Synopsis

 

Days before the presidential election, a terrorist attack occurs at an Ivy League university and amidst the chaos, several students and a professor are kidnapped. One student is the son of Alex Hamilton, the presidential nominee, and another the heir to a vast fortune. Among those taken is Vanessa Colletti, the daughter of FBI Agent Dominic Colletti – a man who will do anything to get her back.

A race against time ensues, and Agent Colletti isn’t the only one feeling the pressure. Alex Hamilton has a son missing and election he’s losing. The president, Randall Scott has a re-election to win and skeletons in his closet. Agent Colletti follows a trail of clues that lead to a secluded hideout of a secret society. Along the way, he begins to suspect that the kidnapping is part of something bigger. Much bigger. Something that goes all the way to the highest level of the government.

 

 

Amazon

 

 

Review

 

Politics, corruption, deception, and secrets. This sums up this book, and if you enjoy those types of stories, you will probably enjoy this one.

This book was filled with so many twists and turns it will keep the reader guessing who is involved, why, and what the end game might be. Just when I thought we had all the answers, the last chapter threw another twist into the mix.

I loved the fast pace of this story, the varied characters, the seedy underside of the story, and so much more. I think my favorite character was Vasquez. His quiet strength and faith kept him on track.

While the book ends with most things wrapped up, the new information presented could be a cliffhanger, and there could be another book that continues this story. I could see it happening!

There are some sad moments near the end, but it was to be expected that there would be some tragedies.

This story might be hard to read for some due to the incident at the university, considering the number of school shootings, but this is slightly different.

Overall, we give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Sean lives in Manhattan. This is his debut novel.

 

Goodreads

 

 

Synopsis

 

Brace yourself for a scorching new series from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Karen Rose, where San Diego means sun, surf, sand…and serial killers.

Sam Reeves is a kindhearted psychologist who treats court-ordered clients. After one of his patients—a pathological liar—starts revealing plausible new details from a long-unsolved serial murder case, he’s compelled to report anonymously to the SDPD tip line, though his attempts to respect patient confidentiality land him facedown and cuffed by the aggressive (and cute) Detective McKittrick.

San Diego homicide detective Kit McKittrick loves the water. She lives on a boat, and when she’s not solving crimes with the SDPD, she’s assisting her foster sister with her charter fishing business or playing with her poodle. But there’s nothing that intrigues Kit more than a cold case, so when an anonymous caller leads her on the path of a wanted killer, she’s determined to end the decade-long manhunt.

Sam is soon released but goes home with both a newfound distaste for the SDPD and a resolve—not unlike Kit’s—to uncover the truth. Kit and Sam repeatedly butt heads in their separate investigations but are forced to work together to find one of the deadliest serial killers the city has faced in years.

 

 

Amazon * B&N * Kobo * Bookshop

 

 

Excerpt

 

Longview Park, San Diego, California

Monday, April 4, 5:30 p.m.

 

Kit pulled the handkerchief across her nose and mouth as she watched the two CSU techs meticulously uncovering what was, indeed, a grave. Based on the odor, the body had been there awhile.

They’d arrived at the mystery caller’s coordinates to find that the ground had settled somewhat, creating a slight depression that measured five and a half by two and a half feet.

Ground-penetrating radar had shown a body.

The victim had been small.

Kit slipped her hand into her pocket, finding the little cat-bird figurine. Stroking it with her thumb. Please don’t be a child.

“I hope it’s not a kid,” Baz murmured, echoing her thoughts.

All homicides were difficult. Even drug dealers murdered on the street had been loved by someone. Were missed by someone.

But the child homicides were a completely different level of hell.

She looked away from the grave to where Sergeant Ryland, the CSU leader, was making a plaster cast of the only footprint they’d found in the area. It was a man’s shoe, size eleven.

“You got anything for us, Ryland?” she called.

“I just might.”

She and Baz walked from the grave site to where someone had stepped off the asphalt path, leaving the single footprint in the strip of ground between the path and the field of grass.

Ryland finished pouring the plaster over the footprint, smoothed it out, then set the timer on his phone. “Thirty minutes for the plaster to set. Come see the photos I took of the print while I wait.” He retrieved his camera and beckoned them closer. “There was lettering on the sole of the shoe-likely a brand name. I can’t quite make it out in the photo, but I’m hoping to get detail from the plaster cast.”

“So it’ll be seventy-two hours or so,” Baz said and Ryland nodded.

Kit leaned closer to the screen. “Can you zoom in on it?”

Ryland did, handing the camera to Kit. “I can make out what looks like a Y at the end of the brand name, but-”

“Sperry,” Kit said. “Sorry to interrupt, Sergeant. I recognize the logo. They’re Sperry Top-Siders.” She gave him back his camera. “My sister runs a charter fishing business and sometimes I first mate for her on my days off. A lot of her customers wear them.”

Ryland studied the photo. “You could be right.”

She was, Kit was certain. “Trouble is, that’s a popular shoe. I’ve even got a pair.”

“So do I,” Baz said. “Tracking those will be nearly impossible.”

Kit shrugged. “But when we find the guy who owns these shoes, we can put him at the scene. Any way to get a weight estimate on the wearer?”

Ryland shook his head. “Ground’s too hard. Barely enough sinkage to get the plaster cast. I’ll let you know when I have something definite.”

“Detectives?” one of the techs at the grave called, his tone urgent. “Something over here you need to see.”

“Thank you, Sergeant,” Kit said, then approached the grave alongside Baz, schooling her expression. If it was a child’s grave, she would maintain her professionalism. She’d let herself react later, when she was alone.

“Victim’s a postpubescent female,” the tech said when they were graveside. “The ME will be able to give you a better age than I can, but I’m guessing somewhere between fourteen and eighteen.”

Feeling Baz’s eyes on her, Kit reassured him with a quick glance. She was fine.

He always worried about her reaction when the victim was the same age that Wren had been when she’d been murdered, but after four years as a homicide detective, Kit had seen far too many victims who’d been Wren’s age. It never got easier.

She hoped that it never would.

 

Excerpted from Cold-Blooded Liar by Karen Rose Copyright © 2023 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 twenty-five 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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COPPER WATERS

 

Annalisse Series, Book 4

 

by

 

MARLENE M. BELL

 

 

Genre: International Mystery / Crime / Romantic Suspense

Publisher: Ewephoric Publishing

Date of Publication: October 7, 2022

 

Number of Pages: 340

 

 

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A rural New Zealand vacation turns poisonous.

Antiquities expert Annalisse Drury and tycoon Alec Zavos are at an impasse in their relationship when Alec refuses to clear up a paternity issue with an ex-lover.

Frustrated with his avoidance when their future is at stake, Annalisse accepts an invitation from an acquaintance to fly to New Zealand—hoping to escape the recent turbulence in her life.

But even Annalisse’s cottage idyll on the family sheep farm isn’t immune to intrigue.

Alec sends a mutual friend and detective, Bill Drake, to follow her, and a local resident who accompanies them from the Christchurch airport dies mysteriously soon after. A second violent death finds Annalisse and Bill at odds with the official investigations.

The local police want to close both cases as quickly as possible—without unearthing the town’s dirty secrets.

As she and Bill pursue their own leads at serious cost, the dual mysteries force Annalisse to question everything she thought she knew about family ties, politics, and the art of small-town betrayal.

 

 

Amazon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, I didn’t see that ending coming! Maybe not the ending per se, but the murderer’s revelation. You could have knocked me over with a feather!

This is the fourth in the series, and while could be read on its own, it is best to have an understanding of the history between the various characters. This book also delivers a slower pace while we dive more into Annalisse’s background and family, which we discovered in a previous book. I can only imagine the questions she has for her mother if she can ever catch up to her again. But her trip to New Zealand still provided answers to some questions. I don’t want to spoil anything, so you’ll have to read the book to uncover those questions and answers.

Annalisse is still holding Alec at bay. These two have more baggage than most characters I see, but if you understand everything they have been through until this point, you might have a better grasp on everything that has kept them from fully committing to one another. I would have thought after two years that they could trust each other more than they seemed to. However, I am happy to say that they make some inroads into this by the end of this book. Another reason to read the book; because I’m not going to give away any spoilers.

We also learn more about Bill in this book and some of his past stories. He is a fantastic investigator, and he and Annalisse make a good team, especially when trying to sort out the murders in this small town. I think it would be fascinating to have a spinoff book that gives us more background on Bill. I believe there is a gem hiding inside of him just from the little bit that we learn in this book.

I loved the descriptions of New Zealand, and I want to visit this country even more now. The author paints a picture that will stick in your mind. The author also provides detailed information about sheep, and this might cause you to go down a rabbit hole looking up the various breed and their traits.

This book is filled with deception, corruption, and so much more. I appreciated the slower pace because it allowed me to digest everything that was happening and ruminate on what could possibly happen next. With the new information that is revealed in this book, it has me on pins and needles, waiting for the next book to see how a few situations resolve themselves.

We give this book 4 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marlene M. Bell is an eclectic mystery writer, artist, photographer, and she raises sheep in beautiful East Texas with her husband, Gregg, three cats and a flock of horned Dorset sheep.

The Annalisse series — mysteries with a touch of romance — has received numerous honors including the Independent Press Award for Best Mystery (Spent Identity) and FAPA (Florida Author’s President’s Gold Award) for two other installments, Stolen Obsession and Scattered Legacy. She also penned the first of her children’s picture books, Mia and Nattie: One Great Team! based on true events from the Bell’s ranch. The simple text and illustrations are a touching tribute of compassion and love between a little girl and her lamb.

 

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02/21/23	Review	Bibliotica
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02/23/23	Review	It’s Not All Gravy
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02/25/23	Review	Librariel Book Adventures
02/26/23	Review	The Plain-Spoken Pen
02/27/23	Review	StoreyBook Reviews
02/28/23	Review	Boys’ Mom Reads
02/28/23	Review	Jennie Reads
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Synopsis

 

It should have been an otherwise uneventful Sunday morning for Charleston attorney Noah Parks. Perhaps a trip to the beach or a run with his new Australian Shepherd, Austin. But with a cryptic voicemail, everything changes.

A client has vanished, leaving nothing behind as a clue to where he may be. Neither his family, friends, nor neighbors are able to provide help.”

Turning to his friend Emmett Gabriel, Charleston’s newest police detective, Parks can only watch as what started with a simple voicemail takes on a sinister life of its own.

Parks soon finds himself entangled in an affair that spans centuries, going back to the time of Charleston’s birth.

With a focus on learning his client’s fate, Parks will soon find himself facing a mystery that will not only be a test of his wits but leaves him challenged in ways he never imagined.

Facing down twists, turns, betrayals, and traditions of honor, will he break The Code?

 

 

Amazon * Rivers Turn Press

 

Excerpt

 

He looked into my eyes with something that could only be described as desperation. Suddenly, his look of despair faded as if a veil was lifted from his face. He stopped speaking and stood straight. His hands stopped moving, and he looked at each of them, turning them over, back to palm, as he examined them. He raised his head back to my eyes. As he looked at me, in an instant, the fearful look drained from his face, replacing it, a blank, expressionless gaze took hold of his features. He moved his eyes to my hand on his bicep, then shifted his gaze back to my face. He slowly twisted his arm from my slight grasp. He spoke slowly and methodically.

“No, Cash didn’t call. No one called. There was nothing from Cash.”

“But you just said…”

“I didn’t say anything. Nothing,” he said as he turned and faced the rear of the lot.

 

 

Interview with Sean

 

Thanks for the interview, Sean! Your book, THE CODE, sounds absolutely awesome. Can you tell us the story behind that intriguing title?

 

Sean: The title comes from a best selling publication from way back in 1838. The Code, the Noah Parks work, as with my prior books, is a murder mystery, but the foundation for the reason behind the murders goes back to the ideas in the 1838 book. I came across the 1838 book in some reading I was doing after The Solicitor, my second book, was released, and that started the basis for the plot that would become my third book.

 

Can you tell us a little about your main characters?

Sean: There are three main characters in The Code that are consistent throughout all of my mysteries.

Noah Parks – he is a Charleston, South Carolina attorney who has been practicing law for several years during the period of the events in The Code. An early morning phone call from a relative of one of his clients that sets in motion the story that is The Code. Noah doesn’t set out to be a detective and I would say he does not consider himself a detective, but is always curious to get to the bottom of a mystery.

Austin – he is Noah’s Australian Shepherd. In The Code, he was just adopted and has been living with Noah for about six months. He was a mainstay in my prior two books, and as I was researching The Code, I found some intriguing historical ties to canines, so it was logical to work those into the plot with Austin. As well, every character has a back story, and The Code starts Austin’s.

Emmett Gabriel – or Gabriel as he is known, is a Charleston Police officer. He has just been made a detective, and the murders in The Code are his first major cases. Gabriel and Noah, even though they grew up in Charleston, had never met prior to being randomly assigned as roommates at The University of South Carolina. They became fast friends and remain so.

 

Where is your book set and why did you choose that particular location?

 

Sean: The Code, like all of my books, is set primarily in Charleston, South Carolina. I’ve lived in the area for most of my life and love the city. It was logical for me to use it as the setting for my books. Unlike my first two books, The Trust and The Solicitor, which have scenes in other parts of the South Carolina coast, The Code occurs entirely in the Holy City as Charleston is known.

 

What part would you say was the most exciting to write?

 

Sean: It is tough for me to isolate any one part of the book as y favorite, though there are several scenes with Austin that I really enjoyed, Noah’s scenes, as the book is in first person, are always fun to create as well. I enjoyed the final scenes with Noah that began to close the book. However, the most two enjoyable things about the writing process for The Code were the research that allowed me to begin to craft the plot and, since The Code is a prequel, it was tremendously enjoyable seeing the character’s back story develop.

 

What’s next for you?

 

Sean: I became fascinated with the research behind The Code. Being able to have the historical underpinning and foundation that creates a mystery within a mystery was something that I really enjoyed. As a result, I have another idea I am researching that will be the next Noah Parks book. No title as of yet, but it will follow next in time after The Code.

 

 

About the Author

 

 

Sean Keefer is the award-winning author of three legal thrillers, The Trust, The Solicitor, and The Code, all set in and around coastal South Carolina.

He is also the author of Mediation in the Family Courts of South Carolina, a legal treatise on family law mediation.

He lives and writes in Charleston, South Carolina.

In addition to his writing, Sean is a recording and performing guitarist/singer/songwriter of Americana and Alt-Country music. Watch him sing Carolina Sunset which was inspired by his latest book, The Code. Listen here!

 

 

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SURVIVAL

 

Fallout Series, Book 1

 

By

 

Lisa Harris

 

 

Dystopian / Science Fiction / Mystery / Christian

Publisher: Adrenaline-Fueled Fiction

Pages: 236 pages

Publication Date: October 19, 2021

 

 

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In today’s world, law enforcement agencies across the country rely on forensic tools, DNA testing, and crime labs. But what if that technology was suddenly no longer available? No one in the small, west Texas town of Shadow Ridge knows what took down the power grid, or when it’s going to be back up, but everyone knows exactly where they were the moment it went down. And now, with no electricity, no internet, and no modern technology, the men and women responsible for keeping the town safe are going to have to learn how to fight crime all over again.

When one of the men in charge of storing food for the town of Shadow Ridge is found murdered execution style, it’s up to Jace McQuaid to find the killer. What he discovers is a group of organized raiders who are stealing supplies and selling them on the black market—and the survival of the town depends on stopping them.

Morgan Addison’s estranged brother, Ricky, shows up at her house demanding weapons and confirming her fears that he’s a part of the outlaws. Tensions are raised further when Ricky kidnaps her son to ensure his safe passage out of town. Jace must find a way to save Noah and ensure the survival of Shadow Ridge.

 

 

 

Amazon

 

Read for Free via Kindle Unlimited

 

Praise for the book

 

“An adrenaline rush of a read! Summed up in one word: Unputdownable!” ~Kav, Amazon reviewer

“Once again Lisa Harris has created a creative world full of intrigue, suspense, and action! This book is irresistible! I can’t wait to finish with the rest of the series!” ~Dawn, Amazon reviewer

“Excellent. Lisa Harris at her best.” ~Chipchucker, Amazon reviewer

“The book starts with a bang and does not slow down.” ~Grandaddy A, Amazon reviewer

“This is an absolute must read!!” ~Carlien, Amazon reviewer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“…sometimes we have to put aside our regrets and create something new with what we have right in front of us.”

 

This was a fantastic story, and there are still four more books to continue the story! I saw a line that read, “Welcome to Shadow Ridge, where Longmire meets Jericho,” which is spot on. Set in West Texas, this sleepy town is dealing with the aftermath of an EMP. We take a lot for granted in this world, especially electricity and the internet, but imagine a life without those things. I don’t know about anyone else, but it would drastically adjust how I live. I would also have to learn new skills, such as growing vegetables, to survive. I had to admire how this little town came together. They shared information on how to do different things, bartered for their skills, and watched out for one another. Not everyone was honest, but the majority were.

Besides learning how to live in this new world, there is also learning how to cope with what life has thrown at you. Jace feels lost and isn’t sure that God is there for him. I thought the conversation between him and the pastor, Matthew, was perfect and reminded us that we need to look for blessings in unusual places. It won’t always be obvious; we just have to have faith. This is a Christian Suspense novel, but the religious parts are subtle. I think many could relate to how Jace and others feel in this new world and that this isn’t what they had planned for their lives. We all must change and adapt when it is a situation beyond our control.

This novel is fast-paced, and I wondered what could happen next. There are explosions, deaths, surprise defections, and even a little romance. There is even humor from Morgan’s six-year-old son, Noah. He is delightful and adds some levity to the situation. Plus, he heartily approves of Jace as a love interest for his mom. That is good because Jace and Morgan have an attraction to one another, but will they give in to their feelings?

We aren’t given all of the answers, and there are four more books that will explain the story even further. I can’t wait to read these books to discover the rest of the story and perhaps the explanation for what caused the power grid failure. Was it an EMP or something else?

A fantastic start to this series, and we give it 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LISA HARRIS is a USA Today bestselling author, a Christy Award finalist for Blood Ransom, Vendetta, and Port of Origin, Christy Award winner for Dangerous Passage, and the winner of the Best Inspirational Suspense Novel for 2011 (Blood Covenant) and 2015 (Vendetta) from Romantic Times. She has fifty plus novels and novellas in print. She and her husband currently live in Texas.

 

 

 

 

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What would you miss most if the grid went down? While not as essential as toilet paper or air-conditioning during a Texas summer, I think the McQuaid heroines from this series would love a bit of self-care—and so would I. – Author Lisa Harris

 

 

 

 

 

 

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02/14/23	Review	It’s Not All Gravy
02/14/23	Review	Forgotten Winds
02/14/23	Bonus Series Spotlight	Hall Ways Blog
02/15/23	Review	Book Fidelity
02/15/23	Review	Bibliotica
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02/17/23	Audio Review	Chapter Break Book Blog
02/17/23	Review	The Clueless Gent
02/18/23	Review	Jennie Reads
02/19/23	Review	The Plain-Spoken Pen
02/20/23	Review	StoreyBook Reviews
02/21/23	Review	Boys’ Mom Reads
02/21/23	Review	Writing and Music
02/22/23	Review	Shelf Life Blog
02/22/23	Bonus Sneak Peek	All the Ups and Downs
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Synopsis

 

Someone is operating the largest stock market insider trading scheme in the history of the United States. The perpetrator of the scheme has hidden their identity through elusive actions. However, the perpetrator may not have planned on a brilliant FBI forensic accountant, Dr. Kimberly King, leading the investigation to uncover their identity and to put them out of business and into jail.

 

 

Amazon * B&N * Kobo * Smashwords

 

 

Review

 

I loved this book! It helps that I used to work in the securities industry and understood a lot of what was happening regarding the stock trades and the investigation into insider trading.

This book is told from several different viewpoints. We have Harley Ross, a busboy that is receiving letters with stock picks, an unknown person collecting checks and flying to the Caymans, and the FBI perspective. I really enjoyed the various perspectives because they added depth to the story and added complexity when sorting out the details in my mind and trying to uncover the mystery person. I will say that the truth was never on my radar until closer to the very end.

Dr. Kimberly King, the new employee in the fraud division of the FBI, is a smart woman and loves digging into mysteries, much like her hero, Nancy Drew. I could relate to her love for mysteries and solving puzzles. She is also a very likable character and is able to make friends wherever she goes. Considering her background, she is very down-to-earth and approachable. I’d like to think that we would be friends and bond over mysteries, forensic accounting, and consignment shops.

I don’t know if this will be a series, but I think it would be fun to follow K.K. during her journey with the FBI and the different fraud cases that they investigate.

I will admit that I might have stayed up just a little too late finishing this book. But it was worth it for the journey!

We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Peter Davidson is the author or co-author of thirty-one books published by McGraw-Hill Book Company, Perigee/Putnam Publishers, Haworth Press, Sweet Memories Publishing, and Northwestern Publishing.  His works include fiction, nonfiction, college textbooks, and children’s picture books.

For more than two decades, Davidson was one of America’s most active writer’s seminar presenters, having presented 637 one-day seminars in a 15-state area from Minnesota to Tennessee and Colorado to Illinois.  Davidson has owned small businesses, including a professional recording studio, has sold real estate, and taught business courses in a community college.  Whatever else was going on in his life, Davidson kept on writing.

 

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Synopsis

 

On the surface, Delilah Reddick’s life looks perfect. Her husband is a pillar of the community, and with her as his quietly supportive wife, they appear to be the picture of success and happiness. But there are deep cracks in the foundation, dark secrets Delilah has never shared with anyone.

Delilah knows what her husband is capable of when the evil inside him finds its way to the surface, but running would only delay the inevitable. Chase would hunt her to the ends of the earth before allowing her to take his only son from him. Delilah would rather die than leave her fourteen-year-old behind, but when her son begins displaying his father’s violent tendencies, she knows she must act.

In her quest to save her son, Delilah sets off a chain of events that could rock the community and reveal the darkest secret of them all. After years of staying quiet, Delilah must find her voice before her husband silences her forever.

 

 

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Excerpt

 

CHAPTER 1

 

“How long you gonna let him do this?” Carmen’s voice is quiet, not betraying the rage just beneath her words. I let her touch the cloth to the swelling ridge along my jaw and then my nose. I draw in a sharp breath as she dips the cloth into the sink, tinging the water pink.

All I can do is lift my hand in answer. It is such an old conversation, but I have nobody else to go to. At least she will let me lick my wounds and hide until I have to go back home.

“He’s gonna kill you, Delilah.” Carmen’s voice breaks, lifting over the truth of it. She dabs again at my face then sets the cloth aside.

Carmen is right. I know he has it in him. I wouldn’t be his first victim. The thought is through my mind before I can catch it and shove it down. He doesn’t know I suspect him of that killing all those years ago, or I would already be dead. I went along with him as if I hadn’t seen him come into the bar looking wild, as if I hadn’t seen the wet spot on his shirt. I hadn’t wanted to see it. So when he insisted that he’d been in the bar all night, with me, I nodded. Even when the police asked me alone, I said he was with me. Does that make me an accomplice?

Carmen runs her thumbs down the bridge of my nose. I close my eyes, uncomfortable at her scrutinizing gaze. “I don’t think it’s broken. But you should go to the hospital.”

“And say what? I was hit by a car?”

“No. Turn the bastard in. Press charges. Put his ass in jail.”

I shake my head, and it swims. I reach out to steady myself. Getting rid of him sounds so easy, slipping from her mouth. I’ve walked through that scenario before, working out details for an escape that would never happen. I can’t just go into a courtroom and let them fillet my private life for the world to see. I don’t live like Carmen, bold and full of confidence. I need my doors and windows shuttered and don’t want some lawyer airing our dirty laundry. I keep my voice small and my eyes turned away from conflict. Going to the police might hurt Jackson, ruin his childhood. I shudder to think of the media’s headlines on our family—on the sordid life of Chase Reddick, prominent local business leader, and the accusations made by his quiet, nearly invisible wife.

Carmen wouldn’t understand what’s at stake. She isn’t a mother. She won’t keep a relationship past the first bump, let alone through a knockdown.

“It’s not that easy. To just walk away.” My words feel fat coming through my busted lip, past the swelling of my jaw. “We’ve got a son.”

“Yeah, great. What is he learning? To cower or beat people.”

“That’s not fair.”

Carmen shakes her head and moves on to work on my eye. The sting makes me swallow further protests behind my teeth. My mind reels. What am I teaching Jackson? He doesn’t know. He’s never seen. Every time a stray bruise creeps past the edge of my collar or down past the sleeve on my arm, I just tell him I walked into a door or tripped coming up the stairs or that I didn’t know how that one happened. Hadn’t even realized it was there. I had given him each lie with a self-deprecating smile. But he’s not stupid, and he’s not a baby anymore. He has eyes.

 

About the Author

 

Angie Gallion has been a stage actor, an anti-money laundering investigator, a photographer, and a paralegal. She has lived in Illinois, California, Missouri, and Georgia and has traveled to Greece, the Dominican Republic, Scotland, and Ireland. She dreams of traveling when her children are grown, and she and her husband can set out into the world. She is currently rooted outside of Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband, their children, and their two French Bulldogs.

Angie’s writings often deal with personal growth through tragedy or trauma. She explores complex relationships, often set against the backdrop of addiction or mental illness. Her first novel, Intoxic, was the 2016 bronze medalist in the Readers Favorite for General Fiction. That book was a twenty-five-year adventure in self-doubt and hesitation.

 

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Synopsis

 

Indiana, January 2010.

It’s a hot summer’s day in 1984 when twelve-year-old Gilly and her friend Sally find a dead new-born in a shoebox in the cemetery of their tiny town. Deciding to keep their discovery a secret, they bury the body in Gilly’s yard.

The results are disastrous. Flowers are mysteriously left on strollers. Two local children disappear and end up dead. A suspect is arrested and confesses, blaming the deaths on the girls’ having taken the dead baby.

Gilly grows up but is haunted by what’s happened. As a young woman, she flees the town and its memories, going all the way to Japan.

Returning with her Japanese husband Toshi to attend her mother’s funeral, Gilly finds the past is not past. She’s threatened, and someone is putting flowers on strollers again.

When another child is abducted, Gilly knows she must discover the truth about what happened all those years ago before more lives are lost.

 

 

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Praise

 

“Both a drama and a thriller, full of twists and human insight.”-Thomas Waugh

“The immediate declaration of past events, the discovery and concealment of the dead baby, provides a gripping start to this book.
The story is simple yet powerful, immediately drawing the reader into a world that identifies the challenges of growing up in a small town in Indiana.
The book tackles the casual racism that is often overlooked, with great clarity. Although this is a crime novel it is also a powerful story about how a single childhood event can influence the future.
It compels you to share the history and become part of the small-town network. Through a nexus of characters, we see how relationships that are made in our formative years, affect our lives.
The story is more than a crime novel. It also serves to gives a fascinating insight into life in a small town in the USA, through the eyes of somebody who never really wanted to return.”-ReallyPoshScouser, Amazon

“Lea O’Harra offers us a whodunnit set in a Japan labouring under the weight of cultural imperialism, a country where the characters find that their friends and lovers are really strangers and imperfect ones at that…-Nick Sweet, author of the Inspector Velázquez series

’With her deep knowledge of Japanese culture, superb writing, and sensitivity to human foibles. O’Harra has crafted a cross-cultural whodunnit sure to please Japanophiles and mystery lovers alike.”-Suzanne Kamata, author of Losing Kei

 

Awards

 

Autumn 2017 “Lady First” was awarded ‘finalist’ status in the crime fiction section of the Beverly Hill Book Awards.

‘Lady First’ was also a finalist in the National Indie Excellence Awards in 2018.

 

 

Review

 

This was quite an interesting tale, split between the past and the present, with details slow to be released to explain what is going on in this tiny town.

This story is filled with unlikeable characters, dysfunctional families, and a secret that is trying to come out but not very successfully.

Gilly (aka Gillian, aka Mouse) has returned home for her mother’s funeral. She is living in Japan with her husband, who is quite obnoxious. I’m really not sure how she has stayed married to him for nine years. Once back in Bryon, the past comes rushing back, and Gilly has to face the truth.

A lot of this book seemed quite unbelievable. How could two young girls find a dead baby and then not tell anyone? That seemed very bizarre. Obviously, it is eating away at the girls, or at least it does Gilly. Even decades later, when she is back in town, it comes up. Since this is something she hasn’t told her husband, Toshi, he can’t understand anything about her past, her family or why it is a secret. While I get where he is coming from, don’t we all have secrets from our past? Why does everything have to be shared with a spouse if it doesn’t impact them?

There are so many secrets surrounding this little town, and Gilly seems to be in the middle of everything. This makes her look guilty when it is really just coincidental timing with her return to town. However, there are other secrets just dying to get out, and how they impact what is happening in the little town now.

It does take about 2/3 of the book before the past is revealed. Until that point, there are some references but no real explanation of what happened. I believe this is what is called a slow burn. I call it annoying! I wanted to understand how the past impacted the present, but there was no revelation of what happened or why.

However, once the details are revealed, it is a very fast-paced finish to the end of the book. There are some tense moments for Gilly in the last third of the book. Some of the actions of other characters might leave you dumbfounded.

Outside of the mystery, we also see the interactions between Gilly and her brothers. While they were supportive of each other as children, or as much as they could be at that young age, they have all changed, and not necessarily for the better. Nick is self-absorbed, Harry tends to put his head in the sand, and Gilly continues to be bullied. I wondered if there would be any change in that dynamic by the end of the book.

Despite my frustration at the slow pace (because I want to know everything now!), I found myself engaged in this story and wondering how it would turn out.

We give this book 4 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Lea O’Harra has published three crime fiction novels set in rural modern-day Japan: Imperfect Strangers (2015); Progeny (2016); and Lady First (2017). These comprise the so-called ‘Inspector Inoue Murder Mystery’ series originally published by Endeavour Press (UK). She has also had a story included in Best Asian Crime Fiction published by Kitaab Press (Singapore) in 2020.

In the spring of 2022 Sharpe Books reissued the Inoue mystery series and, in September 2022, published Lea O’Harra’s fourth novel, Dead Reckoning, a stand-alone set in her tiny hometown in the American Midwest.

 

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Giveaway

 

This giveaway is for 3 book copies and is open worldwide.

This giveaway ends on February 1, 2023 midnight, pacific time.

Entries are accepted via Rafflecopter only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

Synopsis

 

Can a wrong be rectified in death?

Eight months ago, Simone experienced her first spectral encounter. It awakened a dormant second sight and opened a chasm to the afterlife. Now, another spirit from 1917 New Orleans has wandered through that passage, haunting her with an intoxicating jasmine fragrance and wicked antics.

To escape this mysterious ghost, Simone jumps at a seven-day complimentary Mardi Gras hotel package, unaware there might be an ancestral power behind her decision, an identity she grapples with. Is the ghost’s name Bleu?

She’s a lady of the night who lived a dangerous life in the infamous Storyville. A place lined with mansion-like brothels on the edge of the French Quarter run by unscrupulous madams and frequented by dangerous criminals. WWI is on the horizon, jazz music is burgeoning, and Bleu’s life unravels.

Visions of her past and horrific death beset Simone as she explores present-day New Orleans with her three roommates.

But why are the images fragmented? Has Bleu forgotten what happened the stormy night she died? Can Simone uncover Bleu’s murderer and reunite her with her loved ones before it’s too late?

 

 

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Review

 

Possessions, ghosts, spirits, and a 103 year old mystery bring together a cast of characters that will intrigue and possibly horrify you.

This is the second in the Simone Doucet series. Simone has Creole blood and discovered in the first book that she could communicate with her ancestors and uncover the mystery of why they perished. While the first book was tame, this one is a bit more dangerous because it isn’t just Simone’s body that the ghosts inhabit, they take over several of her friend’s bodies, and it creates quite an incident.

In the first book, we get the full story of her ancestor, but in this novel, it is told in bits and pieces until near the end. I’m not sure which way I prefer, but I know that the little dribs and drabs sprinkled throughout the first half of the book only piqued my interest in who was trying to communicate with Simone and why. I did find it interesting that the ghosts were able to track her to New York, where she lived, and were not bound to the area where they died. But this is what brings her to New Orleans during Mardi Gras, well, partially, anyway.

Outside of trying to decipher what the ghosts are trying to tell her, Simone is connecting with other family members that she never knew about before. She is connecting with them in an unusual way, but it brings an added dimension to the story. We all have skeletons in our closets; we just may not know about all of them. But Bleu wants her help in solving her murder and reconnecting her with those that were important to her 103 years ago.

I enjoyed the interactions between the characters and the ghosts. I am not sure why Simone tried to keep it a secret from her roommates, but they figured it out pretty quickly. This was actually a good thing because they could watch out for her and make sure she was ok if a ghost inhabited her body.

There is even a little romance in this book between Simone and her roommate Mitchell. She keeps him at bay until she realizes that he can adapt to her gift.

This book is set in early 2020, and Covid is just beginning, so there are several references to the virus. I think that helps bring it closer to home in a way. It is something that is happening in the world and in the book.

If you like mysteries and paranormal facets, you just might enjoy this book. We give it 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

E. Denise Billups was born in Monroeville, Alabama, and raised in New York City, where she currently resides. She’s a former Financial Analyst turned writer. A multi-genre fiction author, she’s published six novels and several supernatural short stories. A skilled artist, she trained as a dancer (ballet, modern, and jazz dance) in her younger years and dabbled in writing, which she would not pursue until much later. As an avid reader of many genres, she was greatly influenced by magical realism, mystery, suspense, and supernatural novels. When she’s not reading or writing, she’s running miles in the park, finding her inner calm with yoga, experimenting with vegan dishes, and enjoying time with family and friends.

Presently, she is working on book two of her trilogy, Twilight Ends, a paranormal historical fiction, and book three of the Simone Doucet Series.

 

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Synopsis

 

She escaped servitude for a worse fate. Now she wants everyone to know what happened.

Travel writer Simone Doucet is searching for a meaningful life, but she hasn’t found a purpose yet. But after she accepts an assignment that takes her to Magnolia Sunrise – a historical bed-and-breakfast on the bluffs of Natchez, Mississippi – strange events begin to take place.

Frightful images of a young slave girl, Delphine, haunt her nights. The first night at the B&B, Simone is transported to 1863 antebellum Natchez. Through spectral eyes, Simone sees Delphine’s history, the horrors she witnessed and was subjected to.

Delphine wants everyone to know what happened to her, and she won’t stop haunting Simone until she tells her story. But why has Delphine chosen Simone, and will this awakening bring new purpose to her life or open up more untold mysteries to be discovered?

 

 

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Review

 

This is a twisty tail, set in the mid to late 1800s, brings in the horror of slavery and what they were forced to endure. But it is also a tale of hope that one woman’s story will not be forgotten.

While not a long story, it still packs a punch, and it reminded me of what slaves had to endure during that time. While we can’t change the past, we can learn from it and recognize that some were not kind to their slaves/servants, as depicted in this story.

I found myself engaged in this story as I watched Simone deal with some cryptic dreams, and by the end, all questions were answered. I loved the trip to Natchez, and the description of the area was beautiful and horrifying, especially when it came to the Devil’s Punchbowl area. So much death and destruction during the civil war. The story is told from Simone’s POV and also from Delphine’s, a slave girl from the past that sought a better life for herself and her family.

While most of the story is heavy with what Delphine goes through, there is hope at the end for better times.

I’m excited that this is a series, and I already have the second book queued up and ready to read.

If you are looking for a different point of view on the civil war, I suggest picking up this book. We give it 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

E. Denise Billups was born in Monroeville, Alabama, and raised in New York City, where she currently resides. She’s a former Financial Analyst turned writer. A multi-genre fiction author, she’s published six novels and several supernatural short stories. A skilled artist, she trained as a dancer (ballet, modern, and jazz dance) in her younger years and dabbled in writing, which she would not pursue until much later. As an avid reader of many genres, she was greatly influenced by magical realism, mystery, suspense, and supernatural novels. When she’s not reading or writing, she’s running miles in the park, finding her inner calm with yoga, experimenting with vegan dishes, and enjoying time with family and friends.

Presently, she is working on book two of her trilogy, Twilight Ends, a paranormal historical fiction, and book three of the Simone Doucet Series.

 

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