I love mysteries and recently had the opportunity to read and review books from the Annie Collins Mystery series by Helen Starbuck. Today, I am sharing my review of The Mad Hatter's Son--with reviews of The Burden of Hate and No Pity in Death coming soon! Check out the books, read my thoughts, learn about the author & enter for a chance to win a prize in the book tour giveaway at the end of this post!
Book Title: The Mad Hatter's Son (An Annie Collins Mystery #1) by Helen Starbuck
Category: Adult Fiction (18+), 285 pages
Genre: Mystery
Publisher: Routt Street Press
Release date: 2018
Format available for review: ebook (Gifted Kinde, PDF), audiobook (audible download)
Tour dates: Jan 13 to Feb 9, 2021
Content Rating: R. Two explicit sex scenes, profanity, medical scenes.
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About the Book
Curiosity killed the cat, so the saying goes, and it may end up killing operating room nurse Annie Collins. Annie’s estranged friend Libby Matheisen needs Annie’s help to discover what is causing her vague, puzzling symptoms. Unwillingly drawn into her friend’s life, Annie must discover whether Libby is really ill or if there is a hidden agenda. Faced with Libby’s apparent suicide, Annie is unable to stop asking questions to uncover the truth about her illness and death. The answers to these questions don’t come without a price, and pursuing the mystery of Libby’s death threatens to end her life as well. Friends change, love betrays, and the end results are never what you anticipate. Find out why the BookLife Prize called The Mad Hatter’s Son “An outstanding debut,” and it was the winner of The National Indie Excellence Book Awards mystery category.
My Review
The Mad Hatter's Son Required a Little Patience. I had a tough time settling into the pace of this book. I enjoy the author's character and setting development--and she indeed offered realistic insights into the nurse's career environment--but it took a bit for the book to pick up steam and roll through the mystery. Unfortunately, I found that I was not too fond of our starring character much as I read the novel--and that also required a bit of patience to push me past some of her personality flaws. Despite the slow start and my dislike of Annie--I found myself drawn into the storyline and enjoyed seeing it to resolution once it picked up speed.
Twists and Turns Develop as the Story Moved Along. I don't think I was entirely surprised by the mystery events--but, the author does create a nice flow to open up the pieces of the puzzle as she developed her characters and plot twists.
Would I Recommend The Mad Hatter's Son by Helen Starbuck? While I didn't love Annie (or many of the supporting cast of characters)--I enjoyed the book and remained engaged in the mystery through to the end. It was a nice introduction to the series--and I will be interested to see where Annie's story moves next (and if she develops as a character into one that I like a bit more!) If you enjoy mysteries that aren't overly complex--and love a novel filled with characters that you love or hate--but feel drawn to follow--give this mystery series a look. I enjoyed the realism of Annie's hospital life, have hopes for her future personal life--and look forward to seeing her character solve new mysteries.
Category: Adult Fiction (18+), 216 pages
Genre: Mystery
Publisher: Routt Street Press
Release date: March 2020
Content Rating: R. Several explicit sex scenes, profanity, medical scenes
How far would you go for someone you love? How much hate would you need to commit murder? Revenge. Hate. Fear. Not exactly traditional wedding gifts. But when convicted killer Ian Patterson escapes from prison, operating room nurse Annie Collins and fiancé assistant district attorney Angel Cisneros are forced to confront these realities head on. Will Ian Patterson’s quest for revenge toward the two people responsible for sending him to prison—Annie Collins and Angel Cisneros—bring them face to face to settle the score once and for all?
Find out why Kirkus Reviews calls The Burden of Hate, “A thriller that offers a master class in suspense.”
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Category: Adult Fiction (18+), 249 pages
Genre: Mystery
Publisher: Routt Street Press
Release date: 2019
Format available for review: ebook (Gifted Kinde, PDF), audiobook (audible download)
Tour dates: Jan 13 to Feb 9, 2021
Content Rating: R. Two explicit sex scenes, profanity, medical scenes.
About the Book
Struggling to put her life back together after almost being murdered, operating room nurse Annie Collins agrees to help homicide Detective Alex Frost investigate a troubling number of patient deaths in the ICU step down unit at her hospital. Are the patients succumbing to life threatening illnesses or is someone helping them die? Assistant district attorney and close friend, Angel Cisneros, worries about Annie’s involvement with Frost’s investigation, and his concern
escalates after a person from her past contacts her. His feelings for her, which have grown deeper, complicate everything. Dangerous enemies are something Annie and Angel have in common. As they quickly discover, paybacks can be hell.
Buy the Book
Helen Starbuck is a Colorado native, former OR nurse, and award-winning author of the standalone romantic suspense novel Legacy of Secrets, and the Annie Collins Mystery Series. She loves mysteries, suspense, romance, and any book that is well written. She’s a huge fan of books with independent, strong, women characters and, as Neil Gaiman says, “…stories where women save themselves.”
Connect with the author: Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~Instagram ~ Pinterest ~ Goodreads
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