This is a thriller about a PI, Sunnie who has her own demons to deal with. She is hired by rich grandparents to find their grand daughter. I can not decide if the grand daughter was taken or ran off. Anyway, Sunnie and her co-workers do what they do best. Look for this girl. I enjoyed this book very much and Thank You to Net Galley for allowing me to read and review it.

The following review was published on my blog (www.blogginboutbooks.com) on July 11, 2017:

Need no one. Feel nothing.

That's the mantra Sunday "Sunnie" Night has lived by ever since her forced retirement from the Charleston Police Department. Living on isolated Goat Island, she keeps her distance even from her few neighbors. It's only when her foster father, Perry "Beau" Beaumonde, asks a favor that Sunnie even contemplates breaking her strict code of not caring about anyone but herself. A retired cop, Beau urges Sunnie to at least meet with a wealthy grandmother who's willing to pay big for information about her 15-year-old granddaughter, who's been missing ever since the Hebrew school bombing that killed her mother and brother.

Sunnie can't help but identify with the teenage victim, who's described as moody, resentful, and unhappy. Those are emotions with which Sunnie is all too familiar. The fact that Stella Bright may have been kidnapped by members of a dangerous cult also piques Sunnie's interest. Having narrowly escaped that life herself, she knows something about what Stella may be facing.

Determined to find out what happened to the girl, Sunnie enlists the help of her twin brother, Gus. Together, they chase leads across the country, risking their own lives to solve an increasingly puzzling mystery. With danger lurking around every corner, will the two Nights survive their perilous assignment?

Two Nights, a standalone thriller by Kathy Reichs, author of the popular Temperance Brennan series (on which the t.v. series Bones is based), is a fast-paced, exciting story. With lots of action and plenty of twists, it's a difficult-to-put-down page turner. Sunnie is Tempe's opposite; she's tough, unyielding, and flinty. Although she's not as warm or funny as Tempe (a character I happen to adore), Sunnie's a sympathetic character who's easy to like and admire. While Two Nights didn't capture me as much as Reichs' other books have, I still enjoyed this engrossing mystery.

(Readalikes: Um, nothing specific is coming to mind. You?)

Grade: B-

If this were a movie, it would be rated: R for strong language, violence, and blood/gore

To the FTC, with love: I received an e-ARC of Two Nights from the generous folks at Penguin Random House via those at Netgalley. Thank you!

Direct link to review: http://www.blogginboutbooks.com/2017/07/reichs-standalone-thriller-twisty-and.html

Not sure if Reichs has an intention of turning this into a series but if so, this is a good start. I like Sunday she reminds me a bit of Lisbeth from the Girl with The Dragon Tattoo. Lots of baggage, loner but kick ass. I loved watching her trying to piece together what was happening. I also liked seeing her evolve. By the end of the book she is slightly different than when it began, leaving so much room for more.

Sunday and her brother August escape a cult where no one has names, they are named after the month or day they are born, there is nothing special about their names. The whole cult killed themselves, including their mother before they were able to alert the police and this haunts Sunday. She feels somehow she let people down by not saving them from themselves.

This book is different than the Brennan series, so if that is what you are looking for you will be disappointed. Aside from the obvious lack of scientific stuff I think having Sunday as more of an outsider instead of someone looking at crimes from the inside gives the character that much more latitude and also that much more to do to get to the answers. She doesn't have to stay within the lines and can color outside the box, but she is smart and still has some in's with the law so she is outside but not too outside not to make it work.

I liked that she Reichs gave us some back story on her as well I only wish she had given us more about her brother who wasn't as deeply developed of a character. There is definitely more there to be explored.

Overall I really liked this book, it kept my attention and I found the characters intriguing.

Kathy Reichs delivers new story and new characters and it had me more engaged than any of her Temperance Brennan books. I am so excited to see her enter new territory!

This is the first book of this author's that I have read and I found it to be ok. I liked the main character Sunday Night in the book and enjoyed her sarcastic sense of humor and "say it like she means it" attitude. She is a lady with a past that makes her who she is today. I did find myself having to go back into chapters to look for information that I felt I must have missed. I just did not absorb as much as I normally do and I was a bit confused over Sunday's relationship with Gus. I did find myself more engaged in the story towards the end.

Two Nights is a standalone from Kathy Reichs who is known for her Temperance Brennan forensic mysteries. Two Nights is much faster paced than Reichs' series. Hopefully now I will quit with the comparisons. Especially since I got bored with Brennan and it might take me awhile to get bored with Sunday Night. Oops, I did it again.
Sunday is a recluse living on a thinly inhabited island off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina. She is making a life for herself dealing with her physical and psychological scars. Her only friends are her foster father and a squirrel.
Sunday is enticed from her island by her foster father and is tasked by a South of Broad Charleston dowager to hunt down the people who killed the dowager's daughter and grandson in a terrorist bombing in Chicago. Her grand-daughter, Stella, who was also there disappeared in the midst of the bombing. Sunday is drawn to the missing granddaughter feeling strongly that she is alive. Sunday only hopes she is fast enough to find her before Stella is killed.
During Sunday's pursuit of the terrorists there are alternate chilling chapters detailing the torture and mistreatment of a prisoner, giving the reader hope that Sunday is correct in her certainty about Stella's fate.
Two Nights is a thrilling ride in the hunt for these terrorists with many surprises along the way.
The story barrels across the country providing tense action in each city it stops.
Maybe I read this too fast in keeping with the pace set by the author, but there is still so much unexplained about Sunday and the origins of many of her deepest scars. Sunday is fascinating, I very much want to read about her again. Reich always writes such interesting characters.
I do hope this is a beginning of a series rather than a standalone. There is so much more I want to learn about the Two Nights.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in return for a fair and honest review.

Many thanks to Penguin-Random House and NetGalley for the ARC Kindle e-book of Two Nights by Kathy Reichs.

A longtime voracious reader, I understand how hard it is for an author, especially a more-than-qualified female author to write something "different."

I went into this book without pre-conceived notions and yes it is different than the Temperance novels, but Sunday; this STRONG FEMALE who has been through trauma and hell spoke directly to my wounded spirit. Her choice of isolation also had a clarion call of kinship.

If you are wanting a book to be a different slant on Temperance Brennan to move along. If you are a woman who is a wounded warrior of whatever type of war you have faced, read "Two Nights."

I suspect protagonist "Sunday Night" will never be accused of behaving like a lady, and Kathy Reich muse brought this amazing character into being, and I for one will never question a muse.

More, please!

Previously, I have read the Virals Series and some of 18 Temperance Brennan Series.

I was excited to read this ARC with a new character.

The descriptions of Goat Island took me away.
The thought of receiving a job offer for $140,000 plus expenses grabbed my attention.
Sunnie Night impressed me and I enjoyed this book and will be looking for more!!

A Tough Female PI with a Past

Sunday Night, ex -military and ex-police, has become a recluse living alone on an island off the coast of South Carolina. Injured in an incident that left her blind in one eye, she opted to leave the police force rather than ride a desk. Although she doesn’t want to get involved in investigations again, Beau, her foster father, brings her a case she can’t easily resist.

Opaline Drucker, a wealthy Charleston lady wants to hire her to find her granddaughter, Stella. Stella’s mother and brother were killed when a bomb blew up a Jewish school they were touring. Stella has been missing for over a year. The police have given up hope she’s alive, but Opaline thinks differently and is willing to pay very well to find her granddaughter.

Two Nights is a major departure from Reichs’s previous books featuring Temperance Brennan. This book is much more a gritty PI novel. There’s plenty of violence. The plot is clever and moves quickly. However, I did feel that Reichs wasn’t playing fair to keep Sunday’s background hidden until the very end. For me, knowing the background would have made the story more believable.

I had trouble warming up to Sunday. She’s hard-bitten and standoffish using quips to distance herself from people in conversation. It was amusing in the early chapters, but became wearing. He brother, Gus, is also featured in the story. He is a much easier character to get in touch with.

If you like PI novels with a tough heroine, this is a good book. I think if I hadn’t had the experience of loving Reichs’ previous novels, I would have felt more comfortable with this one. It’s a good read. I recommend it for a summer weekend.

I received this book from Penguin Random House for this review.

Two Nights by Kathy Reichs is a stand-alone book by Kathy Reichs that just came out today.

I have enjoyed Kathy Reichs' Temperance Brennan series so when I heard about Two Nights I couldn't wait to get my hands on the book.

This book is full of twist and turns that kept me reading up until the end. I did find the writing style a little different from the Temperance Brennan series but I still enjoyed this book.

I give this 4 out of 5.

I used to be a huge fan of Kathy Reichs and her Temperance Brennan novels. I must confess my interest waned a little in the last outing or two however (number 16, according to Goodreads, so I skipped 17 & 18), so was stoked to see a new novel featuring a brand new character - a former military investigator named Sunday Night. Yes, really!

When we first meet Sunnie she's living on the very isolated Goat Island (off Charleston), where she's been locked away from the world for six years. Her backstory is slowly and very expertly shared by Reichs, but Sunnie's jolted out of her self-imposed isolation - rather easily, as it happens - by her former foster father (and mentor of sorts) who suggests Sunnie look into the missing persons' case.

I wondered why - after years of isolation (funded by her police disability pension) - Sunnie would so willingly jump into work, civilisation and all of that, but it becomes clearer as her investigation continues that Sunnie can relate (more than expected) to the missing teenager.

This is a very different novel for Reichs as I'm used to her books being centred around very technical and anthropological stuff. Obviously there's still the crime-solving element, but there's a very different (more informal, more familiar) feel about this book.

I very much liked (well, loved) the character she created in Sunnie and Reichs seems to move into this genre (sub-genre or whatevs) with seamless ease.

Sunnie's a prickly character but there's a strong sense of right, wrong and justice simmering beneath her scarred surface.

I'm hoping this becomes a series as I think Sunnie's a great protagonist and I'd certainly like to meet (her former foster father and cop) Beau again, along with Gus - Sunnie's erstwhile partner and an enigma himself.

Interestingly (early on) there are a couple of throwaway comments about Sunnie's heritage, as well as that of Gus's and I wasn't entirely sure if either was black or white and loved that it didn't really matter. (And I don't mean only to me, but that Reichs didn't belabour the fact either way - well, until later in the novel when it's explained.)

This is very much a thriller. We know whodunnit from the beginning (well, broadly) and we learn why but Reichs cleverly introduces a few twists into the case we weren't quite expecting, as well the plaintive voice of another victim, that it took me a while to place.

The pieces of this novel (and Sunnie's life) fall together very nicely in this novel and arrival of Sunnie feels like a change in direction for Reichs and seems - to me anyway - like it offers the established writer a new lease of life.

I have heard such good things about this author I was excited to read this. But to be completely honest, It just never clicked for me and I really struggled to finish it. I will not be posting a public review of the book.

Kathy Reichs books with Temperance Brennan are awesome but this book Two Nights has failed on every level. When I first started the book I thought the main character was a man and after many times going back and forth I figured out that the main charater is a female named Sunday Night. This reminded me of Jack Reacher (Lee Childs books) but a really bad rip off of it. There were no connections and I couldn't feel anything for any of the characters in this book. The most interesting charater to me was Bob and he is a squirrel on about 3 pages.

Sunday is hired to find a kidnapped girl with home grown terrorists. Only her and her black twin brother (which was pounded into the reading that he is black and she apparently has to be white) are the only ones that can figure out anything and made the police seem like bumbling idots in 3 states! It might have been better if there was a book prior to this with more detail of Sunday's life and who she is along with her family. Instead it was just kinda jumbled into this book with really no rhyme or reason.

I will stick with her Bones books but I don't think I will ever read another series of hers.

This book completely BLEW ME AWAY! It is easily one of the best books I have read this year. The way in which Reichs artfully crafted the elements in this story was just brilliant. You may think you know where she is going with the plot line, but you will come to realize that you really have NO idea at all! Nothing is even close to what it seems. And, when the past and the present collide, with the momentum of two locomotives screaming headlong down the tracks at top speed, you can bet that the carnage left scattered about is going to be a mangled mess of epic proportions.

Enter Sunday Night. Although she is tough, strong, independent, intelligent, resourceful and very savvy, Sunday is also quite a unique, quirky and different type of main character. And, that only adds to her allure. She's a hardened, bitter and jaded recluse who really does not seem to have a care for whether she lives or dies. She's an adrenaline junkie who takes extreme chances and trusts virtually no one. She exists in mental and physical isolation and makes it a point to remain coldly aloof. She takes paranoia to another level entirely but, sometimes, is justified in her outlandish suspicions.

Part of Sunday's inherent charm, though, is that she is very clearly damaged goods, internally and externally. At times, I wanted to reach through the pages and give her a hug, prickly exterior and all. At other times, I just wanted to smack her upside the head for being so reckless and devil-may-care. And, there were also times when I so keenly felt her anguish and sense of loss, that I cried for her.

This book offered everything that is essential for me in a great thriller. Once I started reading, I was loathe to put my Kindle down. The story was fast-paced, intriguing, and full of action, danger, duplicity, surprises and suspense. More than once, the rug got pulled out from underneath me, and I found myself audibly saying, "WOW"! Reichs pens tension so thick you could cut it with a knife and keeps you on the edge of your seat waiting to see how everything will unfold. The characters, especially Sunday, are so multi-dimensional, complex and personally engaging.

This was the first book I have read by Reichs, but it certainly will not be my last. She has scored, with ease, a place on my coveted Favorite Authors list.

*I received a complimentary ARC of this book from NetGalley & Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.

Sunday (Sunnie) Night has a pretty big chip on her shoulder and a dark past. Ex-military and a former cop, Sunnie is hired by Opaline Drucker, a wealthy older woman, to look into the bombing that killed her daughter and grandson and left her granddaughter, Stella, missing. The case has some strong parallels to Sunnie's past and despite her better judgement, she agrees help Opaline. Sunnie quickly finds herself in a web of danger and deceit--with little chance of escaping unharmed.

I must admit that I'm probably one of the few people who haven't read any of Reichs' Temperance Brennan novels. I actually love the show Bones, but have never picked up the books--one of the few times where I've tended to prefer a show to date. So, you won't get a comparison of the Brennan series to this novel in this review (there are plenty of reviews out there with those observations, if you're interested). I am, however, a huge mystery and thriller fan. Reichs presents us with a pretty stereotypical cynical, truculent cop-turned-PI in the character of Sunnie (though Sunnie doesn't have a formal PI license). She's quirky, of course (see such exhibits as her pet squirrel, Bob) and has a distaste of rules of all forms. The story is told primarily from Sunnie's point of view, and we learn about her past only through her own recollections and memories as her present-day case causes her to occasionally think back on or mention old times. I imagine the author aiming for a Harry Bosch or Kinsey Millhone-type: I don't think Sunnie is to that level, but she's definitely a complicated and engaging heroine.

The story was certainly a compelling one, if not a bit bizarre at times. Sunnie shoots a man at the Ritz in Chicago, but is allowed to continue staying at the hotel: okay then. The Chicago P.D. allows her to continue investigating (the Drucker family bombing is technically still an open case for them) with surprising magnanimity, even with Opaline's family fortune in play. There are also portions of the novel where Sunnie has various characters under surveillance that drag on a bit (there's only so much tracking of someone back and forth that I can take).

Still, for the most part, the plot is pretty tight and exciting. Sunnie may be a bit cliche, but she's a strong character and an interesting one. She has a great wit and sarcasm to her that I loved. She's smart and savvy, even if damaged by her past. The novel also presents a couple of great twists that were excellent surprises--definitely made it worth reading for the mystery alone. Overall, this was a captivating read, and I'd be curious to read more about Sunnie in the future.

I think this is the first time I’ve said this, but there’s a strong possibility that if you don’t read this book you will regret it. It’s that good. That being said, this not at all what you are used to from Kathy Reichs. This is a stand-alone story and has almost nothing to do with forensics. What this story does do is introduce us to a fabulous new character in the person of Sunday Night. She is former military, former cop, injured on the job, who has become rather reclusive. Then she can’t help but get drawn into the case of a missing teenager who may have kidnapped by a radical religious group after the murders of her mother and brother. Her grandmother enlists Sunday’s help in finding who is responsible for the deaths and whether her granddaughter is still alive. The story will take the reader from South Carolina to Chicago, L.A., Washington D.C., and Louisville, KY as Sunday tries to track down a band of radicals. Along the way she is joined by her brother Gus and encounters an assortment of law enforcement officials. Perhaps the most difficult part of this job for Sunday is that the circumstances she encounters bring up the demons of her past which she would rather keep suppressing but finds that is no longer possible.

Tough is an understatement when describing Sunday Night, she can be as ferocious as a mama bear, cautious almost to the point of paranoia, and as tenacious as a dog with a bone. I loved her! She operates right on the edge of the rules but always on the side of the victim. Her brother Gus is not as fully fleshed out as a character but he serves as a counterbalance to her tendency for knee-jerk reactions and he always has her back. The bad guys in this one are really bad and as a reader I felt that they got what they deserved. I found this book to be well researched and carefully crafted, nothing less than what I am used to from this author. There are plenty of thrills and the story moves along at a pretty rapid pace. Next time I’m in trouble, I’m putting Sunday Night on speed-dial. Don’t let this thriller pass you by!

I'm a huge Tempe Brennan fan, and when I saw a book by Reichs that wasn't a Tempe novel, well, I was skeptical. I shouldn't have been. Reichs is a great storyteller, and I thoroughly enjoyed Two Nights.

Sunnie is an ex cop with issues. As the story progresses, we learn of her very disturbing childhood in a cult. But she's also a tough cookie, and when called upon to find the perpetrators of a heinous bombing of a Jewish school that happened years ago, she can't resist. One of the victims of the bombing was a young girl who disappeared.

Sunnie is being bankrolled by the missing girl's grandmother, and her investigation takes her to several cities, and she in involved in several altercations with some very bad people. Her life is in danger several times. She eventually calls on her twin brother for backup.

The main character is well-developed and interesting. I liked how we got chapters that were back in time, during her vary harrowing experiences in the cult and her escape. The other characters are not as well defined, serving to support Sunnie and the plot.

The story unfolds with some unexpected plot twists. The pacing is excellent, keeping the reader hooked as the tension ebbs and flows. The conclusion is realistic and mostly happy.

If you are a fan of Reichs, and even if you aren't, Two Nights is a worthwhile investment. I think teens will enjoy this one too.

I have read all of the Bones series and most of the Virals series and I was very excited to hear that Kathy Reichs was starting a new series. I was very much anticipating this book and I was not disappointed! The characters are well developed & I love the new heroine Sunday Night and her family; even down to Bob the Squirrel.
I really enjoyed the way there were regular chapters but interspersed were count down segments. It added an urgency to the story and I was never sure if those segments were about Stella or Sunday. After each one you, the reader, had more & more clues. It is just that well written.
The story progresses at a fast pace and as pieces get added to the puzzle the outcome became very clear. The climax of the story was so exciting and the ending was superb. I'm trying very hard to not include any spoilers but I can't help but say I enjoyed how the story was alluding to one character being dead but then the scene turns around in an unexpected way.
I will be looking forward to the next instalment in this series!

I thought it was interesting partly because it was different than that I had expected. The action was slow but the payoff is worth it .

Clunky, sketchy and a bit boring. Sorry, but I read about a third, put it down, forgot I was reading it, picked it up a couple of weeks later and ended up rereading three or four chapters before I realised that I'd read them before. There were some nice parts to it: I kind of liked the back story and the main character had possibilities, though I hated both her name and her wise-cracking way of talking. Overall, though, I just didn't believe any of it, and I couldn't get into the story for the half-sewn seams holding it all together.