This is the second sampler I have received from Minotaur publishing and once again, I have had to add every book in it to my "To Be Read" list. After the wonderful tidbits in this sampler, I am especially excited to read The Girl who Died by Ragnar Jónasson (although based on his Dark Iceland series, I know I would have been picking this one up on my own!), and Gone for Good by JoAnna Schaffhaussen. If you're looking for a gripping mystery, I can't say you'd go wrong with any of these five.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books (especially Sara!) for offering me a copy of this sampler in return for my honest opinions.

This is a sampler of five upcoming novels. They were all interesting and left you wanting to finish the story.
I was given this book to read and review by the publisher.
Great stories to look forward to.

A great sampler that gives the reader an opportunity to "try on" a few books/authors/styles before selecting there next read. There is almost something for everyone here, from serial killer/detective fiction to an oriental detective in China. The main characters vary from individuals who get into more than they bargain for to seasoned detectives who are well versed in the criminal mind. Highly recommend this to anyone who is seeking their next read or looking for something different. My thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy for review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and to Minotaur Books for providing readers a first glimpse into upcoming releases from: Mary Dixie Carter, Ragnar Jónasson, Joanna Schaffhausen, Ashley Weaver and Brian Klingborg.

I have enjoyed the first chapters of The Photographer by Mary Dixie Carter a lot. Photographer Delta Dawn is hired to take pictures at a birthday party for her client's daughter & becomes obsessed, wishing she were living as part of this family. Sounds like a nice psychological thriller!

Also – Ragnar Jónasson’s story (The Girl Who Died) of about a young woman trying to start afresh as a teacher in a secluded village, sounds like a gripping read.

These two books have stood out for me & I am excited to keep my eyes open for the release dates of these titles.

This is the second sampler I've read from this publisher and I would like to thank Minotaur Books/St Martin's Press for providing me with a copy of it. These are a great way to get a peak at books coming out in the near future and find things you'd like to read without having to commit to a whole book. This sampler had 5 books in it and I'd honestly never heard of any of them before and all the authors are new to me so I'm pretty excited by the potential new favourites.

The Photographer by Mary Dixie Carter- This book about a photographer who makes herself a part of a client's life seems like it's going to be an absolutely wild ride. These sort of psychological/domestic thrillers aren't normally my favourite but this one seems so fun I'm definitely going to have to check it out.

The Girl Who Died by Ragnar Jónasson- The first couple chapters of this were so strong and atmospheric that I was honestly creeped out reading them in the middle of the day. My attention did start to wander near the end of the sample but I love Nordic thrillers so I'm definitely still going to give this a shot

Gone for Goodby Joanna Schaffhausen- From what we get in the sampler this seems like a pretty straightforward detective/crime mystery. There wasn't much that wowed me or immediately drew me in but it seems really solidly written and I think there's potential in the main character's relationships and I also liked the sort of duel time line that we get from the journal entries so I'd definitely give it a try.

A Peculiar Combination by Ashley Weaver- I almost skipped this sample entirely because I don't normally read books set in ww2/revolving around spies but I love thieves and it seems like there might be an enemies to lovers trope here so I gave it a shot. I'm still a little torn because this book is outside my comfort zone but it really intrigued me so I think I'll try it.

Thief of Souls by Brian Klingborg- Unfortunately, this was the preview that I enjoyed the least. It wasn't bad or poorly written by any means but I found it quite slow and it just didn't really capture my attention. However, the synopsis itself seems so interesting and I'm so curious about the setting and how that might impact the story. I think it still has a lot of potential so I might still give it a try but I'll probably wait on this one.

Overall, this sampler from Minotaur didn't wow me quite as much as the first one but I think that's because most of these books are outside of my comfort zone. I enjoyed what I read and found a couple of things to add to my tbr so I would still count it as a win! I definitely look forward to more of these in the future!

I loved looking through the upcoming thriller titles from Minotaur Books. I'm looking forward to reading more from the books here, especially Gone for Good.
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the early look at these books.

In reading the Minotaur book sampler, I had a lot of good thoughts and a fun time. A couple of notables for me were the titles Girl who died and gone for good. In the title of the girl who died I enjoyed the setting of the mood as well as the scenes that the author wrote out. I was deeply immersed in the thoughts of the main character as well as the scenery around her and the emotions of those around her even without the direct mental commentary.
For the book gone for good I was super excited and drawn into the story by the first three pages. The author gives a great voice to the character, her thoughts, and the switching of perspectives and storytelling styles really gave the book an appealing factor especially to those who like a fast pace and multicenter to read.
For the book gone for good I was super excited and drawn into the story by the first three pages. The author gives a great voice to the character, her thoughts, and the switching of perspectives and storytelling styles really gave the book an appealing factor especially to those who like a fast pace and multicentered read.
My only drawback in the sampler was the title The Photographer it was a little hard to grasp the relationship of our main character and those around her and the storytelling was not extremely fluid. I would not venture to say that the full book makes better connections I think that this must have been a feeling due to the nature of the authors writing in that if I were to read the full book things would have fallen together more smoothly.
Overall this was a good experience for me and I recommended it to others who wish to get a taste of these books. I think that when they are released they will be gems in anyone’s book repertoire. Overall this was a good experience for me and I recommend it to others who wish to get a taste of these books. I think that when they are released they will be gems in anyone’s book repertoire. Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur for the reading opportunity!

What a great sampler. The Photographer hooked me right away, but they were all interest, from NewYork to China, Modern day to WWII era, there is a lot of variety in this great collection of samples. Fantastic!

I received this book sampler through NetGalley. I enjoyed reading the various samples provided and have decided to look into one of the stories that peaked my interest. This type of book with multiple books by various authors introduces you to possible writers that you want to investigate in the future. If you enjoy reading, this is a good book to start with and possibly find someone new to read.

I loved, loved, loved the sampler! I can’t wait to read the full novels and have requested a couple here on Netflix. Each story seems well though out from reading an excerpt. The first is The Photographer and you get three chapters to read. The second book is The Girl Who Died and you are allowed to read again three chapters. As well as four chapters from Gone For Good and A Peculiar Combination. Thief of Souls is one chapter but is told in the form of the day of Saturday.

I look forward to reading all these titles in their entirety.

<b>This is the second edition of the “Minotaur Sampler” and compiles the beginnings of five can't-miss novels publishing Spring/Summer 2021. I didn’t get a chance to read the first edition, but I look forward to reading future additions. It’s a great way to get a taste of upcoming books, so you know which ones to grab the minute they release!</b>

<b>The Girl Who Died by Ragnar Jonasson
Available: 05/04/2021</b>

<i><b>”Teacher Wanted At the Edge of the World”</b></i>

These few chapters were enough to pull me into this strange and eerie tale that has a touch of the supernatural! The premise is original, and it’s different from the thrillers I’ve been reading lately, which piqued my interest immediately. I was so impressed, I obtained a full copy of this ARC! I’m excited to read my first book by Ragnar Jonasson.

Una makes a huge life change and moves to the small village of Skálar—population 10, not including herself—for a teaching job. She’s committed just one year to this little seaside village and it’s two students. Ready for a change of pace—some quiet country living—out of the hustle and bustle of the city.

<b>My Rating: </b> 4 ⭐️’s


<b>Gone for Good by Joanna Schaffhausen
Available: 8/10/2021</b>

Gone for Good is the first in a new mystery series Joanna Schaffhausen. This one hadn’t caught my eye, so I’m glad it was in the sampler!

A gruesome serial killer—The Lovelorn Killer—has been dormant for 20 years. Many believe he’s gone for good...then there’s a new murder fitting his MO. Is he back after 20 years?

Grace is a grocery store manager that doubles as an amateur sleuth researching The Lovelorn Killer. She’s also a new murder victim. And Detective Annalisa Vega is on the case. Trying to figure out if TLK is back...or is this the work of a copycat picking up where he left off?

<b><i>”I was going to die. Worms would eat me. I imagined my skin melting away until I thought I could see my skeleton poking out underneath.”</i></b>

This is a definite must-read! Ugh...even though I don’t care for series, lol. I haven’t read the author’s work before, but I do have one of her previous books that will be bumped up on my TBR list!


<b>The Photographer by Mary Dixie Carter
Available: 05/25/2021 </b>

The first sample is a book that I’ve already read and highly recommended! One of my all-time favorite reads by an author that I haven’t previously read.

This is a tale about extreme obsession taken to a new level! I was instantly pulled into Delta Dawn’s life—the photographer and main character in this psychological thriller. Holding my breath...waiting for the wicked trainwreck destined to un-rail her life! Ms. Carter has managed to write an intense and twisted thriller, with a remarkably original plot, that is unforgettable!

<b>My Rating: </b> 4.5 ⭐️’s (rounding up)

You can read my full review on GoodReads.

<b>A Peculiar Combination by Ashley Weaver
Available: 5/11/2021</b>

No Rating - I didn’t notice this book until I received the sampler. I started reading it, but wasn’t interested. The writing was good...just not of interest to me.

<b>Thief of Souls by Brian Klingborg
Available: 05/04/2021</b>

No Rating - I didn’t notice this book until I received the sampler. I started reading it, but wasn’t interested. The writing was good...just not of interest to me.

@MaryDixieCarter @ragnarjo @slipperywhisper #NetGalley
@NetGalley @MinotaurBooks #PsycholgicalThriller #SupernaturalThriller #SampleReads #InExchangeForReview #NoRulesJustThrills #BookReview #JustFinished

I loved this quick glimpse at all these different books from Minotaur.

I have already read The Photographer, which was great--see my separate review of that.

The Girl Who Died and Gone For Good are both books that I am definitely interested in reading more of! I will be certain to request them asap.

The other two books, Thief of Souls and A Peculiar Combination, aren't quite my taste. I'm still interested, but less excited about those than the other three.

I love these samplers as a quick way to see what I'm interested in reading more of.

This sampler truly has me excited to read several of the books! Minotaur has a deserved reputation for publishing superb crime fiction.

I didn't read all the samples in this book, just the ones where the blurb made me want to pick up a copy.

1. The Photographer
Meh.
I won't be picking this book up, it didn't click for me.

2. The Girl who Died
I wasn't a fan of the writing style (could be in the translation?), I didn't even bother finishing the sample. Not for me, but I see others love this writer and this book, so maybe just me.

3. Gone for Good
This is what I came for! To find a new read that I hadn't been expecting. Loved the writing in this one, I was disappointed when the sample ended. I will be buying a copy when it releases. (my star rating is for this book sample alone).

I didn't read the other two as they were not really my typical choices.

Another great sampler for mystery and thriller books releasing spring through summer of 2021. Two that I really enjoyed and can’t wait to read are The Photographer by Mary Dixie Carter and The Girl Who Died by Ragnar Jónasson.
The Photographer is about Dixie Dawn who is a well known family photographer for the elite in NY. She creates the perfect pictures using photoshop apps that could appear in magazines. The only thing is she becomes obsessed with the families and inserts herself into their lives and photos.
The Girl Who Died is a Nordic story about Una who takes a teaching job in a very remote village in Iceland with a population of 10. Once she arrives, the town is not what it seems to be and maybe haunted.

These are added to my TBR and can’t wait to finish them when they come out.

This is a great way to get a taste of books available which you might like to read. And I think I would enjoy all five! The first book with the eerie photoshopping protagonist is top of the list for me.

This Minotaur Sampler is full of exciting and interesting thrillers. I really liked all 5 and have added them to my TBR list. If I had to pick one standout, then I would have to choose The Photographer by Mary Dixie Carter. The first few chapters give readers a good setup and had me glued to those chapters. I am excited to read them all and see how they all play out.

The latest Minotaur sampler offers five tasty “bites” of splendid mystery-thrillers set in NYC, Iceland, Chicago, WWII England, and Beijing. Just added all to my TBR list; bet you will too!

5 of 5 Stars
Pub Date 05 Apr 2021
#MinotaurSamplerVol2 #NetGalley

Thanks to the authors, St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.

This is a great sampling of thrillers to give a try. Many of these authors are not ones that I would have considered and are new to me. I liked being exposed to new stories that I can now search out.

A fantastic selection of mysteries/thrillers. After reading all five samples, there were two that really stood out to me - The Girl Who Died and Gone for Good. These were the two that left me disappointed when the sample ended and I was desperate to read on and find out more.

Ragnar Jónasson is already one of my favourite authors. I have loved reading all types of Scandi Crime / Nordic Noir / Icelandic Noir for years now, and his Dark Iceland series was fantastic. I have been eagerly waiting to read the new standalone thriller 'The Girl Who Died' and even from just reading the first few chapters, it didn't disappoint. I particularly liked the more spooky elements to this story, hinting that there may be a paranormal twist to this one. I can't wait to read the full story!

I hadn't actually heard of Joanna Schaffhausen before reading the sample 'Gone for Good'. The second I finished, I went straight on to research more books by the author and add them all to my list. This is exactly the type of detective story I love to read, and it gripped me straight away. Looking forward to discovering more by this author.