Librarian note: An older edition for this ASIN can be found here: 20-Nov-2016.
WHAT HURTS THE MOST, BOOK 1:
Am I pretty?
Imagine being asked that question standing face to face with a killer. What would you answer?
While her life is going from bad to worse, journalist Mary Mills receives a disturbing phone call from her father. Her brother was arrested, charged with murder.
Mary decides to go back to her hometown of Cocoa Beach, Florida, which she left twenty years back and has never visited since.
Working with her old friends in from High School, she tracks down the most disturbing and surprising killer this town has ever faced before a shocking conclusion turns everything upside down for them.
Determined to solve the murder and to have her brother acquitted, Mary is forced to face demons from her past she never thought she would have to again.
YOU CAN RUN, BOOK 2:
Her kids are arguing, and her husband is still sleeping. Lisa is tired and wonders why her husband keeps working late. Is he having an affair? Is it the same girl as last time?
Lisa’s teenage daughter is acting up, and just as Lisa is about to walk up to her room and tell her who’s the boss around here, she feels the cold steel of a gun pressed against her cheek, while a hand covers her mouth.
Years later, it remains a mystery. Who killed Lisa’s family after holding them captive for twenty-four terrifying hours in their own house?
Mary Mills is enjoying her new life in Cocoa Beach. She is back with her husband Joey and hanging out with her old friends from the 7th Street Crew.
She is writing a blog and doing pretty well for herself when she realizes one of her best friends, Marcia is in serious trouble.
It is well known within the crew that Marcia likes to drink a lot, but things are getting worse.
Marcia is deep in over her head, and she risks losing her children.
Soon Mary realizes that maybe she doesn’t know her old friend as well as she thought.
It is said that a friend will help you if you’re knocked down, while a real friend says, “Stay down; I’ve got this.”
Will Mary be able to live up to this? Will she be able to help Marcia, to save her before it is too late? Does she want to after she digs deeper into Marcia’s story and finds out who she really is?
This is the first two novels in Willow Rose’s series about Mary Mills and her childhood friends from Cocoa Beach, Florida. It’s two fast-paced, heart-stopping novels, but also an emotionally charged story about strong friendships and never giving up on each other, no matter what.
Willow Rose is a multi-million-copy best-selling Author and an Amazon ALL-star Author of more than 100 novels.
Several of her books have reached the top 10 of ALL books on Amazon in the US, UK, and Canada. She has sold more than three million books all over the world.
She writes Mystery, Thriller, Paranormal, Romance, Suspense, Horror, Supernatural thrillers, and Fantasy.
Willow's books are fast-paced, nail-biting pageturners with twists you won't see coming. That's why her fans call her The Queen of Scream.
Willow lives on Florida's Space Coast. When she is not writing or reading, you will find her surfing and watch the dolphins play in the waves of the Atlantic Ocean.
Too many characters and too many subplots. The book is all over the place. A new chapter starts in a new time line and new characters. I started to make a spreadsheet to keep track and realized that it was ridiculous. Any book where I have to do that is not worth my time. DNF and will never read another.
Book 1: Man, I have to say I haven't read a book by this author yet though I do have her books on my kindle. She literally amazed me with how amazing her book was. I devoured it within a day and a half. It was hard to put down. We go back and forth between what is happening in the 1980's to 2015. It is all related and the way the author has it all come together, in the end, is awesome! We are introduced to Mary who has really left her past behind. So when she has to go back to Coco Beach her hometown she isn't too thrilled. Coming to find out that your brother is accused of murder isn't too good and she will stop at nothing to make sure he is proven innocence because well he couldn't have done anything right?
Mary will end up meeting with her old friends and with their help, they will uncover so much. I have to say the scenes with Penelope threw me for a bit as I kept wondering what did this have to do with anything and well it had everything to do with it. Mary's past will literally come back for her and it will be Mary who stops it.
The characters were amazingly well written and the plot was juicy and went at the perfect pace. I honestly wish I could tell you more but I just know that I will be giving a lot away. Read this author if you haven't read her yet.
Book 2: Yet, here she goes again we pretty much take off right where we left off in book 1. Mary's brother is on the run and sadly she knows he will be coming for her eventually she knows too much. While dealing with this her friend of the 7th street crew Marcia has things going on within her own life that has been kept hidden from everyone. It is down right scary what secrets people hold within their life. We are also introduced to other characters who as you read wonder what part do they play within this story that is being told. As the pages are being flipped everything unfolds in an awesome way and you see how everyone is connected by a spider web. It is really amazing how the author did that and towards the end when the bomb shell was dropped I literally had my jaw dropped. One character who breaks my heart is Mark. He has so much going on in his life and with this one scene I felt bad, "He is waiting for his friend, David who is eating dinner with his parents. They asked him if he wanted some and he really did, but he didn't want them to think he didn't get fed at home, so he said no and told David he would go home and eat as well, and then they'd meet back in front of his house." Mary does a great job with solving murders maybe she become a P.I.!
Willow Rose really knows how to engage a reader with her words.......and keep them engaged. What Hurts The Most; So I was expecting......a lot worse from this book. As in gruesome/gory. I'm so glad that it wasn't though. The story flowed really well with characters that really stand out. You can Run; Once again the characters of the 7th Street Crew find themselves trying to save one of their own, and find one of them too.....for very different reasons. I loved these 2 books and look forward to reading more.
This reading was an event that should not be missed. The plot was exciting, twisted, suspenseful and the storyline was deep. I thoroughly enjoyed the suspense heavily peppered throughout and you would never, ever suspect the real culprit. Read both Vol 1-2 for your reading pleasure. I was provided a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.
This reading was an event that should not be missed. The plot was exciting, twisted, suspenseful and the storyline was deep. I thoroughly enjoyed the suspense heavily peppered throughout and you would never, ever suspect the real culprit. Read both Vol 1-2 for your reading pleasure. I was provided a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.
The 7th Street Crew is coming together to solve the murders that are plaguing their neighborhood in these first two books of the series.
What Hurts the Most – Book 1 – sees Mary coming back home to Cocoa Beach when her brother is accused of murder and her return only triggers more of the strangeness that is already going on. If someone asks “Am I pretty?” think before you answer. You Can Run – Book 2 - keeps you guessing and it takes a while to get all the characters figured out, but this book will keep you reading from the very first page. It’s a fast-paced mystery where you keep putting pieces together to figure out the ending – like a giant jigsaw puzzle.
Willow Rose has a unique writing style that keeps you looking over your shoulder. These books definitely do that!
I have read many of Willow Rose's books and do believe her 7th Street Crew is so far my favorite. The characters are solid and some are like people you could actually know.
After leaving New York for Florida to save her brother from a murder charge, Mary soon is on a mission to help her friend Marcia - an alcoholic with severe black outs - in danger of losing her children. Marcia has vanished and Mary is trying to find her with the help of her new boyfriend, Steven. When Marcia is found, it is at the scene of a murder. Now Mary has to prove Marcia's innocence.
If there is a negative, it is the writer's obsession with food and how the main character constantly devours food. If I remember correctly, this is a trait in other of her books as well.
It took a little while to get into the swing of this one, I think it was just that the author's style grew on me slowly.
These are dark books about dark crimes in a world which is grim and twisted, but not necessarily as grim and twisted as the protagonist fears. There is hope here, but just enough hope to keep the pain fresh and alive.
It's a world full of mental illness, child endangerment, and violence (both sexual and not).
More to the point, it's a small town full of all these things. Happening to the same group of people over and over again. It makes for entertaining story telling, but it requires a high level of suspension of disbelief.
The '7th Street Crew Mystery Series: Vol. 1-2' held me on edge from the first page. Willow Rose has a way of writing her stories that completely thrill me. Always full of suspense, thrills and the way the story weaves together leaves the ending unexpected. Both books, 'What Hurts the Most' and 'You Can Run', held intense story lines. The characters are great. Mary is like a dog on a scent, she doesn't give up until everything is wrapped up. I can't wait to read more of this series. A great add to your tbr list.
Well I did enjoy reading this to book I do have to say all the jumping around between the characters and the timeframe gave me a headache. I was really glad when it all came together in the end but I never thought they were ever going to make all these characters merge together so you knew exactly what the heck the story was about. All the twists and turns the definitely major want to read to the last page to see it all to come together.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading both volumes 1 and 2 of Mary Mills and both were wonderful to read. Lots of characters and twists and mystery which I really like in a book. Exciting to say the least. So far I love reading Books by Willow Rose and ready to start on Book 3 of this Series. I have to mention I love the animals a lot - especially with a pig having fun with two dogs.
While many books have characters that are hard to follow, this one is easy. Pay attention to the timeline! You aren't list of you don't, but it adds dimension to the story of you do.
Fabulous author a bit Roald Dahl, Tales of the Unexpected Always a shocking twist you do not expect Love her books and better than James Patterson, murder club books which I regularly buy.
Mary and her friends remind me of my childhood friends. The bond between them is so strong, but could be real. The mystery aspect of this book is really terrific. I didn't figure it out at all which is unusual. I love a good mystery!
Like all of the authors books this kept me enthralled. However unlike the others I have read, I actually figured out the conclusion on this one, making the climax somewhat of a let down.
This was an interesting thriller. The only thing I had an issue was it went in so many different directions it was hard to follow sometimes. I like story lines that are easier to follow.
Good suspense and continuation of the series. I like the way the storylines are presented with flashbacks and details to help understand the culprit better. Easy to follow although several characters. Good read. On the next part.
Kept me guessing . characters intriguing, each individually and lacking much backstory I found myself trying to fit them in various roles....murdered? Murderer? Victim? And why????
I quite enjoyed reading this book but it did not totally grab me. I did not rush back to read it. That’s my way of knowing if I’m really into a book.having sad that I’m looking forward to reading book 2. It’s a sham that everting wraps up in a couple of pages
These two books left me thirsty for more. Well written. Suspended in the highest gear. My first time reading this author's work and I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED.
I stayed up way past my bedtime reading because I couldn't put it down! An excellent first 2 books of the series and I can't wait to get into the next book!