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Kate Reid #1
All the Shiny Things
MEET KATIE REID
A young woman with a good job and a good life, until she discovers it was all a lie. Now, her desperate search for the truth begins and it will change her forever.
A past revealed. A vengeance unleashed.
Compelled to dig into a past no one wants to relive, Katie soon turns to Detective Marshall Avery. He is the only one willing to give her the resources she needs to find answers, but those answers could come at a steep price. When her search breathes new life into an old monster—one who has left a trail of innocent blood in his wake—it is too late to turn back.
The monster is again unleashed and the FBI must be called upon. Special Agent Nick Scarborough finds himself entangled in a decades-old investigation that has now placed Katie's life in great danger.
Katie’s desire for retribution has already cost her dearly. So when the tables are turned, will Detective Avery be able to keep her from going too far?
*Publisher’s Note: This book was previously published as a two-part series, Redwood Violet and All the Shiny Things. Content has been modified to combine both books for this new edition, re-released under HARP House.
A young woman with a good job and a good life, until she discovers it was all a lie. Now, her desperate search for the truth begins and it will change her forever.
A past revealed. A vengeance unleashed.
Compelled to dig into a past no one wants to relive, Katie soon turns to Detective Marshall Avery. He is the only one willing to give her the resources she needs to find answers, but those answers could come at a steep price. When her search breathes new life into an old monster—one who has left a trail of innocent blood in his wake—it is too late to turn back.
The monster is again unleashed and the FBI must be called upon. Special Agent Nick Scarborough finds himself entangled in a decades-old investigation that has now placed Katie's life in great danger.
Katie’s desire for retribution has already cost her dearly. So when the tables are turned, will Detective Avery be able to keep her from going too far?
*Publisher’s Note: This book was previously published as a two-part series, Redwood Violet and All the Shiny Things. Content has been modified to combine both books for this new edition, re-released under HARP House.
434 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 13, 2013
2058 people are currently reading
3631 people want to read
About the author
Robin Mahle
57 books280 followersRobin Mahle, Mystery and Suspense author, lives with her husband and two children in Virginia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 279 reviews
July 11, 2020
The main character, Kate (Katie), is an unlikable, narcissistic, illogical bitch.
She projects her opinion onto her fiancé and lies continually to everyone and gets pissed off when they get upset, with her, because of course , its all about her.
Then there are the grammatical errors, using the wrong words and the stupid story.
The dialogue sucked, all the characters were cardboard cliches and you knew she was going to find a way to get rid of Spencer so she could fuck the cop.
I was hoping when her abductor caught her again he would kill her immediately, so it would be over.
And the ending is horrible! Stupid and done just so you have to buy the next crappy book if you want answers
1 star is one too many.
NEVER READING ANOTHER OF THIS SERIES
She projects her opinion onto her fiancé and lies continually to everyone and gets pissed off when they get upset, with her, because of course , its all about her.
Then there are the grammatical errors, using the wrong words and the stupid story.
The dialogue sucked, all the characters were cardboard cliches and you knew she was going to find a way to get rid of Spencer so she could fuck the cop.
I was hoping when her abductor caught her again he would kill her immediately, so it would be over.
And the ending is horrible! Stupid and done just so you have to buy the next crappy book if you want answers
1 star is one too many.
NEVER READING ANOTHER OF THIS SERIES
July 21, 2013
I won "Redwood Violet" by Robin Mahle through the Goodreads Giveaway Contest. This is a fast-paced psychological suspense novel. If you start this book, you better be prepared to stay up and finish it. It is that good.
Katie Reid and her fiancé, Spencer, live in San Diego, California. Spencer was in prelaw and Katie was studying social sciences when they met seven years ago. They moved in together after finishing college, almost two years ago. Now Spencer was an intern at the law firm studying for his bar exam and she worked at the Foundation. Maybe, once Spencer had his career established as a trial lawyer, they would get married and start a family.
Katie was the maid of honor, for her dearest friend Sam, who lived with her fiancé, Jarrod, in northern California, in a small town near Sacramento. Kate and Spencer flew from San Diego to Sacramento, for the wedding. Kate was not much of a flyer.
Katie had been suffering from nightmares, and hadn't been sleeping well over the last few months, the occurrences were now becoming a habit. They were more intense and more frequent. Was it just stress, assisting with the wedding? So when they got home from the wedding, Katie started seeing Dr. Reyes, a therapist and went under hypnotherapy. But the dreams continued...feeling more real. Had something happened to her as a child? Are the dreams really memories? She had to find out the truth...she needed answers. Then with the help of Detective Marshall Avery she continues on her search for the truth.
The ending is a cliff hanger...you have to wait for book two to find out who is the serial killer. This was an excellent novel, fast-paced that kept you reading late into the night. Now the only problem is that I have to wait for book two...it can't come fast enough. Thank you Robin for allowing me to read your novel. I look forward to the next segment.
Katie Reid and her fiancé, Spencer, live in San Diego, California. Spencer was in prelaw and Katie was studying social sciences when they met seven years ago. They moved in together after finishing college, almost two years ago. Now Spencer was an intern at the law firm studying for his bar exam and she worked at the Foundation. Maybe, once Spencer had his career established as a trial lawyer, they would get married and start a family.
Katie was the maid of honor, for her dearest friend Sam, who lived with her fiancé, Jarrod, in northern California, in a small town near Sacramento. Kate and Spencer flew from San Diego to Sacramento, for the wedding. Kate was not much of a flyer.
Katie had been suffering from nightmares, and hadn't been sleeping well over the last few months, the occurrences were now becoming a habit. They were more intense and more frequent. Was it just stress, assisting with the wedding? So when they got home from the wedding, Katie started seeing Dr. Reyes, a therapist and went under hypnotherapy. But the dreams continued...feeling more real. Had something happened to her as a child? Are the dreams really memories? She had to find out the truth...she needed answers. Then with the help of Detective Marshall Avery she continues on her search for the truth.
The ending is a cliff hanger...you have to wait for book two to find out who is the serial killer. This was an excellent novel, fast-paced that kept you reading late into the night. Now the only problem is that I have to wait for book two...it can't come fast enough. Thank you Robin for allowing me to read your novel. I look forward to the next segment.
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October 3, 2016DNF at 4%. Usually I'd give a book longer than that, but this one is just too painful. The line of dialogue that broke my spirit?
"Katie, when we met in college, I had no idea that the 5'6" brunette beauty who stands before me now would turn out to be my soul mate..."
I mean--this is his PROPOSAL, and the author uses it as an excuse for an info-dump about their backstory and her appearance. Blech.
"Katie, when we met in college, I had no idea that the 5'6" brunette beauty who stands before me now would turn out to be my soul mate..."
I mean--this is his PROPOSAL, and the author uses it as an excuse for an info-dump about their backstory and her appearance. Blech.
April 5, 2013
I am going to be brutally honest with this book. I found the writing style rather bland; the characters were too perfect like in a Hollywood drama; rather cliche. the story was a bit of a drag too, the dialogue plastic. The climax at the end was too short-lived. I was just getting warmed up for it and then it was over, just like that.
Much as I have said all that, I was not bored, reading it and never did it cross my mind to abandon the book. In many ways, the author has a subtle way of holding your attention, that you find yourself reading on and on. To contradict my earlier statements, I rather enjoyed myself, same way I watch Latino soaps with their lousy scripts and plastic acting (don't forget pressed voices)but still find myself engrossed and looking forward to the next episode.
I would recommend someone else to read this book and offer their own opinion
Much as I have said all that, I was not bored, reading it and never did it cross my mind to abandon the book. In many ways, the author has a subtle way of holding your attention, that you find yourself reading on and on. To contradict my earlier statements, I rather enjoyed myself, same way I watch Latino soaps with their lousy scripts and plastic acting (don't forget pressed voices)but still find myself engrossed and looking forward to the next episode.
I would recommend someone else to read this book and offer their own opinion
September 19, 2015
Seriously?!?!
If I had known the purpose of this book was just to make you read the next one I wouldn't have bothered. I can't stand when authors don't give you resolution and force you to read their next book in order to find out what happened. If I want reality I will read the newspaper or watch the news...I expect resolution in the books I read.
Unless you plan to read this authors next book, then don't bother with this one if you like stories that have an end to the story line.
Count me out. I could care less who took Katie now.
If I had known the purpose of this book was just to make you read the next one I wouldn't have bothered. I can't stand when authors don't give you resolution and force you to read their next book in order to find out what happened. If I want reality I will read the newspaper or watch the news...I expect resolution in the books I read.
Unless you plan to read this authors next book, then don't bother with this one if you like stories that have an end to the story line.
Count me out. I could care less who took Katie now.
August 16, 2015
Lesson learned: Just because a book is free does not mean I need to download it on to my Kindle. Characters were boring, unhumanly nice, and too perfect. Don't get me started on the dialogue...boring and unrealistic. Horrible; pick a different book.
May 18, 2014
Juvenile writing. The dialogue is terrible.
June 11, 2015
I didn't receive this book from the author in exchange for an honest review, but I'm going to give an honest review - because it helps no one to give a dishonest review.
First the good stuff. The book was grammatically correct, as was the spelling. Wow, what a difference from most Indie first time attempts. The plot was current and could have been the front page, above the fold, headliner. The story progressed logically with consiststancy. Despite everything, I never considered not finishing the book.
SPOILER ALERT !
Now, why I rated it a 2 (I almost gave it a one, but the story held my interest tthroughout). your protagonist, Katie, starts having nightmares that have the same theme and get progressivly worse. Initially she thinks it's just stress due to work and personal situations. At work, she is planning a major benefit event with the proceeds going to the Victms Advocacy group for which she works. Her live-in boyfriend for the past seven years has just taken his bar exam and is anxiously waiting the results.
The dreams have gotten so bad she is losing sleep, and when her afternoon naps start being interupted by the same nightmare, she yields to her boyfriends pleading and finally visits a psychological counselor/therapist. I'm not sure whether the author wanted to portray Katie as an idiot or the author isn't familiar with psycho-therapy, but after four visits with amazing results, Kate unilaterally decides she's getting nowhere with the therapy and quits (What? No one has ever told her therapy can take years to resolve problems AND her degree is in Social work and she is employed by a victim's advocacy group).This part of the story doesn't ring true, at all.
She starts looking into her past for answers and her boyfriend tries to talk her into leaving the past alone and just getting on with her life. He says he understands her need to resolve her issues, but his actions bely his claims. After living together for seven years, Kate is trying to deal with personal problems and he can't handle it? She's never seen signs of his egocentricity in seven years? What a superficial relationship they had.
Maybe I just can't relate because I had one of those fairy tale, love at first sight, five months from our first meeting to when we were married experiences. And we are still very happily married 44 years later.
In her work, she is asked to assist the police by riding with the Detective who is heading the search for a missing 8 year old girl. She will be taking notes and reporting her feelings as he re-interviews known sex offenders. (I can see it coming. A budding friendship that results in the disolution of her 7 year relationship and a strong "friendship" developing with Marshal, the Detective).
She and Spencer, her boyfriend, go back to her hometown to find out what really happened when she was kidnapped at the age of six and why her parents never had told her about it or talked to her about it. Her parents hem and haw and finally admit she was kidnapped and found three days later. They claimed Katie had no memory of the time she was gone and they wanted to protect her from any bad memories. Katie temporarily accepts the explanation but feels her folks are still holding something back.
Spencer finds out he has passed the Bar and asks Katie to marry him. She says yes.
She tells Marshal, uh, the Detective, what has caused her times of zoning out. Of course he understands and tells her he will help her in any way he can. Cheesy?
Katie starts to really dig into her past and Spencer can't handle it. He accuses Katie of having more than a "friendly" relationship with Marshal. Oh boy! This is a guy who has lived with his girlfriend and accuses her of cheating after they are engaged and planning their wedding? A really loud Duh from me.
Of course they seperate and then end the engagement. Again, I don't buy it. After seven years of unmarried bliss and this weak kneed jerk can't handle Katie trying to find out why she is having horrible nightmares? What a P O S!, What an insecure p--sy.
Katie continues to dig and her parents finally admit she was kidnapped and raped. Of course they never say the R word, substituting assaulted instead.
I asked my DW if she would have been curious about her condition when she started having intimate relations and there was no pain. She told me she might have talked to her BFF, but would never have talked to her Mom or talked to her life long family doctor. OK, I was wrong. OK, I'm a guy and we go directly at a situation that bugs us. Please give me some slack for not being able to think like a female.
This book just asked to many times for me to susspend rational thought.
Katie wants her cold case re-opened, but the coincidental "evidence" isn't enough to convince the hometown DA to do so.
Then she gets an anonymous letter from a source that points directly at the the psycho who kidnapped and raped her ..... and the book ends.
The book was actually a novella in length. It left me with the feeling the story could have been told with a real novel of 120,000 words or so.
Did the author just run out of steam or is she deliberately milking the audience?
I guess I will have to eventually get the second book, just because this book left me wanting.
First the good stuff. The book was grammatically correct, as was the spelling. Wow, what a difference from most Indie first time attempts. The plot was current and could have been the front page, above the fold, headliner. The story progressed logically with consiststancy. Despite everything, I never considered not finishing the book.
SPOILER ALERT !
Now, why I rated it a 2 (I almost gave it a one, but the story held my interest tthroughout). your protagonist, Katie, starts having nightmares that have the same theme and get progressivly worse. Initially she thinks it's just stress due to work and personal situations. At work, she is planning a major benefit event with the proceeds going to the Victms Advocacy group for which she works. Her live-in boyfriend for the past seven years has just taken his bar exam and is anxiously waiting the results.
The dreams have gotten so bad she is losing sleep, and when her afternoon naps start being interupted by the same nightmare, she yields to her boyfriends pleading and finally visits a psychological counselor/therapist. I'm not sure whether the author wanted to portray Katie as an idiot or the author isn't familiar with psycho-therapy, but after four visits with amazing results, Kate unilaterally decides she's getting nowhere with the therapy and quits (What? No one has ever told her therapy can take years to resolve problems AND her degree is in Social work and she is employed by a victim's advocacy group).This part of the story doesn't ring true, at all.
She starts looking into her past for answers and her boyfriend tries to talk her into leaving the past alone and just getting on with her life. He says he understands her need to resolve her issues, but his actions bely his claims. After living together for seven years, Kate is trying to deal with personal problems and he can't handle it? She's never seen signs of his egocentricity in seven years? What a superficial relationship they had.
Maybe I just can't relate because I had one of those fairy tale, love at first sight, five months from our first meeting to when we were married experiences. And we are still very happily married 44 years later.
In her work, she is asked to assist the police by riding with the Detective who is heading the search for a missing 8 year old girl. She will be taking notes and reporting her feelings as he re-interviews known sex offenders. (I can see it coming. A budding friendship that results in the disolution of her 7 year relationship and a strong "friendship" developing with Marshal, the Detective).
She and Spencer, her boyfriend, go back to her hometown to find out what really happened when she was kidnapped at the age of six and why her parents never had told her about it or talked to her about it. Her parents hem and haw and finally admit she was kidnapped and found three days later. They claimed Katie had no memory of the time she was gone and they wanted to protect her from any bad memories. Katie temporarily accepts the explanation but feels her folks are still holding something back.
Spencer finds out he has passed the Bar and asks Katie to marry him. She says yes.
She tells Marshal, uh, the Detective, what has caused her times of zoning out. Of course he understands and tells her he will help her in any way he can. Cheesy?
Katie starts to really dig into her past and Spencer can't handle it. He accuses Katie of having more than a "friendly" relationship with Marshal. Oh boy! This is a guy who has lived with his girlfriend and accuses her of cheating after they are engaged and planning their wedding? A really loud Duh from me.
Of course they seperate and then end the engagement. Again, I don't buy it. After seven years of unmarried bliss and this weak kneed jerk can't handle Katie trying to find out why she is having horrible nightmares? What a P O S!, What an insecure p--sy.
Katie continues to dig and her parents finally admit she was kidnapped and raped. Of course they never say the R word, substituting assaulted instead.
I asked my DW if she would have been curious about her condition when she started having intimate relations and there was no pain. She told me she might have talked to her BFF, but would never have talked to her Mom or talked to her life long family doctor. OK, I was wrong. OK, I'm a guy and we go directly at a situation that bugs us. Please give me some slack for not being able to think like a female.
This book just asked to many times for me to susspend rational thought.
Katie wants her cold case re-opened, but the coincidental "evidence" isn't enough to convince the hometown DA to do so.
Then she gets an anonymous letter from a source that points directly at the the psycho who kidnapped and raped her ..... and the book ends.
The book was actually a novella in length. It left me with the feeling the story could have been told with a real novel of 120,000 words or so.
Did the author just run out of steam or is she deliberately milking the audience?
I guess I will have to eventually get the second book, just because this book left me wanting.
February 23, 2017
There were just too many things about this book that bothered me. Katie was so stupid, reckless and illogical, that it just became frustrating to read.
The characters were not very interesting, and all bland, almost stereotypical.
Everyone in the book seemed to think Katie had incredible detective skills, but she only snooped around someone's office, and did little other "detective" work herself. Instead she let other people do the real searching based on her hunches.
Maybe this was just not for me, or maybe I've seen to many crime series, I just didn't enjoy it.
The characters were not very interesting, and all bland, almost stereotypical.
Everyone in the book seemed to think Katie had incredible detective skills, but she only snooped around someone's office, and did little other "detective" work herself. Instead she let other people do the real searching based on her hunches.
Maybe this was just not for me, or maybe I've seen to many crime series, I just didn't enjoy it.
September 17, 2018
I usually don't review something that I could not get more than a quarter of the way into...but I felt that I needed to counter all the glowing reviews. The premise sounded interesting, but this is a hot mess. Grammatical errors abound with no sign of editing. Is the main character Kate or Katie? The characters are cardboard. How does someone get through high school and college without having set foot in a library since age 12, as claimed by the main character? I am glad this was free through Kindle Unlimited.
March 13, 2016
Ho Hum. I have read a few very bad books in my life, but this is a new low for me. The story was just over the top with the usual bodies and convoluted plot line. If you took out all the introductions and stops for food, you are left with a story not worth the effort.
And to think I checked out the reviews on Amazon
And to think I checked out the reviews on Amazon
October 30, 2017
What a ride! I was so involved in this story I couldn’t put the book down. This is the definition of a thriller. Local San Diego police, FBI, a serial killer and all that goes with it kept me on the edge of my seat. Characters had amazing depth which is often missing in this even the best of this genre. I can hardly wait to start the next book in this series.
March 9, 2017
All the Shiny Things
This is the first book in this series. I really loved it . I could not put this book down. This is a very exciting thriller. This is a book you do not want to put down. You will need to finish this book I recommend this book.
This is the first book in this series. I really loved it . I could not put this book down. This is a very exciting thriller. This is a book you do not want to put down. You will need to finish this book I recommend this book.
April 1, 2018
A decent mystery about a strong-willed woman intent on learning about a catastrophic event in her childhood. The character was likeable, maybe sometimes too focused on end results and not enough on ripple effects. I rate this one 4.4 stars.
January 11, 2025
Hated the writing in this book. How the characters spoke to each other made me cringe. The storyline itself was good, but if it had been written differently it would have been 1000% better.
October 15, 2015
To be completely honest, I didn't even realize this was a series until I looked up the blurb on Amazon. But it makes perfect sense that this could not be contained to just one book. I would have been very, very, very upset with that.
Poor Katie, she has been living her whole life not knowing something that had a HUGE impact on her whole family, but mostly herself. These nightmares aren't just regular dreams, they are memories that have been suppressed for almost twenty years. Now that she knows the truth her whole life is changing.
Katie doesn't know what to do, or who to trust. Spencer is trying to be supportive while telling her to pretty much forget the whole thing. Could you do that, Spencer? I think not! Katie's life has been flipped upside down and she now feels as though she is losing the small support system she once had.
Stemming from this new part of her life, Katie decides to take another job in the agency she works for to learn more about actual case work. This bring her closer to Detective Marshall Avery, and farther away from Spencer. Detective Avery is trying to help Katie find answers, or more memories. However he can help her, he is trying it. Spencer on the other hand is giving up, and running away from this new person Katie has become.
After losing her fiancé, and gaining a new friend Katie finds her dreams staying the same. After practically giving up on it all, she receives a letter. Its from him. Now her dream comes back in full force, only better. This time she is able to identify him.
That's where this book ends, and I go shopping for the next of the series. Robin Mahle is quickly gaining my 'fandom'. I'm in love with this series and cant wait to see what happens next.
Poor Katie, she has been living her whole life not knowing something that had a HUGE impact on her whole family, but mostly herself. These nightmares aren't just regular dreams, they are memories that have been suppressed for almost twenty years. Now that she knows the truth her whole life is changing.
Katie doesn't know what to do, or who to trust. Spencer is trying to be supportive while telling her to pretty much forget the whole thing. Could you do that, Spencer? I think not! Katie's life has been flipped upside down and she now feels as though she is losing the small support system she once had.
Stemming from this new part of her life, Katie decides to take another job in the agency she works for to learn more about actual case work. This bring her closer to Detective Marshall Avery, and farther away from Spencer. Detective Avery is trying to help Katie find answers, or more memories. However he can help her, he is trying it. Spencer on the other hand is giving up, and running away from this new person Katie has become.
After losing her fiancé, and gaining a new friend Katie finds her dreams staying the same. After practically giving up on it all, she receives a letter. Its from him. Now her dream comes back in full force, only better. This time she is able to identify him.
That's where this book ends, and I go shopping for the next of the series. Robin Mahle is quickly gaining my 'fandom'. I'm in love with this series and cant wait to see what happens next.
August 29, 2013
Katie Reid lives in San Diego after leaving her home town of Rio Dell, North California where her parents still reside. Her relationship with her parents was never a particularly close one, although she does have very early memories of a happier childhood, it seemed very short-lived. Now in San Diego with miles separating her from her parents, she has a happy life in a job she loves and lives with the man of her dreams who she met in college and have been inseparable ever since. But for the past three months Katie has been experiencing unexplainable and frightening nightmares that keep her awake countless nights. Although her boyfriend, Spencer, has tried to be understanding, he is slowly feeling somewhat disconnected from Katie. Finally she decides to speak with a therapist and believes these dreams could be suppressed memories that she cannot break through, The therapist suggests that Katie should speak with her parents and try to delve into her past. But what she learns may be more disturbing than the dreams themselves. But how else will Katie ever get over these nightmares and move on with her future unless she unravel this mystery.
This is the first book and part two of the story is to come. One that I am anxious to get a hold of. Author, Robin Mahle does a superb job executing this story and had me anxiously turning the pages to see what more is to be revealed. A terrific psychological suspense that I would highly recommend.
This is the first book and part two of the story is to come. One that I am anxious to get a hold of. Author, Robin Mahle does a superb job executing this story and had me anxiously turning the pages to see what more is to be revealed. A terrific psychological suspense that I would highly recommend.
December 28, 2017
I had saved this book to my Kindle at some point and I'm sure it was one of the freebies that I downloaded. While on vacation, I couldn't connect to the internet, so I had to read what was on my Kindle. I chose this one because it fits into the realm of books that I tend to read.
But.... the book is poorly written, the characters are one-dimensional, and most of the dialog and conflict seem contrived.
This is the author's first attempt at writing, but I'd suggest she begin working with a stronger editor to see if some of the issues can be worked out.
The centre of the story is about retrieved memories that come to Kate as she is about to get married. The memories she retrieves lead her to learning that she had been abducted at a 6-year old. Too bad the writing wasn't better.. but perhaps it's only a problem in the first book.
But.... the book is poorly written, the characters are one-dimensional, and most of the dialog and conflict seem contrived.
This is the author's first attempt at writing, but I'd suggest she begin working with a stronger editor to see if some of the issues can be worked out.
The centre of the story is about retrieved memories that come to Kate as she is about to get married. The memories she retrieves lead her to learning that she had been abducted at a 6-year old. Too bad the writing wasn't better.. but perhaps it's only a problem in the first book.
November 2, 2017
And So It Begins . . . . .
I started into this series by reading one of the later books. It captured me so thoroughly that I HAD to acquire the rest of the books to understand more clearly. This book was the perfect genesis. Too bad I'll have to waste time at work instead of immersing myself in this continuing story.
I started into this series by reading one of the later books. It captured me so thoroughly that I HAD to acquire the rest of the books to understand more clearly. This book was the perfect genesis. Too bad I'll have to waste time at work instead of immersing myself in this continuing story.
February 22, 2017
Excellent story
The beginning was a little slow but then it picked up. You will find yourself torn with Katie's romance but also desparately pulling for her success.
The beginning was a little slow but then it picked up. You will find yourself torn with Katie's romance but also desparately pulling for her success.
September 30, 2025
All the Shiny Things by Robin Mahle follows Kate Reid, who begins recovering repressed memories of being kidnapped as a child. As the truth resurfaces, she realizes the killer is still out there — and now she’s back on his radar. With the FBI’s help, Kate races to uncover the truth before he finds her first.
The premise was intriguing, but the pacing dragged at times, and some plotlines felt unnecessary. The romance also felt rushed and lacked chemistry. Overall, this one just didn’t work for me.
The premise was intriguing, but the pacing dragged at times, and some plotlines felt unnecessary. The romance also felt rushed and lacked chemistry. Overall, this one just didn’t work for me.
July 17, 2025
Snooze. Holy moly. This was so drawn out in my opinion. Way too long, I lost interest really early on. Seemed like very juvenile writing and not believable relationships. Girl kidnapped as a child but didn’t know she was. Started having nightmares and going to hypnosis therapy before she asked her parents and they admitted they never told her. Her life’s mission then to find the guy. Just so long.
February 27, 2023
You'll like this if you like Hallmark movies.
February 8, 2024
This book kept me hooked.
November 19, 2024
This book would never endddddd
May 19, 2013
Redwood Violet by Robin Mahle is one of those books you should not open unless you have time to read it because you won't want to put this book down. From page one I was hooked on this fascinating mystery/crime solving read. The relationships and characters are all well developed and believable. (Although how can anyone really know if they are believable unless they were put in that circumstance but I imagine it is possible for them to act the way they do in the story.) The plot was complete and uncomplicated and the story never strayed away from it. I found the pace very comfortable and always moving toward the climax at the end.
I did notice some reviewers said they hated the ending and feel they wasted their time reading this or it was not a stand alone book but I disagree with both totally. First off, the author does state this is the first of a two part series so there will be another book. The ending as it stands right now leads the imagination to a conclusion without reading the second book. Is it a great ending? No! How can it be when the story hasn't ended? (There is still another book yet.) Does it give the reader some sense of what happens if they read the words, especially the very last sentence? Yes! So that is why I say it is a stand alone book and I can be satisfied with just reading this one story but I enjoyed it so much now I want to know which children were abducted by the same person and see justice served among other things. But isn't the whole purpose of the author writing a series is to get you so hooked on book one that you will want to read book two? I say this author did a fantastic job of that despite that I am a bit disappointed book two isn't out.
Katie Reid is the main character and she is living with her boyfriend (turned fiance) Spencer. She is living the perfect life in CA, the one she always imagined until she started having these nightmares. They weren't like normal dreams, these seemed so real that they started interfering with her life on many levels. When she uncovers the reason for the nightmares it changes her life in many unexpected ways. Her perfect life shatters and she at times even questions her own sanity. The path she chose (although it seems to be more of an obsession) takes her places she isn't sure she wants to be. Now there is a whole lot more to this story but if I tell you, there isn't much sense of you reading it. Lets just say relationships are made and broken, children are disappearing without a trace, and you really need to watch what you wish for.
Although the story involves police work on kidnapped, murdered and abused children and the questioning of sex offenders (adult subjects) there is really no swearing to speak of and no sex/nudity which I found so refreshing. However, as I said it is an adult subject matter so I would only recommend it to adults.
I did notice some reviewers said they hated the ending and feel they wasted their time reading this or it was not a stand alone book but I disagree with both totally. First off, the author does state this is the first of a two part series so there will be another book. The ending as it stands right now leads the imagination to a conclusion without reading the second book. Is it a great ending? No! How can it be when the story hasn't ended? (There is still another book yet.) Does it give the reader some sense of what happens if they read the words, especially the very last sentence? Yes! So that is why I say it is a stand alone book and I can be satisfied with just reading this one story but I enjoyed it so much now I want to know which children were abducted by the same person and see justice served among other things. But isn't the whole purpose of the author writing a series is to get you so hooked on book one that you will want to read book two? I say this author did a fantastic job of that despite that I am a bit disappointed book two isn't out.
Katie Reid is the main character and she is living with her boyfriend (turned fiance) Spencer. She is living the perfect life in CA, the one she always imagined until she started having these nightmares. They weren't like normal dreams, these seemed so real that they started interfering with her life on many levels. When she uncovers the reason for the nightmares it changes her life in many unexpected ways. Her perfect life shatters and she at times even questions her own sanity. The path she chose (although it seems to be more of an obsession) takes her places she isn't sure she wants to be. Now there is a whole lot more to this story but if I tell you, there isn't much sense of you reading it. Lets just say relationships are made and broken, children are disappearing without a trace, and you really need to watch what you wish for.
Although the story involves police work on kidnapped, murdered and abused children and the questioning of sex offenders (adult subjects) there is really no swearing to speak of and no sex/nudity which I found so refreshing. However, as I said it is an adult subject matter so I would only recommend it to adults.
October 21, 2017
Good book
I enjoyed this book. Kept my interest and was anxious to turn the page. I would recommend it to anyone.
I enjoyed this book. Kept my interest and was anxious to turn the page. I would recommend it to anyone.
April 27, 2016
This was a tricky one to score. A very good story indeed, I really liked it and it held my interest (aside from Katie's continual crying) but the mistakes totally wore me down. They continued from start to finish as well........it got very, very tiresome and a few times I was inclined to pack it in altogether.
I was only on the second page before speechmarks were missed and that happened a LOT throughout.
She writes bride's maids which I've never, ever seen written that way yet used bridesmaids the normal way a few pages later. Words were continually missed from sentences..."I'll see later" or "We need consider your safety" and "it could just as easily been a memory" then "for those of you who aren't familiar the many acronyms of the FBI".....all very scrappy and sloppy.
Then she's told "Go ahead a lie down on the couch", to was used in place of too, which is basic English , concerned used instead of concern and ringer and not wringer. Samantha was Mrs Hansen when she got married but morphed into Mrs Hanson further on. Discretely was used and not discreetly and its in place of it's and of course there are the obligatory e-book apostrophe mistakes thrown in, too. You can see how it got so tiring to read. These are basic errors that a proper proofreading should've picked up.
I didn't like Katie quite a lot of the time. Crying aside, she treated Spencer terribly and didn't waste any time moving on, did she ? However, as I stated earlier, the story IS very good and I'll try the next in the series. If it has as many mistakes I won't read her again, though.
I was only on the second page before speechmarks were missed and that happened a LOT throughout.
She writes bride's maids which I've never, ever seen written that way yet used bridesmaids the normal way a few pages later. Words were continually missed from sentences..."I'll see later" or "We need consider your safety" and "it could just as easily been a memory" then "for those of you who aren't familiar the many acronyms of the FBI".....all very scrappy and sloppy.
Then she's told "Go ahead a lie down on the couch", to was used in place of too, which is basic English , concerned used instead of concern and ringer and not wringer. Samantha was Mrs Hansen when she got married but morphed into Mrs Hanson further on. Discretely was used and not discreetly and its in place of it's and of course there are the obligatory e-book apostrophe mistakes thrown in, too. You can see how it got so tiring to read. These are basic errors that a proper proofreading should've picked up.
I didn't like Katie quite a lot of the time. Crying aside, she treated Spencer terribly and didn't waste any time moving on, did she ? However, as I stated earlier, the story IS very good and I'll try the next in the series. If it has as many mistakes I won't read her again, though.
October 1, 2013
All the Shiny Things by Robin Mahle (Sequel to Redwood Violets)
"An ending to a great mystery."
"I'm a fan of a good series--it's like visiting an old friend."
Katie's life was going great she had a job she loved and a fiancé she was looking forward to marrying until she realized her dreams were more than just nightmares--they were flashbacks of horrors that actually happened to her as a child. The way she deals with the consequences of knowing and the people she meets makes this a book that is hard to put down. (I actually read it in one sitting.)
"I appreciated the developing romance in this book and the fact that the author didn't feel the need to include graphic sex scenes.
This book needs no spicing up! It is a suspenseful page-turner from the get-go."
I can't recommend this book enough. All the Shiny Things was worth waiting for. I would recommend reading Redwood Violets first to get the whole story. You won't be sorry!
"An ending to a great mystery."
"I'm a fan of a good series--it's like visiting an old friend."
Katie's life was going great she had a job she loved and a fiancé she was looking forward to marrying until she realized her dreams were more than just nightmares--they were flashbacks of horrors that actually happened to her as a child. The way she deals with the consequences of knowing and the people she meets makes this a book that is hard to put down. (I actually read it in one sitting.)
"I appreciated the developing romance in this book and the fact that the author didn't feel the need to include graphic sex scenes.
This book needs no spicing up! It is a suspenseful page-turner from the get-go."
I can't recommend this book enough. All the Shiny Things was worth waiting for. I would recommend reading Redwood Violets first to get the whole story. You won't be sorry!
February 22, 2017
This book caught and held my attention from page one to the end. The story revolves around Katie, who suffered through a terrible event and now needs to end the pain, not only for herself, but for others who endured terrible loss at the hands of a murdering madman. (I don’t want to spoil it by giving too much detail)
The book is long, and thank heavens! The reader is taken on a journey of discovery, getting to know the characters, while the story unfolds, without feeling rushed by the plot. I thoroughly enjoyed this, especially when I realised what exactly ‘shiny things’ refers to. HIGHLY recommended.
The book is long, and thank heavens! The reader is taken on a journey of discovery, getting to know the characters, while the story unfolds, without feeling rushed by the plot. I thoroughly enjoyed this, especially when I realised what exactly ‘shiny things’ refers to. HIGHLY recommended.
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