A young Harvard law student falls under the spell of a charismatic judge in this timely and thrilling novel about class, ambition, family and murder.
Madison Rivera lands the internship of a lifetime working for Judge Kathryn Conroy. But Madison has a secret that could destroy her career. Her troubled younger brother Danny has been arrested, and Conroy is the judge on his case.
When Danny goes missing after accusing the judge of corruption, Madison’s quest for answers brings her deep into the judge’s glamorous world. Is Kathryn Conroy a mentor, a victim, or a criminal? Is she trying to help Madison or use her as a pawn? And why is somebody trying to kill her?
As the two women circle each other in a dangerous cat-and-mouse game, will they save each other, or will betrayal leave one of them dead?
Thank you, St. Martin’s Press, for the free digital book!
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🌻 The Intern by Michele Campbell 🌻
- One-word review: Grisham-like
- Emojis: ⚖️🤨🫣
- Rating: 4🌟s
My thoughts:
The Intern immediately immersed me and held my attention until the very last page. So much about this story reminds me of John Grisham’s early books but in a more contemporary time. I absolutely loved that about it. This is the first book I’ve read by Campbell, and I look forward to reading many more.
Starting with the end, I want to say how surprising it was and how much I absolutely loved it. But that’s the only thing I will say about the ending. To learn more, you will have to read the book yourself.
The pacing (fast), level of suspense, and narration are superb. The narration is third-person focused and switches between Madison (the intern) and Kathryn (the judge) in large sections. At first, I questioned the inclusion of Kathryn’s sections. It provides the backstory, but I thought I got enough of that from the current timeline telling. I grew to understand why it is included in the second section of it, and I now believe that its inclusion is pure genius.
Lastly, the character development is terrific, and considering the moral grayness and not-so-grayness of literally everybody, it’s an essential attribute. The story is more character-driven, and the complexities of what makes Kathryn and Madison tick are revealed layer after glorious layer. I might be unable to relate to them, but I felt I could fully understand them.
In this new installment of Tasha Alexander’s acclaimed Lady Emily series set in the wild Scottish highlands, an ancient story of witchcraft may hold the key to solving a murder centuries later.
In the summer of 1905, Lady Emily, husband Colin Hargreaves, and their three sons eagerly embark on a family vacation at Cairnfarn Castle, the Scottish estate of their dear friend Jeremy, Duke of Bainbridge. But a high-spirited celebration at the beginning of their stay comes to a grisly end when the duke’s gamekeeper is found murdered on the banks of the loch. Handsome Angus Sinclair had a host of enemies: the fiancée he abandoned in Edinburgh, the young woman who had fallen hopelessly in love with him, and the rough farmer who saw him as a rival for her affections. But what is the meaning of the curious runic stone left on Sinclair’s forehead?
Clues may be found in the story of Lady MacAllister, wife of the Laird of Cairnfarn Castle, who in 1676 suddenly found herself widowed and thrown out of her home. Her sole companion was a Moorish slave girl who helped her secretly spirit her most prized possessions—a collection of strange books—out of the castle. When her neighbors, wary of a woman living on her own, found a poppet—a doll used to cast spells—and a daisy wheel in her isolated cottage, Lady MacAllister was accused of witchcraft, a crime punishable by death.
Hundreds of years later, Lady Emily searches for the link between Lady MacAllister’s harrowing witchcraft trial and the brutal death of Sinclair. She must follow a trail of hidden motives, an illicit affair, and a mysterious stranger to reveal the dark side of a seemingly idyllic Highland village.
Thank you St. Martin’s Press for the free digital book!
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A Cold Highland Wind by Tasha Alexander
- One-word review: whodunit
- Emojis: 🐊☠️🧐🕵🏻♀️
- Rating: 4🌟s
My thoughts:
The setting is beautiful, as is the cover. I was swept away to the beautiful Scottish highlands of my ancestors, and I loved every minute of it. There are two periods: the early 1900s (main timeline) and the late 1600s (for a backstory of witch trials in that area). Both stories are compelling and consistently medium-paced, though I’m not sure I enjoyed the frequent back-and-forth between the two.
I adored Lady Emily. She gets the job done with a soft touch and an empathetic heart. Her partnership with her husband, Colin, is just beautiful. He has enormous respect for Emily, and that always shows. I even love that her sons have a pet crocodile named Cedric. It threw in a bit of the unexpected and made me laugh.
The mystery is a true whodunit with lots of red herrings and misdirections. It reminded me of Agatha Christie’s mystery style, and I always enjoy that. It also can be read as a stand-alone even though it’s the 17th book in the series, which is good since this was my first Lady Emily mystery.
I look forward to picking up more Lady Emily mysteries in the future!
17 responses to “The Intern by Michele Campbell #thriller and A Cold Highland Wind by Tasha Alexander #mystery”
I like the sound of the intern, great reviews 😊
It’s very good. I think you’d like it!
The intern sounds brilliant and I’m definitely going to hunt that one out.
It’s very good. I enjoyed it a lot.
I just knew you were going to love The Intern. Both fantastic reviews!
It’s just right for a thriller – fast-paced and compelling ❤️
I just put The Intern on hold at the library! You had me at “Grisham-like.” Love a good legal thriller. Great reviews, Tessa💜
You are going to love it!
Both books sound interesting. I keep seeing Intern everywhere. Great reviews!
It’s very good!
I feel Michele Campbell is really killing it lately. I really need to pick up a book by her. I just keep getting distracted by other books. The Intern sounds so good. I can’t wait to check out a book by her.
You would like The Intern but I know what you mean by other books. There needs to be more time in a day to read. 🤗
I just realized I’ve read a book by Michele Campbell before. So I am curious to see what I think of it. I think I confused her with another author. Seriously though. Need more time for reading!
Two good reviews. I’m intrigued by A Cold Highland Wind.
When will I ever stop buying books, LOL!
That is not a concept I understand. 😂 It’s like talking about a budget for buying books – these things just don’t compute 🤣
LOL! So true. I just came home with four new ones yesterday!
[…] this showed up at my library, I got in the very short queue after reading the review by Tessa @ Tessa Talks Books where she described it as […]