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New Hampshire Mystery #1
Daddy Soda
A NEW HAMPSHIRE MYSTERY
Hannah Cole has built a life around her job as a receptionist at the local precinct after surviving a tumultuous upbringing, one she's worked hard to forget. For years, Hannah has hardly spoken to her overbearing mother or the half-sisters she barely knows: shy Candice, and Mary, a stunning fifteen year old with an eerie grip on the town. But when she learns her mother has been kidnapped, she returns home to the shack on Hermit Lake and the step-father she's never trusted.
Detective Cody McAlister has never seen a case like this. The kidnapper has planned every detail with exquisite precision and when body parts begin to arrive at his department, the glaring reality becomes all too clear: Kendra won't be alive for long. The key to the deranged kidnapper's motive and identity may be held in the unsteady hands of a twelve-year old girl. But Candice hasn't spoken a word since that tragic night.
As Hannah and Cody's investigation takes them from abandoned strip malls to the outer reaches of the marsh, the unimaginable truth emerges, and Hannah finds herself reliving hellish memories of the shack she thought she'd never have to face. If she doesn't unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past, she won't find her mother in time. In small-town New Hampshire where what you see is what you get, no one is who they seem.
Hannah Cole has built a life around her job as a receptionist at the local precinct after surviving a tumultuous upbringing, one she's worked hard to forget. For years, Hannah has hardly spoken to her overbearing mother or the half-sisters she barely knows: shy Candice, and Mary, a stunning fifteen year old with an eerie grip on the town. But when she learns her mother has been kidnapped, she returns home to the shack on Hermit Lake and the step-father she's never trusted.
Detective Cody McAlister has never seen a case like this. The kidnapper has planned every detail with exquisite precision and when body parts begin to arrive at his department, the glaring reality becomes all too clear: Kendra won't be alive for long. The key to the deranged kidnapper's motive and identity may be held in the unsteady hands of a twelve-year old girl. But Candice hasn't spoken a word since that tragic night.
As Hannah and Cody's investigation takes them from abandoned strip malls to the outer reaches of the marsh, the unimaginable truth emerges, and Hannah finds herself reliving hellish memories of the shack she thought she'd never have to face. If she doesn't unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past, she won't find her mother in time. In small-town New Hampshire where what you see is what you get, no one is who they seem.
326 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 8, 2015
190 people are currently reading
561 people want to read
About the author
Mira Gibson
25 books70 followersAn author of sleuth mysteries and dark psychological thrillers, Mira can be found most days working in the sunshine of beautiful Long Beach, NY where she dreams up one-of-a-kind characters and writes intriguing stories that are filled with unsuspecting tenderness.
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Connect with Mira online!
Facebook: facebook.com/authormiragibson
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Twitter: twitter.com/miragibson
Website: MysteryRoyalty.com
Signup for my Newsletter: https://forms.wix.com/r/7165804418128...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
January 12, 2016
Caution! Once you're hooked you be up all night!
Daddy Soda is a fast pace mystery novel that takes the reader on Hanna Cole's journey to find her missing mother who was abducted in the middle of the night with a sole witness who wasn't talking...
Around 130 pages in the book grabbed me, holding tight and I couldn't get away. Next thing I knew, It was 3:30 A.M. and both the book and mystery had ended.
As I stood alongside Hanna, I was constantly trying to help her figure out who was behind the kidnapping. As soon as I thought I had it figured out, Mira Gibson threw in another shred of evidence, sly comment, or twist sending me in another direction.
Daddy Soda had the perfect balance of character and plot development well balanced with literary descriptions that easily whisked my mind away from the warmth of my bed as I read and plopped me right in the town of Sanbornton.
I thoroughly enjoyed this read and was glad I was chosen to receive a free copy through Goodreads First Reads book giveaway.
Daddy Soda is a fast pace mystery novel that takes the reader on Hanna Cole's journey to find her missing mother who was abducted in the middle of the night with a sole witness who wasn't talking...
Around 130 pages in the book grabbed me, holding tight and I couldn't get away. Next thing I knew, It was 3:30 A.M. and both the book and mystery had ended.
As I stood alongside Hanna, I was constantly trying to help her figure out who was behind the kidnapping. As soon as I thought I had it figured out, Mira Gibson threw in another shred of evidence, sly comment, or twist sending me in another direction.
Daddy Soda had the perfect balance of character and plot development well balanced with literary descriptions that easily whisked my mind away from the warmth of my bed as I read and plopped me right in the town of Sanbornton.
I thoroughly enjoyed this read and was glad I was chosen to receive a free copy through Goodreads First Reads book giveaway.
January 10, 2016
I enjoyed this mystery novel set in NH. The main character Hannah was very interesting, had great depth and was very believable. The descriptions of NH were very accurate and Hermit Lake was almost a character in itself. The mystery kept me guessing til the end, and sucked me right in from the beginning. Overall a fun read!
September 12, 2018
Very dark
A very dark mystery. The characters were strong and well developed. A strong plot and violence that might be cause nightmares.
A very dark mystery. The characters were strong and well developed. A strong plot and violence that might be cause nightmares.
May 21, 2024
A gripping opener for a series set in the Granite State.
Daddy Soda has many elements to make a great mystery, including drug use, domestic dysfunction, and a missing person with a dark past. With investigators unsure whether they’re looking into a kidnapping or a murder, readers will tear through the pages in anticipation.
With its rural setting, the novel also offers some excellent examples of nature writing. With action also set at local landmarks like the Sununu Youth Services Center, its New Hampshire locale plays a vital role in the story’s development.
I highly enjoyed this first entry in the New Hampshire Mystery series and look forward to pursuing further cases.
Daddy Soda has many elements to make a great mystery, including drug use, domestic dysfunction, and a missing person with a dark past. With investigators unsure whether they’re looking into a kidnapping or a murder, readers will tear through the pages in anticipation.
With its rural setting, the novel also offers some excellent examples of nature writing. With action also set at local landmarks like the Sununu Youth Services Center, its New Hampshire locale plays a vital role in the story’s development.
I highly enjoyed this first entry in the New Hampshire Mystery series and look forward to pursuing further cases.
September 2, 2020
This review was first published on Kurt's Frontier.
Synopsis:
Hannah Cole is a receptionist at the police department in Gilford, New Hampshire. She has worked hard to forget her turbulent upbringing. She has not spoken to her overbearing mother or two half-sisters (Mary and Candice) for years. She only returns to Hermit Lake when fifteen-year-old Mary calls Hannah to tell her that someone has kidnapped their mother, Kendra. Twelve-year-old Candice has stopped talking. This forces Hannah to confront a stepfather she doesn’t trust. She rekindles her relationship with her hold boyfriend, Cody McAlister, who now works as a detective in Sanbornton, New Hampshire. Then, the body parts start arriving, and it’s clear that Kendra won’t be alive much longer. The key to finding the deranged killer may be the catatonic Candice. To solve the psychological puzzle, Hannah must confront a past she doesn’t want to face.
Review:
Small-town New Hampshire, as one has never seen it. Mira Gibson has written a psychological thriller, drawing from her own experiences with childhood abuse. Set in Sanbornton, in New Hampshire’s Lakes region, she brings alive a scene of tragedy, abuse, and mental illness. The mystery forces Hannah Cole to confront her demons as she tries to unravel the kidnapping of her mother. The story is well written but has a dense quality to it. There are many disparate elements to it. Mira Gibson does a good job at keeping control of them, but the reader may find it difficult to keep track of them. I found I had to backtrack to see what I missed. It is a good read, though the end is disturbing.
Synopsis:
Hannah Cole is a receptionist at the police department in Gilford, New Hampshire. She has worked hard to forget her turbulent upbringing. She has not spoken to her overbearing mother or two half-sisters (Mary and Candice) for years. She only returns to Hermit Lake when fifteen-year-old Mary calls Hannah to tell her that someone has kidnapped their mother, Kendra. Twelve-year-old Candice has stopped talking. This forces Hannah to confront a stepfather she doesn’t trust. She rekindles her relationship with her hold boyfriend, Cody McAlister, who now works as a detective in Sanbornton, New Hampshire. Then, the body parts start arriving, and it’s clear that Kendra won’t be alive much longer. The key to finding the deranged killer may be the catatonic Candice. To solve the psychological puzzle, Hannah must confront a past she doesn’t want to face.
Review:
Small-town New Hampshire, as one has never seen it. Mira Gibson has written a psychological thriller, drawing from her own experiences with childhood abuse. Set in Sanbornton, in New Hampshire’s Lakes region, she brings alive a scene of tragedy, abuse, and mental illness. The mystery forces Hannah Cole to confront her demons as she tries to unravel the kidnapping of her mother. The story is well written but has a dense quality to it. There are many disparate elements to it. Mira Gibson does a good job at keeping control of them, but the reader may find it difficult to keep track of them. I found I had to backtrack to see what I missed. It is a good read, though the end is disturbing.
February 13, 2016
“Daddy Soda” is a phenomenal read. I was hooked in from Page one and totally gripped to the last.
Set in the New Hampshire Lakes, this is vividly described so that I understood the enormity of it, it’s beauty and conversely how it can hide secrets and the contrasts between people depending where you live on Hermit Lake.
Hannah left her childhood home and family as soon as she was able to – on her 18th birthday – and has had little contact since with her mother and step family. She has built a new life for herself. Then out of the blue, eight years later, she receives a phone call from her step-sister, Mary, telling her that their mum has disappeared. Hannah returns home when Mary tells her “I need real help”.
The characterisation is believable and varied. The reader learns quickly that Hannah has a dysfunctional family but nothing prepares you for the twists and turns to come. I loved Hannah, I felt I was right alongside her with this feeling of not knowing who to trust. There are some dark and chilling parts but these are not written graphically.
There is one pace to this novel – fast and goodness me, does the Author know how to build up suspense. The writing is fluid with not a word wasted.
This had my heart racing and the hairs standing up on the back of my neck at times. Read this – you won’t be disappointed.
I received this novel in exchange for an honest review. I’ve already downloaded the next in this series, “Rock Spider. At first sight it seems to be the series is focused on the setting and not the characters which gives the reader something different.
Set in the New Hampshire Lakes, this is vividly described so that I understood the enormity of it, it’s beauty and conversely how it can hide secrets and the contrasts between people depending where you live on Hermit Lake.
Hannah left her childhood home and family as soon as she was able to – on her 18th birthday – and has had little contact since with her mother and step family. She has built a new life for herself. Then out of the blue, eight years later, she receives a phone call from her step-sister, Mary, telling her that their mum has disappeared. Hannah returns home when Mary tells her “I need real help”.
The characterisation is believable and varied. The reader learns quickly that Hannah has a dysfunctional family but nothing prepares you for the twists and turns to come. I loved Hannah, I felt I was right alongside her with this feeling of not knowing who to trust. There are some dark and chilling parts but these are not written graphically.
There is one pace to this novel – fast and goodness me, does the Author know how to build up suspense. The writing is fluid with not a word wasted.
This had my heart racing and the hairs standing up on the back of my neck at times. Read this – you won’t be disappointed.
I received this novel in exchange for an honest review. I’ve already downloaded the next in this series, “Rock Spider. At first sight it seems to be the series is focused on the setting and not the characters which gives the reader something different.
August 22, 2016
I thought the plot was interesting and the characters were strong. I did have a little problem with the writing style. I found the author used words without carefully considering their meaning and ensuring they conveyed the intended meaning. They were a little weird sometimes, but I'm glad I didn't put the book down, as I almost did. The story was compelling and I really enjoyed getting to know her characters.
September 20, 2017
An interesting story with twists and turns...
I live in the Lakes Region and was excited to find a book series about my neck of the woods. This story was kind of difficult to begin, the writing was halted and lacked a smooth rhythm, but it intrigued me enough to keep with it. Also there were a couple of descriptions that baffled me, such a describing a character's hair as 'akimbo', and describing the look outside as 'morning dusk'.. those two examples had me asking what kind of writer the author was and if they had edited their own work.
Anyway, the story moves along at a good pace and I'm anxious to check out the other NH stories Ms. Gibson has written. I'm a fan.
I live in the Lakes Region and was excited to find a book series about my neck of the woods. This story was kind of difficult to begin, the writing was halted and lacked a smooth rhythm, but it intrigued me enough to keep with it. Also there were a couple of descriptions that baffled me, such a describing a character's hair as 'akimbo', and describing the look outside as 'morning dusk'.. those two examples had me asking what kind of writer the author was and if they had edited their own work.
Anyway, the story moves along at a good pace and I'm anxious to check out the other NH stories Ms. Gibson has written. I'm a fan.
February 15, 2017
Wonderfully written
Mira Gibson has done a marvelous job writhing and sending the readers into the spinning terror and mysterious minds of the devious family. Just when you think you've figured out who the culprit is, she throws in a nasty twist that blows your mind! I highly recommend this book to everyone who loves a good mystery. These are the reasons I have this book a five star rating.
Mira Gibson has done a marvelous job writhing and sending the readers into the spinning terror and mysterious minds of the devious family. Just when you think you've figured out who the culprit is, she throws in a nasty twist that blows your mind! I highly recommend this book to everyone who loves a good mystery. These are the reasons I have this book a five star rating.
November 6, 2017
Gets you from the start
Growing up around places described in this book made reading it all the more real. It was very easy to get wrapped up in the story and really feel like I was standing by the lake watching the scenes unfold. Truly had me bluffed right to the end! Totally loved it!
Growing up around places described in this book made reading it all the more real. It was very easy to get wrapped up in the story and really feel like I was standing by the lake watching the scenes unfold. Truly had me bluffed right to the end! Totally loved it!
October 9, 2019
I really liked this book. I especially liked the ending. I didn't have a clue who was the antoganist, I kept going from the step-dad to Hannah's biological father then to her oldest step sister but I never in a million years thought of Candace. I would really love to read another book in this series.
December 30, 2016
"Daddy Soda" was thrilling and exciting with an ending I didn't see coming. I would've given the book five stars, but the misused, misplaced, and missing punctuation caused too many distractions.
May 31, 2016
This book is about a 4 and a half stars. A girl decides to leave home once she graduates to get away from a dysfunctional family. Years later her sister calls and said their mom was missing, So she goes back home to find her. Things start to happen weird things horrible things. Who? what? Where? Whose doing these horrible things and where is her mom , is she dead or alive. If you get queasy reading yucky things you might not like this one.
May 15, 2016
Novel was well written and disturbing as it was intended. The problem was that I didn't 'like' any of the characters. The backwoods, almost 'Deliverance' setting was unexpected for me in New Hampshire (who knew?). Honestly, after reading a bit more than half the book I ended up skipping the next bunch and reading the last two chapters. It only took me about a paragraph to figure out what I'd missed.
Which means the pace was WAY too slow. I doubt if I'll read more by this author, sorry.
Which means the pace was WAY too slow. I doubt if I'll read more by this author, sorry.
June 18, 2016
A very good read about murder, kidnap and...no spoilers.
The story flowed well, despite some typos and grammatical issues, and kept my interest from beginning to end.
Shocking news brings Hannah back to the ghosts of her past, but will she have the strength to do what she must? And what exactly is going on?
A clever and chilling plot with believable characters, mystery and suspense.
I enjoyed it and recommended it to anyone who loves a good crime thriller.
The story flowed well, despite some typos and grammatical issues, and kept my interest from beginning to end.
Shocking news brings Hannah back to the ghosts of her past, but will she have the strength to do what she must? And what exactly is going on?
A clever and chilling plot with believable characters, mystery and suspense.
I enjoyed it and recommended it to anyone who loves a good crime thriller.
September 17, 2016
A dark and brooding mystery
If you want different, unique and dark, this is the book for you. I did manage to figure out part of the conclusion, but certainly not all of it. There was far too much profanity for me and I think if she had left it out, it would not have diminished the plot at all. That said, the book was interesting and was a good read. Of course it needed editing, but. 95 percent of these free books do.
If you want different, unique and dark, this is the book for you. I did manage to figure out part of the conclusion, but certainly not all of it. There was far too much profanity for me and I think if she had left it out, it would not have diminished the plot at all. That said, the book was interesting and was a good read. Of course it needed editing, but. 95 percent of these free books do.
August 9, 2016
After getting a phone call from her half sister Mary, Hannah Cole discovers that their mother has been missing for a month. She decides to spend back at her old home to determine what has been done to find her mother.
Really didn't care for the characters unfortunately, which resulted in not really caring what happened to them.
Really didn't care for the characters unfortunately, which resulted in not really caring what happened to them.
November 27, 2016
It starts out as what you think will be a quicky read. Before you know it, the story explodes and you realize you aren't even halfway through. There is sensitive subject matter, so if you are not someone who can read about such things, I would give it a pass, but despite the hard to read (and hard to write, I'm sure) subjects, this was a very enjoyable book.
March 25, 2016
I read the first 3 chapters of Daddy Soda. It was starting to really peak my interest but the language got rougher and rougher. I would love a version without the rough language but I choose not to finish this book.
April 5, 2016
Mira writes a good mystery book. Hard to put down. Never read any of her books before b u t will continue to find bbc.c
Mira is an excellent mystery writer. Like her style and location of her place of place of plot. Took quite a turn in the end
Mira is an excellent mystery writer. Like her style and location of her place of place of plot. Took quite a turn in the end
August 21, 2016
I had a hard time understanding the method of writing this book - for a while, there were very few grammar or spelling errors; then it got so bad that it all distracted from the story. I didn't find any of the characters particularly likeable or someone I could empathize with.
June 10, 2016
I probably will not read another by this author.
May 29, 2016
Good
this book has so much about how lives are effected by physical abuse and mental abuse.the sad things that happen to chrilden
this book has so much about how lives are effected by physical abuse and mental abuse.the sad things that happen to chrilden
May 29, 2016
Fantastical!
Amazing story of a family with Secrets. I stayed up ,because you are entwined in the horrific investigation. This a must read!
Amazing story of a family with Secrets. I stayed up ,because you are entwined in the horrific investigation. This a must read!
June 3, 2016
Kept me guessing.
I love a book I can't figure out.Got part right part wrong .Enjoyed knowing the places mentioned in this book.
I love a book I can't figure out.Got part right part wrong .Enjoyed knowing the places mentioned in this book.
July 5, 2016
OMG. Definitely not for the squeamish. Just when you think you know the answer there is another twist... 4 1/2 stars!
July 10, 2016
Hannah
Hannah came back to town to help her sisters after the disappearance of their mother. This is the most dysfunctional family ever. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Hannah came back to town to help her sisters after the disappearance of their mother. This is the most dysfunctional family ever. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
July 31, 2016
Full of Twists and Turns
A very good read! The conclusion was uncertain until the very end of the book. Hard to put down !
A very good read! The conclusion was uncertain until the very end of the book. Hard to put down !
July 28, 2016
Very good book. Kept me on the edge of my seat
January 5, 2017
Good read.
This is my first book by Mira Gibson, but it won't be my last. It was a nail biter to the very last chapter.
This is my first book by Mira Gibson, but it won't be my last. It was a nail biter to the very last chapter.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews