Synopsis

 

During a passionate romance with Garrick Cripps, Suzanne Dreyfus wrote The Liberation Manifesto, a wicked satire of right-wing libertarian philosophy. However, Garrick took Suzanne’s parody seriously and now, many years later, uses it as a blueprint for how to overthrow American democracy in favor of the 1%. But for the revolution to begin, an inciting event, like a Stateside terrorist attack, is needed to convince the public that drastic change in leadership is necessary.

Suzanne, along with Carson McCready, a former Navy SEAL, and Laura Cavendish, a cyber weapons expert, are all that stand between Cripps and leadership of the country. Culminating in a violent denouement, Libertyland shows what could happen if the ideas of a madman go unchecked.

 

 

 

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Praise

 

“Libertyland is a masterfully crafted political thriller, an intense book that is a joy to read.” – International Review of Books

“A riveting story that takes a deep dive into the dangers of too much greed and not enough accountability in our institutions.” – Charles Ray, author

“An electrifying and delightful experience for readers.” – Mihir Shah, The US Review of Books

“An amazing read that is thoroughly engaging and entertaining.” – Michaela Gordoni, Pacific Book Reviews

 

 

 

Excerpt

 

After retiring from the Navy three years ago, he had tried to keep his goals reasonable. Settling down, enjoying some solitude, taking the longboard to Tourmaline Beach—like the old days. Just stopping. Doing crossword puzzles over morning coffee. Taking Diego to the beach. Playing golf at Torrey Pines. Finding a simple job to make ends meet. Giving in to a sense of lightness and freedom. Like his days as a kid by the ocean, when he could breathe and splash as loud as he wanted. Not feeling the constant danger of his own breath, when merely breathing too loudly could get you killed.

He’d been out of work since mustering out, not counting

his brief stint as a security consultant. For Carson that had been a transition gig to ease himself back into civilian life, as his commanding officer had advised him. Finding a normal life now seemed like a joke. The past was in the past, but Carson’s past was an ornery bastard for whom lightness and freedom were apparently verboten.

He fixed a quick meal of beans, cheese, and a tortilla, washing it down with a cold beer. He flipped on the TV. He was just settling in when his phone lit up with a local number.

“McCready here.” “Carson?” “Speaking.”

“Johnny Petit. Catch you at a bad time?”

“I’m enjoying a cold beer and some Aztec basketball.

What’s up, Johnny?”

“Carson, just wanted to say I liked what I saw today. I’m hoping you’ll stick with us. The suits really need this telemarketing deal to work.”

Carson let a moment pass.

“What do you say, cowboy? Did I hire the right man?” Carson hesitated, then remembered the bills piling up. “I’m your cowboy, Johnny. I told you. I need the job.” “Glad to hear you say that. I’m happy as a pig in a tar pit.” Carson hung up.

On reflection the whole deal was weird. The beach. The dogs. The bullshit. Always the bullshit. But Jane, the headhunter, was helpful, and had brightened what had otherwise been a bad day at the beach.

At the job interview, Petit had peppered him with questions. Jane had told him about the fight.

“Why didn’t you hit back? The guy kicked you in the nuts, for Christ’s sake,” Petit had said.

“I don’t mess with civilians. That’s why.” “Hell’s that mean?”

“Always leads to law enforcement.”

“In case you haven’t noticed, plenty of law enforcement around here, McCready.”

He told Petit most of the truth about himself. Forty- seven years old. Retired Navy. Taught basic training. Grew up by the ocean. He didn’t tell Petit that he trained tadpoles, newbies in basic underwater demolition for the SEALs. Nor that he had reached the rank of master chief petty officer of a sixteen-member SEAL platoon and led off-book kill missions in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and Northern Africa.

He told few people those facts.

After three years Carson still wasn’t ready to talk openly about his time as a SEAL. Endless war. Comrades dead, or alive but in pieces. Too much damned trouble. Too many SEAL headlines and tell-all books. Some guys might enjoy embellishing war stories to new bosses. To Carson that was like sticking your head up from the water’s surface to get your mouth shot off. Big mouths always led to big trouble.

 

 

About the Author

 

As a journalist and author, Peter Sacks has been nominated twice for the Pulitzer Prize, including once for his book, Tearing Down the Gates (University of California Press), an examination of the role that social class plays in American education and society. Gates also won Book of the Year from the Association of American Colleges and Universities. Sacks worked as a newspaper journalist on both coasts, as an economist, and as a college instructor in English and Journalism. His work has appeared in many publications, including The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and The Nation. He is also the author of Generation X Goes to College and Standardized Minds.

 

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Synopsis

 

A shocking murder leaves an affluent retirement community reeling in this riveting, high-stakes second installment of the San Diego Case Files, from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Karen Rose.

Death is not an unfamiliar visitor to Shady Oaks Retirement Village, which provides San Diego with premier elderly support from independent retiree housing to full-time hospice care. But when a resident’s body is found brutally stabbed and his apartment ransacked, it’s clear there’s someone deadly in their community. Detective Katherine “Kit” McKittrick quickly discovers that Shady Oaks is full of skeleton-riddled closets, and most tenants prefer to keep their doors firmly closed to the SDPD.

A longtime volunteer at the retirement facility, Dr. Sam Reeves honors his late grandfather’s memory by playing the piano for the residents regularly. So it shouldn’t be such a surprise when Kit crosses paths with him during her investigation, after she’d avoided the criminal psychologist—and the emotions he evokes—for the last six months.

Sam’s rapport within the retirement village proves vital to the case, and the pair find themselves working together once again—much to Kit’s dismay. But she is determined to apprehend the shadow of death lurking around Shady Oaks…and equally determined to ignore the feelings she’s developing for a certain psychologist.

 

 

 

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Excerpt

 

 

Chapter One

Shady Oaks Retirement Village
Scripps Ranch, San Diego, California
Monday, November 7, 11:20 a.m.

 

 

Kit McKittrick allowed herself a moment to feel pity as she stood over the body of the elderly man lying dead on his apartment floor in the Shady Oaks Retirement Village. Then she squared her shoulders and proceeded to do her job.

The mood in the dead man’s living room was subdued. The ME was examining the body while CSU took photos and Latent dusted for prints, but there was little of the normal scene-of-the-crime chatter to which Kit had become accustomed in the four and a half years she’d been in Homicide.

Everyone spoke in hushed whispers, like they were in church. Because it kind of felt like they were. Haunting melancholy music from a single piano was coming from the speaker mounted on the victim’s living room wall. The music wasn’t loud, but it was overwhelming nonetheless. Kit wanted to turn it off, because the music was so sad that it made her chest hurt and her eyes burn.

But neither the speaker nor its volume controls had been dusted for prints, so she couldn’t touch it yet. Until then, she could only square her shoulders, ignore the music, and focus on getting justice for Mr. Franklin Delano Flynn.

The cause of death of the eighty-five-year-old white male was most likely the butcher knife still embedded in his chest. But she’d learned long ago not to assume. Still, a butcher knife to the chest was never good. It was a long wound, the gash in the man’s white button-up shirt extending from his sternum to his navel. Whoever had killed him had to have had a lot of strength to create such a wound.

The victim had been dead long enough for his blood to dry, both the blood that had soaked the front of his shirt and the blood that had pooled on the floor around his torso.

His eyes, filmy in death, stared sightlessly up at the ceiling. His arms lay at his sides, his hands slightly curved. Not quite flat, but not quite fists, either. It wasn’t a natural pose for the victim of a homicide who’d fallen after being stabbed. She wondered if his killer had repositioned his arms.

Mr. Flynn had been a hardy man, broad-shouldered, tall, and still muscular. Not in bad shape for eighty-five, she thought. He wore dark trousers, the pockets turned out, as if he’d been searched.

His shoes were black oxfords, buffed to such a shine that she could nearly see her own reflection. She wondered if he’d come home, surprising his attacker, or if he’d welcomed his killer into his home.

His living room had been ransacked, books knocked off shelves, knickknacks strewn on the floor. The sofa cushions had been slashed open, foam stuffing on the floor as well. The man’s bedroom was in a similar state. The drawers in the kitchen had been opened and emptied, their contents dumped on the counters. Flour and sugar containers had been dumped on the kitchen’s tiled floor. Someone had been looking for something and had left a terrible mess.

Kit wondered if they’d found what they’d been looking for. She wondered if Mr. Flynn had fought back.

Kit crouched on the victim’s right side, leaning in so that she could better examine his hands. The knuckles of his right hand were scraped and bruised, but his fingernails were what caught her attention. They were mostly gone, clipped way past the quick, down into the nail bed.

That he’d fought back was a decent assumption, then. His killer hadn’t wanted any evidence to be found under the man’s nails.

 

Excerpted from Cheater by Karen Rose Copyright © 2024 by Karen Rose. Excerpted by permission of Berkley. All rights reserved.

 

 

About the Author

 

Karen Rose is the award-winning, #1 international bestselling author of more than 25 novels, including the bestselling Baltimore and Cincinnati series. She has been translated into twenty-three languages, and her books have placed on the New York Times, the Sunday Times (UK), and Germany’s der Spiegel bestseller lists.

 

 

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Synopsis

 

How do you escape a man who believes he owns you?

Sophie Steele’s life is ruled by fear. Her husband, Ben Steele, tracks her phone, her bank accounts, her every move. His position as part-owner of a successful surveillance and investigations company gives full rein to his controlling instincts.

When Ben allows Sophie and their son, Benji, to travel interstate to visit family without him, she hopes he’s trying to change. But when he continues to monitor and manipulate her from afar, she realises she no longer wants to live the lonely life he’s forced upon her. As her determination to leave him grows, she develops a much-needed friendship with Lee, an attractive Taekwondo instructor who promises to help her however he can.

But even thinking about leaving Ben is dangerous, and it quickly becomes apparent how far he’ll go to keep her under his control.

How can she escape a man who has the means to hunt her down no matter where she hides? Is the chance of freedom worth risking her and Benji’s lives?

A powerful blend of deceit, manipulation, and intrigue, Captive will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final, shocking revelation.

 

 

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Review

 

I have read several books by this author, but this one is on a different level than the other books! Told from three points of view – Sophie, Ella, and Cathy, each story blends in with the others with a final culmination at the end. It reflects how easy it could be for someone to be taken in by a master manipulator.

Sophie is one of the main characters. She is stuck in a loveless relationship and actually an abusive one. Her husband, Ben, thinks that he owns her and is in control of everything. He doesn’t trust her and is always checking her phone for messages, calls, and search history. He tracks her wherever she goes, either via the phone or a smartwatch. To top it off, he has security cameras installed inside the house and watches her constantly. Warning lights were going off in my head with every turn of the page based on his actions.

Ella is young and naive, and she believes that Ben loves her and fears for his safety from Sophie. She should have been on guard when he said not to mention him to anyone. However, she has blind faith where he is concerned, until it lands her in hot water.

This thriller had me turning pages as fast as I could. Would Sophie and her son Benji get away from Ben? Would Ella see through his manipulations? Would Ben get what was coming to him?

I appreciated that the author shared resources within the pages on how Sophie could leave Ben for a better life. Sophie even has a couple of new friends who try to help her escape to a better life. Luckily, Ben doesn’t cut her off from these friends. Perhaps because one of them has a boy that is Benji’s age and a new friend for him. Despite all of Ben’s faults, there is no doubt that he loves his son.

If you enjoy psychological suspense/thriller novels, this is a good one to read. If you have any triggers regarding abuse, it may not be the best choice for you.

We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Cally Jackson grew up in the small country town of Gatton. After deciding at 17 that a Hollywood acting career was sadly out of reach, Cally turned to a career in professional communication with fictional writing as her labour of love.

Cally’s passion for fictional writing first emerged in grade two when she got in trouble for penning her own tale instead of copying directly from a story book as she was supposed to be doing – it was a handwriting exercise, after all.

Cally’s first novel, The Big Smoke, was published in 2012. A decade and two children later, Cally has released her second novel, The Ripple Effect.

 

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Synopsis

 

When janitor Truman Pierce isn’t listening to his classical jazz records, he stays under the radar and keeps to himself. Nothing much happens in his world until popular college instructor Danielle Hutchins asks him out. The day after their first date, Pierce finds Danielle murdered in her classroom. With only a little information to go off of, and a pair of detectives that he doesn’t trust, Pierce sets off to find Danielle’s killer. What first starts as murder, quickly becomes more for Pierce as he begins to pull off the layers of his quiet town by going up against drug dealers, thugs, Danielle’s vengeful brother, and an array of people who don’t want him to find out the truth. Every corner he turns, he’ll find another challenge for him to overcome.

With the help of two college students, David and Goliath, and another college instructor, Pierce will do what it takes to find out the truth about Danielle. He’ll be tested to his limits as he seeks to track down the devious killer responsible for ending Danielle’s life.

But will the search for the truth be the end for Pierce?

 

 

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Praise

 

“Fast-paced and suspenseful, Pierce should be a welcome fix for anyone addicted to crime fiction.” — Donald Ray Pollock, author of The Devil All the Time and The Heavenly

“A fine debut mystery from a promising new author.” — Brandon Barrows, author of The Last Request
 

 

About the Author

Born and raised in Maryland, Patrick B. Simpson received his M.A. in English and Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. He currently lives in Montgomery County, MD, and is a member of the Maryland Writers Association. Pierce is his first novel.

 

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REAP THE WIND

 

by

 

Joel Burcat

 

 

Action-Adventure / Suspense / Climate Change / EcoThriller

Publisher: Milford House Press, an imprint of Sunbury Books, Inc.

Date of Publication: February 6, 2024

Number of Pages: 215 pages

 

 

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THE PERFECT STORM meets THE FIRM.

Reap the Wind is a thrilling action/adventure novel that follows three lawyers as they embark on a treacherous journey from Houston to Cincinnati during a catastrophic hurricane. Josh Goldberg is on a mission to be with his girlfriend for the birth of their child. Along the way, they’ll face terrifying obstacles like tornadoes, hailstorms, and driving rain. But the real danger may come from within as they struggle to survive each other’s company. His two travel companions—his best friend, a drug-addicted lawyer, and his conniving boss who has her own agenda.

Don’t miss out on this unforgettable odyssey that might just be a suicide trip.

 

 

 

 

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Praise for Reap The Wind

 

“Reap the Wind is a bold, bracing and blisteringly original take on the legal thriller form. Joel Burcat has fashioned a seminal tale focusing on the nightmare of all road trips in which a storm raging outside the car is matched only by the storm raging within. Burcat dares to tread on the hallowed ground of John Grisham and Scott Turow and ends up blazing a fresh, daring literary tale of his own. Not to be missed!” —Jon Land, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you have ever lived through a major storm (hurricane, tornado, etc), then you will be able to appreciate this novel from Joel Burcat. While the focus of the novel is the storm, there is also the interpersonal dynamics between several of the characters.

Josh is an ambitious attorney, but at the same time, he wants a good work-life balance. His fiancee, Keisha, is pregnant with their child. Their relationship is interesting, but not without struggles, especially from the parents. His are Jewish, but admittedly, not practicing. Keisha is African-American with helicopter parents. However, there is something in their relationship that binds them together. All is well until Keisha decides to leave Houston, where Josh is for a conference, ahead of a major storm about to hit the shores. She is eight months pregnant and wants to be closer to home in case the baby decides to make an early appearance. This is where everything goes awry.

Living in Texas, we are no strangers to some crazy storms. Everyone has heard of the hurricanes that hit Houston and New Orleans. It was not a pretty sight when everything was said and done. This storm is giving signs of being very similar. If it were me, I would have holed up in the hotel in Houston until everything passed. They were in a Four Seasons, after all! However, that would not have made for an interesting tale. Keisha flew out and ended up in the hospital in Cincinnati. This has Josh worried to no end, and he makes the (not so smart) decision to drive, in a major storm, from Houston to Cincinnati. Luckily, he has a friend and coworker who will go with him, so he won’t drive this alone. Originally, it would have been the two of them on this trip until their boss, Diane, forces her way into the situation. I will state that I do not like Diane. There are many reasons, but some would take away from the story, and I don’t want to reveal too much. Let’s just say she is very bossy, more than what could be considered appropriate for anyone. So, the three set off in the car for an adventure.

I had to chuckle at some of the observations by the characters on the drive. They nailed the driving habits of Texans and the love for guns. There are many humorous moments peppered throughout their journey. While perfect conditions would have allowed them to make the trip in a reasonable amount of time, the weather slowed down their travels. There is nothing like a road trip to bring out people’s true personalities.

While this band of characters is on their journey, Keisha has her own issues to deal with in the hospital. She never expected to see her former boyfriend at the hospital and as her OB/GYN while there. He crosses some ethical lines, in my opinion. But seeing him brings Keisha to a crossroads, and she has to decide which road to follow. I am not too surprised at how that situation resolved itself, but it was probably the best outcome.

There is a prologue and an epilogue that seemingly have nothing to do with the crux of the story other than to share another perspective on how someone survived the storm. I am not sure why they were included.

The book was told from the POV of Josh and Keisha. While there are two other main characters, Geoff and Diane, their story is included to a minor degree. Maybe not as in-depth as Josh and Keisha, but it is really their story to be told.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read, and if you like books about major storms, you just might like this one. We give it 4 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joel Burcat is an award-winning author of three environmental legal thrillers: Drink to Every Beast (illegal dumping of toxic waste), Amid Rage (a coal mine permit battle), and Strange Fire (a fracking dispute). His most recent book, Reap the Wind, is about three lawyers trying to drive from Houston to Cincinnati in a climate change-induced hurricane.

He has received a number of awards, including the Gold Medal for environmental fiction from Readers’ Favorite for Strange Fire, and as a Finalist in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards for Amid Rage.  He has written numerous short stories. Burcat imbues his novels with facts to educate his readers about critical environmental issues while they are being entertained by the story.

Burcat’s books are infused with realism developed over a forty plus year career as an environmental lawyer.

 

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Signed copy of REAP THE WIND

 

(US only; ends midnight, CDT, 03/15/24)

 

 

 

 

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Visit the Lone Star Literary Life Tour Page

 

For direct links to each post on this tour, updated daily,

 

or visit the blogs directly:

 

03/05/24	Hall Ways Blog	First Line
03/05/24	Librariel Book Adventures	Review
03/06/24	Jan Sikes Blog	Review
03/06/24	LSBBT Blog	BONUS Stop
03/07/24	StoreyBook Reviews	Review
03/08/24	Guatemala Paula Loves to Read	Guest Post
03/08/24	It’s Not All Gravy	Review
03/09/24	Bibliotica	Review
03/10/24	Forgotten Winds	Excerpt
03/11/24	Boys’ Mom Reads	Review
03/11/24	The Page Unbound	Excerpt
03/12/24	Chapter Break Book Blog	Notable Quotables
03/13/24	The Real World According to Sam	Review
03/13/24	Rebecca R. Cahill, Author	Author Interview
03/14/24	The Clueless Gent	Review
03/14/24	The Plain-Spoken Pen	Review

 

 

 

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Synopsis

 

The bestselling author of The Witch of Tin Mountain and Parting the Veil mines the subtle horrors of 1950s America in a gripping novel about a woman under pressure—from the living and the dead.

The first day of autumn brought the fever, and with the fever came the voices.

Missouri, 1955. Loretta Davenport has led an isolated life as a young mother and a wife to Pete, an ambitious assistant professor at a Bible college. They’re the picture of domestic tranquillity—until a local girl is murdered and Loretta begins receiving messages from beyond. Pete dismisses them as delusions of a fevered female imagination. Loretta knows they’re real—and frightening. Defying Pete’s demands, Loretta finds an encouraging supporter in parapsychologist Dr. Curtis Hansen. He sees a woman with a rare gift, more blessing than curse.

With Dr. Hansen’s help, Loretta’s life opens up to an empowering new purpose. But for Pete, the God-fearing image he’s worked so hard to cultivate is under threat. No longer in control of his dutiful wife, he sees the Devil at work. As Loretta’s powers grow stronger and the pleading spirits beckon, Pete is determined to deliver his wife from evil. To solve the mysteries of the dead, Loretta must first save herself.

 

 

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Praise

 

“A brilliantly layered suspense thriller and feminist nightmare wrapped into one, The Devil and Mrs. Davenport grips you and never lets go. This book will cement Kennedy as one of the most important voices in modern feminist literature at a time when we need it most.” —Constance Sayers, bestselling author of A Witch in Time

“Paulette Kennedy is the modern Daphne du Maurier with her dazzling ability to usher readers into any point in history while making it feel vibrant and fresh with her magical, gothic touch. Her newest novel deftly captures both the simplicity and horrors of being a midcentury housewife in a patriarchal society. With gorgeous lyricism and a determined heroine, the story spellbinds from the first page until the harrowing end.” —Heather Levy, Anthony Award– nominated author of Walking Through Needles

“Powerful, poignant, and soul-stirring, The Devil and Mrs. Davenport will haunt you with its chilling supernatural phenomena and claustrophobic domesticity, Paulette Kennedy brilliantly explores the limits of forgiveness while centering deep and compassionate love. You’ll weep and cheer for Loretta as she fights a truly terrifying evil. This is a book to treasure!” —Jennifer Sherman Roberts, author of The Village Healer’s Book of Cures

“Mesmerizing from start to finish! Paulette Kennedy delivers suspense, empathy, compassion, resilience, and just a hint of the paranormal in a way that keeps the reader guessing until the last page.” —Mansi Shah, bestselling author of The Direction of the Wind

 

 

Review

 

What devil is worse – the known or unknown?

This book combined many of my favorite genres, with a few others sprinkled in to round out the story. It is a combination of suspense, historical, horror, paranormal, and a touch of romance.

Loretta Davenport is trapped in a marriage that has gone downhill over time. But is it her doing or her husband’s fault? The answer is not that simple, and with the book set in the 1950s, there is more she has to overcome than just a bad relationship. This is a time where women were not allowed to open bank accounts without a male family member’s permission and signature. That alone sends shivers down my spine. Top that with women are considered weak and crazy, it isn’t hard to see why Loretta is fighting for her life and her children.

There is another twist to the story: Loretta is psychic and doesn’t discover her abilities until later in life. She isn’t sure what is going on, but her husband, Pete, is no help whatsoever. However, there is a psychologist who studies parapsychology, and he is able to guide her in these new abilities. It doesn’t hurt that he can use her as a study subject for his field. It isn’t all work for Dr. Curtis Hansen, and there is attraction and admiration for Loretta that brings them closer together.

It is hard to sum up this story in a few words or sentences. The story is gripping, and if you have ever been exposed to the Pentecostal faith and casting out of demons and such, you might understand this book a bit more. There is the time setting that works against Loretta, and then Pete’s religious fanaticism causes issues for them. It is like a train wreck that you can’t look away from because you know what is going to happen.

I rooted for Loretta and admired her attempts to find a way to support herself should she be able to leave her husband. It isn’t easy since women aren’t given high paying jobs, if they can even find one outside of the home as a housewife. But she digs down and finds a way. Top it off with these discovered psychic abilities; she is able to assist in solving several crimes. It is a good thing that some people believe in her abilities!

There are many moments that I held my breath wondering if certain situations would work out for Loretta and those around her. I also appreciated a jump forward twenty years to see where her life ended once everything was resolved.

This was a fantastic read, and we give it 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Paulette Kennedy is the bestselling author of The Witch of Tin Mountain and Parting the Veil, which received the prestigious HNS Review Editor’s Choice Award. She has had a lifelong obsession with the gothic. As a young girl, she spent her summers among the gravestones in her neighborhood cemetery, imagining all sorts of romantic stories for the people buried there. After her mother introduced her to the Brontës as a teenager, her affinity for fog-covered landscapes and haunted heroines only grew, inspiring her to become a writer.

Originally from the Missouri Ozarks, she now lives with her family and a menagerie of rescue pets in sunny Southern California, where sometimes, on the very best days, the mountains are wreathed in fog.
As a history lover, she can get lost for days in her research—learning everything she can about the places in her novels and what her characters might have experienced in the past.

 

 

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Synopsis

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 City Under One Roof.

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.

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.

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.

 

 

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Review

 

While this is the second book in the series, it can be read as a standalone. This is important to note because if you follow my reviews at all, you know that I hate reading books out of order! The author does a great job of filling in the details of what happened in the first book.

Alaska is a beautiful state, but it can be cold and desolate in the winter. That doesn’t mean they don’t have their fair share of crime and misadventure. This novel blends native cultures with present-day issues. Set in a small town where everything is located in one tall building, we become involved with the lives of those residents of the Davidson Condos. This town doesn’t see a lot of tourism, but if people do venture that way, there are condos for rent in this town. There is another small town that plays a factor in this book called Unity. It is an incorporated village and was set up to be a haven and refuge for abused women and their children. No men are allowed except for the children. I really enjoyed the part of the story that was based here and learning how they lived, their traditions, how they incorporated all beliefs and the structure of the village. Sometimes, leaving to discover what else might be out there doesn’t mean they will be happier.

This story is told from three points of view – Cara, Ellie, and Mia. These three women are tied together without knowing it until events unfold in the novel. Each plays an internal part in the story, and while they may not trust each other, they find their commonalities and work together to bring this story to its conclusion.

I thought the book was action-packed, with just enough mystery and suspense to keep me guessing. I will say that the ending was quite a surprise. I should have expected that revelation, but I didn’t.

I doubt I will go back and read the first book, but I look forward to future novels in this series. We give this book 4 paws up.

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Iris Yamashita is an Academy Award–nominated screenwriter for the movie Letters from Iwo Jima. She has been working in Hollywood for fifteen years, developing material for both film and streaming, has taught screenwriting at UCLA, and is an advocate of women and diversity in the entertainment industry. She has also been a judge and mentor for various film and writing programs and lives in California.

 

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Synopsis

 

On a secluded island, homicide detective Jessica Niemi must investigate a drowning that is tied to a frightening ghostly legend in this riveting new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of THE WITCH HUNTER.

Jessica Niemi is put on leave after a violent altercation between her and a belligerent man makes headlines. To escape the unwanted scrutiny, Jessica travels to a remote island in the Åland archipelago and rents a room at a small seaside inn. She is hoping to be left alone as she faces the possibility that she is losing what is left of her sanity but three elderly visitors have arrived at the inn for their yearly sojourn. Jessica learns that they are the remaining ‘birds of spring’, former refugees who fled Finland as children during World War II and lived together for a few months in an orphanage on the island.

The orphanage no longer exists but the local legend about one of its inhabitants, a girl named Maija, still haunts the surviving orphans. Every evening Maija would put on her blue coat and stand on the pier, looking out at the dark water until one night, she disappeared and was never seen again. When one of the ‘birds of spring’ is found dead, drowned alongside the same pier, and Jessica learns about two other deaths from the past, also connected to the orphanage, she has no choice but to try and put the pieces of this terrifying mystery together.

Jessica can’t be sure whether she’s facing a killer or—just like the legend says—the ghost of Maija, the girl in the blue coat. Uncertain what is real and what is not, Jessica desperately searches for answers that she hopes will stop the murders and finally silence her own demons once and for all…

 

 

Amazon * B&N * Bookshop * Kobo

 

 

About the Author

 

International and New York Times bestselling author Max Seeck writes novels and screenplays full-time. He lives with his wife and children near Helsinki.

 

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Synopsis

 

The year is 1901, and Nicky is attacked, then wakes on board the Ormen, a whaling ship embarked on what could be its last voyage. With land still weeks away, it’s just her, the freezing ocean, and the crew – and they’re all owed something only she can give them…

Now, over one hundred years later, the wreck of the Ormen has washed up on the forbidding, remote coast of Iceland. It’s scheduled to be destroyed, but explorer Dominique feels an inexplicable pull to document its last days, even though those who have ventured onto the wreck before her have met uncanny ends.

Onboard the boat, Dominique will uncover a dark past riddled with lies, cruelty, and murder—and her discovery will change everything. Because she’ll soon realize she’s not alone. Something has walked the floors of the Ormen for almost a century. Something that craves revenge.

 

 

Amazon * Penguin Random House

 

 

About the Author

 

C. J. Cooke is an award-winning poet and novelist published in twenty-three languages. She teaches creative writing at the University of Glasgow, where she also researches the impact of motherhood on women’s writing and creative writing interventions for mental health.

 

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Synopsis

 

Step into the captivating world of Andrea de Laney, leader of the DeLaney Mob. In this gripping tale, Andrea finds herself entangled in a web of personal and professional challenges as her organization faces relentless attacks. Amidst the chaos, she unexpectedly encounters Valerie Cross, a resilient young woman whose own past traumas resonate deeply with Andrea. As their connection deepens, Andrea begins to realize the void that has long existed in her life.

As DeLaney prepares to engage in a fierce showdown against their rivals, The Fury and Ban Jack Mafia, Andrea assumes the role of a cunning mastermind, strategizing to outmaneuver them all and emerge victorious. However, the stakes are higher than ever, and survival becomes the ultimate goal.

Join Andrea de Laney on a suspenseful journey where loyalty, ambition, and unexpected love converge. Will she navigate the treacherous path ahead and emerge triumphant, or will the odds prove insurmountable?

 

 

Amazon

 

Read for Free via Kindle Unlimited

 

Other books in the series:

Book 2: Power In Vengeance

Book 3: Power in Justice

Book 4: Power in Loyalty – Preorder today!

 

 

Excerpt

 

Andrea’s stomach flip-flopped as the main door closed behind Valerie. She wondered how she let this get so out of hand. Scarlett had tried to kiss her while Valerie was in the apartment with them. Of all the stupid things her friend had done this week, that was the lowest of them all. She knew Scarlett was just using a tactic they used before where they fought and made up many times over the years, but today was the last time she could ever allow that to happen.

Before Andrea could bring herself to turn around and give Scarlett an ultimatum the redhead started speaking. “The Fury are trying to kill you. Your own brother hired them. Bryan betrayed you on every level. We chased a man in the tunnels where you were shot, and Allie literally pulled a bullet out of your arm. You have a very important city council vote tomorrow about a project that means a lot to you. You need to name a new number two and we have to find an accountant you can trust. That doesn’t even include all the other businesses DeLaney has and the things that need to happen with them this week. I mean fuck Andrea, on top of all of that you decide this 26 year old, who is 12 years younger than you, who you’ve known for less than a week, is suddenly your great love or something?” Scarlett chuckled darkly and Andrea heard the rustle of fabric behind her. She didn’t turn around though, she knew she wasn’t finished. “You know what giving her that necklace is going to tell everyone and what they are going to say don’t you?”

Andrea turned and looked directly at Scarlett who was sitting on the edge of the bed. “That she is mine. That if someone, including you, so much as touches her, looks at her wrong, or threatens her, I will kill them. I knew what it meant when I did it and if you think for one second that I didn’t you don’t know me at all.” She straightened her shirt again and fixed her belt while trying to gather her words. “A few days ago you told me I could handle a million things at once better than anyone you’ve ever seen. Now you think I can’t handle any of it because of Valerie?” Andrea laughed and rolled her eyes. “If it weren’t for her this week, I would’ve already killed Asher, blown up half the city trying to eliminate Brody and The Fury, and I would have met with the mayor and told him to get behind my proposal or I’d kill him next and run this city the way my grandfather did.”

“So what? I should be thanking her for preventing all out war?” Scarlett ran her hand over the sheets and rolled her eyes too. “You don’t want war and I know that. You should’ve just fucked her and sent her on her way that first night like you do everyone else!” Scarlett ran a hand through her hair and sighed. “Now that I think about it, maybe the fact that she’s not satisfying your needs is the reason you’re so pissed.”

She wasn’t going to play these games anymore. Andrea stepped closer and in a tone that left no room for questions as to what it meant, she said, “You have until I walk into that meeting with you and Victor downstairs to figure out if you can handle this. Because none of the other things you listed are relevant to you if you can’t get over yourself and move past my relationship with Valerie and your own misguided feelings.” Andrea grabbed her jacket off the dresser and slipped it on. “And if you can’t, I suggest you get the fuck out of this building and out of my city because I’m not kidding, Scarlett. I’ve given you more leeway than I would give anyone else, but you are testing my patience and the limits of our friendship. Now, get out and make your choice.”

Scarlett swung her legs down to the ground and stood from the bed. She looked around the room. “Well, once again whatever Andrea de Laney says is the final word huh?” As she passed Andrea, she let their shoulders brush. “I’ll see you downstairs.”

As soon as she heard the door close, Andrea sat on the bed and took a deep breath. This wasn’t how she wanted to start her morning. There were actual problems she needed to solve and plans she needed to make. The last thing she needed today was this drama with Scarlett. Remembering the pain in Valerie’s eyes made her stomach drop. Andrea wondered just how much her girlfriend had heard and how far this whole scenario would set them back. With another deep breath to calm down a bit further, she stood and headed for the main door, but when she opened it there was no one in the hall. Bril was gone as was Valerie, and her heart started racing.

 

 

About the Author

 

Kirby Ann has always been captivated by the world of literature. From a young age, her love for reading laid the foundation for a lifelong passion for storytelling. It wasn’t until her twenties that she took up writing seriously, embarking on a journey of self-expression.

Away from writing, she finds joy on trips with friends and family, drawing inspiration from the new landscapes and cultures she encounters. When in need of a break, she immerses herself in the world of online gaming, finding both relaxation and creativity in the virtual realms.

In 2023, she took a bold step forward, deciding to share her works on a larger scale. As her professional writing career takes its first steps, she is filled with optimism and high hopes for the future. With a unique blend of Texas spirit, a love for storytelling, and a supportive network, she looks forward to weaving more tales that resonate with readers and leave a lasting impact.

 

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