tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52941298031158197182024-03-18T11:36:09.990-04:00Cross My Heart Writings & Reviews...xxxSandra Hooverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07799317489516225795noreply@blogger.comBlogger641125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5294129803115819718.post-14162680767461911652024-03-05T03:30:00.001-05:002024-03-05T03:30:00.147-05:00THE UNQUIET BONES Book Tour and Review<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYbNq3j8VAxGSGrHFuiu5k4rVrnLSCXsYx5ClqFO5dVwov31aOEA8DWy2cBdoZUr6nW9bOviG06m1EUlEOajm-vd1lF7uXMPjCrk_Aq-IQI4DreDejCY_KNBweGsPal6Y4dr-vO-myFvmvguFqzVY0KeWWQh3hEczBELn0X7zrGzV8BspIvDranv1rGh8/s2550/the%20unquiet%20bones.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="1650" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYbNq3j8VAxGSGrHFuiu5k4rVrnLSCXsYx5ClqFO5dVwov31aOEA8DWy2cBdoZUr6nW9bOviG06m1EUlEOajm-vd1lF7uXMPjCrk_Aq-IQI4DreDejCY_KNBweGsPal6Y4dr-vO-myFvmvguFqzVY0KeWWQh3hEczBELn0X7zrGzV8BspIvDranv1rGh8/s320/the%20unquiet%20bones.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>Author: Loreth Ann White</div><div style="text-align: left;">Publisher: Montlake</div><div style="text-align: left;">Release Date: March 5, 2024</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Special thanks to the publisher and MB Communications for an arc of this title and book tour invitation. All opinions expressed are my own.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Review published in <a href="https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/the-unquiet-bones/">Mystery & Suspense Magazine</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">4 Bleeding Hearts</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;">A shocking discovery of human bones reopens an almost fifty-year-old cold case—and rips apart the lives of a group of friends.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;">Review:</span></div>THE UNQUIET BONES by Author Loreth Anne White is based on a true unsolved crime that occurred in North Vancouver, Canada in 1976 where White resided as a young teen. A local sixteen-year-old girl disappeared after parting from her best friend and proceeding home alone. Her murder remains unsolved today, leaving loved ones in limbo without closure. White's compassion and empathy for the lost and those left behind to grieve fuels her desire to highlight their plight via her books giving a voice to the emotionally distraught suffering the aftermath of trauma, loss and especially the unknown.<br /> <br />THE UNQUIET BONES, a highly atmospheric suspense thriller involving skeletal remains unearthed during the moving of an old chapel, is book one in the Munroe and Quinn series. Upon the discovery of the remains, speculation is that it could be Annalise Jansen, a young teen who's been missing for forty-seven years after vanishing on her way home from a party. RCMP Sgt. Jane Munro who's mourning the mysterious disappearance of her finance, Matt Rossi, is struggling to come to terms with her overwhelming grief as well as her six-month pregnancy, when she's assigned the cold case. Having experienced unsolved loss, she's sympathetic to families desperate for closure, and determined to give them answers. Jane calls in forensic anthropologist Dr. Ella Quinn and together they vow to identify the remains through every means possible and bring this long-lost individual home to their family. <br /><br /> When news of the recovery circulates, rumors run rampant among the people in the small town. The possibility and high probability it’s Annalise make six outstanding citizens once dubbed the Shoreview Six extremely nervous as they wonder if their long-buried secrets and lies are about to unravel. Meeting in secret, they shore up old alibis and alliances. If the truth is revealed, affluent lives are going up in smoke and someone is going to pay the price for what happened all those years ago. If no one talks, their secrets remain buried, right? Maybe, maybe not. Authorities look to the recovered bones for answers while a town holds their collective breaths. In the hands of a skilled forensic anthropologist like Dr. Ella Quinn, the long buried, unquiet bones speak. They have a story to tell. What do they reveal? <br /><br /> Author Loreth Anne White renders another riveting, impossible to put down, page burner in THE UNQUIET BONES. Her skill as a writer and the fact that this story is based on a true crime take it to another level. Through multiple points of view and past/present chapters, a heartbreaking story emerges with dire implications for several of the large cast of unreliable characters. As fingers are pointed and threats made, an inevitable tone of malice permeates the pages. With each exposed secret and lie, the pace steadily increases, and White brilliantly manipulates readers and characters toward the shocking conclusion. Layers are stripped away, skeletons rattled, and the truth finally breaks free giving loved ones left behind needed closure. <br /><br /> White's unique gift for taking real life tragedies and turning them into mesmerizing stories with grace and passion while weaving forensic science into a riveting story line is simply amazing. No one does it better. The level of research, time, devotion and heart she puts into her work is evident. I can't wait for the next book in this series. Highly recommended to fans of mysteries, suspense and thrillers as well as lovers of crime fiction.<div style="text-align: left;">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;">Synopsis:</span></p></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">When human bones are found beneath an old chapel in the woods, evidence suggests the remains could be linked to the decades-old case of missing teen Annalise Jansen. Homicide detective Jane Munro—pregnant and acutely attuned to the preciousness of life—hopes the grim discovery will finally bring closure to the girl’s family.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">But for a group of Annalise’s old friends, once dubbed the Shoreview Six by the media, it threatens to expose a terrible pledge made on an autumn night forty-seven years ago. The friends are now highly respected, affluent members of their communities, and none of them ever expected the dark chapter in their past to resurface. But as Jane and forensic anthropologist Dr. Ella Quinn peel back the layers of secrets, the group begins to fracture. Will one cave? Will they turn on each other?</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">The investigation takes a sharp turn when Jane discovers a second body—that of the boy long blamed for Annalise’s disappearance. As the bones tell their story, the group learns just how far each will go to guard their own truth.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;"><b>Meet the Author:</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;"><div class="aboutAuthorInfo" style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><span id="freeTextauthor150272"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEMii6WpG-h-2h2mPyfn8pxXhHDG_xRLAIztAfFyjptl15Z2t0-aQVviN1fEZEYbDAiBbVx7g-nVUw4AyVloTCXs8KsTa7rN95M1S2XKIWMCTMLK0gxcdSp3idqkv1JT5tQ69ClU0gUPfjUIwmehF9GtuwAa0SFh-gbGISEQmfHxUd5kbot5Ep5rCZdGo/s200/loreth.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="173" data-original-width="200" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEMii6WpG-h-2h2mPyfn8pxXhHDG_xRLAIztAfFyjptl15Z2t0-aQVviN1fEZEYbDAiBbVx7g-nVUw4AyVloTCXs8KsTa7rN95M1S2XKIWMCTMLK0gxcdSp3idqkv1JT5tQ69ClU0gUPfjUIwmehF9GtuwAa0SFh-gbGISEQmfHxUd5kbot5Ep5rCZdGo/s1600/loreth.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Loreth Anne White is an Amazon Charts, Washington Post, and Bild bestselling author of thrillers, mysteries, and suspense. With over 3 million books sold around the world, she is an ITW thriller award finalist, a three-time RITA finalist, an overall Daphne du Maurier Award winner, Arthur Ellis finalist, and winner of multiple industry awards.<br /><br />A recovering journalist who has worked in both South Africa and Canada, she now calls Canada home. She resides in the Pacific Northwest, dividing time between Victoria on Vancouver Island, a ski resort in the Coast Mountains, and a rustic lakeside cabin in the Cariboo.<br /><br />When she’s not writing or dreaming up plots, you will find her on the lakes, in the ocean, or on the trails with her dog where she tries—unsuccessfully—to avoid bears. For more information on her books please visit her website at lorethannewhite.com<br /><br />Connect with her on Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Loreth.Anne.White" rel="noopener nofollow" style="color: #00635d; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/Loreth.Anne....</a><br />On Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/Loreth" rel="noopener nofollow" style="color: #00635d; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/Loreth</a><br />Or via Instagram: lorethannewhite<br /><br />Visit her at <b><a href="http://www.lorethannewhite.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" style="color: #00635d; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">www.lorethannewhite.com</a></b></span> <a data-text-id="author150272" href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/150272.Loreth_Anne_White#" style="color: #00635d; text-decoration-line: none;">(less)</a></div><div><br /></div></span></div>Sandra Hooverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07799317489516225795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5294129803115819718.post-90732860250510198132024-03-01T03:00:00.001-05:002024-03-01T03:00:00.135-05:00NOTHING BUT THE BONES Review<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjplkWwKQAT6nj0Ecy1TMvtz9jprFw4D0KeFZtsRjt8xcAxnKdpOst5Q7ehMIymb8DVrc0hX7yCnshaDBwtbmRNY4Hi1QZ8okFZLr1z1IYTuS6toJIUChxXz0g-wb86UeWUrOKQQdGM5zY0T3JzoOrTa0o4vw2umhw8rzO6TqBFnW4B-TAyd472ONG-dHY/s400/Nothing%20But%20The%20Bones.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="263" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjplkWwKQAT6nj0Ecy1TMvtz9jprFw4D0KeFZtsRjt8xcAxnKdpOst5Q7ehMIymb8DVrc0hX7yCnshaDBwtbmRNY4Hi1QZ8okFZLr1z1IYTuS6toJIUChxXz0g-wb86UeWUrOKQQdGM5zY0T3JzoOrTa0o4vw2umhw8rzO6TqBFnW4B-TAyd472ONG-dHY/s320/Nothing%20But%20The%20Bones.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>Author: Brian Panowich</div><div style="text-align: left;">Series: Bull Mountain #4<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Publisher: Minotaur Books</div><div style="text-align: left;">Release Date: April 16, 2024</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Many thanks to Minotaur Books for the arc. All opinions expressed are my own.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Review published in <a href="https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/nothing-but-the-bones-2/">Mystery & Suspense Magazine</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>5 Raw Hearts</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;">With lyrical prose and hard-hitting depictions of the hardscrabble life in the rural south, Brian Panowich, author of <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">Bull Mountain,</i> <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">Like Lions</i>, and <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">Hard Cash Valley</i>, delivers a gripping new chapter in his tales of McFalls County in <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">Nothing But the Bones</i>.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;">Review:</span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />NOTHING BUT THE BONES by Author Brian Panowich is another raw, gripping, graphic addition to the Bull Mountain series set in McFalls County, Georgia. A novella and three full length books precede this one, and I highly recommend reading them in order. Having said that, each book will stand alone with no issue and that’s due to the author’s ability to weave the needed backstory into each book. If you're a fan of Southern Noir, don't hesitate to pick this book up and dive in. You'll need to clear your calendar, pour yourself a strong one and settle in for the long haul as there's no stopping once you start reading this book. <br /><br />Author Brian Panowich has crafted another stunningly powerful tale in this award-winning series. NOTHING BUT THE BONES opens with a scene that takes place prior to Clayton Burroughs becoming sheriff of McFalls County. Readers learn how Nelson McKenna became known as "Nails" when adopted into the Gareth Burroughs crime family and how he became an enforcer - a role he's uncomfortable with. Fast forward in time and Nails steps in to save a woman from a horrific fate in a roadside pub igniting a series of explosive mishaps that lead to he and the woman, Dallas, on the run from a multitude of malevolent forces. Nails is so far out of his comfort zone with Dallas that it leaves him confused, speechless and undecisive, but when he learns that the family he thought he could trust to always have his back might have ulterior motives, he forges ahead vowing to protect the woman with his life. Nails and Dallas leave a trail of violence, death and utter chaos in their wake as they make their way south. With his back nailed to the wall, Nails makes one last stand knowing he may not survive. The repercussions are heard all the way back in McFalls County. Time has run out. Who'll be left standing? Who'll take the fall? <br /><br />NOTHING BUT THE BONES is a tension laden, fast paced, gritty tale of blood, sweat and tears - a prime example of southern noir done right. Panowich strips the words down to nothing but the bones - no fluff, no filler, as he expertly manipulates tainted, larger than life antiheroes through a complex, multi-faceted plot line toward an explosive climax no one will see coming. His sharp, descriptive prose is well suited to communicating a keen sense of place and southern tradition as well as cajoling engaging characters to life to the point of them stepping off the page into your living room. Readers can see, sense and smell the gun powder and motor oil as Nails and Dallas barrel down the highway in his classic LTD Ford toward their destination, knowing with little doubt their fate is sealed. While this story is action driven, it's the emotional turmoil of the characters I want to emphasize - A man and a woman, both outcasts, both battling their own demons, both needing something neither believes they deserve finding each other on a journey to hell and back. The heart break, the despair, the self-hatred drips like blood off the pages due to the amazingly talented author. <br /><br />Brian Panowich is a force to be reckoned with in the southern noir and grit lit genre, and no one's more deserving of the accolades coming his way. I can say without reservation he's on my short list of favorite auto-read noir authors. NOTHING BUT THE BONES is nothing but the best in southern noir today. I hope there's more to come! Highly recommended to fans of crime fiction, suspense and noir. <br /><br /> </span><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;"><span style="color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;">Synopsis:</span></div><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #1e1915;"><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In McFalls County, local crime boss Gareth Burroughs runs everything on the mountain. And Nelson “Nails” McKenna has been his enforcer since he was a teenager, though his heart's not really in the dirty work. Then one night in a local roadhouse, Nails goes too far, defending a woman, and even Burroughs’s reach can’t get him out of this one. With a dead body and countless witnesses, Nails and the woman become fugitives on the run, and unlikely partners.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px;" /><span style="font-weight: 400;">But on the road to Jacksonville, where a possible escape awaits, there’s more than one interested party on the pair’s trail, and the glimpse they had of getting away scot free suddenly seems elusive. In the end, Nails must make one final stand for his freedom—or pay with both of their lives.</span></span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Sandra Hooverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07799317489516225795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5294129803115819718.post-37838318849069597932024-02-20T02:30:00.097-05:002024-02-20T02:30:00.139-05:00THE DIAMOND AND THE DUKE Blog Tour & Review<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBY-iDNqHclZeoQAzpLNpXSHywoPblQUhgeJ4bBl7DY429-85IURt4yzLX7IsKt648-eTx1WEKcAiiw0sFnSmCXb471VfV9X202QkJdu2SRpui-BWZ1PX6QMSpWF8ppuOPpLP17vAQ0M1jNQBY6fAWPvNp39oQ-H6BveXTnOWE_OTI9kOVhABq7IqEEYA/s500/the%20diamond%20and%20the%20duke.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="306" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBY-iDNqHclZeoQAzpLNpXSHywoPblQUhgeJ4bBl7DY429-85IURt4yzLX7IsKt648-eTx1WEKcAiiw0sFnSmCXb471VfV9X202QkJdu2SRpui-BWZ1PX6QMSpWF8ppuOPpLP17vAQ0M1jNQBY6fAWPvNp39oQ-H6BveXTnOWE_OTI9kOVhABq7IqEEYA/s320/the%20diamond%20and%20the%20duke.jpg" width="196" /></a></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Welcome to my stop on the Blog Tour for the Diamond and the Duke! Oh how I loved this one . . . a real "diamond" in the genre! Be sure to check out the Excerpt below!</h3><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Author: Christi Caldwell</div><div style="text-align: left;">Series: All The Duke's Sins #3</div><div style="text-align: left;">Publisher: Berkley Romance</div><div style="text-align: left;">Release Date: Feb. 20, 2024</div><div style="text-align: left;">Order Link: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Diamond-Duke-Dukes-Sins-Book-ebook/dp/B0BR4XD9NS/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.oHA9F1C1PWOzPb02WicE683KtDSIzmtpfb-Zp0W5Ktw5vV19QBGuSWIc6hUaK06qSUjpoTKakbKKaqDKw44822ASusP2xCt5I8HO1YgxDJHt4qWrEgaEvF7evqqV5p7jSH6Fdd_N9alYY_3IZMKd8K_XkjsywgiOCvN5lzSPdsYzLVjrG_EU7XpCTvZxPrEil3Z6KeAi3KaTo7DTE6UtUP5HIWhDuUsRM25ss6_I0Oo.MMQSRthhBlizPo-uI4WnPMkhhybJ20I67wyBrHyFL20&qid=1705850481&sr=8-1">Amazon</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #00635d; font-size: 12px;">https://www.christicaldwell.com/</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>5 Sparkling </b><span face="Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #00635d; font-size: 12px;">🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Many thanks to Berkley Romance for the advanced readers' copy and tour invitation. All opinions expressed are my own.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">When a wounded soldier and self-proclaimed "beast" finds unlikely friendship with a headstrong and unconventional beauty, they quickly find themselves weaving a tale as old as time.</span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Review:</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">THE DIAMOND AND THE DUKE is the third book in the All The Duke's Sins Regency Historical Romance series and can absolutely be read as a standalone. </span><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">Author Christi Caldwell is a pro at weaving in any needed backstory, however; I highly recommend the first two books in this series. Readers will benefit from meeting the families and couples involved first-hand while enjoying two fantastic stories.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">For reasons of her own, Lady Eleanor “Ellie” Balfour has plans to be a spinster. She vows to never allow a man to control her or her fate ever again. There was one man she would have given her heart to, but he disappointed and deserted her by going off to war. And since returning home, he's made no effort to contact her. Matrimony isn't for her . . . and she's perfectly fine with that. </span><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">Captain Wesley Audley returned from the Napoleonic War a bitter, broken man suffering from PTSD who wants to be left alone. He refuses all visitors, preferring to live out his days in dark isolation while mourning what might have been. The dreams he once had of a loving wife and family died in the horrors he saw and experienced on the battlefield. What woman wants a man who can't take care of them? One who looks like a beast? And yet, when Ellie is there to welcome Wesley back to his family's home, he feels the old spark. While all others ignore him, Ellie refuses to go away and leave him alone. Her goal is no longer marriage, but she can't walk away with trying to bring Wesley back among the living. She has a plan . . . will it backfire on her?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">THE DIAMOND AND THE DUKE is a heart touching story about the power of love to heal. It's a story of acceptance, forgiveness and kindred souls. Caldwell has a gift for tapping into the emotions of characters and bringing them to life on the pages. Her descriptive prose flows beautifully as the story unfolds and readers witness the transformation of Wesley. Fans of the first two books in the series will enjoy the appearance of previous characters in this story. THE DIAMOND AND THE DUKE is Regency Romance at its finest - a real diamond in the genre. Highly recommended to fans of historical romance in any time period.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Synopsis:</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">Despite a hero’s return to England from the Napoleonic Wars, Wesley Audley isolates from the ton. Deep wounds from the horrors of combat—and the despair of a broken heart—left him scarred. As he struggles to cope and resume his place in Polite Society, Wesley is quick to cut himself off from everyone…except for Ellie Balfour. </span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">Independent and strong-willed, Ellie has dreams of captaining her own husband-free life and a penchant for meddling in other’s business. She knows befriending Wesley is a risk but Ellie can’t bear to see his heartache. Nor can she seem to silence all the temptingly intimate thoughts his nearness provokes. </span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">But Ellie is yet to face a battle she can’t win—and Wesley’s heart is worth the fight. If only her campaigns ever went to plan…</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="Proxima Nova, Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #1e1915;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="Proxima Nova, Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #1e1915;"><b>Author Bio: (Headshot courtesy of </b></span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-size: 14.6667px;"><b>Kimberly Rocha)</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSo7f2mENdnnuC7RRkbR4UVCiWMF5ADBWxwytpR76e5nEWvjqi7diwXdBYe24VzE3lGTekn6Kwh64eIn3GAjYmBcuUU6xPndejsrrc6iqYb0a_UiEHeMpjq3bPHHL77BfU1SuUXdtpghGqbW2Js6uCs0RFtA01wJBxMPCHKoiBew8Ucnp8KFr9lzTIXyo/s595/christi%20caldwell.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="579" data-original-width="595" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSo7f2mENdnnuC7RRkbR4UVCiWMF5ADBWxwytpR76e5nEWvjqi7diwXdBYe24VzE3lGTekn6Kwh64eIn3GAjYmBcuUU6xPndejsrrc6iqYb0a_UiEHeMpjq3bPHHL77BfU1SuUXdtpghGqbW2Js6uCs0RFtA01wJBxMPCHKoiBew8Ucnp8KFr9lzTIXyo/s320/christi%20caldwell.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>USA TODAY Bestselling author CHRISTI CALDWELL blames Judith McNaught's "Whitney, My Love!" for luring her into the world of historical romance. While sitting in her graduate school apartment at the University of Connecticut, Christi decided to set aside her notes and pick up her laptop to try her hand at romance. She believes the most perfect heroes and heroines have imperfections, and she rather enjoys torturing them before crafting them a well deserved happily ever after!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Christi makes her home in Charlotte, North Carolina where she spends her time writing her own enchanting historical romances and baking surprisingly good cakes (almost 2 years in lockdown will do that) with her courageous son and twin daughters, each who with their daily antics provides limitless source material.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #1e1915;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #00635d; font-size: 12px;">https://www.christicaldwell.com/</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif"><span><span><span style="color: #00635d;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif"><span><span><p><b>THE DIAMOND AND THE DUKE</b> Nonexclusive Excerpt</p><p></p><p>Dedicating all her attentions and energies on her book, Ellie made a show at reading; all the while, her ears remained keenly focused on the parts and pieces of the discussion her brother and Cailin had resumed. </p><p>". . . heartbreaking . . . not so much as a word from her . . ." Cailin said, her voice catching with tears, and Ellie flipped the unread page noisily. ". . . she will not write him. She will not answer his notes. What am I to say when he asks?" Ellie's sister-in-law was saying. "That according to our brother Hunter, the woman you are in love with is the darling of Staffordshire?" </p><p>Ellie went completely motionless. </p><p>The woman he . . . loved? Her organ in her chest forgot its job was to beat. As in, Wesley Audley was in love with- </p><p>". . . that she's enjoying herself at all the local soirees while you are risking life and limb to keep England safe from that French frog?" </p><p>As in Wesley Audley was in love with a woman wholly undeserving of him and his love. </p><p>Hatred and jealousy mingled, and together, soured her tongue like the vinegar rag her father had advised her nursemaid to stuff in Ellie's mouth for using words he'd deemed inappropriate for a lady to utter. </p><p>He was . . . in love. </p><p>In all this time since they'd met lakeside, she'd thought of him. And more, she'd thought of him-and her-together. Granted, he was more than a dozen years her senior, but she was no longer a child, and with every passing day where he was gone, she'd become a young lady, and he was to return and notice that she was no longer a gangly child. </p><p>Just . . . a gangly woman. </p><p>But neither would that matter, because he'd said that day at the lake she'd spirit and strength, and a skill with a sword that he'd admired, and- </p><p>Ellie gripped her book hard, her fingernails digging sharply into the soft leather and leaving crescent marks upon the cover and back. </p><p>The housekeeper appeared and dipped a curtsy to Cailin. "If I might speak to you, Your Grace, about the latest changes to the menu." </p><p>The latest changes, because with Cailin increasing in pregnancy and queasy from it, every meal was constantly changing. </p><p>As Cailin came to her feet, she offered a wave and smile to Ellie, which she quickly returned. </p><p>"I'll return shortly, love," the duchess said to her husband. She tipped her head up to receive Courtland's kiss. </p><p>Ellie hurriedly averted her attention from that intimate exchange. </p><p>The moment Cailin had followed Mrs. Dumfrees, Courtland returned to his book. </p><p>"Who was Cailin speaking about?" Ellie asked after her sister-in-law had gone, and she and Courtland remained alone. </p><p>Her eldest brother glanced over the top of his pages and looked confusedly her way. </p><p>Be breezy. You are breezy. </p><p>"The woman who is not writing the lieutenant." </p><p>Courtland scrubbed a hand over his mouth. </p><p>For an instant, she thought he would not answer. For an instant, she thought he'd rightly point out her past actions barred her from possession of intimate details that did not explicitly involve her. </p><p>Though, in this case . . . they did. Her brother just did not know it. </p><p>"She also happens to be the young woman who urged him to go to his father, the Duke of Bentley, so he could make a better life for himself." Her brother's jaw hardened. "A better life, which in her mind included wealth and land, and attaining everything she could through his commission in the army." </p><p>The reason he'd joined the military, and risked his life even now, was a woman? </p><p>Ellie's chest tightened in an odd way, in a way she'd never believed it would or could because of a man, and yet now it did at the thought of the dashing Lieutenant Audley courting another woman who was decidedly not Ellie. </p><p>Courtland started to rise. </p><p>Ellie quickly stayed him with another question. "Do you know her?" </p><p>He stared confusedly at her. </p><p>"The young woman," she clarified. </p><p>Her brother shook his head. "Only that her name is Claire Sparrow. Her father is a part owner of the Cheadle mines with Hunter." </p><p>The second-eldest Audley sibling, following Rafe. Wesley and Cailin were the youngest. </p><p>"She has not bothered to write Wesley in all the time he's been off fighting." </p><p>Pain knifed away at Ellie's heart this time for unselfish reasons: because of the hurt he knew, and all for a woman who couldn't appreciate Wesley for the man he was. </p><p>There came a flurry of footfalls, and they both looked up. </p><p>Cailin's lady's maid, Sara, rushed into the room, breathless. Ashen, Courtland jumped up. </p><p>"The duchess-?" </p><p>"Is fine," the young woman hurried to reassure him. "Her Grace was accompanying Mrs. Dumfrees, who was discussing the menu, and the duchess . . ."-Sara's cheeks pinkened-"fell ill in the hallway." </p><p>Ellie grimaced. Tossed her biscuits, Cailin had done. As the poor expecting mother was always doing, everywhere, these days. </p><p>"She told me I should not send for you, Your Grace, but I thought you should-" </p><p>"I am glad you did," Courtland interrupted, hastening to the door, leaving Ellie alone with only the silence of the room . . . and-her gaze inched over to the hastily abandoned area her brother and his wife had occupied-Wesley's letters. She dampened her mouth. </p><p>It is none of your affair . . . </p><p>It is absolutely none of your affair. Not even a bit. </p><p>That was, aside from the fact that Ellie was head over heels in love with the lieutenant. </p><p>Her book forgotten, Ellie absently set it down beside her, and came slowly to her feet. Keeping her eyes on the doorway, she inched over and stopped beside the note. </p><p>None of your affair. </p><p>None of your affair. None . . . Of its own volition, her gaze slid down, landing on that folded note.</p><p>Good, a person could not read a folded note. The only way to do so would be to pick it up, and open it, and well, Ellie certainly had more than enough restraint. </p><p>Or . . . she thought she did. </p><p>Just not where matters of Wesley Audley were concerned. </p><p>With a silent curse, her fingers dove for the page, and she quickly snapped it open and proceeded to read. </p><p>My dear sister, I write this missive hoping to find you and Courtland and your unborn babe are each faring well. I am eager for the day I return, and hope it is one day soon where I am able to see your expanded family. </p><p>Ellie finished and turned the note over. </p><p>There was no mention of Ellie. </p><p>He did not so much as ask after her. </p><p>Not that she expected he should or would. Ellie was, after all, just another one of Courtland's many siblings. </p><p>She snapped the note shut and returned the letter to where Cailin had left it. </p><p>That, however, didn't mean Ellie didn't . . . hope that he thought of her in some way. </p><p>Though, knowing his heart was otherwise engaged-and by a woman so completely unworthy of him-it made sense why he should not. </p><p>And she was stunned to discover, she wasn't so very selfish as to want him at any cost. She wanted him alive and happy. Even if it meant, when he returned from war, he would belong to another woman. </p><p>Balling her hands into tight fists, Ellie squeezed and un-squeezed them; all the while she waged a silent war with herself. </p><p>"Bloody hell," she exclaimed into the quiet of the parlor, and then, sitting down at Cailin's writing station, Ellie availed herself of a sheet of parchment and a pen. </p><p>Dipping it into an inkwell pot, she proceeded to write. </p><p>My dearest Wesley, </p><p>You must forgive me for the delay in my writing. My father discovered your notes. My only course, our only course, is to send our correspondences through a location where they're sure to not be discovered. </p><p>Lovingly Yours</p><p></p><p><i>Excerpted from The Diamond and the Duke by Christi Caldwell Copyright © 2024 by Christi Caldwell. Excerpted by permission of Berkley. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or</i> <i>reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.</i></p></span></span></span><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;"><i> </i></span></div>Sandra Hooverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07799317489516225795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5294129803115819718.post-80294742394663138292024-02-12T13:14:00.000-05:002024-02-12T13:14:28.622-05:00LOVE, NATURALLY Review<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtUcUh2ftYASsqCyQdclSF8LANXwgtbq6LSwdPyqKMHf7x1a-Pb1547N5H_cAodTzELNfXCcEdlZSA3LXGlOF6d50_0uJEfimCpi4LTiniioLcfGUlw-4eZcL-_h6H4GW5FKhITWwYd9jpadG636wRbfC7OocouXcBNRBI7YaXU413aVKAH3nKPiPYGBY/s400/Love%20Naturally.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtUcUh2ftYASsqCyQdclSF8LANXwgtbq6LSwdPyqKMHf7x1a-Pb1547N5H_cAodTzELNfXCcEdlZSA3LXGlOF6d50_0uJEfimCpi4LTiniioLcfGUlw-4eZcL-_h6H4GW5FKhITWwYd9jpadG636wRbfC7OocouXcBNRBI7YaXU413aVKAH3nKPiPYGBY/s320/Love%20Naturally.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>Author: Sophie Sullivan</div><div style="text-align: left;">Narrator: Julie Rogers</div><div style="text-align: left;">Publisher: MacMillan Audio, St. Martins Griffin</div><div style="text-align: left;">Release Date: Jan. 16, 2024</div><div style="text-align: left;">Order Link: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Audible-Love-Naturally-A-Novel/dp/B0C3NWVCZK/ref=sr_1_1?crid=16UW37M7BB0R0&keywords=love+naturally&qid=1706127310&sprefix=love+naturally%2Caps%2C96&sr=8-1">Amazon</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Many thanks to MacMillan Audio for an audiobook of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.</div><div style="text-align: left;">#MacMillanAudio</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="BookPageMetadataSection__description" data-testid="description" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.37; margin: 0.8rem 0px;"><div class="TruncatedContent" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;" tabindex="-1"><div class="TruncatedContent__text TruncatedContent__text--large TruncatedContent__text--expanded" data-testid="contentContainer" style="box-sizing: border-box; max-height: none; overflow: hidden visible; word-break: break-word;" tabindex="-1"><div class="DetailsLayoutRightParagraph" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: grid; gap: 2%; grid-template-columns: repeat(var(--num-right-col), minmax(0, 1fr)); margin-left: calc(-1 * var(--right-col-left-offset)); padding-left: var(--right-col-left-offset);"><div class="DetailsLayoutRightParagraph__widthConstrained" style="box-sizing: border-box; grid-column: span 8;"><span class="Formatted" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><b><i>A charming opposites-attract romance, <span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Love, Naturally</span> is for anyone who ever stepped outside their comfort zone and found that all the best things can happen when you take a chance.</i></b></span></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Review:</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">LOVE, NATURALLY by Author Sophie Sullivan is a heartwarming opposites attract, insta-love romance rendered through dual points of view. There's a long list of reasons why these two characters will never work as a couple, and yet the chemistry sparking between them could set the forest on fire. Does anything else really matter?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #1e1915; font-family: Proxima Nova, Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif;">Presley surprises her boyfriend with a ten-day getaway at the Get Lost Lodge, a place where fishing, hiking and roughing it is the name of the game. While it isn't her thing, she wants to prove her commitment to their relationship and her willingness to do things he likes to do. Imagine her surprise when he says he'll invite a buddy to go with him, not her. Apparently, they're not on the same page when it comes to moving forward with their relationship, so Presley takes the reservations back and proceeds to go on the trip by herself. It'll be a good time to assess her life and figure out which direction to go in the future. Getting sick on the boat crossing to the island is not a good sign, but she steps out of her comfort zone and tries new activities with Beckett, a hunky, willing teacher and the lodge guide, who's helping his brother get the lodge up and running. Readers quickly learn Beckett has issues of his own. He's set aside his own dreams to commit to helping family. Presley and Beckett couldn't be more different. She's a city girl who loves shopping, champagne and caviar and he's a country boy who catches, cleans and cooks his own dinner. There're too many miles, differences and entanglements for them to consider a future together . . . even though the sexual tension between them is off the charts. They'll enjoy each other's company and at the end of ten days, both go their separate ways. Right?</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #1e1915; font-family: Proxima Nova, Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif;">LOVE, NATURALLY is a sweet, opposites attract romance with great secondary characters helping carry the story. The rustic setting and evolving relationship between these two characters is intriguing and fun to watch as they both grow into their own and make life altering decisions. While the couple go from zero to sixty in ten days, the narrative is a bit slow in spite of the sizzling chemistry. The audio narrated by Julie Rogers brought the story to life and added to my enjoyment, engaging my senses. I highly recommend it if you enjoy audiobooks. LOVE, NATURALLY is a great choice for fans of insta-love, opposites attract and characters willing to step out of their comfort zone to find happy ever after.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Synopsis:</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">Presley Ayers is not the woman you bring on a camping trip. An accomplished concierge at an exclusive hotel in Great Falls, MI, she knows more about the top ten places for champagne and caviar than she does about the best hiking boots to go stomping around near Lake Michigan. But when she surprises her boyfriend of eight months with a vacation to the Get Lost Lodge and he dumps her instead, Presley decides to rough it solo and take the trip herself.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">When Beckett Keller helps the gorgeous woman off the rickety boat and onto Lodge territory, it’s clear she’s made a mistake. She doesn’t like hiking, fishing, or nature in general, so why did she go on this trip?―but he’s got other things on his mind. A crumbling lodge, and his own plans and dreams that are forever deferred―so he doesn’t have time for Ms. Fish-Out-of-Water. But neither Beckett or Presley can help that inexplicable draw they feel towards each other. He’s all rough stubble and plaid shirts, while she’s all high heels and brand-name athleisurewear.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">But you know what they say about opposites.</span></div>Sandra Hooverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07799317489516225795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5294129803115819718.post-73533443893486766122024-02-12T02:00:00.001-05:002024-02-12T02:00:00.152-05:00VILLAGE IN THE DARK Book Tour: Review, Excerpt & Interview<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoEG7j62HoemUt1ZVpD9d9a1pT_NgDlkr233PfmcBZywfdUt5PUrG77Ny2HElhxCsoYbMoEuLmLhdzPRqQVh7egfxfxEdUj4fb8dvEY2ZP6kFL8lrMZWUjFFq0j7K0Rm5JNx5Q5LkXdk5mbVA9hk4LBTPUvF65PoXIOrxu_LipJb7TR1j_y8DCieGpSdQ/s400/village%20in%20the%20dark.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoEG7j62HoemUt1ZVpD9d9a1pT_NgDlkr233PfmcBZywfdUt5PUrG77Ny2HElhxCsoYbMoEuLmLhdzPRqQVh7egfxfxEdUj4fb8dvEY2ZP6kFL8lrMZWUjFFq0j7K0Rm5JNx5Q5LkXdk5mbVA9hk4LBTPUvF65PoXIOrxu_LipJb7TR1j_y8DCieGpSdQ/s320/village%20in%20the%20dark.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>Author: Iris Yamashita</div><div style="text-align: left;">Series: Cara Kennedy #2</div><div style="text-align: left;">Publisher: Berkley Pub.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Release Date: Feb. 13, 2024</div><div style="text-align: left;">Order Link: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Village-Dark-Iris-Yamashita-ebook/dp/B0C56R4Y87/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2DFLXRC26RE0E&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.9sLdTz60FoRbFMp-Mr7dGAqrR3YWonrhevfcydnyynXGjHj071QN20LucGBJIEps.gCwH8ehFzEswoFkPkBnPnGZFODk2w1TOC-sxrPv8KQU&dib_tag=se&keywords=village+in+the+dark+by+iris+yamashita&qid=1704912397&sprefix=village+in+the+dark%2Caps%2C96&sr=8-1">Amazon</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Special thanks to Berkley Publishing for a free copy of this title and Book Tour invitation.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Author Interview in <a href="https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/iris-yamashita/">Mystery & Suspense Magazine</a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Review first published in <a href="https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/village-in-the-dark/">Mystery & Suspense Magazine</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;">Detective Cara Kennedy thought she’d lost her husband and son in an accident, but harrowing evidence has emerged that points to murder--and she will stop at nothing to find the truth in this riveting mystery from the author of <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">City Under One Roof</i>.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;">Review:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">VILLAGE IN THE DARK is the stunning, highly visual sequel to Author Iris Yamashita's award-winning debut novel CITY UNDER ONE ROOF. If you missed book one, I highly advise you grab and read it before the release of this sequel although Yamashita does a fantastic job of filling in much needed background information on the characters and events from book one, all of which are critical to the continuing overall series story arc in VILLAGE IN THE DARK. Clear your calendar and throw another log on the fire before cracking the cover on this one because you're sure to get lost in a fantasy-like wonderland of atypical, charismatic characters doing their best to survive. <br /><br />Anchorage Detective Cara Kennedy remains on leave a year after the mental trauma of losing her husband and son in CITY UNDER ONE ROOF. Additional information has surfaced indicating their deaths may not have been a tragic accident as previously indicated, but rather linked to the disappearance and/or deaths of other area residents. Thus, on a brutally cold February day, Cara stands by and watches with dread as the caskets of her husband and son are lifted from the frozen earth so an autopsy can be performed. The shocking results send her traveling back through the two-and-a-half-mile, highly claustrophobic tunnel to Point Mettier, a community of misfits, oddballs and eccentric recluses as well as those seeking shelter from abusive relationships. A place where all two hundred and five residents live in one high rise, including Officer J.B. Barkowski with whom Cara's exploring a relationship. Still reeling from the autopsy results, Cara's more determined than ever to get to the bottom of her family's disappearance. She's joined in her search by J.B. and Ellie, a peculiar woman who's certain her own son's suspicious death is connected because he's pictured alongside others who've disappeared in a photograph taken from a deceased gang member. As the trio embarks on a treacherous, suicidal mission, they’re joined by another local, Mia. The more they dig, the more it's clear someone will do anything to prevent the truth from surfacing. Attempts on Cara's life escalate, putting her and those around her in danger. They're getting close to uncovering the truth . . . but at what cost? <br /><br />VILLAGE IN THE DARK is an intense, all-consuming suspense thriller that's narrated by three diverse, charismatic women - Cara, Ellie and Mia. As the story progresses, readers learn how each of these women are connected and what they stand to lose when the truth is finally revealed. A lightning fast-pace is driven by a dark tone of malice as characters and readers are propelled forward through blinding, breathtaking twists and turns. The author’s expert utilization of short, highly detailed, high-octane chapters with changing points of view keeps readers on their toes as they soar through pages permeated with suspense, action and one shocker after another. The author's cast of characters is one of the most diverse, colorful and engaging groups I've ever met. Kudos to Yamashita for highlighting the importance of community and the heavy, heartbreaking theme of domestic violence against women and children, especially Indigenous women, via characters seeking to escape "man's world" to live in a safe haven, a singular community known as Unity. <br /><br />Author Iris Yamashita has brilliantly crafted a one-of-a-kind, irresistible, highly atmospheric suspense thriller in VILLAGE IN THE DARK. The author's masterly story telling talent is evident as is her artistry and gift for creating diverse, sometimes flamboyant, characters one can't help but love. The action is heart stopping, the characters straight out of a fairy tale and the plot line twisted. I'll be singing the praises of this amazing book and series for some time to come. Highly recommended to fans of CITY UNDER ONE ROOF, obviously, but also to fans of unique, artfully crafted suspense thrillers. <br /><br /> </span><div><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;">Synopsis:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">On a frigid February day, Anchorage Detective Cara Kennedy stands by the graves of her husband and son, watching as their caskets are raised from the earth. It feels sacrilegious, but she has no choice. Aaron and Dylan disappeared on a hike a year ago, their bones eventually found and buried. But shocking clues have emerged that foul play was involved, potentially connecting them to a string of other deaths and disappearances. </span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px;" /><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px;" /><span style="font-weight: 400;">Somehow tied to the mystery is Mia Upash, who grew up in an isolated village called Unity, a community of women and children in hiding from abusive men. Mia never imagined the trouble she would find herself in when she left home to live in Man’s World. Although she remains haunted by the tragedy of what happened to the man and the boy in the woods, she has her own reasons for keeping quiet.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px;" /><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px;" /><span style="font-weight: 400;">Aided by police officer Joe Barkowski and other residents of Point Mettier, Cara’s investigation will lead them on a dangerous path that puts their lives and the lives of everyone around them in mortal jeopardy.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 400;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTanMr7Vv1lDt4vFnKlj8Q9SmUQuJZWD4lZ0S7MRfeZwQNd2dCYB0qhGQA7EaweuSj3huVRi3zfpcJi3pvUpmF3M_S77IaxZVxJ9YFerCDIQdkrm6zfP8jpeU4JHdE5uj_vSYvA4GOzutWmL5LY99tWKt7c-3-uZ39mmGWRqN4CrIiebiZbcupNMq2RyU/s700/iris%20yamashita.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="502" data-original-width="700" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTanMr7Vv1lDt4vFnKlj8Q9SmUQuJZWD4lZ0S7MRfeZwQNd2dCYB0qhGQA7EaweuSj3huVRi3zfpcJi3pvUpmF3M_S77IaxZVxJ9YFerCDIQdkrm6zfP8jpeU4JHdE5uj_vSYvA4GOzutWmL5LY99tWKt7c-3-uZ39mmGWRqN4CrIiebiZbcupNMq2RyU/s320/iris%20yamashita.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Iris is the Academy Award-nominated screenwriter for the script "Letters From Iwo Jima" directed by Clint Eastwood. The film was nominated for 4 Oscars including “Best Picture” and “Best Original Screenplay.”</span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 400;" /><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 400;" /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 400;">City Under One Roof is her debut mystery novel and the first in the Cara Kennedy series, set in a tiny Alaskan town where all the residents lives in a single high-rise building. The book was Crime Fiction Lover's Editor's Choice for Best Debut Crime Novel of the year and was named one of the Best Thrillers of the year by Washington Post as well as one of the Best Crime Fiction of the year by Library Journal and one of the Best Fiction Books of the year by Reader's Digest.</span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 400;" /><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 400;" /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 400;">Village in the Dark is her follow up novel to City Under One Roof.</span></span></div></div>Sandra Hooverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07799317489516225795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5294129803115819718.post-86727038840165667912024-02-10T15:00:00.001-05:002024-02-10T15:00:03.838-05:00Bride Review<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIW6l4fAYoTepU-MUEOGFXk3Tf4LYZhPjX4l2eMG_O6QAnJbev7-t6qO7JZHbTi4SzlimGBk_iGDWayqqDIcaN-wSqRzT0DKbENkUIoHbMI1r6WVExMD6tXqp_IIIwql_YKFJDECEcy4N2GCf9np9L94-V6X-H2EOYj0ZTojqhBI9d1xBPG_Y0Aubnq-E/s500/Bride.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIW6l4fAYoTepU-MUEOGFXk3Tf4LYZhPjX4l2eMG_O6QAnJbev7-t6qO7JZHbTi4SzlimGBk_iGDWayqqDIcaN-wSqRzT0DKbENkUIoHbMI1r6WVExMD6tXqp_IIIwql_YKFJDECEcy4N2GCf9np9L94-V6X-H2EOYj0ZTojqhBI9d1xBPG_Y0Aubnq-E/s320/Bride.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />Author: Ali Hazelwood</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Genre: Fantasy/Paranormal</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Release Date: Feb. 6, 2024</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Order Link: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bride-Ali-Hazelwood-ebook/dp/B0C9GQV1TT/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1703799179&sr=8-1">Amazon</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Special thanks to Berkley Publ. Group for a free ARC! All opinions expressed are my own.</div><div style="text-align: left;">#BerkleyPartner #berkleyinfluencer</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;">A dangerous alliance between a Vampyre bride and an Alpha Werewolf becomes a love deep enough to sink your teeth into in this new paranormal romance from the #1 <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">New York Times</i> bestselling author of <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">Love, Theoretically</i> and <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">The Love Hypothesis</i>.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;">Review:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="font-weight: 400;">Author Ali Hazelwood is one of my go-to authors when it comes to romance, so I was intrigued when I received an ARC of BRIDE and learned it was paranormal romance. The synopsis and cover were enough to entice me in, and I slipped into this one cautiously optimistic. What I discovered was a multilayered, unique world of supernatural characters mired in political turmoil. A place where history and tradition command the uniting of a vampyre bride and a werewolf groom to strengthen an alliance between age-old mortal enemies. A couple who each come into the relationship with few expectations and a hidden agenda . . . only to discover a world of possibilities if they can let go of the past and work together.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="font-weight: 400;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif">Misery Lark, the only daughter of the most powerful Vampyr councilman in the South is ordered to wed Lowe Moreland, the most powerful Alpha of the Werewolves in a marriage of convenience. Both sides have much to gain from the union, and Misery has no say in the matter, but readers soon learn she actually has her own reasons for carrying through with the farce of a marriage, and Lowe is smart enough to stay wary of her intent. Unlike his predecessors, Lowe is a fair and compassionate leader who agrees to the union with hopes of unmasking traitors among their midst and solving the mystery of missing people and attempted murders. Mistrust drives the action at a fast pace with political unrest bleeding over into the couple's relationship, keeping them at arm's length in spite of their intense attraction to one another. Both Misery and Lowe find it hard to let go of the past, open up and place their trust and heart in the hands of someone else. Their people may be mortal enemies, but the sparks flying between them are igniting yearnings for so much more. Is it possible for a vampyre and a werewolf to find real love and make a family together? </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px;" />BRIDE is a unique, action-packed paranormal romance with twists and turns that keep readers burning through pages for answers. It's a smorgasbord of mystery, romance, and fantasy all rolled up in a sizzling forbidden love story. The paranormal world created by Hazelwood is a highly visual masterpiece with great characterizations and a multilayered plot line with a side of humor and sensual banter. While the suspense edges out the romance, there's no doubt this is a couple right out of a fairy tale. Author Ali Hazelwood has proven romance is romance in any genre, and she knows how to deliver. Highly recommended to fans of mystery, romance, and paranormal romance.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;">Synopsis:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Misery Lark, the only daughter of the most powerful Vampyre councilman of the Southwest, is an outcast—again. Her days of living in anonymity among the Humans are over: she has been theupon to uphold a historic peacekeeping alliance between the Vampyres and their mortal enemies, the Weres, and she sees little choice but to surrender herself in the exchange—again...</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px;" /><span style="font-weight: 400;">Weres are ruthless and unpredictable, and their Alpha, Lowe Moreland, is no exception. He rules his pack with absolute authority, but not without justice. And, unlike the Vampyre Council, not without feeling. It’s clear from the way he tracks Misery’s every movement that he doesn’t trust her. If only he knew how right he was….</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px;" /><span style="font-weight: 400;">Because Misery has her own reasons to agree to this marriage of convenience, reasons that have nothing to do with politics or alliances, and everything to do with the only thing she's ever cared about. And she is willing to do whatever it takes to get back what’s hers, even if it means a life alone in Were territory…alone with the wolf.</span></span></div>Sandra Hooverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07799317489516225795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5294129803115819718.post-24946350245215944212024-02-03T12:22:00.001-05:002024-02-03T12:22:35.096-05:00RADIANT HEAT Review<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDwwqMqSJMezvgkdvxJw-tja565w3A4Yi-HDcpkYJSWuRsmcZmJOuDmYViaopdQNKHxj8vBVA0pKn8H3XkINC3FS7oNP6JZp0x2Pp1UItSwqd2-2XqQfm80viFlINmUV0DKaTMUyAm7VN-nB5mXGikTwI0DTv_JVOZGC3zb1APZs-ZsOyiW-4CuiPKylo/s425/radiant%20heat.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="282" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDwwqMqSJMezvgkdvxJw-tja565w3A4Yi-HDcpkYJSWuRsmcZmJOuDmYViaopdQNKHxj8vBVA0pKn8H3XkINC3FS7oNP6JZp0x2Pp1UItSwqd2-2XqQfm80viFlINmUV0DKaTMUyAm7VN-nB5mXGikTwI0DTv_JVOZGC3zb1APZs-ZsOyiW-4CuiPKylo/s320/radiant%20heat.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>Author: Sarah Jane Collins</div><div style="text-align: left;">Publisher: Berkley</div><div style="text-align: left;">Release Date: Jan. 24, 2024</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Many thanks to Berkley for an arc of this title. All opinions expressed are my own. #berkleyinfluencer</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;">When a catastrophic wildfire suddenly rips through a woman’s hometown, she thinks she is lucky to have survived...until she finds a dead woman in her driveway, clutching a piece of paper with her name on it....</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;">Review:</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;">RADIANT HEAT is an intense, highly atmospheric suspense thriller set in Victoria, Australia. As one might expect, the harsh landscape and the power of nature to wreak total devastation takes center stage as one of the dominant players in this story. Mother Nature roars her displeasure as she sweeps the land with wildfires, threatening all life forms and rendering everyone at her mercy while sparing few. In the course of the story, readers and characters will learn that fire isn't always the deadliest thing out there. <br /><br />Allison King is one of the lucky few to survive the latest wildfire that swept through her hometown and surrounding area, leaving ashes in its wake. Crawling out of her bathroom where a last-minute shift of the winds saved her life, she discovers a woman's body in a car sitting outside her house. Horrified by the discovery, Allison searches for identification and is shocked to find her own name on a slip of paper. Why was Simone Arnold seeking her out? How is she connected to Allison? Has her past finally come calling? Allison needs answers and with the help of a troubled friend, she begins an investigation that unfortunately involves opening doors to her past she'd prefer keeping closed and locked. As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that Allison suffered past trauma that she prefers to keep hidden, however; in order to move forward, she has little choice but to turn back. <br /><br />RADIANT HEAT is a character driven story that unfolds via the past and present with flashbacks. The pace steadily increases with the peeling back of layers of a tale buried in the past. Allison is a complex, unreliable narrator and one many readers will find frustrating at times, with her highly questionable choices and excess baggage. She's often her own worst enemy in that she refuses to trust the motives of others offering to help her. The author's decision to set this tale in the demanding landscape of Australia plays well in setting a dire tone with danger lurking around every corner. The mystery unwinds slowly through a few twists and turns leading to an ambiguous ending some may feel is too vague. <br /><br />RADIANT HEAT is a dark, heartbreaking tale of loss and survival. Throughout the story, readers see evidence of the total havoc and loss resulting from the fires that consume everything, leaving death and destruction in their path. Characterizations are brilliantly rendered as is the setting that claims a starring role. Highly recommended to fans of mysteries and suspense thrillers. <br /><br /> </span><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;">Synopsis:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Alison is alive. She rode out the fire on the damp tiles of her bathroom, her entire body swaddled in a wet woolen blanket. The flames crackled around her, the bitter char of eucalyptus settling in the back of her throat. The wildfire devastated the Victoria countryside she calls home, and when Alison creeps out of her hiding place, she spots a soot-covered cherry red car in her driveway, and in it, a woman. She finds the woman’s bag. An ID: Simone Arnold. A piece of paper: Alison’s full name and address. But why?</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px;" /><span style="font-weight: 400;">As Alison searches for answers across Australia’s harsh landscape, she soon learns that the fire isn’t the only threat she’s facing....</span></span></div>Sandra Hooverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07799317489516225795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5294129803115819718.post-22647165510523325342024-01-28T10:41:00.001-05:002024-01-28T10:41:33.508-05:00THE BOY WHO CRIED BEAR Review<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipfKBfj54Ibyjy62Kyk9r66R8b5Cm5pKDJqd8zvfL_hDSGs6lRiXMujBMsF8aiKLRVVCTNEF8CH4nXiqR3VBu7930Iu1mmLso3Wjx5R1-QIZaG_TuogtwM1ce0B6_6CETEHFJyGdy2i4YfF-DfqJBkvSCL8IiY5HNdxO6ODTuTaLXcHupfrKVw9DUOfDI/s3800/the%20boy%20who%20cried%20bear.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3800" data-original-width="2500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipfKBfj54Ibyjy62Kyk9r66R8b5Cm5pKDJqd8zvfL_hDSGs6lRiXMujBMsF8aiKLRVVCTNEF8CH4nXiqR3VBu7930Iu1mmLso3Wjx5R1-QIZaG_TuogtwM1ce0B6_6CETEHFJyGdy2i4YfF-DfqJBkvSCL8IiY5HNdxO6ODTuTaLXcHupfrKVw9DUOfDI/s320/the%20boy%20who%20cried%20bear.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>Author: Kelley Armstrong</div><div style="text-align: left;">Series: Haven's Rock #2</div><div style="text-align: left;">Publisher: Minotaur Books</div><div style="text-align: left;">Release Date: Feb. 20, 2024<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Order Link: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Boy-Who-Cried-Bear-Havens-ebook/dp/B0C1X77GLZ/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1706126969&sr=8-1">Amazon</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Many thanks to Minotaur books for an arc of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;">In The Boy Who Cried Bear, New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong keeps readers on the edge of their seats while detective Casey Duncan tries to locate the threat before it’s too late. . .</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;">Review:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">THE BOY WHO CRIED BEAR is the second book in Armstrong's Haven's Rock series. With intense characters, a tautly woven plot and a foreboding atmosphere, it's sure to please fans of book one and those who love a good mystery.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">Detective Casey Duncan and her husband, Sheriff Eric Dalton, have moved on from Rockton to create a remote town called Haven's Rock in a highly unapproachable area of the Yukon. Haven's Rock is a haven for those looking to disappear off the map - a sanctuary that can only be entered if approved by Casey and Eric after careful scrutiny and background checks. Being a new community, most of the residents are unaware of the dangers lurking in the woods of the area and so they're schooled in strict rules about protection and never venturing out alone. Unfortunately, the restrictions create curiosity in people, especially children like ten-year-old Max who's learning about the wild from Eric. One day on a hiking trip with a group, Max sees a bear . . . one with human eyes. Many ridicule him, but Casey and Eric take all potential threats seriously and begin a search of the woods. It's soon clear something or someone is stalking the town and in spite of being repeatedly warned to stay out of the woods, Max's determination to prove he's not making up stories sends him back out alone. Max never returns and a search party begins scouting the woods. When dead bodies start showing up, chaos ensues, and fingers are pointed. What happened to Max? Will they find him dead or alive?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">THE BOY WHO CRIED BEAR is a take on the old fairy tale The Boy Who Cried Wolf in that a child claims to have seen a bear one too many times until no one believes him when he tries to warn them. Most of the characters are highly unreliable making it difficult to figure out who's trustworthy and who's wearing a mask. The setting with its surrounding woods and total isolation gives the story a locked room ambiance which helps drive a tone of malice and impending doom. The authors manipulation of characters and readers keeps everyone on their toes while trying to solve the mystery. Several subplot lines muddy the waters a bit, but Armstrong brings it all together by the end. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">Author Kelley Armstrong expertly delivers an intense, mesmerizing thriller in THE BOY WHO CRIED BEAR. With several characters dealing with past trauma and PTSD, she handles the subject manner with care and grace while rendering a captivating story I found hard to put down. While this book stands alone with great backstory filled in, I do advise picking up book one for the character development of main characters. Highly recommended to fans of mysteries and suspense thrillers.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;">Synopsis:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Haven’s Rock is a well-hidden town surrounded by forest. And it’s supposed to be, being that it’s a refuge for those who need to disappear. Detective Casey Duncan and her husband, Sheriff Eric Dalton already feel at home in their new town, which reminds them of where they first met in Rockton. And while they know how to navigate the woods and its various dangers, other residents don’t. Which is why people aren't allowed to wander off alone. When Max, the town’s youngest resident—taught to track animals by Eric—fears a bear is stalking a hiking party, alarms are raised. Even stranger, the ten-year-old swears the bear had human eyes. Casey and Eric know the dangers a bear can present, so they’re taking it seriously. But odd occurrences are happening all around them, and when a dead body turns up, they’re not sure what they’re up against.</span></span></div>Sandra Hooverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07799317489516225795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5294129803115819718.post-18269761641297605612024-01-28T02:00:00.001-05:002024-01-28T02:00:00.154-05:00OUT OF THE ASHES Review<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV-Vx45S5pDpZ6C5LQF3lnc5E9ghiSy8Lj8wQ4CHpFr7R5R-aTyxcs-RnAteWkcRDIl5Pce1gbw0N6uYgQRNR-55EMXqRbo6fieUIWDFSfWo4MM0X_qUIVFdEqTzcn2uLzkN0T_2mPk4qES8i0-lqBwCGWTAGqq48u-VXMmLUkPKGCl-40qUR8CQmF9Mo/s500/out%20of%20the%20ashes.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV-Vx45S5pDpZ6C5LQF3lnc5E9ghiSy8Lj8wQ4CHpFr7R5R-aTyxcs-RnAteWkcRDIl5Pce1gbw0N6uYgQRNR-55EMXqRbo6fieUIWDFSfWo4MM0X_qUIVFdEqTzcn2uLzkN0T_2mPk4qES8i0-lqBwCGWTAGqq48u-VXMmLUkPKGCl-40qUR8CQmF9Mo/s320/out%20of%20the%20ashes.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>Author: Kara Thomas</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Publisher: Thomas Mercer</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Release Date: May 1, 2023</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Purchase Link: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Out-Ashes-Novel-Kara-Thomas-ebook/dp/B0B3HS4VGQ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1WJ4RH2FMVWX1&keywords=out+of+the+ashes+kara+thomas&qid=1704630671&sprefix=out+of+the+ashes%2Caps%2C91&sr=8-1">Amazon</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Many thanks to Thomas Mercer & MB Communications for an ARC of this title.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This review first published in <a href="https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/out-of-the-ashes/">Mystery & Suspense Magazine</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;">A woman’s investigation into her family’s murders uncovers lies, secrets, and dangerous truths in a heart-wrenching novel of suspense.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;">Review:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Author Kara Thomas’s debut in the world of adult fiction with OUT OF THE ASHES, a disquieting suspense thriller, is successful. While fans sing her praises as a young adult author, this is my first time reading the work of this obviously talented writer, and I am duly impressed. <br /><br />OUT OF THE ASHES is a gritty suspense thriller relayed through the point of view of nurse Samantha Newsom who reluctantly returns to her hometown of Carney, New York, to clean out and sell property left her by her deceased uncle. Sam fled the area twenty years prior, but never got over the devastating loss of her family, including her parents, baby sister and uncle, in a brutal unsolved crime that concluded with the burning of her family home. Sam can't shake her gut feeling that a local, arrogant police officer who had run-ins with her family got away with the murder of her family and others. Corruption, contempt and depraved behavior is rampart in the secluded, small-town where few escape the free-flowing drugs and alcohol, controlled through fear tactics by one unethical family who remain untouchable. When an investigator knocks on Sam’s door with news of an informant willing to come forward in exchange for a plea deal, it's all the incentive she needs to rip the Band-Aid off old wounds and begin investigating the cold case on her own. Ignoring repeated warnings to leave well enough alone, Sam's inquiries lead to the surfacing of dark, long buried secrets that threaten the comfortable livelihoods of locals with criminal connections. A murder and the disappearance of two women serve to fuel Sam's determination to strip the small town and its occupants bare in search of the truth. In Sam's eyes, it's clear that corruption among the police department and locals led to her family's murders in an epic coverup, but will she survive the truth of what rises out of the ashes? <br /><br />Author Kara Thomas has penned a crafty, raw, enthralling thriller featuring deeply flawed characters, none more than the protagonist struggling to accept and let go of past sorrows and torments haunting her sleeping hours while driving her every waking move. A steadily rising pace escalates with each new secret and threat uncovered in this sordid, twisted tale, and readers can expect to be sucked into Sam's plight quickly as repeated revelations threaten her sanity. The large cast of players keeps readers on their toes as they work the case alongside Sam in search of a killer. The author's choice to tell the story exclusively from Samantha's point of view allows readers to slip into her shoes and experience her confusion, pain and frustration as she struggles to understand each new revelation. The author's ability to expertly manipulate characters and readers keeps everyone guessing until the final big shocker that many won't see coming. <br /><br />OUT OF THE ASHES is a tension laden, heart wrenching domestic thriller that firmly establishes Author Kara Thomas in the adult thriller genre. This tale of corruption, murder and redemption is mesmerizing and hard to put down. Highly recommended to fans of suspense thrillers and murder mysteries. <br /><br /></span><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;">Synopsis:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">When she was thirteen years old, Samantha Newsom’s family was murdered and their Catskills farmhouse set ablaze in an unsolved crime that left nothing behind but ashes.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">Twenty-two years later, Sam is pulled back to her hometown of Carney, New York, under the shadows of the grim tragedy she’s never forgotten or forgiven. Authorities mishandled the evidence, false rumors were seeded about her family, suspects yielded nothing, and the case went cold. Not anymore. Investigator Travis Meacham has been assigned to the case, and he has news for Sam: a prison inmate has come forward with a shocking admission. Sam’s baby sister, presumed dead in the fire, made it out of the house that night.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">It’s not the only reveal that upends everything Sam thinks she knows about the crime and her family. But Carney protects its secrets. And this time, Sam might not be able to escape the town alive.</span></div></div>Sandra Hooverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07799317489516225795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5294129803115819718.post-54742093314060038562024-01-27T11:02:00.002-05:002024-01-27T11:02:41.969-05:00ONLY IF YOU'RE LUCKY Review<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKKRPWJzUt6BHzOHVkcbm3QioJSWiwDmFOngONP8cBtpECByvZ8E5ENYGXdlSZUl3v5Bqls-Cnh2etsmG-EIDHqarSoTvcXmWsvKQ29xIhfIldCyNqQignP6u3oGX0c__JGMBlc2jcvM7mUL8w6CmCp-4zfHjD8tUqWA74jS1XFPIl5zsX3athOZoNxCI/s1366/only%20if%20you're%20lucky.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKKRPWJzUt6BHzOHVkcbm3QioJSWiwDmFOngONP8cBtpECByvZ8E5ENYGXdlSZUl3v5Bqls-Cnh2etsmG-EIDHqarSoTvcXmWsvKQ29xIhfIldCyNqQignP6u3oGX0c__JGMBlc2jcvM7mUL8w6CmCp-4zfHjD8tUqWA74jS1XFPIl5zsX3athOZoNxCI/s320/only%20if%20you're%20lucky.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>Author: Stacy Willingham</div><div style="text-align: left;">Publisher: Minotaur Books/MacMillan Audio</div><div style="text-align: left;">Narrator: Karissa Vacker</div><div style="text-align: left;">Release Date: Jan. 16, 2024</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Many thanks to MacMillan Audio for an audio arc of this book.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;">A sharp and twisty exploration of female friendship from the <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">New York Times</i> bestselling author of <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">A Flicker in the Dark</i> and <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">All the Dangerous Things</i>.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;">Review:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #1e1915; font-family: Proxima Nova, Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">I'm always excited to receive another thriller from Author Stacy Willingham! I became a fan after reading A FLICKER IN THE DARK and ALL THE DANGEROUS THINGS. Like previous thrillers, ONLY IF YOU'RE LUCKY is twisty and gutsy with a last minute shocker sure to leave readers reeling.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #1e1915; font-family: Proxima Nova, Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #1e1915; font-family: Proxima Nova, Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Margot attends a liberal arts college in South Carolina and is like a fish out of water. She isn't part of the in-crowd, standing on the sidelines instead wondering what would have been different if her best high school friend Eliza hadn't passed away. As Margot battles depression, she quietly watches a mysterious transfer student, Lucy - a bright, vibrant girl everyone theorizes about but wants to be around. Imagine Margot's shock when Lucy chooses her to be one of her roommates instantly raising her status on campus. The girls rent a house from a fraternity group of boys who live next door. Margot's life is good until the day a boy from her past joins the fraternity. Levi was Eliza's boyfriend, and Lucy blames him for her friend's death. As the story unfolds, things escalate and two people disappear. Are they dead? Are they alive? Is there a murderer living among them?</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #1e1915; font-family: Proxima Nova, Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #1e1915; font-family: Proxima Nova, Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">ONLY IF YOU'RE LUCKY is narrated by Karissa Vackar who delivers an outstanding performance. I love the way she brought each character to life. I highly recommend the audio book if you're a fan of listening to stories.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #1e1915; font-family: Proxima Nova, Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #1e1915; font-family: Proxima Nova, Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Through alternating timelines, readers learn about Margot's past and the events that tore her life apart. A steady pace is driven by an ominous tone that keeps readers burning through pages. Taut, concise chapters keep the story flowing as twists and turns drive the intriguing plot line in this well-crafted story. With themes of loyalty, betrayal, belonging and the true meaning of friendship, ONLY IF YOU'RE LUCKY is a highly atmospheric, intense suspense thriller that I highly recommend to fans of mysteries, suspense, and thrillers.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;">Synopsis:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lucy Sharpe is larger than life. Magnetic, addictive. Bold and dangerous. Especially for Margot, who meets Lucy at the end of their freshman year at a liberal arts college in South Carolina. Margot is the shy one, the careful one, always the sidekick and never the center of attention. But when Lucy singles her out at the end of the year, a year Margot spent studying and playing it safe, and asks her to room together, something in Margot can't say no--something daring, or starved, or maybe even envious.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px;" /><span style="font-weight: 400;">And so Margot finds herself living in an off-campus house with three other girls, Lucy, the ringleader; Sloane, the sarcastic one; and Nicole, the nice one, the three of them opposites but also deeply intertwined. It's a year that finds Margot finally coming out of the shell she's been in since the end of high school, when her best friend Eliza died three weeks after graduation. Margot and Lucy have become the closest of friends, but by the middle of their sophomore year, one of the fraternity boys from the house next door has been brutally murdered... and Lucy Sharpe is missing without a trace.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px;" /><span style="font-weight: 400;">From the author of </span><i style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 400;">A Flicker in the Dark</i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><i style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 400;">All the Dangerous Things</i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> comes a tantalizing thriller about the nature of friendship and belonging, about loyalty, envy, and betrayal--another gripping novel from an author quickly becoming the gold standard in psychological suspense.</span></span></div>Sandra Hooverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07799317489516225795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5294129803115819718.post-74881986688120627462024-01-20T02:00:00.001-05:002024-01-20T02:00:00.128-05:00The Teacher Review<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCgr5L0BIRSBgj2uATuUyFhGPPDiUG2PwPWT7yEcO3GYOaDJr01sgKs8swgOPJauIV0ormSWEX8ZiMdBF3tCr1lhX1N2tGsU4JXRWQhh2UCszacFEdhM3J3gkkG-b9xQhxVTcrL3oDeAyRBw0AtEZrBMvBQH_JmO7H2IAU3lOoSss-fEExBj2I12axTVE/s2400/the%20teacher.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="1500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCgr5L0BIRSBgj2uATuUyFhGPPDiUG2PwPWT7yEcO3GYOaDJr01sgKs8swgOPJauIV0ormSWEX8ZiMdBF3tCr1lhX1N2tGsU4JXRWQhh2UCszacFEdhM3J3gkkG-b9xQhxVTcrL3oDeAyRBw0AtEZrBMvBQH_JmO7H2IAU3lOoSss-fEExBj2I12axTVE/s320/the%20teacher.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Author: Freida McFadden</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Genre: Psychological Domestic Thriller</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Release Date: Feb. 6, 2024</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Order Link: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Audible-The-Teacher/dp/B0CPTDJLYK/ref=sr_1_1?crid=TI1Y6URMNFWR&keywords=the+teacher+freida+mcfadden&qid=1704296143&sprefix=the+teacer%2Caps%2C92&sr=8-1">Amazon</a> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">4.5 Wicked Hearts</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This review first published in <a href="https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/the-teacher/">Mystery & Suspense Magazine</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;"><i>A mind-bending, psychological thriller from the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Housemaid! </i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;"><i>From the New York Times bestselling author Freida McFadden comes a story of twisting secrets and long-awaited revenge.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;"><b>Review:</b></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">THE TEACHER is a foreboding psychological thriller with cleverly executed twists and turns contrived to keep readers and characters off-kilter and reeling from beginning to end. Author Freida McFadden has honed her craft to near perfection, especially when it comes to those last minute, final page shockers no one sees coming. In that aspect, THE TEACHER is the crème de la crème of psychological thrillers - a masterpiece of illusions with unreliable characters and scandalous over the top twists.<br /> <br />THE TEACHER opens with a mysterious, eerie scene in the middle of nowhere where an unknown is digging a grave before flashing back three months where readers are introduced to Eve and Nate Bennett - a couple who both teach at the local high school. Students dread Eve's math class like the plaque while Nate's English class is highly lauded especially among young teenage girls who swoon over his movie star good looks and charismatic personality while gossiping about how a plain Jane like Eve ever hooked a star like Nate. Addie is a student in both classes where she struggles in math and excels at English - an obsessive loner who's bullied by the in-crowd and shunned by old friends. Eve views the presence of Addie in both her and her husband's classes as a potential complication because of a scandal involving Addie and a teacher who was fired for improper behavior last year while Nate is sympathetic to Addie's plight, offering to help her hone her writing skills as a young poet and encouraging her to find her place among her peers. Before long, the three characters' lives are hopelessly intertwined in a dangerous, highly combustible situation that can't end well. The story that unfolds is one that quickly morphs into a sordid tale of bullying, stalking, abuse, revenge and murder. There's little more I can say without spoilers. I advise going into this one as clueless to the plot line as possible and prepare to be blown to smithereens by a signature McFadden explosive ending that I suspect will leave readers reeling and discussing for some time. <br /><br /> Author Freida McFadden has rendered another fast-paced, addictive thriller readers will find nigh on impossible to put down. The disturbing story is narrated via the voices of Eve and Addie with chapters alternating between their points of view. An overall tone of impending doom permeates the pages as characters and readers struggle with deciding who can be trusted and who's hiding behind a mask of civility waiting for their chance at the ultimate revenge. The author's utilization of short, engaging chapters is highly effective at drawing readers into this mystifying tale of abuse and murder. Support characters are as riveting and believable as the main characters, playing major roles in the outcome of this heart wrenching tale. Readers should be forewarned that THE TEACHER accentuates dark themes including abuse of power and sexual molestation of minors some may find disturbing. <br /><br />THE TEACHER is one of those books that swallows readers whole, sucking them in on page one and holding them hostage until the very end. Simply said . . . McFadden's books should come with a highly addictive warning label in neon colors on the front cover. Even when some of the twists border on the unbelievable, readers will find themselves thoroughly engaged and reading into the wee hours seeking answers. And, as always, McFadden will absolutely stun readers with the final big reveal in the epilogue. </span><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">THE TEACHER is a raw, riveting, compulsive psychological thriller that I suspect will top many readers' favorite lists in 2024. With each subsequent book, Author Freida McFadden has risen steadily through the ranks to take her place among the elite of psychological thrillers' authors. Highly recommended to fans of thrillers, suspense and mysteries.</span><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="color: #111111; font-family: -apple-system, Roboto, SegoeUI, "Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, "Microsoft YaHei", "Meiryo UI", Meiryo, "Arial Unicode MS", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Synopsis:</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">Lesson #1: trust no one</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">Eve has a good life. She gets up each day, gets a kiss from her husband Nate, and heads off to teach math at the local high school. All is as it should be. Except…</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">Last year, Caseham High was rocked by a scandal, with one student, Addie, at its center. And this year, Eve is dismayed to find the girl in her class.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">Addie can’t be trusted. She lies. She hurts people. She destroys lives. At least, that’s what everyone says.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">But nobody knows the real Addie. Nobody knows the secrets that could destroy her. And Addie will do anything to keep it quiet.</span></div></div>Sandra Hooverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07799317489516225795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5294129803115819718.post-46124951302095639092024-01-18T02:00:00.001-05:002024-01-18T02:00:00.153-05:00THE EXCITEMENTS Review<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ACfsg8DRjzCh897MYrmMqkN7erarqJooW2cbk3gESKCJJYxYvXtgQXr37s1jBRn-FHgmd7f3dMctqplZkecHCshuETO9xACgnFIXk0I03IvY1NRTnq_f1KAubwjT2LFA2RUZOJnZy-WGLzN2jMR6uc6-wdkSwFZhq7wbroBQDZo8QC30COr9D7-Ws1I/s500/the%20excitements.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="332" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ACfsg8DRjzCh897MYrmMqkN7erarqJooW2cbk3gESKCJJYxYvXtgQXr37s1jBRn-FHgmd7f3dMctqplZkecHCshuETO9xACgnFIXk0I03IvY1NRTnq_f1KAubwjT2LFA2RUZOJnZy-WGLzN2jMR6uc6-wdkSwFZhq7wbroBQDZo8QC30COr9D7-Ws1I/s320/the%20excitements.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>Author: C.J. Wray</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Publisher: William Morrow</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Release Date: Jan. 30, 2024</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Order Link: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Excitements-Novel-CJ-Wray-ebook/dp/B0C43H2R4X/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1703951889&sr=8-1">Amazon</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Special thanks to the publisher for an advanced readers' copy</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Review first published in <a href="https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/the-excitements/">Mystery & Suspense Magazine</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">A brilliant and witty drama about two elderly female World War II veterans with a secret past who embark on one last adventure to right some historic wrongs. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;"><b>Review:</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 12pt;">THE EXCITEMENTS is a delightfully
charming tale of two elderly sisters who are forever in search of their next
"excitement" aka adventure. The ladies are well-preserved,
ninety plus year old WWII veterans chock-full of life and dark secrets with a
knack for finding trouble . . . or does it find them? The sisters depend
on their gay nephew Archie to plan their excitements and get them where they
need to be on time. The odd trio travels the world where the sisters are
in demand to make appearances at festivals and fundraisers, often giving
speeches and receiving recognition and awards for their service. Now,
they're off to Paris, France to receive the revered Légion d’honneur medal
awarded for their heroism in liberating France. At least that's why
Archie believes they're going; however, as they often do, these ladies have a
secret agenda to right some wrongs, and this may be their last shot at doing so.</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Author CJ Wray has penned a witty tale
featuring two eccentric characters unlike any others you've ever met.
Penny and Josephine Williams are Britan's war treasures, adored and loved by
the masses as war heroes who were part of the famous WREN's and FANY's, working
for the Royal Navy and the nursing corps. At least that's the official
word; however, what the world doesn't know is that Josephine was an undercover
intelligence operative and Penny a spy in their younger days, and they
developed several interesting skills rumored to involve grand larceny and
hand-to-hand combat. With the trip to France, they have one last chance to
settle old scores and pull one last heist. It may be their last big
hurrah, so they intend to make it a memorable one and go out with a bang.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">For the most part, THE EXCITEMENTS is
narrated by Pennie and Archie with the timeline constantly shifting between
past and present. The dialogue is entertaining with several tales shared by the
sisters about their past adventures. The constant shifting of time may be
problematic for some readers as it isn't always in chronological order,
often swinging forward and back. While I found myself having to back up
on occasion and reread passages to ground myself again before proceeding, it
was easy to settle back in quickly. The story relayed in present time is
often humorous with the banter between Archie and his aunts a delight to
read. Readers will enjoy joining the two spry nonagenarians as they
scheme and plot with poor Archie working double-time to stop their
shenanigans from landing them in trouble yet again. While the story flows
at a nice pace and the tone is overall light, there's a dark undercurrent of
suspense ebbing throughout as readers wait for the other shoe to drop to discover
what really happened to the sisters in Paris all those years ago that led to
the score they're dead set on settling. Sometimes, a plot line is so
convoluted, pulling readers in so many directions that the focus tends to get
lost in the shuffle, and the story suffers. To a lesser degree, this is
what happens in THE EXCITEMENTS in my opinion. At times, it's a comedy -
hilarious and fun, other times it's a super spy mystery - intriguing and
mysterious. It's most certainly a historical fiction story brimming with
interesting information from the time period with a brief side of
romance. One thing's for sure . . . it's a smorgasbord of reading
pleasure if readers take their time and consume it in small bites, enjoying
each part.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">THE EXCITEMENTS is a tale of two
resourceful nonagenarians with a secret agenda traveling the world, leaving
havoc in their wake. The characterizations are pure gold even though the
plot line is occasionally a bit muddled. Author CJ Wray excels at
incorporating pertinent WWII history into this tale of two elderly, highly
decorated veterans gone wild. Prepare to laugh aloud as the Williamson
sisters attempt to pull off one final heist. Recommended to history buffs
as well as fans of mystery and comedy.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;"><b>Synopsis:</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">Meet the Williamson sisters, Britain’s most beloved World War II veterans. Now in their late nineties, Josephine and Penny are in huge demand, beloved of journalists and producers, popping up on red carpets and at fundraisers and festivals all over the country. Despite their age, they’re still in great form—perfectly put together, sprightly and sparky, and always in search of their next “excitement.” This time it’s a trip to Paris to receive the Légion d’honneur for their part in liberating France. As always, they will be accompanied by their devoted gay nephew, Archie, who moved in with his aunts right after he came out. The press has always reported that these lady heroes worked for the Royal Navy and the nursing corps, but that’s their official cover. In reality, Josephine was an intelligence operative who drew maps used for the D-Day invasion while Penny was a spy and specialist at hand-to-combat, risking her teenage life in France. And this trip to Paris is not what it seems either. Scandal and crime have always quietly trailed the Williamson sisters, even in the decades after the war. Now armed with new information about an old adversary, these much decorated (but admittedly ancient) veterans intend to settle scores, avenge lost friends, and pull off one last, daring heist before the curtain finally comes down on their illustrious careers. A deliciously fast-paced and witty drama, The Excitements is the tale of two remarkably clever and brave women who helped save the world and survived the unthinkable, without ever losing their killer instinct...or their joie de vivre.</span></div>Sandra Hooverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07799317489516225795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5294129803115819718.post-16475742715118418792024-01-11T03:00:00.000-05:002024-01-11T13:05:51.934-05:00The Lady In Glass and Other Stories Review<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdhY1bFD7Yv-kbPaOqGUTX0B9Jqu4AIfWlCbZu7U6lYpIj_Dpxh1JZ3SMCtXloDDbinLR4ATmA5K_3rNxvS1ZiGIdJG9JvMY8KwrETh7wkldF2xK6uYEKsY-STY5ocbYWWz_98ZH2F2rDWuiadA4YIK4fFk8rGcxRC72ZCYOwB3cJHlrxIzVzaX6YvyDg/s2048/the%20lady%20in%20glass.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1357" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdhY1bFD7Yv-kbPaOqGUTX0B9Jqu4AIfWlCbZu7U6lYpIj_Dpxh1JZ3SMCtXloDDbinLR4ATmA5K_3rNxvS1ZiGIdJG9JvMY8KwrETh7wkldF2xK6uYEKsY-STY5ocbYWWz_98ZH2F2rDWuiadA4YIK4fFk8rGcxRC72ZCYOwB3cJHlrxIzVzaX6YvyDg/s320/the%20lady%20in%20glass.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><br />Author: Anne Bishop</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Genre: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Horror</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A Collection of Short Stories</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Publisher: Berkley Publ. Group</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Release Date: Feb. 27, 2024</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Order Link: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lady-Glass-Other-Stories-ebook/dp/B0C6HLR9VB/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1703795120&sr=8-1">Amazon</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">4 Collective Hearts</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Special thanks to Berkley Publishing for a free copy of this ARC!</div><div style="text-align: left;">#BerkleyPartner</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">A magical collection of stories new and old spanning across all of Anne Bishop’s most beloved fantasy worlds.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;"><b>Review:</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #1e1915;"><span style="background-color: white;">THE LADY IN THE GLASS is an Anthology of Author Anne Bishop's short stories written throughout her career including both previously published and unpublished tales from both old and new worlds. This collection of work ranges from the very dark retelling of well-known fairy tales to horror to sci-fi to fantasy. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #1e1915;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #1e1915;"><span style="background-color: white;">Fans of Bishop's The Others award winning series will be ecstatic to discover a new story taking place after Etched In Bone and featuring Meg Corbyn, the blood prophet and Simon Wolfgard, the shapeshifter in "Home for the Howlidays. Friends to Corpses will appeal to zombie fans as well as fans of police procedurals in a world where the police are tasked with controlling the zombies. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #1e1915;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #1e1915;"><span style="background-color: white;">Author Anne Bishop is a master at bringing fantasies to life - from the very darkest to the scariest to the heartwarming. I found it interesting to read some of her earlier writings and hear from the author herself about her progress in her writing journey. From Realms of Blood and fairytale retellings to stories of space exploration with its' unique creatures, the evolution of the author's work is evident.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #1e1915;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #1e1915;"><span style="background-color: white;">Fans of Author Anne Bishop will want to grab this collection and settle in for an entertaining afternoon of reading. While every story isn't for everyone, there's something here that will appeal to readers of various genres of fiction. Bishop's work is unique and magical with a tendency to skate on the dark side just like, I suspect, the author herself. Highly recommended.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Synopsis:</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">Here, together for the first time, the shorter works of New Yor'k Times bestselling fantasy author Anne Bishop are included in one dazzling volume.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">A master of bringing fantasy worlds to life, this collection showcases Bishop’s impressive range, from rarities of her earliest writing to the Realms of the Blood, from darker fairytale retellings to the Landscapes of Ephemera, and from standalone stories of space exploration and fantastical creatures to the contemporary fantasy terrain of the World of the Others.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">Includes previously published and unpublished tales, as well as two brand-new stories, written especially for this “Friends and Corpses,” a murder mystery in which the corpse has some decidedly unusual qualities, and “Home for the Howlidays,” a heartwarming return to the Blood Prophet Meg Corbyn and the shapeshifting Simon Wolfgard from The Others.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Sandra Hooverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07799317489516225795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5294129803115819718.post-89264206268453759652024-01-04T02:00:00.001-05:002024-01-04T02:00:00.142-05:00WANDER IN THE DARK Review<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZeqtkys0bL5xafn_u3bRszDC73v8kulJeRwoF-5pDtzWi3BrBVONjDRvTzgnCBBfro0KflFln1jmgR59xkWwerPyOkd5jB0ZsCtzSrWvoxy7bulqUn7koSgDpLjKfEJUdsdrYoKScSur-z3P6D7TL0aApYWxTwz0EoRYCirhLVD359mvF8W3DHUJplAw/s450/wander%20in%20the%20dark.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="298" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZeqtkys0bL5xafn_u3bRszDC73v8kulJeRwoF-5pDtzWi3BrBVONjDRvTzgnCBBfro0KflFln1jmgR59xkWwerPyOkd5jB0ZsCtzSrWvoxy7bulqUn7koSgDpLjKfEJUdsdrYoKScSur-z3P6D7TL0aApYWxTwz0EoRYCirhLVD359mvF8W3DHUJplAw/s320/wander%20in%20the%20dark.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>Author: Jumata Emill</div><div style="text-align: left;">Genre: Young Adult Mystery</div><div style="text-align: left;">Publisher: Delacorte Press</div><div style="text-align: left;">Release Date: Jan. 30, 2024</div><div style="text-align: left;">Order Link: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Wander-Dark-Jumata-Emill-ebook/dp/B0C5HCNWXT/ref=sr_1_1?crid=15WF15G0GT49Y&keywords=wander+in+the+dark+jumata+emill&qid=1700312717&sprefix=wander+in+the+dark%2Caps%2C307&sr=8-1">Amazon</a> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Special thanks to the publisher for an arc.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Review first published in <a href="https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/wander-in-the-dark/">Mystery & Suspense Magazine</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;"><b>In this new pulse-pounding thriller from the author of The Black Queen, two brothers must come together to solve the murder of the most popular girl in school after one of them is caught fleeing the scene of her death.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Review:</b></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">WANDER
IN THE DARK is a chilling, young adult mystery centered around themes of
privilege and entitlement, blended families, family drama, social and racial
injustice and minority stereotyping. Author Jumata Emill does an
outstanding job of interlacing these themes into the plot line of an agonizing
murder mystery rendered through the points of view of a Black boy, Amir, who
stands accused of the brutal murder of a white girl from a wealthy family and
his estranged half-brother, Marcel. From the time the hand cuffs are
snapped on him, Amir knows he hasn't a prayer of proving his innocence and is
going down for something he didn't do. No one believes him except Marcel
who refuses to abandon him to a certain death sentence without a fight as he
dives into his own investigation. What Marcel uncovers puts everything he
knows and believes in question - and his life in jeopardy. Can he unmask
a murderer in time to save his brother?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Set
during the Mardi Gras in New Orleans, WANDER IN THE DARK is a highly
atmospheric, raw murder mystery with all the right ingredients to keep readers
enthralled from beginning to end. Two estranged half-brothers carry the
heavy load of this family drama when one steps up to fight for the other's life
despite years of hurt and resentment festering between them. The
revelations that surface as the story progresses are deeply disturbing on every
level as the blinders come off, and Marcel’s forced to face hard truths that
change his life forever. While both boys are the sons of a famous chef,
it's Marcel who’s blessed with the benefits of having been raised as a
privileged minority and accepted as a member of the in-crowd by white friends .
. . or has he? As the son left behind with a poor, single mother, Amir is
bitter, resentful and filled with anger over having been deserted by his father
who moved on and up without him. At least Amir's eyes are wide open, and he's
accepted the hard truths he's forced to live with . . . or has he? Things
come crashing down one dark night when Amir’s arrested for the murder of a
white girl from the other side of the tracks. Unfortunately, he has no
memory of what went down that night and is unable to defend himself against the
accusations. As an underprivileged Black teenager, he's the perfect
scrape goat for New Orleans's elite who'll do anything to keep their dirty
little secrets buried. </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">WANDER
IN THE DARK is an intense, highly atmospheric, heart-breaking murder mystery
that highlights the ugly results of the profiling of minorities when the
innocent is NOT presumed innocent until proven guilty. The author does a
brilliant job of weaving family drama and racial inequalities into a
mesmerizing tale of horror where anything can be bought for a price, even
lives. New Orleans during the Mardi Gras where you can never be certain
what's real and what's an illusion is the perfect backdrop for this story as it
unfolds. The increasing intensity of Amir's situation as the danger
escalates drives a torrid pace toward an explosive climax. Readers may
need a chapter or two to settle in with the social and young adult slang
utilized by the author to deliver an authentic story, but I found it highly
effective in raising the bar of believability of both characters and plot
line. It's a bit of a stretch of the imagination that teenagers can solve
a murder mystery that leaves authorities baffled; however, I contribute it to
the fact that in the eyes of the adults, this is an open and shut case from day
one. WANDER IN THE DARK is a totally consuming, eye opening, young adult
mystery that I highly recommend to fans of mysteries, suspense and family
dramas.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></p><div> <b>Synopsis:</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">Amir Trudeau only goes to his half brother Marcel’s birthday party because of Chloe Danvers. Chloe is rich, and hot, and fits right into the perfect life Marcel inherited when their father left Amir’s mother to start a new family with Marcel’s mom. But Chloe is hot enough for Amir to forget that for one night.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">Does she want to hook up? Or is she trying to meddle in the estranged brothers’ messy family drama? Amir can’t tell. He doesn’t know what Chloe wants from him when, in the final hours of Mardi Gras, she asks him to take her home and stay—her parents are away and she doesn’t want to be alone.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">Amir never gets an answer to his question, because when he wakes up, Chloe is dead—stabbed while he was passed out on the couch downstairs—and Amir becomes the only suspect. A Black teenager caught fleeing the scene of the murder of a rich white girl? All of New Orleans agrees, the case is open and shut.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">Amir is innocent. He has a lawyer, but unless someone can figure out who really killed Chloe, it doesn’t look good for him. His number one ally? Marcel. Their relationship is messy, but his half brother knows that Amir isn’t a murderer—and maybe proving Amir’s innocence will repair the rift that’s always existed between them.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">To find Chloe’s killer, Amir and Marcel need to dig into her secrets. And what they find is darker than either could have guessed. Parents will go to any lengths to protect their children, and in a city as old as New Orleans, the right family connections can bury even the ugliest truths.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Sandra Hooverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07799317489516225795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5294129803115819718.post-58728245265217088822024-01-02T01:30:00.001-05:002024-01-02T01:30:00.129-05:00DARLING GIRLS Review<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTECaFs2rEL-F6uWd2OubWcIB5nUDcVMfc3od7pQgo2dZSbFNZvtKGpRbIqfi4R-Buk9G9O_-aIbIN9pBv4etwt31RjNj_50JgQia-aarOR6Abti5AohE3r4vCkWa7pOTC4icN90VLdA7g4kqd0oFZJUd2TQ9ED9SMIvDtu-pPYz0gDdZMZW0OZ1EB0ak/s400/darling%20girls.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="262" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTECaFs2rEL-F6uWd2OubWcIB5nUDcVMfc3od7pQgo2dZSbFNZvtKGpRbIqfi4R-Buk9G9O_-aIbIN9pBv4etwt31RjNj_50JgQia-aarOR6Abti5AohE3r4vCkWa7pOTC4icN90VLdA7g4kqd0oFZJUd2TQ9ED9SMIvDtu-pPYz0gDdZMZW0OZ1EB0ak/s320/darling%20girls.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>Author: Sally Hepworth</div><div style="text-align: left;">Publisher: St. Martins Press</div><div style="text-align: left;">Release Date: April 23, 2024</div><div style="text-align: left;">Order Link: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Darling-Girls-Novel-Sally-Hepworth-ebook/dp/B0C2MYN135/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1697737636&sr=8-1">Amazon</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">5 Gut Wrenching Hearts</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Many thanks to St. Martins Press for an arc of this title.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Review published in <a href="https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/darling-girls/">Mystery & Suspense Magazine</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;">Get ready for another twisty domestic thriller from the <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">New York Times</i> bestselling author of <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">THE SOULMATE</i>.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;">Review:</span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">DARLING GIRLS firmly secures Author Sally Hepworth's position as one of the masters of psychological domestic thrillers. Her amazing talent for incorporating and exploring unique relationships within a compelling plot line results in dynamic characters that resonate with readers. Brilliantly rendered, DARLING GIRLS explores the journey and unbreakable bond of three women who escaped the horrors of a demented foster mother decades earlier . . . or did they? <br /><br />Twenty-five years ago, three girls from different walks of life find themselves living at Wild Meadows, an idyllic looking foster home run by Miss Holly Fairchild. From outside appearances, their life is better than anyone in their situation could hope for; however, they soon learn appearances are deceiving and things are vastly different behind closed doors. Like a chameleon, Miss Fairchild's temperament changes in a heartbeat - mild mannered and pleasant to outsiders . . . and a heavy-handed, conniving disciplinarian to those under her charge. The girls quickly bond in their efforts to survive her abusive, psychological games until the day they finally managed to escape her clutches. Fast forward a couple of decades and readers meet three intelligent women who remain sisters of the heart - each of whom struggles daily with their own demons because of their terrifying childhood experiences, secretly fearing the day the past comes calling. And one day it does in the form of a dreaded phone call from the police asking them to return to their former home to answer questions about skeletal remains found buried under the old farmhouse. They escaped Miss Fairchild's clutches once . . . will they survive another encounter?<br /><br />DARLING GIRLS is a heart wrenching story that’s rendered through past/present chapters via the voices of three young girls and one mystery voice revealed through past sessions with a psychologist. Hepworth is simply brilliant at creating complex characters with unique characteristics and daring them to survive in spite of the hand life has dealt them. Over time, readers have a front row seat to the evolution of each of the three mentally abused girls as they struggle to survive, watching as they morph into women fighting daily to overcome a history of mental abuse instead of letting it define them. A dark, dire tone permeates the pages drifting into readers' homes as a growing sense of fear squeezes both characters and readers hearts. The pace builds steadily along with the girls' anxiety and trepidation to the final shocking climax which I predict no one will see coming. I applaud the author's choice of setting - a beautiful, peaceful old farmhouse with a sense of tranquility on the outside that lulls one into a false sense of security . . . in contrast to the horrors being perpetrated on the young and innocent on the inside. <br /><br /><br /> Stories of abuse are never easy to read, but Hepworth does a magnificent job of balancing the dark with a story of hope with three protagonists who are vulnerable yet clearly survivors, who become strong, loyal, empowered women with bright futures in spite of their harsh beginning. DARLING GIRLS is an intense, beautifully rendered psychological domestic thriller that I highly recommend to fans of suspense thrillers and mysteries. In this readers opinion, this is Author Sally Hepworth's finest work to date.</span><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><div><div><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;">Synopsis:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">From the outside, Alicia, Jessica and Norah might seem like ordinary women you'd meet on the street any day of the week. Sure, Jessica has a little OCD and Norah has some anger issues. And Alicia has low self-esteem that manifests itself in surprising ways. But these three have a bond that no one can fully understand. It's a bond that takes them back decades, to when they were girls, and they lived on a farm with a foster mother named Miss Fairchild. Miss Fairchild had rules. Miss Fairchild could be unpredictable. And Miss Fairchild was never, ever to be crossed.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">In a moment of desperation, the three broke away from Miss Fairchild, and they thought they were free. But the reach of someone with such power is long, and even though they never saw her again, she was always somewhere in the shadows of their minds. When bones are discovered buried under the farmhouse of their childhood, they are called in by the police to tell what they know. Against their will, they are brought back to the past, and to Miss Fairchild herself. DARLING GIRLS asks the questions: what are we capable of when in a desperate place? How much can we hide the demons inside us? And can the past ever truly be buried?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></div>Sandra Hooverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07799317489516225795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5294129803115819718.post-34609930858831399962023-11-26T15:29:00.000-05:002023-11-26T15:29:06.842-05:00IT TAKES A RAKE Review<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTUP6uCuif37fXM77gDiOJRy7iBnClg4gUSBweGI-eVVRtlaoTD2HdLCf3YzZj0mapChETLaUbC68bYUISzz7j_JWcXhzNrvVqtJ15JM5ZF4-Hl3hMq4rhyphenhyphenloeuQ2HVbmsF1fzxsDk6vPlaT2KNB-dBfQWbFI5jsfEmjcHf6oE2Fe1XWvMfKKUrImTBjA/s400/it%20takes%20a%20rake.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="244" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTUP6uCuif37fXM77gDiOJRy7iBnClg4gUSBweGI-eVVRtlaoTD2HdLCf3YzZj0mapChETLaUbC68bYUISzz7j_JWcXhzNrvVqtJ15JM5ZF4-Hl3hMq4rhyphenhyphenloeuQ2HVbmsF1fzxsDk6vPlaT2KNB-dBfQWbFI5jsfEmjcHf6oE2Fe1XWvMfKKUrImTBjA/s320/it%20takes%20a%20rake.jpg" width="195" /></a></div>Author: Anna Bennett</div><div style="text-align: left;">Series: Rogues to Lovers #3</div><div style="text-align: left;">Publisher: St. Martins Press</div><div style="text-align: left;">Release Date: Jan. 23, 2024</div><div style="text-align: left;">Order Link: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Takes-Rake-Rogues-Lovers-Book-ebook/dp/B0C1X7WLPZ/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1699752377&sr=8-1">Amazon</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Special thanks to the publisher for an arc.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">4 Heated Hearts</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Review:</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">IT TAKES A RAKE is the third installment in the Rogues to Lovers series featuring three women searching for their own chance to live happily ever after. Smart, snarky women and intelligent, gorgeous men stalk the pages of these books often antagonizing one another until they finally give in and admit they're in love. Each book stands alone, but it's fun to get to know each couple by reading the books in order as previous couples appear in subsequent books.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">IT TAKES A RAKE features Kitty, a woman making her way in a man's profession. An upcoming, talented architect, Kitty breathes life into otherwise dry drawings and architectural plans with her unique visions which are not only functional, but beautiful. Kitty is disillusioned with marriage. She knows a rake when she sees one and refuses to allow herself to be charmed into giving up her dreams. However, there's one man she can't forget - the one who left her without a word of goodbye years ago. She won't allow him back in her heart.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Leo Larkwood leaves a promising career as an architect in London to return home and claim the girl he left behind. Leo is all about the numbers and while his drawings may not be the most beautiful, they're highly functional and accurate. He's carrying a big secret that involves a secret crush, but he knows she's skittish and won't accept him back into her heart unless he does something to gain her trust again. The opportunity presents itself in the form of an architectural contest to design a new building for the town. Kitty agrees to allow Leo to help her with her project by checking her calculations, and in turn, Kitty will teach Leo how to be a rake so he can woo his secret crush. Little does she know...</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Kitty and Leo are great examples of frenemies in the romance genre. They both harbor strong feelings for each other but keep them hidden for their own reasons. Bennett does a fantastic job with the snark and banter as tension and sexual chemistry rise steadily between this pair. The plot line is unique with the competition element, and the pace increases steadily. Past couples make appearances in IT TAKES A RAKE, and as always, it's great to catch up with them. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Author Anna Bennett excels at delivering strong heroes and heroines who are likeable and easy to pull for. The sexy banter will have you salivating one minute and laughing out loud the next. Highly recommended to fans of historical romance with a punch.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Synopsis:</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;">She’s about to face her biggest challenge yet…</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">Since she was a girl, Miss Kitty Beckett has been adept at finding trouble: sneaking brandy, running away, and getting under the skin of the boy who, like her, was an apprentice to an architect. Now Kitty’s a talented heiress who can take a dry building plan and breathe life into it with her pencils and paints. Also? She can spot a rake at a hundred yards—and she won’t be tricked or charmed into marriage. Certainly not by a man who might interfere with her dreams. When Bellehaven Bay announces its first ever architectural design contest, she vows to win—with a little help from her childhood rival.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;">Turning her buttoned-up nemesis into a certified rake.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">Leo Lockland, a hardworking architect with a gift for numbers, has returned home after a few years in London, and he has secrets. The biggest? He’s been in love with Kitty since they were both apprentices. She refuses to give her heart to any man, but Leo’s determined to beat the odds—even if it means learning how to be a rake. Fortunately, Kitty’s willing to tutor him in the nuances of fashion, flirtation, and seduction in exchange for his help with the contest. But the whole plan would fall apart if she knew how he felt, so he’ll have to be very convincing.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;">Let the lessons begin…</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">Leo proves to be a surprisingly quick study in the ballroom, on the beach, and in the bedchamber. Before long, he’s softening Kitty’s hard edges with his wicked words and kissing his way past all her defenses. Perhaps she’s a bit too skilled at teaching, because her lessons are threatening to backfire, putting her closely guarded heart in grave danger…</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Sandra Hooverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07799317489516225795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5294129803115819718.post-3859512927085116112023-11-26T02:00:00.001-05:002023-11-26T02:00:00.132-05:00Random In Death Review<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGYFVRO9bUkV_cmkulUItO_NO7AfR81YXCgdqK0rX9aumNaIltouGqKRf3cD-O2hRgkBuWpxwloLMZaPL2WbKN5exyVxPnzBZcGCFhNbjoCmX_yh2WQ0iLhoHzKwe4HzQbd4GgAhFMBf4q7gRzwHpBO2qE_oDm_kzTisBrw3mPJcKl5M-GGwJ1CivsBao/s500/random%20in%20death.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="329" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGYFVRO9bUkV_cmkulUItO_NO7AfR81YXCgdqK0rX9aumNaIltouGqKRf3cD-O2hRgkBuWpxwloLMZaPL2WbKN5exyVxPnzBZcGCFhNbjoCmX_yh2WQ0iLhoHzKwe4HzQbd4GgAhFMBf4q7gRzwHpBO2qE_oDm_kzTisBrw3mPJcKl5M-GGwJ1CivsBao/s320/random%20in%20death.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>Author: J.D. Robb</div><div style="text-align: left;">Series: In Death #58</div><div style="text-align: left;">Publisher: St. Martins Press</div><div style="text-align: left;">Release Date: Jan. 23, 2024</div><div style="text-align: left;">Order Link: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Random-Death-Eve-Dallas-Novel-ebook/dp/B0C1X8GDPV/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1699733924&sr=8-1">Amazon</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Special thanks to the publisher for an arc.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Review first published in <a href="https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/random-in-death/">Mystery & Suspense Magazine</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;">In the new crime thriller from #1 <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">New York Times</i>-bestselling J.D. Robb, a small and easily concealed weapon wreaks havoc, and the killer is just a face in the crowd.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;">Review:</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;">J.D. Robb is a prolific writer whose amazing talent is never more evident than when gifting readers another thrilling episode featuring Lt. Eve Dallas and comrades in a series so many readers have come to know and love. It's mind boggling to think that RANDOM IN DEATH is the fifty-eighth book in the In Death series, a futuristic police procedural series set in New York City around 2061. Books in the series are character driven featuring outstanding writing with intriguing murder cases to be solved in each book. The character development and intricate investigations carry the stories with a sprinkling of humor woven throughout elevating an otherwise dire tone.<br /> <br /> Eve and husband Roarke are enjoying a rare weekend evening at home when Eve's link signals, calling her to the scene of a murder at a music concert. The young age of the victim makes this case particularly disturbing as does the fact that she's a smart, dedicated sixteen-year-old girl with no apparent vices or enemies. Even worse is the fact she was randomly stabbed with a dirty needle injecting her with a vicious cocktail of pure drugs and contagious viruses. Jenna’s death comes within minutes of being injected as she collapses in the arms of her idol, musician Jake Kincaide whose girlfriend reporter Nadine calls Lt. Eve Dallas to the scene. A day later at another public venue another young teen with no apparent connection to the first victim is targeted, leaving no doubt that a psychopath is randomly targeting young girls. Lt. Eve Dallas and her team are in a race against time to identify a needle in a haystack before another young person loses their life. <br /><br />RANDOM IN DEATH explores the dark mind of a young, highly intelligent, enraged psychopath with an exaggerated sense of entitlement and superiority. Per her signature style, Eve works the case meticulously, leaving no stone unturned, combing through evidence, uncovering clues where there appear to be none. By her side is husband Roarke and partner Peabody along with several reoccurring characters fans will enjoy catching up with. As always, character and relationship development are in the driver’s seat, one of my favorite aspects of the series. Robb's vivid character descriptions transport individuals off the pages into readers' living rooms, bringing them to life like long, lost friends . . . or your worse enemy. A sense of urgency and malice drive a fast pace through the many twists and turns as the case unfolds before exploding in the shocking climax with Eve and the accused in the interrogation room. <br /><br />RANDOM IN DEATH is one of many books in a long series; however, each title stands alone with a satisfying conclusion. Having said that, I highly recommend the series be read in order of publication for the character introductions and development as main characters appear in each book in an ongoing story arc. Unique plotlines, taut pacing and strong characters are always evident in the In Death series books, and RANDOM IN DEATH is another prime example of excellence in the crime and police procedural genre. Highly recommended to fans of the series as well as fans of police procedurals.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div><div><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;">Synopsis:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Jenna’s parents had finally given in, and there she was, at a New York club with her best friends, watching the legendary band Avenue A, carrying her demo in hopes of slipping it to the guitarist, Jake Kincade. Then, from the stage, Jake catches her eye, and smiles. It’s the best night of her life.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px;" /><span style="font-weight: 400;">It’s the last night of her life.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px;" /><span style="font-weight: 400;">Minutes later, Jake’s in the alley getting some fresh air, and the girl from the dance floor comes stumbling out, sick and confused and deathly pale. He tries to help, but it’s no use. He doesn’t know that someone in the crowd has jabbed her with a needle—and when his girlfriend Nadine arrives, she knows the only thing left to do for the girl is call her friend, Lieutenant Eve Dallas.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px;" /><span style="font-weight: 400;">After everyone on the scene is interviewed, lab results show a toxic mix of substances in the victim’s body—and for an extra touch of viciousness, the needle was teeming with infectious agents. Dallas searches for a pattern: Had any boys been harassing Jenna? Was she engaging in risky behavior or caught up in something shady? But there are no obvious clues why this levelheaded sixteen-year-old, passionate about her music, would be targeted.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px;" /><span style="font-weight: 400;">And that worries Dallas. Because if Jenna wasn’t targeted, if she was just the random, unlucky victim of a madman consumed by hatred, there are likely more deaths to come.</span></span></div></div></div>Sandra Hooverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07799317489516225795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5294129803115819718.post-26643915719902452042023-11-25T02:00:00.001-05:002023-11-25T02:00:00.147-05:00THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN EIGHT Review<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh5kV-x2JgQaPWyPERSc4jcBsGg9LzTlkAQfOwk94ioWIXFdMTF746hJn44Qa1bekWmk0xEeqKyRwE6FNQDpUe8dY8WAN8ir-qyfEHHgSFFBlU66Qjt_7f8CTyjoZqUWGCVl1-P7lxnulqJO8uMgOzFoSWy3XTUDypl3ajXdTB6axglZ7WepzZENTgYlc/s500/there%20should%20have%20been%20eight.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="331" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh5kV-x2JgQaPWyPERSc4jcBsGg9LzTlkAQfOwk94ioWIXFdMTF746hJn44Qa1bekWmk0xEeqKyRwE6FNQDpUe8dY8WAN8ir-qyfEHHgSFFBlU66Qjt_7f8CTyjoZqUWGCVl1-P7lxnulqJO8uMgOzFoSWy3XTUDypl3ajXdTB6axglZ7WepzZENTgYlc/s320/there%20should%20have%20been%20eight.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>Author: Nalini Singh</div><div style="text-align: left;">Publisher: Berkley</div><div style="text-align: left;">Release Date: Nov. 21, 2023</div><div style="text-align: left;">Order Link: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/There-Should-Have-Been-Eight-ebook/dp/B0BWHLFCJ5/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1697738109&sr=8-1">Amazon</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Special thanks to Berkley for an arc.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Review first published in <a href="https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/there-should-have-been-eight/">Mystery & Suspense Magazine</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Review:</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">As a
devoted fan of Author Nalini Singh's Guild Hunter series, I couldn't wait to
crack open her first offering in the suspense thriller genre. THERE
SHOULD HAVE BEEN EIGHT is an intense, locked room style mystery set in a
partially burned-out gothic mansion in New Zealand during a storm that strands
the cast with no contact with the outside world for the duration. We're
talking secret panels and tunnels, mysterious attacks, people who disappear,
murder. Are you spooked yet?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Nine
years ago, a tight group of eight teenagers were the best of friends until Bea,
the girl everyone loved, died, and the group drifted apart. Bea's sister,
Darcie, organizes a reunion of the seven remaining now adults in her family's
old, isolated mansion - an opportunity for the group to catch up with each
other and reminisce about Bea and the good old days. Luna, our narrator,
is a photographer who's just received devastating news that she has a genetic
disease that will steal her eyesight over time, a diagnosis she chooses not to
share with the others - a decision that elevates the tension and drama to come
as readers soon learn. It's through her eyes and camera lens that readers
learn about each of the other individuals in attendance along with their sordid
affairs and dark secrets. Luna hopes to gain answers to troubling
questions surrounding Bea's death as well as the shocking decision by Darcie to
have her sister cremated before any of her friends could say goodbye. There's a
lot of resentment, frustration and rage festering between members of the group,
and it's soon painfully clear someone is seeking revenge. When a fall down the
stairs results in one dead from a broken neck and a blizzard cuts off
communication with the outside world, it becomes a game of survival. One
of them is a murderer . . . who is it?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN EIGHT is a chilling, highly
atmospheric gothic suspense thriller that keeps readers on the edge of their
seats as they're charged with sifting through the multitude of secrets, lies
and strange happenings to unmask a murderer. Singh excels at building
intriguing, beautiful yet deadly worlds that take on the role of another
character as is evident in the setting of this story. While some may feel
the pace moves a bit slow in the beginning, I appreciate the author's diligence
while introducing each player and setting the scene, affording readers a good
feel for each character and their stake in the deadly game playing out.
Readers will find it nigh on impossible to put this book down as the pace and
tension increase dramatically as members go missing or suffer mysterious
accidents and the full extent of their dire, life or death situation becomes a
reality. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><span style="background: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Author Nalini Singh has penned an intriguing, super
atmospheric locked room mystery in THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN EIGHT. Strong
characterizations, a tension laden plot line and spooky setting are all
inducive to a creepy, gothic style who-done-it mystery. I'll admit to
being surprised at the big reveal in an explosive climax that's sure to leave
readers stunned, and I'm looking forward to seeing what else Singh will release
in this genre. Highly recommended to fans of locked room myster</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">ies and
suspense thrillers.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></p></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Synopsis:</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">They met when they were teenagers. Now they’re adults, and time has been kind to some and unkind to others—none more so than to Bea, the one they lost nine long years ago. They’ve gathered to reminisce at Bea’s family’s estate, a once-glorious mansion straight out of a gothic novel. Best friends, old flames, secret enemies, and new lovers are all under one roof—but when the weather turns and they’re snowed in at the edge of eternity, there’s nowhere left to hide from their shared history.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">As the walls close in, the pretense of normality gives way to long-buried grief, bitterness, and rage. Underneath it all, there’s the nagging feeling that Bea’s shocking death wasn’t what it was claimed to be. And before the weekend is through, the truth will be unleashed—no matter the cost.</span></div>Sandra Hooverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07799317489516225795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5294129803115819718.post-85952178230319753562023-11-21T02:00:00.001-05:002023-11-21T02:00:00.142-05:00BLOOD SISTERS Book Tour & Review<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg93g6bwjchkX6crpocM5w2ZlOnUglrM_Ow1Ut2AorA9YSlG6g-aXO_x9hnEJttUknyhbTvAMDUO_qCBJ1p8QtV2m-bBG0dM7M1-cTcp4iZ2B6stzzRLRoE6lAjqkDwUdUHjKhItnwyNgmWZ-dptU6JM2wAqm482R9vUGlfBh0YR98FDTVgLQSGz86IYAQ/s2768/Blood%20Sisters.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2768" data-original-width="1838" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg93g6bwjchkX6crpocM5w2ZlOnUglrM_Ow1Ut2AorA9YSlG6g-aXO_x9hnEJttUknyhbTvAMDUO_qCBJ1p8QtV2m-bBG0dM7M1-cTcp4iZ2B6stzzRLRoE6lAjqkDwUdUHjKhItnwyNgmWZ-dptU6JM2wAqm482R9vUGlfBh0YR98FDTVgLQSGz86IYAQ/s320/Blood%20Sisters.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Welcome to my stop on the Blood Sisters Book Tour! Scroll below for my review, book synopsis and an excerpt.</h3></div><div style="text-align: left;">Publisher: Berkley</div><div style="text-align: left;">Release Date: Oct. 31, 2023</div><div style="text-align: left;">Order Link: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Sisters-Vanessa-Lillie-ebook/dp/B0BR4XS4J2/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3VGMEW8CS1E23&keywords=blood+sisters+vanessa+lillie&qid=1698493144&sprefix=blood+sisters%2Caps%2C189&sr=8-1">Amazon</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>Review first published in <a href="https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/blood-sisters-2/">Mystery & Suspense Magazine</a></div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;">5 Stunning Stars!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>Special thanks to Berkley Publishing for an arc and tour invitation</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="dataTitle" style="background-color: white; float: left; font-family: Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; margin: 1px 0px; width: 125px;"><br /></div><div class="dataTitle" style="background-color: white; float: left; font-family: Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; margin: 1px 0px; width: 125px;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;"><i>A visceral and compelling mystery about a Cherokee archaeologist for the Bureau of Indian Affairs who is called back to rural Oklahoma to investigate the disappearance of two women…one of them is her sister…</i></span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;"><b>Review:</b></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">As an avid reader, it's always exciting for me to discover books that stimulate and challenge me while also enlightening me on social issues. Extra points to an author who tackles a subject rooted in history and yet one that's still prevalent in today's world, rendering it in such a manner as to be highly entertaining at the same time as educational. Without Lillie's skill and mesmerizing prose, BLOOD SISTERS might have been one long sermon on the injustices suffered by Native Americans. However, with brilliant plotting, intriguing characterizations and a lot of heart, Lillie skillfully entices readers with a fantastic, heart stopping mystery while also highlighting the gross indignities and mistreatment suffered by a group of Indigenous people. Carve out enough time to read this one straight through as there's no way to put it down once you begin.<br /> <br />Vanessa Lillie's BLOOD SISTERS is an intense, eye opening, highly emotional suspense thriller delivered via the voice of Syd Walker, an archeologist for the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Rhode Island. Her mission is to preserve Cherokee history, culture and land rights while identifying skeletal remains of victims of violence and returning them home to their people. Syd is disturbed when she receives a request to return to the town of Pincher, Oklahoma - a place she fled fifteen years prior following an attack that left her best friend dead and her sister Emma Lou damaged in a way that left her permanently scarred and floundering in a world of drugs and bad decisions. Syd’s haunted by her troubled past, but the discovery of a skull with Syd's old I.D. card lodged in its mouth makes it impossible for her to refuse the case. Leaving behind her wife who's just announced her pregnancy, Syd heads back to her small hometown with the ghost of her best friend Luna riding shotgun in her mind, stirring up old disturbing memories. A number of Indigenous women have gone missing in the area and upon arriving home, Syd learns her sister Emma is among them. As Syd starts investigating, it's soon clear she's rattling skeletons that are making people in power extremely nervous. Once again, decisions are forced upon her people without proper restitution, but this time Syd won't walk away until she gets justice for both the dead and the living. If they don't kill her first. <br /><br /> BLOOD SISTERS focuses on one native woman's efforts to find the missing and return them home - whether dead or alive. The plot line is intricately woven, unfolding at a steadily rising, tension ladened pace through vivid prose that transports readers to the dark, desolate countryside alongside Syd while charging all with solving the mysterious disappearances while exposing the secrets held within the raped land before time runs out. The author's utilization of a ghost's voice in Syd's head to deliver the story is genius, setting an eerie, spooky tone while leading readers to speculate if the person is a ghost or Syd is hallucinating. It's clear Syd is in a precarious state of mind and holding on by a thread as she battles both inner and outer demons determined to take her down, all of which adds to the dark, malevolent atmosphere of this riveting thriller. I love that just when you think you have it all figured out, the shocking climax knocks you off your feet.<br /><br /> Vanessa Lillie has rendered a story rich in the history of Native Americans, spotlighting their continued struggles with drug and environmental issues, forced abandonment of their homes and land without restitution and the suspicious disappearance of Indigenous women for whom no one seems to be searching. Indications are this is the first in a series of books to come featuring Syd - an Indigenous, lesbian woman - as the lead character which is exciting, albeit a rare occurrence in the book world. Through Lillie's brilliant, descriptive writing, Syd comes across as a spirited, yet vulnerable character with strong ethics battling her own demons - one who readers will have no problem respecting and/or feeling empathy for. BLOOD SISTERS is a dynamic, engrossing, heart touching suspense thriller that's highly addictive as well as eye-opening, and it's clear it comes straight from the heart of the author. Highly recommended to fans of mysteries and suspense thrillers as well as readers who enjoy beautifully written stories with a spotlight on critical issues and injustices rooted in history that have existed over the years.</span><div style="text-align: left;">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> <b>Sy</b></span><b style="color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">nopsis:</b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">There are secrets in the land.</span></p></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">As an archaeologist for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Syd Walker spends her days in Rhode Island trying to protect the land's Indigenous past, even as she’s escaping her own.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">While Syd is dedicated to her job, she’s haunted by a night of violence she barely escaped in her Oklahoma hometown fifteen years ago. Even though she swore she’d never go back, the past comes calling.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">What happens to the land happens to the women.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">When a skull is found near the crime scene of her youth, just as her sister, Emma Lou, disappears, Syd knows she must return to Oklahoma. She refuses to let her sister, or the remains, go ignored as so often happens in cases of missing Native women.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">But not everyone is glad to have Syd home. The search for Emma Lou puts Syd in the crosshairs of local drug dealers looking to build an empire and vengeful vigilantes policing the abandoned mines, while government officials silence tribal rights.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">The truth will be unearthed.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">The deeper Syd digs, the more she uncovers about a string of missing Indigenous women cases trailing back decades. To save her sister, she must expose a darkness in town that no one wants to face—not even Syd.</span></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">Meet the Author:</span></h3><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghz_v6HYAvQPvQAxxfHoMMYMiQjQe219p2xdvsT8XAby_2pbHabr6AQ1NRlm-95LwpJRUgFLzsF7syH9kvUV9xjIze6hn-CVwlnQgkPNFje9OhSqiXxgYI1qkVoz3-FiasrbgnG-V5W2IVPD1mojfhAMXqFZUqgzuRrs-7dz_rPfzYFG6MUtMO5FTHEq4/s266/vanessa%20lillie.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="266" data-original-width="177" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghz_v6HYAvQPvQAxxfHoMMYMiQjQe219p2xdvsT8XAby_2pbHabr6AQ1NRlm-95LwpJRUgFLzsF7syH9kvUV9xjIze6hn-CVwlnQgkPNFje9OhSqiXxgYI1qkVoz3-FiasrbgnG-V5W2IVPD1mojfhAMXqFZUqgzuRrs-7dz_rPfzYFG6MUtMO5FTHEq4/s1600/vanessa%20lillie.jpg" width="177" /></a></div>Vanessa Lillie is originally from Miami, Oklahoma, where she spent a lot of time investigating local ghost stories at the public library. Her next book, Blood Sisters, releases October 31, 2023 and is the launch of a new series with #MMIW2S at the heart of the stories.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;">She is the author of the bestselling thrillers Little Voices (October 2019) and For the Best (September 2020). She created and co-authored the instant bestselling Audible Original Young Rich Widows and the sequel is on the way!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;">With fifteen years of marketing and communications experience, Vanessa was a columnist for the Providence Journal and hosts a regular Instagram Lives with crime fiction authors. She is an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma living on Narragansett land in Rhode Island. Connect with her on Instagram!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"><div><div class="dataTitle" style="float: left; font-family: Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; margin: 1px 0px; width: 125px;">Website</div><div class="dataItem" style="float: left; font-family: Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 1px 0px; width: 468.75px;"><a href="https://www.vanessalillie.com/" itemprop="url" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: #00635d; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">https://www.vanessalillie.com/</a></div><br class="clear" style="clear: both; display: block; font-family: Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1px; height: 0px; line-height: 0; margin: 0px;" /><div class="dataTitle" style="float: left; font-family: Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; margin: 1px 0px; width: 125px;">Twitter</div><div class="dataItem" style="float: left; font-family: Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 1px 0px; width: 468.75px;"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/vanessalillie" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="color: #00635d; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">vanessalillie</a></div><br class="clear" style="clear: both; display: block; font-family: Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1px; height: 0px; line-height: 0; margin: 0px;" /><div class="dataTitle" style="float: left; font-family: Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; margin: 1px 0px; width: 125px;">Genre</div><div class="dataItem" style="float: left; font-family: Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 1px 0px; width: 468.75px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/genres/suspense" style="color: #00635d; text-decoration-line: none;">Suspense</a>, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/genres/thriller" style="color: #00635d; text-decoration-line: none;">Thriller</a>, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/genres/mystery" style="color: #00635d; text-decoration-line: none;">Mystery</a></div><br class="clear" style="clear: both; display: block; font-family: Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1px; height: 0px; line-height: 0; margin: 0px;" /><div class="dataTitle" style="float: left; font-family: Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; margin: 1px 0px; width: 125px;"><br /></div></div><div><br style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;" /></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br class="clear" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #181818; display: block; font-family: Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1px; height: 0px; line-height: 0; margin: 0px;" /><h4 style="background-color: white; color: #181818; float: left; font-family: Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 1px 0px; text-align: left; width: 468.75px;"><b>Excerpt:</b></h4><div class="dataItem" style="background-color: white; float: left; font-family: Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 1px 0px; width: 468.75px;"><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="color: #181818;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">Exeter, Rhode Island</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">Fifteen
Years Later</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">Tuesday,
May 6, 2008</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">I brush wet
dirt from the skull's damaged eye socket and wonder if my sister is dead.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">The thought
is an old habit. Normally, I barely notice; the fear is like a clear film that floats
past my eye to be blinked away and forgotten.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">Footsteps
crunch to draw me away from worries about my only sister, Emma Lou, in rural
Oklahoma. My focus returns to this hilltop near the Sandy Brook hiking loop in
Rhode Island. Where I stand is not an area for hikers. I am on Narragansett
Native land, which means I need to hurry to preserve the scene from whoever is
headed this way.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">I drop the
toothbrush caked in mud and hustle to my backpack. I open the bag as I hear the
snap of someone moving past the yellow caution tape I used to lock down the
site yesterday evening.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">Grabbing a
soft cotton sheet from my bag, I fling it into the air to cover the entire
skeleton I excavated from the earth this morning. An air pocket floats beneath
the sheet as if the bones are trying to rise and leave the shallow grave.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">I narrow my
eyes to see who's coming over the hill. I half wave, relieved, at the sight of
a familiar too-thin face with neat brown hair. He's in his usual loose jeans
and starched yellow polo with a tribal seal stitched on the pocket.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">"You
pretty far along, Syd?" asks Ellis Reed, the Narragansett Tribal Historic
Preservation Officer I work with the most. "Coroner won't like it."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">"They're
short-staffed and sending an intern." I don't hide my annoyance as I toss
him a can of bug spray. "Starting before dawn means some college kid won't
screw up our chances of an ID on the remains." I pause and decide to stick
to this half truth. Sharing that I'm in a hurry and meeting my wife in a couple
of hours for an appointment will only lead to more questions.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">"Kutaputush."
Ellis says thanks in Narragansett, then coats himself with a thick layer of
spray. These damp woods will have mosquitoes already out for blood. He tosses
the can onto the ground and then crosses his arms as he stares down at what brought
us here. "Appreciate the sheet."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">Not that I
need to explain as much to Ellis, but it should be common practice to cover
remains. To treat the dead with respect and not as a spectacle. Especially
bones like these, uncovered by accident, because they were never meant to be
found.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">"Can I
take a look?" he asks.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">"I
didn't wait. I'm almost done," I warn as I retie my short black hair at
the nape of my neck.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">The Bureau
of Indian Affairs, or BIA, says I shouldn't have excavated until Ellis, as the
tribal representative, and the coroner showed. But my new boss works from the
BIA headquarters, one thousand miles away, and from what I've heard about her,
she wouldn't let an intern screw up her dig site either. Not that I asked.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">I lift the
sheet straight into the air and ball the fabric into my arms with a sniff of
the fancy detergent my wife likes. She was softly snoring this morning when I
gave up on sleep and came back here with my headlamp and excavation equipment.
After two days of finding nothing of significance in my geological survey of
the area, I was shocked to strike bone. With the last rays of sunlight at my
back, I made the call to Ellis.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">He blows
out a long breath. "I'm glad you found her."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">I nod once
and follow his gaze to where I've brushed away the layers of earth around the
delicate bones still wearing a dirty white dress. The arms and legs are fanned
out like she was making a snow angel.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">I'm lucky
to work with Ellis because he treats me with respect, something the BIA hasn't
traditionally given to tribal leaders like him. He could see me as just the
BIA, the oldest bureau in the government. Created by the Department of War to
exterminate Native people, culture, and ways of life across this
"new" country "discovered" by men like Columbus and
colonized by Pilgrims and founding fathers, despite the tens of thousands of
years of Native life that preceded them.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">The modern
charge of the BIA is different, of course, but the bad blood rightfully
remains. The culture at the BIA is changing, so there are more of us who see
our job in a new way, especially since it's personal to me. I've never shared
this with Ellis, but I'm Native, too. Cherokee from Oklahoma out here on
Narragansett land in Rhode Island. But I look white, and I refuse to be the
white woman who brings up her Cherokee heritage when it's convenient,
selectively dropping it into a conversation with people who live Native life
every day.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">As part of
a new generation in the agency-and Native myself-I do my best to make inroads
with tribes and show that I'm here to help, not harm. But there's three hundred
years of terrible history that tells another story.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">I also
greatly respect Ellis as a tribal leader who must live in two worlds. The need
to preserve the past but also continue building the tribe's future through
what's allowed by the government. He must find some version of balance between
what the tribe needs to continue existing-language, land base, culture,
medicine-and what the government will agree to give.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">My role as
an archeologist is simpler. I see myself as a midwife to the past for the
future. To support the tribes by advocating for what they need to continue
traditions that honor their thousands of years of history as they carry this
knowledge into the future.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">"Syd?
Did you hear me?"</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">"Sorry."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">He clears
his throat. "Small cranium size."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">I focus
back on the bones between us. "Even without the dress, the narrow ridges
of the eyebrows suggest female to me."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">He crouches
near the feet. "What's the stratigraphy?"</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">I almost
grin at his question, which shows his knowledge extends well beyond what's
needed for his job title. It's something I immediately respected in him when we
first met after I took this job five years ago. I like to think he appreciates
it in me, too. Neither of us is a fan of the status quo, especially not when it
comes to justice.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">"The
same layer of earth," I say. "Two feet four inches deep, except the
skull and feet were three inches higher on each side."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">"Shallow
grave dug fast," he says with a sigh. "What do you make of the skull
fracture?"</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">A memory of
Emma Lou in a screaming fight with her ex-boyfriend floats past, but I return
focus. I want to step beyond the status quo of my job, too. To not let my
sister and all her problems distract me from justice.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">I drop to
my knees and return to the position I was in right before he arrived,
toothbrush and all. I take away a few more layers of mud on the right eye
socket, where the fracture begins. "There's a section of avulsed bone on
the right cheek." I pause as Ellis squats next to me, and I point out
where the face was cut, starting at the left eye socket. "The trauma
extends from the inferior orbital border under the eye socket to the left
canine tooth root."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">He tightens
his lips like a flinch. "Stabbed in the face."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">"There's
only blood splatter along the left shoulder." I motion to the small spot
I'd noticed when inspecting the dress. "Her assailant-let's take a wild
guess and assume he-could have grabbed her from behind and stabbed her as he
held her. I didn't see any more trauma, though, so this was the only injury by
the knife. But that wouldn't necessarily kill her."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">"You
can tell all that?"</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">"Best
guess," I say, because that's all I can do with the constraints of time, money,
and going gray before seeing any lab results. Plus, I'm not a forensic
archeologist, a specialist in excavating crime scenes. I studied it in school,
extensively, but kept returning to the land and culture over labs and bones-to
honor indigenous history and support projects that make the future possible.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">Ellis rubs
under his eyes, as if he wishes there was more available than guesses.
"Keep going, please," he says with a weariness I understand. This is
not an average day.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">I fumble
with the flashlight in my pocket but manage to click it on. The sun is only
starting to rise, and we need more light to properly examine the neck bones.
"This break indicates a laryngeal fracture. The attacker probably stood on
her neck until she suffocated or bled to death."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">Ellis blows
out a long breath. "How old do you think?"</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">"Late
teens, early twenties."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">"Just
the right age to disappear." He scrapes his knuckles under his
clean-shaven chin. "What about the dress?"</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">"Machine
stiches. No tag on any seams or initials sewn inside."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">"We're
not that lucky."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">"Well,
I wouldn't say that." I reach over to a brown paper bag holding our only
clue. I use my pencil to lift out a pink plastic quartz Swatch watch.
"Looks like something from the eighties."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">"Yeah,"
he says with the lightness of memory in his voice. "My sister and her
friends had Swatches like that when they were teenagers. Probably
'eighty-five."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">Trends in
teenage culture are fascinating, no matter the decade, but I stay on topic.
"Approximate year of death would help. We can see if there are any missing
women in the national database."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">"There
were plenty of women that went missing back then," he says. "Maybe
ran off, maybe not. Few reported, though."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">There's no
need for me to say what comes next in his reasoning. Even if someone did report
it to the police, it's unlikely anything would be done, let alone actually
filing a report or contacting the FBI, which has jurisdiction over reservation
land.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">I ease the
watch back into the paper bag and set it aside. I doubt there's a print, and if
there is we won't know for a year. Maybe more. Not for old bones on Native
land.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">As the
BIA's regional archeologist, I may not have legal jurisdiction to actually
investigate-that's usually a tribal officer's job-but these bones were found by
me on land that I'm responsible for. That's an obligation extending beyond
man's laws into the laws of nature, which I've always respected. I can at least
help by doing as much legwork as possible to bring a name to the remains and
answers to the family.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">"I'll
get started with a missing person report first thing," I say, though I
don't hide the tone of my voice that suggests it's a waste of time. The FBI
manages Native land, but missing Native women and girls don't typically garner
their precious attention and resources. "She deserves us trying, at
least."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">I stare at
the blood splatter on the white dress and worry again about Emma Lou. I
remember her the last time I was home. No one had warned me she was using
again. I found her strung out in our family's living room, under a picture our
mom bought at a Quapaw tribe powwow called Madonna of the Plains. A Native
woman in a buckskin dress gazing bravely into the distance as she holds tight
her baby in a cradleboard.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">I've often
thought I carry my worry for Sister the same way, strapped to my back, but all
burden, no blessing.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">The worry
grew heavier with Emma Lou's parade of boyfriends with short tempers who were
well trained in tearful apologies. But that was nothing to the drugs. My mom
had her dismissive attitude and Baptist prayer circle, and my dad had his
avoidance. It always fell to me to actually find Emma Lou and bring her home,
full of more drugs than sense. Then she'd do it again. And again. The worry
grew too large, and if I had kept going back home to Picher, it would have
broken us both.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">The wind
unfolds in a gust that rattles the silent acres of trees around us. Chills
spread along my arms, and I wish I didn't hear my grandmother's words, but I
do: This wind is a messenger. There will be news from Unetlanvhi.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">I'm in no
mood to search for signs of the Great Spirit. I'm fighting the idea of Emma
Lou's death taking root. As if my grandmother's god is saying this time the
worry of failing to save my sister will not painlessly float past my eye.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">"The
intern is here," Ellis says as a van bumps along the narrow path.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">The wheels
spin deep tracks in the spring mud and crush the plants and few wildflowers
edging the trail. I already don't like this intern, and I haven't even met him
yet.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">I dig the
toe of my boot into the mud and try to release the worry for Emma Lou. I swore
I was done when I said goodbye to Sister three years ago in a hospital bed. I
haven't returned to Oklahoma since. Instead I am here seeking justice and peace
for what's been hidden in the earth.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">"Let's
go," I say, relieved at the kick of anger instead of helpless fear.
"That intern sure as hell isn't going to screw up my scene."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">2</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">The
coroner's van jerks to a sudden stop as if striking an invisible tree. The
driver's-side door flies open, and a tall kid dressed head to toe in blue
scrubs, a medical apron, and a surgical cap nearly falls to the ground. He
takes only a few steps before he starts flailing his arms and yelling.
"You already started?!"</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">In that
second, I am justified in my choice to dig alone, even if it's breaking
regulations set long ago. I glance at Ellis, then back to the kid. "I'm
the one digging. We start when I say."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">"I
wanted to do it," he says with a whine in his voice. "You were
supposed to wait!"</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">"Wait
for the coroner." I cross my arms. "You're an intern."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">"I
represent the coroner, thank you very much." He leans forward and jams his
balled fists onto his hips. There's something maternal in the pose. I almost
smile, guessing his mother probably uses the same one.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">"Let's
try this again. I'm Ellis Reed from the Narragansett tribal office," he
says kindly, and steps toward the kid with a wave. "This is Syd Walker,
archeologist from BIA. There's plenty to do."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">"This
dig is for my senior thesis." The kid's eyes go wide and honestly look
gleeful when he glances at the skeleton. "I have to know everything."</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /><span style="color: #181818;">
“Excerpted from BLOOD SISTERS by Vanessa Lillie published by Berkley, an
imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC.
Copyright © 2023 by Vanessa Lillie”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="color: #181818;"><o:p> </o:p></p></div><br class="clear" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #181818; display: block; font-family: Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1px; height: 0px; line-height: 0; margin: 0px;" /><div class="dataTitle" style="background-color: white; float: left; font-family: Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; margin: 1px 0px; width: 125px;"><br /></div></div>Sandra Hooverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07799317489516225795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5294129803115819718.post-43209658307245900352023-11-20T01:00:00.001-05:002023-11-20T01:00:00.143-05:00PERFECT SHOT Review<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyz6ewSU9ZXYCFErxLNKDi3S2zO1ywvrMJCx_aBefyRp4oXMNewTKqsG5HG19P_pdKuPJmGJQM5LRhLovaqXKwC9M3kUIKcAUdRX2iER-EmT8lUfBd5HQ5hUfjD-uc_iD_MrhQakkeaF7109T8ZSYxA4vHJEITQtJV4nBDWnC87RQnD_WTthwsKM9V08w/s2560/perfect%20shot.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1688" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyz6ewSU9ZXYCFErxLNKDi3S2zO1ywvrMJCx_aBefyRp4oXMNewTKqsG5HG19P_pdKuPJmGJQM5LRhLovaqXKwC9M3kUIKcAUdRX2iER-EmT8lUfBd5HQ5hUfjD-uc_iD_MrhQakkeaF7109T8ZSYxA4vHJEITQtJV4nBDWnC87RQnD_WTthwsKM9V08w/s320/perfect%20shot.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>Author: Steve Urszenyi</div><div style="text-align: left;">Series: Special Agent Alexandra Martel #1</div><div style="text-align: left;">Publisher: Minotaur Books</div><div style="text-align: left;">Release Date: Nov. 14, 2023</div><div style="text-align: left;">Order Link: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Shot-Thriller-Special-Alexandra-ebook/dp/B0BQGHHR29/ref=sr_1_1?crid=35PXIG8WU113M&keywords=perfect+shot+steve+urszenyi&qid=1698945932&sprefix=perfect+shot%2Caps%2C104&sr=8-1">Amazon</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Special thanks to Minotaur Books for an arc. </div><div style="text-align: left;">This review first published in <a href="https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/perfect-shot/">Mystery & Suspense Magazine</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;">A former Army sniper must fall back on her Special Ops skills when a friend’s death uncovers a global nuclear threat, in </span><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;">Steve Urszenyi's Perfect Shot, the first in an</span><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"> electrifying new series featuring Special Agent Alexandra Martel.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;">Review:</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;">PERFECT SHOT is the impressive debut novel from author Steve Urszenyi and the first book in the Special Agent Alexandra Martel series. I'll admit to being a bit skeptical about a male author's ability to accurately portray an authentic female point of view in a lead character role in a foreign/domestic terrorist style thriller where men normally reign supreme. I'm excited to say my fears were unwarranted as Urszenyi stepped up to the plate and gifted readers with a strong, lethal, intelligent, highly skilled, legendary former army sniper now FBI Agent heroine with a keen sense of justice skirting the world, saving the day leaving dead bodies in her wake. Alex is a great character who comes across as a highly trained professional holding her own in a male dominated world. Readers are going to love her!<br /><br />Special Agent Alex Martel stepped down from her stressful role as one of the most renowned, accurate Army snipers to ever serve to accept a position with the FBI where she can still serve her country in a less demanding role. While on loan to Interpol, she’s disturbed to learn an old friend, M15 Agent Krysten, was killed in what's being called a tragic accident just after sending Alex a warning in the form of an encrypted message. Alex travels to London to conduct her own investigation, quickly realizing she's being tailed by unscrupulous characters who subsequently attack her. Although the numbers and odds are against her, she fights them off until she finds herself at the wrong end of a gun barrel when Caleb, whom she suspects is a CIA agent, steps in shooting the man. Caleb tries to recruit Alex to join his team of highly skilled operatives conducting missions around the world, but she repeatedly refuses to be pressured back through that closed door. When her superiors send her to Turkey in search of a stolen nuclear warhead, she has no choice but to team up with Caleb to stop terrorists before it's too late. The more the pair investigates, the more obvious it becomes that the death of Alex's friend is connected to the missing Warhead, and clues to the who, when and where are hidden within the encrypted message from Krysten. With stakes this high and the world in imminent danger, Alex has no choice but to fall back on her Special Op skills as a sniper. The countdown to doomsday has begun.<br /><br />PERFECT SHOT is a thrilling, tightly plotted thriller with action burning up the pages nonstop from cover to cover. The tone is dire, the plot insane and the delivery pure gold. Author Steve Urszenyi has rendered a high-octane story of subterfuge centered around spies, terrorists, special operatives and a race against time to save the world. From the streets of London to the markets and military bases in Turkey to the catacombs under the city in Paris, the action is swift, the characters larger than life and the outcome questionable right up to the cinematic end. The inclusion of every agency, foreign and domestic, with their many acronyms and official lingoes require readers to stay on their toes with minds engaged less they get a bit lost in this one; however, the payoff is worth it as it's nigh on impossible to put this book down. The author's background as a paramedic and police tactical medic is evident in the authenticity of terms and events as they play out.<br /><br />PERFECT SHOT is a breath of fresh air in the male dominated genre of military style thrillers. Urszenyi's rendering of this story through a female's point of view is brilliant and spot-on with Alex coming across as a highly intelligent, take no prisoners heroine with admirable skills seldom seen in female leads in the genre. By allowing her to narrate this story, readers also get to know the woman behind the gun, and she's smart, authentic and highly skilled. Readers will have no issue cheering her on. I'm excited to read more about Alex and Caleb in coming books and can't wait to see where the author leads them both professionally and personally. Highly recommended to fans of high action and domestic/foreign terrorists style thrillers.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;">Synopsis:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Special Agent Alexandra Martel has put her days on the battlefield behind her. Charming and disarming, relentless and lethal, she earned a reputation as one of the most renowned and decorated Army snipers in the service before stepping away. But when Alex, now an FBI special agent on loan to Interpol, learns that an old friend, an MI5 officer, has been killed under mysterious circumstances, she’s pulled back into the dangerous world she left a world where some people fear her, some want to recruit her, and everyone seems to want her dead. Following a trail of clues left behind by the dead woman, Alex pieces together a terrifying conspiracy that only escalates when a nuclear warhead goes missing. Dodging death at every turn, she reluctantly joins forces with a CIA officer, but he has plans of his own for her—and will stop at nothing to achieve them. Chasing the truth through the streets of London and bustling Turkish markets to the underbelly of Paris, Alex is unrelenting in her pursuit of justice. But as the clock ticks down and the world edges closer to doom, she must fall back on her Special Ops skills to stop the unthinkable. She thought her life as a sniper was over—but with stakes this high, she must use whatever means necessary to render the world safe.</span></span></div></div>Sandra Hooverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07799317489516225795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5294129803115819718.post-46475601826519130372023-11-16T17:05:00.002-05:002023-11-16T17:08:57.702-05:00INHERITANCE Review<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHQ60jrFjDFLtHFyg5tdlT9D4hSBhnwJI_7vfHbMsbmFFhu3a85WjGoF6cA9lfGS6j_6HEN3PE5nbLRFLmVSyyhnlw_S3yICLoWgTm7elhA0qHOz2wQI01k-dLeLtwniPQ3fPPpwrQ1jUDhbMcv01oNNKeoV_TOPOuUhIz5OiXgM-IeC991sf90suXbI8/s500/Heritance.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="329" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHQ60jrFjDFLtHFyg5tdlT9D4hSBhnwJI_7vfHbMsbmFFhu3a85WjGoF6cA9lfGS6j_6HEN3PE5nbLRFLmVSyyhnlw_S3yICLoWgTm7elhA0qHOz2wQI01k-dLeLtwniPQ3fPPpwrQ1jUDhbMcv01oNNKeoV_TOPOuUhIz5OiXgM-IeC991sf90suXbI8/s320/Heritance.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>Author: Nora Roberts</div><div style="text-align: left;">Series: The Lost Bride Trilogy</div><div style="text-align: left;">Publisher: St. Martins Press</div><div style="text-align: left;">Release Date: Nov. 21, 2023</div><div style="text-align: left;">Order Link: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Inheritance-Lost-Bride-Trilogy-1-ebook/dp/B0BQGJRBFV/ref=sr_1_1?crid=7E7H1P0B0KDL&keywords=inheritance+the+lost+bride+trilogy&qid=1692890493&sprefix=inheritance+the+lo%2Caps%2C213&sr=8-1">Amazon</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Many thanks to St. Martins Press for an arc.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><i style="box-sizing: border-box;">Inheritance</i> is the first in The Lost Bride Trilogy by #1 <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">New York Times</i> bestselling author Nora Roberts―a tale of tragedies, loves found and lost, and a family haunted for generations.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;">Review:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="font-weight: 400;">I'm such a fan of Nora Roberts's trilogies and was delighted to learn that her new Lost Bride book is indeed the first in a trilogy in the fantasy/paranormal genre. Even better, it's the tale of a Victorian mansion haunted by deceased brides who were murdered on their wedding day which is indicative of an intriguing mystery.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="font-weight: 400;">INHERITANCE is the story of graphic designer Sonya MacTavish and the subsequent events that occur when she learns that her deceased father had a twin brother she never knew of, and that uncle has left her a haunted mansion on the Maine Coast with the stipulation she live there for at least three years. Sonya is at loose ends having just broken up with her cheating fiancé who's making her life miserable at their mutual place of employment. Making a life altering decision, she travels to Maine where she can work freelance, meets with Trey the young lawyer handling the execution of her uncle's Last Will & Testament, </span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #1e1915;">and immediately falls in love with the stunning mansion even with all the strange occurrences. Trey is upfront about the house's history of dead brides and ghosts, but Sonya feels like she's finally found her place in the world and moves in. To say that things go bump in the night is an understatement, but Sonya takes it all in stride until she meets the one malevolent spirit who's tries to drive her away. By this point, she's made new friends, garnished new business and maybe, just maybe, found new love so she sets out to solve the puzzle of the missing brides and hopefully help the bride spirits cross over. Who were the brides? How did they die? Can she break the spell cast over the next bride before it's too late?</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #1e1915;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #1e1915;">Nora Roberts signature style of writing is evident in INHERITANCE with well-developed characters, an intriguing plot line and mystery to be solved. The gothic setting with a haunted mansion harboring spirits and years of secrets takes on a lead role like another character as tension builds with the escalation of the fury of the bad spirit. Sonya is a strong, reliable female lead, and support characters like Trey and best friend Cleo round out a great cast. The tone is eerie, and the pace increases steadily as Sonya draws closer to uncovering the truth of the past murders. While I enjoyed Sonya and Trey as a couple, t</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">heir mutual attraction falls a bit flat in my opinion, but I'm thinking that will be rectified in books two and three. Being the first book of a trilogy, one can expect that this book ends on a cliffhanger, but I wasn't prepared for how huge a cliffhanger it would be as it literally stops in the middle of a major event leaving readers clamoring for the next book.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #1e1915;">INHERITANCE is an intriguing, highly atmospheric fantasy mystery that's impossible to put down. Roberts's creativity in plot lines never ceases to amaze me as does the inclusion of a strong, tenacious female lead interacting with and supporting other females. The author is a master at incorporating past history of characters, their ancestors and setting in rendering a unique, highly entertaining mystery complete with ghosts and spirits and things that go bump in the night. I can't wait to see where the author takes these characters in the next two books of the Lost Brides trilogy. Highly recommended to fans of Roberts and readers who enjoy the fantasy genre.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;">Synopsis:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><i style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 400;">1806: Astrid Poole sits in her bridal clothes, overwhelmed with happiness. But before her marriage can be consummated, she is murdered, and the circle of gold torn from her finger. Her last words are a promise to Collin never to leave him…</i><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px;" /><span style="font-weight: 400;">Graphic designer Sonya MacTavish is stunned to learn that her late father had a twin he never knew about―and that her newly discovered uncle, Collin Poole, has left her almost everything he owned, including a majestic Victorian house on the Maine coast, which the will stipulates she must live in it for at least three years. Her engagement recently broken, she sets off to find out why the boys were separated at birth―and why it was all kept secret until a genealogy website brought it to light.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px;" /><span style="font-weight: 400;">Trey, the young lawyer who greets her at the sprawling clifftop manor, notes Sonya’s unease―and acknowledges that yes, the place is haunted…but just a little. Sure enough, Sonya finds objects moved and music playing out of nowhere. She sees a painting by her father inexplicably hanging in her deceased uncle’s office, and a portrait of a woman named Astrid, whom the lawyer refers to as “the first lost bride.” It’s becoming clear that Sonya has inherited far more than a house. She has inherited a centuries-old curse, and a puzzle to be solved if there is any hope of breaking it…</span></span></div>Sandra Hooverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07799317489516225795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5294129803115819718.post-29695224885976803452023-11-05T09:12:00.001-05:002023-11-05T14:30:44.902-05:00VERONICA RUIZ BREAKS THE BANK Review<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4j26Ejyw1KOq8W8sKT5Mli8jMmYAMtGfybiWglQa2VUh16Zc8htIXFRzKhDPv1xLnkfUpWdm03iS-UeNQcEViUwfsE20_UtHfFAELnrhoF5wW7V7gravpSANDslDZItnb83yJFnb2ugB2iVuQEUsleFTMQ_qJzAa-MN2jOIA3RQwrrasAh3i9E-Fm4KY/s2560/veronica%20ruiz%20breaks%20the%20bank.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4j26Ejyw1KOq8W8sKT5Mli8jMmYAMtGfybiWglQa2VUh16Zc8htIXFRzKhDPv1xLnkfUpWdm03iS-UeNQcEViUwfsE20_UtHfFAELnrhoF5wW7V7gravpSANDslDZItnb83yJFnb2ugB2iVuQEUsleFTMQ_qJzAa-MN2jOIA3RQwrrasAh3i9E-Fm4KY/s320/veronica%20ruiz%20breaks%20the%20bank.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Author: Elle Cosimano</div><div style="text-align: left;">Finlay Donovan Series #4.5</div><div style="text-align: left;">Publisher: Minotaur Books</div><div style="text-align: left;">Audio: MacMillan Audio</div><div style="text-align: left;">Narrator: Stacy Gonzalez</div><div style="text-align: left;">Release Date: Nov. 7, 2023</div><div style="text-align: left;">Order Link: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Veronica-Ruiz-Breaks-Bank-Donovan-ebook/dp/B0CCMDQSMM/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1699191224&sr=8-1">Amazon</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">4 Hilarious Hearts</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Special thanks to MacMillan Audio for an audio arc!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;">From New York Times bestselling author Elle Cosimano, comes Veronica Ruiz Breaks the Bank—a hilarious short story diving into Finlay Donovan's partner-in-crime Vero's past.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;">Review:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">Author Elle Cosimano has granted fans of the Finlay Donovan series their wish by gifting them a short story that spills the beans on everyone's favorite nanny Vero Ruiz. If you've been wondering how Vero came to be Finlay's nanny, it's all revealed in this rip snorting, high action, comedy of errors short story with a side dose of sizzle in the form of the gorgeous hunk Javier. Cosimano bears all and fans of the series will not want to miss out.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">Even though VEROINCA RUIZ BREAKS THE BANK is a short story, it's not short on the hilarious, fast paced action fans have come to expect from the Finlay Donovan books. The author's signature style is evident with larger-than-life characters fighting their way out of impossible situations to save the day in the nick of time. Vero, like Finlay, appears to be a magnet for trouble, but has a knack for turning dire situations into hilarious scenes that keep readers rolling in the aisle.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="Proxima Nova, Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #1e1915;"><span style="background-color: white;">If you get the chance to listen to the audio, I highly recommend it. Narrator Stacy Gonzalez kills it, nailing Vero's voice and setting the tone for this fun filled tell all story on nanny Vero Ruiz. Highly recommended to fans of the series and readers who love a good rom-com style mystery.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;"> </span><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;">Synopsis:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anyone can spot a window of opportunity, but not everyone can manage to fall straight through one.Veronica Ruiz is on the run for the first time in her life—though certainly not the last. After being falsely accused of stealing money from her college sorority, she packs up and heads to her cousin Ramón's apartment, planning to change her name and start over, away from backstabbing girls and university drama (and far, far away from her arrest warrant in Maryland). At the local bank on the first morning of her new life, it occurs to Vero that she'd be a better bank teller than most of the current employees; she may not have much money, but what little she does have, she knows how to manage. Unfortunately, the only available position is a cleaning job and so, desperate for a fresh start, she takes the bank manager’s offer. But nothing in Vero's world has ever been simple so of course, shortly after she begins work, she overhears a conversation between her new boss and a security someone who works there has been stealing. Seeing a window of opportunity, Vero sets out to find the identity of the thief, present the evidence, and then push for the perfect job. All of which would be easier if her irresistibly infuriating childhood crush Javi wasn’t living in the same damn town. Offering the insight that readers have been craving into fan-favorite Vero's past and a closer look at the moment Finlay and Vero first meet, Veronica Ruiz Breaks the Bank is a can't-miss addition to the Finlay Donovan series.</span></span></div>Sandra Hooverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07799317489516225795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5294129803115819718.post-63332368035235508452023-10-25T02:00:00.001-04:002023-10-25T02:00:00.146-04:00'TWAS THE BITE BEFORE CHRISTMAS Review<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY5ha2zbb5OJqzIilIkps_bJyFnT9zNgbj_zRgbqN-t0WzB4COWFr2vVJztPG8-IQukIWcq5B0jPDTo08yHORicIS3ZJ42VJ73OnbVsboN_U81dkp3hSJPwj50Hi5XaL8-x-38n1FcKSoKNtsrc0qs99I2RHDeSCE9Mvlj8vb8puIKq9ImtecVTxAScpY/s400/twas%20the%20bite%20before%20christmas.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="266" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY5ha2zbb5OJqzIilIkps_bJyFnT9zNgbj_zRgbqN-t0WzB4COWFr2vVJztPG8-IQukIWcq5B0jPDTo08yHORicIS3ZJ42VJ73OnbVsboN_U81dkp3hSJPwj50Hi5XaL8-x-38n1FcKSoKNtsrc0qs99I2RHDeSCE9Mvlj8vb8puIKq9ImtecVTxAScpY/s320/twas%20the%20bite%20before%20christmas.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />Series: Andy Carpenter #28</div><div style="text-align: left;">Publisher: Minotaur Books</div><div style="text-align: left;">Release Date: Oct. 10, 2023</div><div style="text-align: left;">Purchase Link: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Twas-Bite-Before-Christmas-Carpenter-ebook/dp/B0BQGH3KB7/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1697308233&sr=8-1">Amazon</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Many thanks to Minotaur Books for an arc.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This review first published in <a href="https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/twas-the-bite-before-christmas/">Mystery & Suspense Magazine</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">In National Bestseller David Rosenfelt’s ‘Twas the Bite Before Christmas, all through the Carpenter house, five do,gs are stirring, and not even Andy can get out of working this latest case at his door.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;"><b>Review:</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">'TWAS THE BITE BEFORE CHRISTMAS is the twenty-eighth book
in the Andy Carpenter series, and I must say up front this book cover is
adorable! I mean, who could resist that face? However, for those
who may say "Bah Humbug" to Christmas themed books, spike your glass
of eggnog and dive in as references to the holiday are mostly limited to this
sweet doggie in the window type cover and a few snarky remarks from Andy
about what he considers the highly overrated eggnog. 'TWAS THE BITE
BEFORE CHRISTMAS is all about Andy and gang's efforts to work through a complex
group of misfit red herrings with mafia and gang ties to solve a murder and save
a client and friend from being convicted of something he swears he didn't
do. Andy believes him, but can he prove it? </span></div><div style="text-align: left;">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The annual Christmas party at the Tara Foundation is in
full swing complete with all the trimmings including the often-maligned eggnog
when the police arrive. The Tara Foundation, a dog rescue organization,
is lawyer Andy Carpenter's passion and he's not happy to have to call his
friend Derek outside at the request of the police. Derek is slapped into
handcuffs, read his rights and carted off to jail to stand trial for the murder
of a gang member from Derek's past. Andy is stunned to learn Derek has
been in a witness protection program for years, having testified against
members of his former gang. Derek, aka Bobby swears he's turned his life
around and asks Andy to represent him and take care of his two rescue dog
adoptees until he returns home. As always, Andy is reluctant to take on
another case, but agrees to do some digging and see what turns up. He willingly
takes Derek's two dogs home bringing his in-house total to five. It
doesn't take Andy long to recruit his own gang, wife Laurie, ex-cop Corey and
Marcus, to assist him in the quest for answers. Their only hope of clearing
Derek's name is to discover the identity of the real killer. Let the
games begin!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span><span style="background: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">David Rosenfelt is challenged with the same issue facing
many other authors of long running series, and that's to keep stories fresh,
unique and entertaining for readers. I'm happy to say he accomplished
these goals in 'TWAS THE BITE BEFORE CHRISTMAS. This story is beautifully
written, fast paced and humorous in all the right places. Rosenfelt
presents an interesting, complex case that keeps Andy and his gang befuddled
for some time as they pick through all the various clues to find the missing
piece that will win the case for the good guys. As always,
characterizations are great with a fired-up, highly confident support cast
that series readers will recognize. While Andy remains the same reluctant
lawyer, his signature courtroom antics with the philosophy that it's better to
ask forgiveness than permission along with his tongue in cheek sense of humor
carries the plot forward </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">while entertaining both readers and courtroom
participants. The story is nicely rounded out with the individual
attitudes and tomfoolery of the family dogs, especially the immensely lazy
basset hound Sebastian. While this is one of many Andy Carpenter series
books, new readers will have no issue picking it up to read and enjoy as each
book stands alone.</span></p></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;"><b>Synopsis:</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">Reluctant lawyer Andy Carpenter is at the Tara Foundation’s annual Christmas party. The dog rescue organization has always been his true calling, and this is one holiday tradition he can get behind because every dog that’s come through the rescue—and their families—are invited to celebrate.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">This year’s party is no exception. But before the stockings can be hung by the chimney with care, homicide detectives ruin the evening. Derek Moore, one of the foundation’s best foster volunteers, is arrested for murder.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">Andy discovers Derek—whose real name is Bobby—is in the witness protection program after giving evidence against his former gang. The police believe Bobby murdered a member. But Bobby swears to Andy he didn’t do this. He’s built a new life, a new business, has two new dogs after being a double foster-failure.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">There isn’t much Andy likes about this case, but he likes Bobby. If he’s innocent, Andy wants to help. Before Andy can settle down for his long winter’s nap, he has a client’s name to clear, a murderer to catch, and two new dogs to look after: a golden and a Dalmatian. Andy’s golden retriever, Tara, will have to adjust to not being the only golden at the house while Andy gets to the bottom of this one…</span></div>Sandra Hooverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07799317489516225795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5294129803115819718.post-66730648197779604432023-10-24T01:00:00.001-04:002023-10-24T01:00:00.143-04:00THE LAST CLOSE CALL Book Tour - Review & Excerpt<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWV7PpuD3x96VsVAfolDNlDs8hERAL2XrsZyNRcHvZWWGh9ldrmgy1eGG3sLr9jBClQcYwTrwmnOIdGS9gJYydSeP_jCZblf6_oATvDhgmrsW9gRHiHE-2Nk3drWpUvVp3nucH4MB2dOyF29S2GuH7e7onE0uUuNg5dMnIWKXi8RM8M6ECm5HA2txJE3I/s500/The%20Last%20Close%20Call.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="310" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWV7PpuD3x96VsVAfolDNlDs8hERAL2XrsZyNRcHvZWWGh9ldrmgy1eGG3sLr9jBClQcYwTrwmnOIdGS9gJYydSeP_jCZblf6_oATvDhgmrsW9gRHiHE-2Nk3drWpUvVp3nucH4MB2dOyF29S2GuH7e7onE0uUuNg5dMnIWKXi8RM8M6ECm5HA2txJE3I/s320/The%20Last%20Close%20Call.jpg" width="198" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Welcome to my stop on THE LAST CLOSE CALL Book Tour! You can read my review, the synopsis and an excerpt below.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Author: Laura Griffin</div><div style="text-align: left;">Publisher: Berkley</div><div style="text-align: left;">Release Date: Oct. 24, 2023</div><div style="text-align: left;">Order Link: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Last-Close-Call-Laura-Griffin-ebook/dp/B0BT1CVB15/ref=sr_1_1?crid=39248M661H81H&keywords=the+last+close+call+laura+griffin&qid=1692989852&sprefix=the+last+close+%2Caps%2C265&sr=8-1">Amazon</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Special thanks to Berkley Publ. for an arc and book tour invite.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Review published in <a href="https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/the-last-close-call/">Mystery & Suspense Magazine</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;">A talented genetic analyst and a detective who's haunted by an elusive cold case team up in the new standalone romantic suspense from <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">New York Times</i> bestselling author Laura Griffin.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;">Review:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Laura Griffin highlights the
fascinating subject of forensic genealogy, and the way police use it to help
identify potential criminal suspects in THE LAST CLOSE CALL. Through her
signature descriptive prose, she quickly draws readers into a fast-paced, edgy
story that oozes danger from beginning to end, making it extremely hard to put
down. My recommendation is to carve out enough alone time to experience
this one straight through and avoid all spoilers.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 12pt;">Rowan Healy is an extraordinarily
successful, much sought after forensic genealogist who gave up a thriving
career working with investigators tracing the family tree of violent
offenders. The blistering pace of a heavy workload left her suffering
from burnout at an early age. Now, she finds fulfillment in a thriving
private practice assisting families seeking to reunite with missing family
members as well as helping adoptees find their biological parents. The
last thing she wants is to get pulled back into the darkness and violence of
police work. Austin Detective Jack Burner is at
a dead-end on a brutal rape and assault case that is eerily similar
to a cold case that haunts him as he failed to solve it several years
ago. The suspect in that case became known as the serial West Campus
Rapist and if Jack's suspicions are correct, he's back and escalating to
murder. At the end of his rope and desperate for any leads, Jack turns to
Rowan for help hoping she can find some kind of lead through genealogy based on
DNA evidence they have. After repeatedly refusing his requests, something
Jack says touches Rowan, and she reluctantly joins the search for a
killer. Rowan's unique research provides clues to a potential suspect's
identity including the possible area of his lair, but they'll need the villain's
DNA to seal the case. Can they apprehend him in time to save the next
potential victim? Meantime, Rowan and Jack are fighting a mutual
attraction neither wants to pursue for their own secret reasons. They may
be fighting a losing battle on both fronts.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> THE LAST CLOSE</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 12pt;"> CALL is an intriguing,
atmospheric thriller highlighting the promising potential for success with
genealogy in policework. Many readers will identify with the subject
matter in a personal manner having sent their own DNA off for potential matches.
Griffin does an excellent job of utilizing the topic, weaving it into the plot
line via believable characters maneuvering a fast-paced, twisted plot
line. In a race against time, these characters are charged with
identifying and capturing a potential suspect before he strikes again setting a
dire tone from beginning to end. The author tempers the threat of danger
with the promise of a romance between Rowan and Jack with sizzling chemistry
erupting between them. Readers will have no problem falling for them
while cheering the relationship on. In addition to several red herrings,
Griffin ups the ante by slowly revealing perilous secrets Rowan prefers to keep
to herself. Are they putting her life in danger?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 12pt;">Laura Griffin has penned a gripping,
super intriguing romantic suspense thriller in THE LAST CLOSE CALL - one that's sure
to appeal to fans of genealogy and crime fiction. Her expertise in
creating fully fleshed characters deserving of readers' empathy is
evident. Highly recommended to fans of suspense thrillers and police
procedurals.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;">Synopsis:</span></p></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Forensic genealogist Rowan Healy has made a name for herself by helping investigators trace the family trees of violent criminals who have eluded justice for years. But the pressure of police cases left her burned out, and she's shifted her focus to helping adoptees find their biological parents.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px;" /><span style="font-weight: 400;">Austin detective Jack Bruner has spent his career successfully tracking down vicious criminals--with the notable exception of the West Campus Rapist, a meticulous offender in Texas who has never been identified. When the latest two victims come to light, Jack sees his target is escalating his violent behavior--and only with Rowan's help does he stand a chance of cracking this case.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px;" /><span style="font-weight: 400;">Moved by Jack's dedication and the brutal details of the attacks he lays out, Rowan agrees to help. When her ground-breaking DNA research sheds new light on the criminal's background and helps them zero in on a search radius, Rowan and Jack must race against the clock to find a ruthless killer who's growing bolder the longer he evades the law.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p><b>THE LAST CLOSE CALL by Laura Griffin</b></p><p><b>Berkley | On Sale October 24, 2023</b></p><p><b>Excerpt</b></p><p></p><p>A chime emanated from Rowan's purse. She pulled out her phone and read a text from the Austin lawyer whose client Rowan had been working for all week. </p><p>Got your email. Omg TY!! </p><p>The words were followed by three halo emojis, and Rowan felt a swell of pride. </p><p>Anytime, she texted back. So glad I could help. </p><p>This attorney had sent her three referrals over the past six months, and now there would likely be more on the way. Rowan's anemic bank account was finally getting a boost. It couldn't come soon enough. Her December credit card bill had just come in, and she hadn't even wanted to look at it. </p><p>"Rowan Healy?" She jerked her head up as a man stepped over. Tall, broad-shouldered, dark hair. He wore a black leather jacket with droplets of rain clinging to it. Rowan darted a glance at Lila. Her friend didn't look up, but she lifted an eyebrow in a way that told Rowan she'd sent this guy over here. "Who's asking?" Rowan responded, even though she had a sneaking suspicion she knew, based on his deep voice. Not to mention the super-direct look in his brown eyes. </p><p>"Jack Bruner, Austin PD." He smiled slightly. "Mind if I sit?" </p><p>She sighed and nodded at the empty seat across from her. He slid into the booth and rested his elbows on the table. He looked her over, and she managed not to squirm. </p><p>"You're a hard woman to reach." Ha. He had no idea how true that was. </p><p>"How'd you know to find me here?" she asked.</p><p>"Ric Santos told me you hang out here." </p><p>She couldn't hide her surprise at the mention of Ric. She hadn't known they were friends. But she probably should have guessed. Law enforcement was a tight-knit group. </p><p>She gave him what she hoped was a confident smile. "Look, Detective, I appreciate you coming all the way out here, but I'm afraid you've wasted your time." </p><p>"Just listen." Two words. A command, but not. When combined with that slight smile, it was more like a statement. Something she was going to do, even if she didn't realize it yet. </p><p>Rowan felt a surge of annoyance. But again, she gave him a nod. </p><p>Sasha appeared at the table and rested her cocktail tray on her hip. "Can I get you something to drink?" she asked the detective. </p><p>"A Coke, please." She nodded. </p><p>"Rowan?" "I'm good, thanks." She walked off, her cascade of blond hair swinging behind her. Rowan settled her attention on the detective. </p><p>"I'm with APD's violent crimes unit, as I mentioned on the phone," he said. With every call, he'd politely identified himself and given a callback number. Rowan had called the number once and-equally politely-left a message with her response. But he'd stubbornly ignored it. "I'm working on a case," he said, "and I could use your help." </p><p>Rowan nodded. "Like I told you before-" </p><p>He held up his hand and gave her a sharp look. Listen. "It's a serial offender," he continued. "Eight sexual assaults." His dark brows furrowed. "This guy's careful. We've only recovered one DNA profile, the second attack in the series." </p><p>"If you've only got one profile, how do you know it's the same guy?" </p><p>"Because-" </p><p>Sasha was back already with a flirty smile. She placed the detective's soft drink in front of him, and he nodded his thanks. </p><p>"Because we know," he said after she left. </p><p>Rowan looked the man over. He had an athletic build, but not the steroid-infused look she was used to seeing with young cops. Then again, he wasn't that young. The touch of gray at his temples told her he was maybe ten years older than she was, probably late thirties. Or maybe it was the wise look in his eyes that told her that. She sipped her drink and waited for more. </p><p>"A while ago we had the sample analyzed by a genetic genealogist," he said. "Spent a lot of money and time on that. They ran into some kind of wall, and the results were inconclusive, they said." </p><p>"What's 'a while'?" </p><p>"Come again?" </p><p>"How long ago did you have it analyzed?" </p><p>He hesitated a beat. "Four years." </p><p>Rowan's breath caught. In terms of DNA technology, four years was like four decades. A lot had changed in that time-new techniques, new tools, new profiles in the databases. But she tried to keep her face impassive as she folded her hands in front of her. </p><p>"I appreciate your effort to track me down," she said. It told her a lot about what kind of detective he was-precisely the kind that had prompted her to shift careers. "But unfortunately, I don't do police work anymore. You could say I'm retired." </p><p>"That's not what Ric told me."</p><p>She gritted her teeth. Damn it, she'd known doing him a favor would come back to bite her. </p><p>"Ric said you're selective, not retired." He paused, watching her. "He told me you gave him an assist recently and that your help was invaluable." </p><p>"I know what you're doing," Rowan said. She was immune to flattery, even from smooth-talking detectives who liked to play head games. "And I can appreciate the pressure you guys must be under with a serial case. But I'm not in that line of work anymore." </p><p>He leaned forward, and she eased back slightly. "Let me be straight, Rowan." His eyes bored into hers. "I need your help right now. Not next month or next year. Not whenever you get bored with what you're doing and decide to come out of retirement. I don't care if I sound desperate. I'm on a ticking clock here." </p><p>Her stomach tightened at his words. And his prediction that she would backtrack on her career change irked her. But he held her gaze across the table, and she felt that inexorable pull that had turned her life upside down too many times to count.</p><p></p><p></p><p><i>Excerpted from The Last Close Call by Laura Griffin Copyright © 2023 by Laura Griffin. Excerpted by permission of Berkley. All rights reserved.</i></p></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;"><b><br /></b></span></div>Sandra Hooverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07799317489516225795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5294129803115819718.post-85471750076796811172023-10-19T12:47:00.005-04:002023-10-19T12:47:35.355-04:00WHALEFALL Review<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqc9Uumt2880StEZRT1tvZ2mF1HIqglexNwHt6IKZPnjlOPiuzEdn_WZcS4B_mGIDYmDmn0Uckn8heRboG62IqECULZ3S9eSt92gWym_1R7pLRLrzRD8mS2a640zzqcKlXo7jpY93FiGwkXlcpJybGzIHvj3xaXhriK9Xt9vKzIVAalaH4GB2ZaCNyVkI/s2120/WhaleFall.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2120" data-original-width="1400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqc9Uumt2880StEZRT1tvZ2mF1HIqglexNwHt6IKZPnjlOPiuzEdn_WZcS4B_mGIDYmDmn0Uckn8heRboG62IqECULZ3S9eSt92gWym_1R7pLRLrzRD8mS2a640zzqcKlXo7jpY93FiGwkXlcpJybGzIHvj3xaXhriK9Xt9vKzIVAalaH4GB2ZaCNyVkI/s320/WhaleFall.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><br />Author: Daniel Kraus</div><div style="text-align: left;">Publisher: MTV Books</div><div style="text-align: left;">Release Date: Aug. 8, 2023</div><div style="text-align: left;">Purchase Link: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Whalefall-Novel-Daniel-Kraus-ebook/dp/B0BHTQ3VG7/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1697284025&sr=8-1">Amazon</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This review first published in <a href="https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/whalefall/">Mystery & Suspense Magazine</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><i style="box-sizing: border-box;"><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><i style="box-sizing: border-box;">The Martian</i> meets <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">127 Hours</i> in this scientifically accurate thriller about a scuba diver who’s been swallowed by an eighty-foot, sixty-ton sperm whale and has only one hour to escape before his oxygen runs out.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;">Review:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 12pt;">WHALEFALL is a complex, immersive,
gut-wrenching story about the power of relentless perseverance and the will to survive.
As a horror story, it's really good but what elevates it to great is the emotional
tale of a seventeen-year-old boy struggling to survive the aftermath of a
severely, dysfunctional father/son relationship that culminated with the
suicide death of his overbearing father, leaving him drowning in overwhelming
grief and guilt. Thus, there are two fascinating stories of survival
intertwined within the pages of WHALEFALL. Both stories are hypnotic,
vivid and bewitching with lessons to be learned from each.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 12pt;">Jay Gardiner returns to dive in the
deadly waters off Monastery Beach in a doomed attempt to recover the skeletal
remains of his father from the sea that claimed him. If he can bring his
father home, his mother and sister will forgive him - more importantly, Jay can
finally forgive himself and come to terms with a lifetime of regrets and missed
opportunities with his father. As Jay dives and descends to the ocean
floor with only one hour of oxygen, he's consumed by memories of former dives
with his father and quickly gets lost in the dark labyrinths of his mind.
Before he realizes it, he's swimming over a mile-deep abyss the depths of which
no man has ever gone. Before Jay can swim back to safer waters, he
becomes entangled in the tenacles of a giant squid being pursued by a sixty-ton
sperm whale the size of a warehouse ascending from the depths of the unknown.
When the whale swallows the squid, Jay is sucked into its mouth and swallowed,
landing in the first of four stomachs. With nothing but his wits, the
contents of the whale's stomach and his father's voice in his head, Jay’s
battle for survival begins. One Hour.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 12pt;">The clock’s ticking.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 12pt;">To say I was surprised by how much I enjoyed
WHALEFALL is a gross understatement. I'm not a huge fan of
"horror", but there was something about this story that spoke to me.
From early on, it's clear this is so much more than just a story of a boy
surviving being swallowed by a whale. While that plot line is intriguing,
it's the emotional journey of Jay clawing his way from the dark, desolate depths
of depression, despair and grief that drew me in and held me captive. Kraus's
writing is hypnotic and oddly soothing, like the gentle waves of the ocean
cradling you in the depths of its beauty and serenity, luring you in like a
siren's song while blinding you to the danger lurking. Like Jay, I became
mesmerized by the amazing visual canvas of the underwater world expertly
painted by this talented author, enhanced by the power of his lyrical prose as
he delivers a tale of hope in the face of indescribable grief and
horror. Through short past/present chapters, the author delivers a
masterpiece while utilizing Jay's inner dialogue with his father to capture the
essence of his broken heart and dreams. As his oxygen decreases and
hallucinations set in muddling his thoughts and memories, Jay's driven
onward by his father's voice in his mind - Sleepers, Arise! </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="background: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 12pt;">Daniel Kraus's rendering of this tale
of survival is brilliant, simply consuming readers alive just as the whale
swallowed Jay alive. Throughout the story, the dual battles for survival
rage as a boy at the lowest point in his life both physically and mentally perseveres.
WHALEFALL is an emotionally laden, scientifically accurate study of the
ocean and its creatures as well as the devastating, lifelong destruction of
relationships caused by a dysfunctional family. Highly recommended to
fans of suspense, horror and beautifully rendered tales of</span><span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 12pt;">redemption.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;">Synopsis:</span></p></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Jay Gardiner has given himself a fool’s errand—to find the remains of his deceased father in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Monastery Beach. He knows it’s a long shot, but Jay feels it’s the only way for him to lift the weight of guilt he has carried since his dad’s death by suicide the previous year.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px;" /><span style="font-weight: 400;">The dive begins well enough, but the sudden appearance of a giant squid puts Jay in very real jeopardy, made infinitely worse by the arrival of a sperm whale looking to feed. Suddenly, Jay is caught in the squid’s tentacles and drawn into the whale’s mouth where he is pulled into the first of its four stomachs. He quickly realizes he has only one hour before his oxygen tanks run out—one hour to defeat his demons and escape the belly of a whale.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px;" /><span style="font-weight: 400;">Suspenseful and cinematic, </span><i style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 400;">Whalefall</i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is a thriller about a young man who has given up on life…only to find a reason to live in the most dangerous and unlikely of places.</span></span></div><p><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></p><p><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p>Sandra Hooverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07799317489516225795noreply@blogger.com0