBR, it should be.

    Thanks to Netgalley and William Morrow for the advanced copy!

    WE ARE ALL GUILTY HERE…⭐⭐⭐⭐

    Screen Pairing

    Will Trent (2023) Series Hulu

    The Coffee that gets me through each book: Tarrazzu Costa Rican Blend

    Book Pairing

    If you liked this review…you might like: King of Ashes by SA Cosby
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  • Episode Review: Happy Face on Paramount Plus

    Happy Face (2025)

    Synopsis.

    We checked out an episode of HAPPY FACE on Paramount Plus. It was a solid pilot episode. We are following Melissa who after years of not speaking to her father receives a letter in the mail that changes everything. Her father has been incarcerated for years. He is an infamous serial killer known as the Happy Face killer. He says there is one more body that no one knows about and he will tell Melissa all about it if she will listen. Melissa isn’t sure if he’s being serious about the tenth murder or if he’s using it as a reason to get her back in his life. I liked the episode enough and now I have the song Oh Happy Days stuck in my head which is not the theme song for the show. But here we are. Let’s talk about what I liked, what I didn’t and if I’ll continue watching.

    The Review.

    I have a lot of shows in the rotation. I have a handful of other ones on deck. Recently, we watched the first episode of HAPPY FACE and enjoyed it. I liked the setup, the acting was great despite Dennis Quaid who was at best gesturing his lines at worst muttering them. We will continue to watch. But until then I’ll be watching BLACK MIRROR which debuts tonight. What are you watching this week? Anything good?

    Screen Pairing

    Mindhunter Series Netflix Thriller/Drama

    Firstleaf Wine Club Wine Pairing 21+ $30 Off your first shipment!

    For this title I recommend: Butler and Thief Cabernet Savignon

    Book Pairing

    If you liked this review…you might like: Witness 8 by Steve Cavanagh
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  • Book Review: Leave No Trace by Jo Callaghan

    Leave No Trace by Jo Callaghan

    Book Summary.

    LEAVE NO TRACE Jo Callaghan “In the beginner’s mind, there are many options, but in the experts, there are few.” Shunryū Suzuki What aspects of being human could not be replaced by artificial intelligence? How can we use AI when our aptitude is lacking to forge a new future alongside our creation? LEAVE NO TRACE follows Inspector Kat Frank and AIDE Lock, her artificial intelligence officer. Aide is a hologram manifested from a watch-like attachment on her wrist. It is up to her to activate the hologram and decide when it is used. They are on their second case together as partners and this time they are set to solve a gruesome murder in the dead of winter. A man has been crucified on a cross atop a hill. Not just any hill. A hill made of waste at their local recycling and waste station. It happens deep in the frigid winter months and traversing to the top of the hill is a significant part of the trouble in solving the crime. They must enter and exit the scene as if they didn’t. They must solve the crime and LEAVE NO TRACE.

    The Review.

    This is the second book in an incredibly interesting crime fiction series written by Callaghan. I read the first book in the series last year and loved the questions it raised and the thought-provoking situations our characters found themselves in. The dynamics would be interesting with any type of plot, but I find it more so within the context of a crime fiction novel. It seems perhaps that one of the first ways AI will be used would be in crime prevention and investigation. The book is excellent first because of the writing and second because of the context. There are several situations these partners get into where the strengths and weaknesses of each partner are explored. There are obvious advantages to having AI investigate crimes but there are also many disadvantages and key oversights that need to be addressed. Coded in probability when put in situations where there is only one viable option, we as humans are superior in our ability to hold several possibilities in one mind. Several opportunities in one hand. Sometimes you do what needs to be done, sacrificing what is perfect for what is right. Excellent conversations and I can’t wait for the next in the series. 10/10 recommend! LEAVE NO TRACE… ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
    Two books written by author Alex Michaelides. Behind it are olive branches.

    Screen Pairing

    Minority Report (2002) Movie Action

    The Coffee that gets me through each book: Tarrazzu Costa Rican Blend

    Book Pairing

    If you liked this review…you might like: In the Blink of an Eye by Jo Callaghan
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