Member Reviews

This was a great debut! It held my attention the whole time and the last 20% or so was action packed! I couldn’t turn pages fast enough! I will definitely be reading book 2 when it comes out!

Kate is with her friend Yvette when Yvette gets the call that changes everything. Her husband, a famous basketball star, has been shot and killed inside his home. The police immediately assume the wife as a suspect. Kate doesn’t believe her friend could do it and began her own investigation. I loved all the red herrings! I went back and forth so many times with who I thought was the murderer! There were quite a few twists at the end that were fantastic!

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Lights Out was an okay read for a debut. I was hearing lots of chatter about this one, so I moved it up on my reading list. I wasn’t blown away by any means, but you could see this author has some great potential.
I have a feeling there will be a book #2 soon following, where our MC Kate, dives into her fathers past! I would probably give that book a go as well.

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Kate Green is a former soccer star currently working as a sports reporter. Having reinvented herself after her soccer career ended, she has been successful - until a recent incident left her suspended. It seems like things can’t get any worse until NBA superstar Kurt Robbins is found brutally murdered in his home. The suspect is none other than his wife, Yvette, who also happens to be Kate’s best friend. Kate just can’t believe her best friend is involved and sets out trying to clear Yvette’s name. But doing so may cost Kate more than she could have imagined.

What a fantastic debut! I loved Kate, and from the first few pages, I was hooked on her story! Although there are quite a few characters, they all added to the story and were relatively easy to keep straight. I love crime fiction too, and this was an expert blend of it while still being a page-turning thriller. I don’t think I have ever read a story with athletes at its center and that was a refreshing change of pace too. Admittedly, I don’t know much about sports but no worries; you don’t have to be an athlete to enjoy a page-turning thriller about athletes! It’s exciting to see that this is book #1 in the Kate Green series too, and I look forward to see what happens next.

Thank you to Thriller Book Lover Promotions and Thomas and Mercer for the ARC! “Lights Out” releases November 1, 2023.

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Kate Green, a former Olympic athlete turned sports reporter, finds herself in a whirlwind of chaos when she's temporarily sidelined from her job. The turbulence escalates when NBA superstar Kurt Robbins is murdered, and the prime suspect is none other than Kate's best friend and Kurt's wife, Yvette. Despite Yvette's rocky marriage, Kate is convinced of her friend's innocence and embarks on her own investigation.
As Kate strives to salvage Yvette's life, her own unravels—her career is in limbo, gossip columns speculate about her future, and her estranged father reenters her life as a detective on Kurt's homicide case. In this collision of worlds, secrets, lies, and ulterior motives are exposed, forcing Kate to choose between the games she can play and the ones she might lose.
I absolutely loved the unique twist this book took by centering around sports and sports reporting, which is such a refreshing departure from the typical thriller professions. The author weaved in a lot of sports journalism seamlessly, adding an extra layer of intrigue.

The story flowed effortlessly and kept me turning the pages at a rapid pace! The characters were incredibly well-crafted, and their relationships and dialogue cleverly unfolded the plot without overwhelming the story with unnecessary details.
While I enjoyed the book, I did find myself getting a bit tired of Kate's constant point of view. Maybe a different narrative style would have worked better for me. Also, with so many characters introduced, I did struggle a bit to keep track of them all.
Despite those minor points, the book's writing drew me in right from the start, making it a highly enjoyable read. I wholeheartedly recommend it – a big thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this gem with me!

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Lights Out is book 1 in the Kate Green series by Elise Hart Kipness.
And I enjoyed every second of it. I was originally drawn in by the cover and that intriguing description.
Y’all this is one wild debut this is a fast-paced thriller that follows a sports reporter’s journey off the court… and into a world of murder and deception.
The characters are interesting and the story moves at a quick pace.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read this ahead of its publication date in return for my honest review.

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When basketball star, Kurt Russell is found murdered in his home, his wife, Yvette enlists the help of her best friend to prove her innocence. Kate Green is an ex-professional soccer player turned sports reporter. She’ll do anything to help prove that Yvette didn’t hurt her husband even if it puts her in danger.

Wow! This book started off with a bang and held my attention straight through. This fast-paced story was filled with mystery, suspense, action, and emotion. I was surprised this was a debut because it was written so well, and I didn’t want to put it down.

There were a lot of characters in this book which sometimes I struggle with, but it was easy to keep track of them. I enjoyed all of the clues and red herrings thrown in throughout the story. I really liked Kate as the main character. I found her relatable, and I loved that a strong, intelligent woman was able to figure things out that others couldn’t. I’m excited to continue this series to see what Kate will be investigating next.

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Holy McHolies!!! Ok, if you’re a fan of crime fiction and thrillers, look no further! @elisehartkipness has written and absolute SMASHER of a debut 🤩🤩

Kipness has a wonderful writing style! This story flowed so easily, and super quick!! The characters are skilfully written - I loved, loved, LOVED Kate Green 😍😍 That’s one helluva determined woman!! 💪🏼 And I was totally getting Bruce Willis “Lucky Number Slevin” vibes for Liam Murphy!

The characters’ relationships and dialogue were utilised in such a clever way to allow the story to unfold - just the right amount of detail to keep you guessing without bogging the story down. I couldn’t believe when I got to 80% and still had NO IDEA who the killer was. EVERYONE was a suspect - and I didn’t guess correctly 🙈🙈

I still can’t wrap my head around that this was a debut!! And the best part…? This was book 1!! There’s another due out next year 🖤🖤 You can bet your sweet bippy I’ll be reading that when it comes out.

Folks, you can pre-order this one! It deserves all the rave reviews it’s getting 🌟🌟 It’s also one of Amazon’s First Reads 🙌🙌

Another MASSIVE thank you to @thrillerbookloverspromotions for inviting me onto this #booktour and @elisehartkipness and @amazonpublishing for the #gifted e-arc. I have discovered so many AMAZING books thanks to Tonya. She is so passionate about #supportingauthors and I feel incredibly lucky to be part of her promotions 🖤🖤

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A former Olympic winner and leading sports reporter Kate is now paying for an unguarded remark she made, when she was provoked to retaliate. Now her best friends husband an NBA superstar is found murdered and though everyone has had alibis, they are gradually unraveling in the harsh scrutiny of an investigation.

The wifeYvette seems to be the focus of the investigation, though Kate on her own investigation discovers many, including Kate’s own husband amongst Kurt’s lovers who were many, and others who would find Kurt’s death very convenient.

The story is fast paced, you are led through different suspects and investigations before the truth is finally revealed. Kate herself is battling a lot of personal turmoil not least her ex husband and his cavalier attitude towards his son, and her fathers reappearance at a time she would rather not see him. Balancing it all, with her loyalty to Yvette being called into question is not easy.

This is the first book in the series. I hope there will be more.

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Hi, ho
Hi, ho
It back to work I go…

Disney was a blast and although I’m not happy to return to the cold weather, I’m over the moon excited to be reunited with my cutie patootie rock-a-doo-ie

I mean husband
Totally meant husband
Not me missing Rock more than Craig

🤫

I’m exhausted
yet full of adrenaline.

The only way to calm my jitters is to read!

Leave it to Bookstagram to introduce me to a fresh faced debut author, Elise Hart Kipness.

Hey girl, heyyyy!!!

So tonight, I cuddled on up to Lights Out, and my oh my all I can say is I will not be sleeping.

Holy moly is this book a doozy and I am so here for it.

Jam packed with deceit, secrets and lies, you'll never see the twist coming.

I think my jaw is going to take permanent residency on the floor.

Check out this bangin’ teaser:

Former Olympic athlete and sports reporter Kate Green isn’t sure how much more tumultuous her life can get. She’s been put on temporary leave from her job, then NBA superstar Kurt Robbins is killed and the prime suspect in his murder is none other than his wife…and Kate’s best friend.

Kate knows that Yvette’s marriage wasn’t exactly stable, but her friend is no murderer, and Kate is determined to prove it with her own investigation. While she tries to salvage Yvette’s life, Kate’s own continues to unravel. Her career is in limbo. Gossip columns speculate about her future. Her children are battling their own demons. And her estranged father suddenly reenters her life as a detective assigned to Kurt’s homicide case.

As her worlds collide—exposing secrets, lies, and ulterior motives—Kate may have to choose between the games she can play and the one she might lose.

@thrillerbookloverspromotions @elisehartkipness

#debutauthor #lightsout #pubday #thrillerbooks #thrillerbooklovers #bookclub #bookstagram #disney #unitedairlines #thomasandmercer #disneyworld #florida #nj #halloween #mickeyandminnie

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Lights Out is a book about a woman who was a soccer star and is now a sports reporter. She is best friends with a woman of a famous basketball player and finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation when this player is killed. She tries to prove her friends innocence and find the killer.

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. I’ll start with the likes first. I liked how it was centered around sports and sports reporting. I thought that was an interesting path and one you don’t see much in books.

Now for the things I didn’t like. I feel like this book felt so slow to read and it just kept going on. The killer was pretty obvious to me early on. The characters were all a bit annoying and not relatable. I couldn’t connect to anyone so I didn’t really care about the story.

Unfortunately, this book did not work for me. I know many others have liked it so don’t let my review discourage you from reading it! Thanks to netgalley and Thomas and Mercer for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

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The first in a new series featuring Kate Green, a sports reporter, who must investigate the murder of a superstar athlete. The main suspect is his wife who happens to be Kate’s best friend. I liked the overall mystery here but the writing style felt very choppy to me. Others might enjoy it though!

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This was such a great debut! It’s about a sports journalist that recently got into some trouble at work. While she is on leave, her best friend’s husband is murdered. She begins looking into the murder and she finds herself in danger 👀
Can’t wait for book 2

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Lights Out:⁣

Thank you @thrillerbookloverspromotions @elisehartkipness for my gifted copy! ⁣

What a debut! This was pedal to the floor non-stop action! I couldn’t get enough of this book, honestly. There was so much going on, so many secrets and lies, so many layers to the story. ⁣

There’s a lot of sports journalism peppered in and it was honestly such a refreshing take. I’m tired of the typical professions in thrillers, this was so interesting. I also loved her reporting skills coming in handy in trying to figure out WTF happened to Kurt! But clearly detective work runs in the family,right? ⁣

This book was everything I needed. Super fun binge with a great plot and amazing MC. I kept hoping this was going to be a series and I’m so thrilled it is. I loved Kate, Nikki, and Jackson. And Liam.. I need your secrets ASAP. Love the ending, jaw dropped. ⁣

Out now! ⁣

QOTD: What are you reading this weekend?

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I do love a good sports thriller and this was very well done and a debut novel at that! Kate Green is a sports reporter that has been semi-disgraced and is not sure her life could get any worse at the moment. Then NBA superstar Kurt Robbins is killed and his wife is the primary suspect, who also happens to be Kate’s best friend. Kate knows their marriage wasn’t perfect, but also that Yvette would not kill him, and so she uses her newfound free time to help prove her innocence. While doing so Kate continues to see her own life unravel - she remains in the news, her kids are dealing with their own issues, and her estranged father is back in her life as a detective assigned to the case.

I absolutely enjoyed this one, the pacing was steady, I loved the twists in here, some of which I did not see coming. I am so happy this is the first in a series as I was not ready to be done with Kate and cannot wait for the next book to see what she is up to next.

Thank you to Thomas and Mercer and Thriller Book Lovers Promotions for the digital copy to review, this one is available now. You must add it to your list!

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Lights Out by E.H. Kipness, published by Thomas & Mercer is the author's debut and the first book in the Kate Green Series.
Kate is an ex-professional athlete, divorced mother, ex-reporter, now jobless because she got humiliated on video. Only that'll be the least of her concern soon.
Lights Out is a complex, complicated, chilling, fast paced thriller where nothing is as it seems, literally nothing.
Well written with a story and characters easy to connect with is this an exquisit read that had me in suspense from start till the very last page.

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After the end of her career as an Olympic athlete and member of the U.S. women’s national soccer team, Kate Green found success on the sidelines as a sports reporter. When one of her interviews goes viral for all the wrong reasons, Kate is suspended from her job and isn’t sure how much more difficult her life can get. Then NBA superstar Kurt Robbins is murdered in own home, and the prime suspect is his wife, Yvette, who also happens to be Kate’s best friend. Kate knows that Yvette and Kurt’s marriage wasn’t perfect, but she is confident that her friend is not a murderer. Determined to prove Yvette’s innocence, Kate decides to investigate the murder herself. As Kate tries to solve the murder and save her friend, she has her problems to worry about. Her career is in limbo, and gossip columns love speculating about her future as a sports reporter. Even worse are the battles her teenage children are facing and the fact that her estranged father has suddenly reentered her life as a detective assigned to the murder case. As Kate’s personal and professional worlds collide, secrets, lies, and ulterior motives will be exposed.

“Lights Out” is a compelling and fast-paced crime thriller from debut author Elise Hart Kipness, a former sports reporter herself. This was such an enjoyable page-turner, and I could not put it down until the mystery was solved. I loved everything about it, from the exciting world of professional sports to the amateur sleuthing to the shocking suburban secrets. The storyline was unique and full of plot twists to keep me guessing until the very end. I really enjoyed Kate as the main character. She is a charming, loveable, and well-developed character who I was rooting for to find success in both her personal and professional lives. I was so excited to see this book referred to as “Kate Green #1,” and I cannot wait to read the rest of the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Yvonne is married to basketball great, Kurt Robbins. She gets a phone call that she needs to come home immediately. Her world is about to change. Her best friend, a former professional soccer player turned sports reporter, Kate has had a recent fall from grace. Despite that, Kate is determined to find out who murdered her best friend's husband.


What a great debut! I thought this book was fast paced and kept me guessing about who actually committed the murder. There were multiple players, but I could not help but think any of them could have been the one. Relationships are complicated and I will just say that Kate's dad is quite the character. I don't want to add too much for risk of spoiling it. I am definitely interested in learning a lot more about him and I hope there is more to come!

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Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the copy of Lights Out by Elise Hart Kipness. This was a promising debut-the story was great! I got tired of Kate and hearing every single thought and action from her POV, so maybe being written in the first person didn’t work for me. Many characters were introduced and I admit I had trouble keeping track of them all. I loved how when Kate suspected people it mirrored what I thought too. If you’re looking for a book with so much going on you won’t know who the murderer is, this is the book for you! 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

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Good book! This book had a bit of everything! It had suspense, Action, intrigue, mystery, murder, infidelity, a fantastic who done it, great plot twist, and some crazy twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting and kept me glued to my Kindle!! I definitely recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

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It seems that every TV show has a detective who isn’t a detective, so why not a reporter? Stretching reality a bit still creates an enjoyable tale with excellent characters and a well-designed plot.

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