| Title | : | The Minotaur Sampler, Volume 4: New Books to Make Your Heart Race |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1250840953 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781250840950 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | ebook |
| Number of Pages | : | 180 |
| Publication | : | Published September 28, 2021 |
Standalone: From debut author Stacy Willingham comes a masterfully done, lyrical thriller that is certain to be the launch of an amazing career. A Flicker in the Dark is eerily compelling to the very last page.
Standalone: From the author of Every Last Fear comes a breakneck new thriller about a pair of small-town murders fifteen years apart, and the one man whose life is inexplicably linked to both. Alex Finlay returns with The Night Shift.
First in Series: Multiple award-winning author Gigi Pandian introduces her newest heroine in Under Lock & Skeleton Key, where Tempest Raj returns home to work at her father’s Secret Staircase Construction Company.
Standalone: A heart-thumping novel that will shake you to your core, The Resting Place is a masterful novel of suspense and horror from international star Camilla Sten.
Standalone: Extraordinarily tense and deliciously mysterious, Anna Downes’s The Shadow House follows one woman desperate to protect her children at any cost in a remote village retreat where not everything is as it seems. . .
First in Series: Friday Night Lights meets Mare of Easttown in this small-town mystery about an unlikely private investigator searching for a missing waitress. Pay Dirt Road is the mesmerizing debut from the 2019 Tony Hillerman Prize recipient Samantha Jayne Allen.
The Minotaur Sampler, Volume 4: New Books to Make Your Heart Race Reviews
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Minotaur really has a slew of irresistible novels coming out this coming season. The first three are my favorites in the sampler.
“A Flicker In The Dark” , by Stacey Williamham is a debut novel. I have already read this novel and gave it 5*. It’s a great thriller with an unreliable narrator and a psychopath or two. I highly recommend this one. Feel free to read my review for more of my feelings about this one!!
“The Night Shift”, by Alex Finlay was an automatic request for me. I absolutely love this author’s writing and “Every Last Fear” was one of my top reads last year. The murder settings of a Blockbuster video and an ice cream shop, set in a small town sounds unique. I have already been approved for this one, so I read just a snippet of this novel.
“Under Skeleton Lock and Key” by Gigi Pandian is the first of what looks like a very unique series. The Secret Staircase Construction company specializes in creating unique spaces in homes with hidden staircases, sliding doors and any number of unique nooks and crannies, perfect for readers, or those who have something to hide!! I’ve requested this one.
“The Shadow House” by Anne Downes is the story of a mother who is running from something, she is looking for a place of safety for herself and her children. She finds Pine Ridge which looks like it will be the perfect refuge. The inhabitants are welcoming and the setting of the surrounding mountains is beautiful. But there are secrets hidden here and Alex isn’t sure whether they will be safe here. This one has a creepy, “something bad is coming” vibe. I’ve requested this one!!
“The Resting Place” is a standalone novel which is stated to be mystery/horror. Since I’m a wimp and don’t like horror, I didn’t read this part of the sampler!!
“Pay Dirt Road” by Samantha Jayne Allen. This is another debut novel. The main protagonist, Annie McIntyre has recently graduated from college and is home for the summer. She doesn’t know what her next move will be but she is waitressing to make money while she contemplates the future. Her supposedly retired grandfather manages to get her involved in the family PI business when a fellow waitress goes missing. This is very well written but sounded a bit too much like something I’ve read before. I’ll probably pass on this one.
It’s always fun to get a taste of what is coming from Minotaur, this is going to be a great Fall/Winter of reading!
I received an ARC of this sampler from the publisher through NetGalley. -
This fourth edition of the Minotaur Sampler offers you a sneak peek at the first few chapters of six novels-either standalone or first in the series-publishing Winter 2022 and it’s free to read!
A Flicker In the Dark-a stand-alone and DEBUT from author Stacey Willingham
Twelve years ago, six girls went missing in a small Louisiana town, and Chloe’s father confessed to the crimes. Twenty years later, Chloe is a psychologist to troubled teens, when a local teen goes missing. This felt like a slow burn which would be smoldering by the end! Can’t wait to read more. REQUESTING!!
The Night Shift-Alex Finlay-Stand-alone, though Sarah Keller from Every Last Fear is back and on the case of a pair of small town Murders-one at a Blockbuster Video and one at an Ice cream shop, fifteen years apart but linked. I was hooked from the opening sentence and look forward to devouring this one, ASAP! REQUESTING!!
Under Skeleton Lock and Key-Gigi Pandian-First in a series-If you love COZIES, this sounds so unique! The Secret Staircase Construction company transforms client’s homes by adding sliding bookcases, backyard treehouses and hidden reading nooks. I would love to hire them to transform my little house!
The Resting Place-Camilla Sten-Stand-alone-horror/suspense about a woman with Prosopagnosia-face blindness. Since I don’t read a lot of horror, it was nice to have the opportunity to read a sample of the author’s work. I would guess that the book will eventually find its rhythm, but the sample jumped all over the place-the style was off putting to me.
The Shadow House-Anne Downes-Stand-alone-A single mother of two finds refuge in a remote “hippie commune” of sorts. I hate anything and everything CULT like, so it’s just a personal preference to pass on this one.
Pay Dirt Road-Samantha Jayne Allen-DEBUT and first in a series-a small town mystery set in Garnett, Texas, about an unlikely private investigator searching for a missing waitress. It’s the kind of town that seems exactly the same as when you left, even though it’s been years. I found the writing to be engaging if you are drawn to stories like this one.
Again, these samplers are a great way to decide if a book or author is for you before committing, and for free, why wouldn’t you want to read it?! AVAILABLE September 28, 2021
Thank You to St. Martin’s Press for my gifted early copy provided through NetGalley! It was my pleasure to offer a candid review! -
Most of us have time constraints causing the need to maximize our available reading time.
Which is why I appreciate the opportunity to preview books before requesting, borrowing, or purchasing.
How a book is written makes a big difference as to whether I enjoy it or not. It’s difficult to explain why I absolutely love one book and another similar book doesn’t suit. I don’t often know until I’m partially through and then want to put it aside.
I enjoyed all the entries here and have continued on with A Flicker in the Dark and am eagerly awaiting Night Shift. I’d already been aware of those two and had them on my To Read list so the excerpts cemented my decision.
However, I didn’t know much about the other four. I added Under Lock and Skeleton Key which seemed like an interesting (to me) cozy. The Final Resting Place is in question because I just read a book dealing with prosopagnosia although I enjoyed reading the sample here.
The Shadow House also appears promising (and scary) so I added that one in addition to Pay Dirt Road.
Pay Dirt Road especially appeals to me with “an unlikely private investigator searching for a missing waitress”. Of the six entries, the small town atmosphere stood out the most for me.
Although sampling isn’t a sure thing, I found it helpful and I hope this is a trend.
Thank you to Macmillan and Minotaur Books, NetGalley, and the six authors for my opportunity to read partials of their books. -
I always look forward to the Minotaur samplers so I was very excited to see Volume 4! For my money, Minotaur puts out some of the creepiest and most original thrillers and mysteries in a crowded market desperate for innovation. It is always fun to sample the first few chapters of new offerings that I might not have picked up in the first place, and I always find at least one must-read.
For me there were three standouts in this compilation. First, the new book by Alex Finlay, who wrote last year’s breakneck speed thriller Every Last Fear. The sampling in this collection is from his next novel, The Night Shift. Obviously, I’m going to read this one, because it 1) contains Finlay’s expert prose and 2) it begins inside a tantalizing setting in 1999 at a Blockbuster Video. I mean, who doesn’t love a Blockbuster as a backdrop for murder? Finlay continues to demonstrate that signature creative and creepy writing with a great sense of humor to boot. I clearly will be reading the rest of this book.
Next we have Camilla Sten, whose Lost Village creeped me out earlier this year. In this book she tackles the interesting issue of face blindness in another creepy and atmospheric gothic horror story, The Resting Place. Sign me up!
I was also intrigued by new (to me) author Anna Downes’ The Shadow House. This story, which takes place at a village retreat, was creepy and suspenseful from the beginning and made me want to read more! I might not have picked this one up had I not read this sampler, but now I’m definitely going to read it.
These were my favorite three excerpts in the collection, but there are three more books to sample too. Every time I read the Minotaur sampler I find something I want to read immediately. I wish all the publishers would do this because I love getting a feel for an author’s voice before I commit to a book. Looking forward to Volume 5!
Thanks to Minotaur and NetGalley for the ARC! -
All of the books in this Sampler were enticing. I have already started reading a copy of Camilla Sten's latest title, The Resting Place. It is interesting that it is the second book I've come across this year where a character suffers from prosopagnosia (I'd never even heard of the disorder before this year). I'm not completely on board with Alex Finlay, and after reading the opening chapters of his latest book, The Night Shift, the jury is still out. All of the books sampled in the Sampler were page flippers. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of The Shadow House, Under Lock and Skeleton Key, and A Flicker in the Dark. Each left me with a taste for more. Not so for Pay Dirt Road - not a good fit for me.
The idea of a Sampler is good, you have a browse through anticipated titles by interesting authors. On the other hand, it can be really frustrating to reach the end of chapter four and discover that you'll have to wait at least as many months before you can get your hand on the book and see how it ends...
Thank you to Macmillan and Minotaur Books, NetGalley, for the opportunity to read partials of books that are sure to make a splash in the months to come. -
Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this fourth edition sampler of six novels due to be published in the winter of 2022. Some are standalone novels; others are first in a series. All are well done, but naturally, some intrigued me more than others. Here’s a quick review of each, taken in order of appearance. I received this sampler as an ARC in return for my honest, unbiased review. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
First, A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham, gets off to a great start in these introductory chapters. When Chloe Davis was 12, something terrible happened in her town and in her life. Twenty years later she’s a psychologist in Baton Rouge and is engaged to be married. She’s a flawed character with anxiety issues and likely chemical dependency problems as well. This is a debut work of fiction that grabbed me enough to make me want to read more.
Next is The Night Shift by Alex Finlay. I wasn’t crazy about the writing style, but I found the story line to be quite intriguing. The author piles layer upon layer of connections in his plot, beginning with the attack of four teenage employees of a Blockbuster Video store on New Year’s Eve in 1999. One girl somehow manages to survive. A decade and a half later, a similar attack occurs in the very same town. Again, one – only one – makes it out alive. There are other “coincidences” as well. I was sad to see this teaser end as it has the potential to be a winner.
The third story is Under Lock and Key by Gigi Pandian, featuring a young female magician named Tempest. She is trying to weather a career storm. She has moved back home and has been offered a job with her family, whose business involves building secret passages and the like. Her mother disappeared mysteriously a number of years before; Tempest has always assumed that she committed suicide by drowning. What’s the real story? After being offered a job that does not meet her needs or abilities, Tempest comes to believe that perhaps she is needed in the family business after all. This story piqued my interest, but I wasn’t entirely enthralled with it. It’s not quite my cup of tea, and it’s not too hard for me to pass up.
The Resting Place by Camilla Sten, translated by Alexandra Fleming, is the fourth in this collection. Eleanor, “don’t call me ‘Victoria,’” has prosopagnosia, which is commonly called face blindness. It is a medical condition resulting in the inability to recognize faces. When she arrives at her grandmother’s home for dinner, she finds her grandmother Vivianne lying on the floor, covered in blood. Sometime after Vivianne’s death, Eleanor, her boyfriend Sebastian, and her aunt meet at a property where her grandmother and aunt grew up, where her grandfather suddenly died. Who killed Vivianne? What happened to her husband many years before? I did not connect to Eleanor at all, and the story did not draw me in. 3 stars so far, not enough to make me want to continue.
Equally uninteresting to me was the next one, Shadow House, by Anna Downe. Alex has moved to a unique, remote community with her 14-year-old son Ollie and infant daughter. Ollie has a big-time teenage attitude and is resentful about the move. Alex has secrets, and so does their new neighborhood, apparently. The difficult mother-son relationship is unpleasant, but well written. Neither character seems too likable early on. I was not really engaged with this story either, at least not enough to want to read the entire novel.
Did I hit paydirt with the last entry? Close! Pay Dirt Road by Samantha Jayne Allen is set in a Texas oil town where Annie is a 22-year-old waitress. Annie is worried when another waitress goes missing after a rowdy party. After learning of her co-worker’s disappearance, she’s offered a job by Mary-Pat, an investigator who worked with her grandpa Leroy and her dad, who were both lawmen. She thinks it will be a clerical job, but with her grandfather involved, could it turn out to be more? I was drawn to Annie, her cousin Nikki, and their “down home” lifestyle. This could prove to be a really good story, and I’m definitely interested in reading more.
Overall rating 4.3 rounded to 4 -
I was fortunate to recently attend an online event whereby these six authors collaborated on-the-spot to write a short story. Also, I have read both The Night Shift and A Flicker in the Dark and thought both books were very good. After the collective short story effort, I was intrigued to sample the books for the other four authors. For me, I would rank them top-down as Pay Dirt Road, The Shadow House, The Resting Place, and Under Lock and Skeleton Key. None of the other four books hooked me to continue at this time but it helped introduce me to these authors of which only one was on my reading radar before starting the sampler (Pay Dirt Road).
Thanks to both the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity in exchange for an honest review. -
Five Stars. I always love receiving these samplers to review. As a fan of mysteries and scary stuff, I'm really looking forward to several of these, especially A Flicker in the Dark (Stacy Willingham), The Shadow House (Anna Downes), and The Resting Place (Camilla Sten) - but to be honest, I'll be adding all six to my tbr. I don't think there's a bad choice in the bunch.
I’m very grateful to Minotaur/St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this sampler.
#TheMinotaurSamplerVolume4 #NetGalley #BookReviews #Bookstagram #BookReview #Books #Bookstagrammer #Bookworm #Booklover #BooksOfInstagram #BookRecommendations #ReadersOfInstagram #BookNerd #Bookish #Bibliophile #Reading #BookReviewer #Book #BookAddict #Reader #BookLovers #Bookshelf #Goodreads #Review #BookRecommendation #BookClub #Reviews #BookReader -
I always enjoy these samplers!
A Flicker In The Dark - a debut thriller novel. This one sounds really promising, we are following psychologist Chloe whose father was accused of murder 20 years prior
Under Skeleton Key - seems like a cute fit for cozy mystery fans, not really my personal taste
The Resting Place - I actually recently received a full ARC of this one and am excited to dive in! I had mixed thoughts on this author’s previous book but I’m excited to give her a second chance.
The Shadow House - you had me at ‘cults’ tbh. will be requesting this asap
Pay Dirt Road - Another debut novel, this one is a small town mystery which i tend to love. Will be checking this one!
The Night Shift - and finally, the one I’m most excited for! I loved this author’s previous book and am so excited for this one!! -
THE MINOTAUR SAMPLER – Volume 4
A FLICKER IN THE DARK - by Stacy Willingham – Released 01/11/2022
‘I thought I knew what monsters were…My body could sense them, sense danger, the way your skin seems to prickle just before a hand is placed on an unsuspecting shoulder, the moment you realize that unshakable feeling you had was a set of eyes burrowing into the back of your skull, lurking behind the branches of an overgrown shrub…No, the real monsters move in plain sight.’
My Immediate Thought – Yes, Please!
A Blast From The Past In The New Thriller by Alex Finlay—THE NIGHT SHIFT – Released 03/01/2022
‘NEW YEAR’S EVE 1999’
‘The night was expected to bring tragedy. Planes falling from the sky. Elevators plunging to earth. World markets collapsing. A digital apocalypse. But Y2K was an otherwise typical Friday night at the Blockbuster Video in Linden, New Jersey’
That is until…
Need!
UNDER LOCK & SKELETON KEY – by Gigi Pandian – Released 03/15/2022
‘An impossible crime.’
‘A family legacy.’
‘The intrigue of hidden rooms and secret staircases.’
Yeeeesssssssss!
‘Secret Staircase Construction specializes in bringing the magic of childhood to all by transforming clients’ homes with sliding bookcases, intricate locks, backyard treehouses, and hidden reading nooks.’
‘When Tempest visits her dad’s latest renovation project….’
Nope, no spoilers; go check it out for yourselves.
THE RESTING PLACE – by Camilla Sten – Released Today 03/29/2022
‘A heart-thumping, relentless thriller that will shake you to your core, The Resting Place is an unforgettable novel of horror and suspense.’
‘Eleanor. Her steadfast boyfriend, Sebastian. Her reckless aunt, Veronika. The lawyer. All will go to this house of secrets, looking for answers. But…’
Color Me Intrigued, Yes, Please!
THE SHADOW HOUSE – by Anna Downes – Scheduled To Release On 04/05/2022
‘A HOUSE WITH DEADLY SECRETS. A MOTHER WHO’LL RISK EVERYTHING TO BRING THEM TO LIGHT.’
‘Alex, a single mother-of-two, is determined to make a fresh start for her and her children. In an effort to escape her troubled past, she seeks refuge in a rural community. Pine Ridge is idyllic; the surrounding forests are beautiful, and the locals welcoming. Mostly.’ – YES!
PAY DIRT ROAD – by Samantha Jayne Allen – Scheduled To Release On 04/19/2022
‘Friday Night Lights meets Sue Grafton in this small-town mystery about an unlikely private investigator searching for a missing waitress.’
‘As Annie works to uncover the truth she finds herself identifying with the victim in increasing, unsettling ways, and realizes she must confront her own past—failed romances, a disturbing experience she’d rather forget, and the trick mirror of nostalgia itself—if she wants to survive this homecoming.’
Need!
Thank you, NetGalley and Minotaur Books (St. Martin’s Press), for providing me with an eBook of THE MINOTAUR SAMPLER – Volume 4 at the request of an honest review. -
This is the best collection of samplers to date. I'm excited about each of the books and even requested a few after reading the sample. Each of the stories is so unique, so I listed my thoughts individually:
A Flicker in the Dark pulls you right in. The descriptions are beautifully poetic. The story is compelling. And Karin Slaughter's blurb on the cover intrigues me as I love surprising twists. I can't wait to read the whole book.
The Night Shift - I love the prologue setting. I remember the tension surrounding that New Year so well, so to start a thriller with that tension starts the book out on a high note. Just this tiny sample sent chills down my spine more than once.
Under Lock and Skeleton Key - I love the cover, that the main character is a stage magician, and the overall premise. It is just so fun but at the same time thrilling, and this sample demonstrates all of that.
The Resting Place uses prosopagnosia to build tension, which is both intriguing and scary. I read another book recently that had the disorder as a plot device, and it was excellent. It gives me hope that this one will be as well.
The Shadow House has a creepy cover. The setting is very intriguing- an ecovillage in Australia and is written in an atmospheric way that completely envelops the reader. I've never heard of ecovillages before. The descriptions help pull you in by setting a very realistic scene that most people can relate to.
The cover of Pay Dirt Road is different than any I've seen before, and I like it. It intrigues me before I even know what the story is about. I also like that the blurb brings in Sue Grafton's series as a comparison. I enjoyed her books very much, so it gets me in the mood to enjoy this one as well. The first-person narration helps make Annie a relatable character from the first page, and the descriptions paint the scene in a way that I could experience it with all of my senses.
There is genuinely a book or two (or more if you love thrillers) here for every reader of the genre. This is an excellent sampler. -
This was another interesting Minotaur Sampler that was great to read to get a taste of all the books coming out. This had sneak peeks at 6 thrillers and a couple of them sound pretty interesting to me and can't wait to check them out more after they come out. The two books I was more interested in from the sampler were Pay Dirt Road and The Resting Place. Really all the books have an aspect that I find interesting. I always enjoy reading the samplers to learn more about books coming out from Minotaur and being able to discover new books and authors. Thanks so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press - Minotaur Books for letting me have a chance to read and check out this sampler. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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This is exactly what it says it is. A fantastic group of Sampler stories from Minotaur. Each book is the start of the story relating to each book and author. I was so wrapped up from the very start, I couldn’t put this down.
All 6 books are different in their own right but oh so good! I so much wanted to be able to keep reading on in each story to see what was going to happen. What a great hook. I will definitely be checking all 6 of these books out.
If you want to just get an idea of what each book is about, this sampler is excellent. I know I will be each and every book from this sampler. -
In this sampler,you have six different stories to read and get a taste of different stories that will be published .This is just one of many samplers that they come out with. I like this because it gives me a example of what the story is about and then you can decide for yourself if you would like to read the whole story when it's published.. After you do read and you want more,you can find out when the whole book will be published or where you can find the book and author... Received from Net Gallery..
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I know that not every reader enjoys excerpts. If you are like me though and love getting to read more than the description, this sampler has six really good choices.
I have been fortunate to be approved for A Flicker in the Dark and The Resting Place( both are so good), and the other four books pulled me right into the stories. I had to sit on my request finger to not immediately hit that button. It is the end of the year though and I'm catching up on books that I already have!
All I can say is that if you loved Minotaur'selections in 2021, 2022 is looking as good if not better. -
This sampler provides the beginning chapters of six upcoming mysteries/thrillers. I enjoyed the samples from each of these novel so much that I now have six more books added to my TBR. All of these samples definitely piqued my interest, but I especially enjoyed the samples from A Flicker in the Dark, The Shadow House and Pay Dirt Road. I anxiously await the publication of each of these novels, and I thank the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with this sampler ARC.
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I absolutely love when these samplers are released! In this sampler, there are excerpts from 6 upcoming new releases. Of the 6, I am very excited to read 4 of them. 3 are repeat authors for me, 1 is a new author. The books that I cannot wait to get my hands on are: A Flicker in the Dark, The Night Shift, The Resting Place and The Shadow House!
Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press -
As the title includes - new books to make your heart race, this is enticing ! I always look forward to another edition and this one has psychological thrillers that I can't wait to read. Flicker in the Dark is of special interest to me... Thanks for these samples which really help me to decide which ones I want to read for the whole book!
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This sampler has sample chapters from some really great books that I've read (A Flicker in the Dark, The Night Shift), but also introduced me to some new titles and authors that wouldn't have been on my radar. I'm especially excited to read The Shadow by Anna Downes.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for making these samplers available. -
I enjoyed this and express my thanks to NetGalley. A few chapters of some new books to see if they are of interest to you. Six are included and they are: Stacy Willingham's A Flicker in the Dark; Alex Finlay's The Night Shift; Gigi Pandian introduces Under Lock & Skeleton Key, Camilla Sten's, The Resting Place ; Anna Downes’s The Shadow House follows one woman desperate to protect her children at any cost in a remote village retreat where not everything is as it seems and lastly Pay Dirt Road by Samantha Jayne Allen. You are bound to find at least one book!!
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After reading these samplers, I went ahead and got a few of the titles (A Flicker in the Dark was on point!). I love reading these 'appetizers' because you will not be stuck with a title you regret.
Thank you #NetGalley, St. Martin's Press & Minotaur Books for giving me the opportunity to read this! -
The Minotaur Sampler, Volume 4, each book gives you just enough tease to make you want to read the rest of the book! It’s a sure fire way to make me get the books I’m most interested in to read all the way through.
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Mystery and suspense are two of my favorite genres, so unsurprisingly, I want to read ALL of the books excerpted in this anthology. I’m familiar with Camilla Sten and Anna Downes, but the other authors are new to me. These books are a great way to learn about upcoming titles and authors.
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I am so grateful for this sample! I can not wait to read these books once they are available., These sneak peaks left me ready to pick these books up! If they are half as good as the previews, I am already excited for them. Thank you Netgalley for this opportunity,
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The Minotaur Sampler, Volume 4 is a collection of 6 fast paced thrillers. Each book capturing your attention and leaving you wanting more.
I enjoy sampler readers. It allows the reader to discover new authors and stories without having to purchase the entire book. Samplers save readers a ton of time in deciding whether a story is for them or not. I love how this is a blend of standalone stories and firsts in a series. I really enjoyed A Flicker in the Dark, The Resting Place, and The Night Shift. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. -
I read these excerpts and immediately asked for each of the books while adding them to my wish list on several sites so I can read and own them. I don't know if I can say more than that.
