She knows she didn’t do it, but everybody thinks she did. It all begins when best-selling author Sophie O’Brion is the last person to see a murder victim alive. She looks even more guilty when a woman from her church is beaten, and Sophie was seen with her just hours before. Suddenly, people she has known her entire life begin pointing accusing fingers at her. Marine Master Sergeant Burke … her.
Marine Master Sergeant Burke Maguire, an old flame who dumped Sophie years ago, has recently been hired as a police officer in Forman Falls, Texas, and is assigned her case. She doesn’t want his help.
As she gets deeper and deeper into trouble, though, she must rely on him, but trusting him is another matter.
Will they be able to work together, maneuver dangerous twists and turns, and finally clear her name?
A clean romantic suspense novel that grips you from the very beginning and won’t let you go! The Vacant House is an unforgettable adventure. Read it today, if you have plans to stay up all night.
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What a fascinating story – a mystery writer in the midst of a mystery! Sophie O’Brion is a well published mystery writer, so she certainly could have some eccentric fans, but this is her hometown. Everyone knows her and she knows most everybody. Starting with a dog that tries to get to her newspaper before she does and then hides it under the vacant house, continuing with her supposed murder of a neighbor cat, this intrepid author just finds herself in mystery after mystery. Break-ins, long held secrets, murders and more characters than you can possibly remember keeps the reader absolutely engaged through the whole book.
I must admit, the resolution of the mystery and even the ending were not at all what I expected. You know its a very well written book when the author keeps one guessing the entire time!
This ARC was received through CelebrateLit. The impressions, opinions and 5 star rating are my own and were not solicited.
I’ve loved Tamara’s suspense novels. The Vacant House is very different from her other suspense novels I’ve read. It’s a contemporary story with really different kinds of characters. And there are several pets in the story. The plot line is very convoluted with surprises around every corner. She kept me guessing until very late in the story. I like it when a book does that. I’m good at figuring out what’s going on early in a book. Not with this one. You won’t want to miss it.
Tamara G. Cooper is a new-to-me author but the cover and book description of The Vacant House both appeared interesting so I took a chance on it. I found a book with a fast-moving plot filled with likeable characters, some of them quite quirky. Heroine Sophie O’Brion is a best-selling author who lives in a small town and finds herself accused of killing her neighbor’s cat. From that point things escalate quickly with Sophie in danger of landing in jail or losing her life.
In this entertaining mystery that seems to make absolutely no sense at times, there are a number of possible suspects as well as motives but the author does a great job of untangling all the threads to where it makes perfect sense at the end. I certainly had no clue where it was all going! Action, danger, plenty of humor, second chance romance, and lovable pets that play a major role all work together to assure readers of an enjoyable few hours of reading time.
I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by Celebrate Lit. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own.
My thoughts on The Vacant House:
New author to me. The cover did not suck me in. I don’t normally comment on covers but this one just didn’t make me want to read the book and a lot of the times I read a book because the cover did draw me in.
But the cover not drawing me in is definitely made up for in the fact that this is an amazing read. I really enjoyed this book. The characters sucked me in and I couldn’t put it down.
I had to keep reading and see whether Sophie could prove her innocence. And then, of course, I had to know if she and her old flame would rekindle the romance or if he had moved on without her.
I highly recommend this book as a great suspense mystery read. Those are my favorite!
Okay, so this book did not make me afraid of the dark or feel like someone was out to get me. So I’d say the suspense level is probably around a 3 on the scale of 1-10. More than you’d find in a romance novel but not enough to make it a lock all the windows and doors level.
Definitely think you should check out this author and I look forward to the next book in the series!
I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from Celebrate Lit. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.
I had a bit of a time getting into this story, there are a lot of characters, and kept of reading so I could find out how they all tied together.
The ending surprised me and along with the non-stop action, I was quickly page turning.
There are dogs, stealing newspapers and bones, and cats with nine lives, along with families that aren’t really speaking, and then secrets that have been long held begin to drop. Some of the characters are really not what they appear, and others I judged wrong, and I needed to get to the answers here!
There are soon to be two more books to come in this series, where we can move on with these characters.
I received this book through Celebrate Lit, and was not required to give a positive review.
I don’t read a lot of cozy mysteries. Not because I have an aversion to them. It’s more that I just don’t have enough time in my schedule to add another genre to what I am reading. When I can slip a cozy into my reading schedule, though, I enjoy it. What’s not to love? A somewhat clueless amateur sleuth, best friends, a quirky cast of characters, and there’s usually a hint of romance thrown in there.
The Vacant House meets all of the above criteria. And, bonus, this is the first in a series from Tamara G. Cooper so readers know they’ll get to hang with this crew again.
As Sophie O’Brien tries to solve the escalating, and seemingly connected, crimes happening in her neighborhood, Burke Maguire (law enforcement officer and Sophie’s former flame) comes to the rescue. Again and again.
At times I found Sophie somewhat bumbling for someone who dreams up mysteries, but it makes for some humorous situations, not to mention makes her relatable and likable. I also felt it took too long for Burke to use the words “open investigation.” For about three quarters of the book, it seems he’s telling her everything and then he starts using the phrase.
Despite those couple small hiccups, Cooper does an excellent job of keeping readers’ attention with so much happening. True friends stand beside Sophie, townspeople become suspicious of her, and Sophie herself must not only figure out who-done-it, she’ll also have to resolve her past with Burke. I will definitely be watching for Sophie and company’s next adventure.
Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
I’m not that familiar with her writing but after reading this book, I am a fan. The author has great potential but needs to not have so much going on with a lot of characters at one time. The story is funny at times and filled with many twists. Sophie is a wonderful character and I loved that she was an author. People say that authors have the best imagination and Sophie can spin a tale that sales books. That is until people start to fear supporting her could cause them to be in danger.
When unexplained murders, missing animals and break ins happen in a neighborhood, fingers point to the suspect known as Sophie. How did she get in this mess? It is hard to explain but just know that the author has a knack for taking a story and weaving it into a web of intrigue. Sophie is unlucky at being at the wrong place at the wrong time. The gossip around town is that she is dangerous and is responsible for a murder. I couldn’t wait to see how the author was going to untangle the mess Sophie was in.
Burke is a welcome addition to the story as he tries to help his old friend Sophie prove her innocence. I wasn’t surprised at their past relationship and wished there was more depth to their past history together. I didn’t figure out who was behind the mystery which helped me to keep reading the story.
This is the first book in a series and I can’t wait to see what trouble Sophie gets into next. I would like to see her be a bit more serious at times and less dependent on Burke to always save her. They are a great duo but I want to read how strong Sophie is. After all she is a mystery writer, so she should be able to figure some things out on her own. Some of the story line was hard to follow and there were a lot of characters to keep up with. I will be watching for the next book in the series to see what the author has in store for Sophie next.
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.
The vacant house
Sophie is trying to figure out who murdered her neighbor. A old flame of hers has been recently hired by the police department. Will they be able to work together and can he keep her safe?
Sophie keeps getting in more trouble. The book was fast moving , never a dull moment. I was surprised who the culprit was. I loved how Burke would always happen to be there when needed.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher through Celebrate Lit. This book review is my own opinion.