Synopsis

 

Jason Brinkman’s career at a big Los Angeles law firm is over because he refused to sleep with his senior partner. He’s moved to sleepy Sea Cliff on California’s Central Coast to begin again. He has a struggling solo law practice and a promising romance. When kids discover a body in a storm drain, his new life begins to unravel.

 

 

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Excerpt

 

Jason was about to open the e-mail from The Totten Trust Bank of New York when he heard pounding on his office door. He went to it, flipped the lock, and stood aside.

Rory stormed in, eyes burning and face flushed. She ripped off her baseball cap. “Brinkman, you fucker, you’re trying to screw me out of my father’s money!”

“I’m not trying to—”

“My partner’s an FBI agent—”

“I don’t want your—”

“And the FBI will hit you like a ton of bricks if you steal a dime!”

Rory was four inches shorter than Jason, but stretched on her toes, she was very much in his face. Her whole body shook and her cheeks turned scarlet as she raged at him. “Goddamn shyster lawyer…stealing my money…I trusted you…I earned it…you can’t imagine what I went through…he owes me….” Specks of spittle flew from her mouth. Her breath, normally sweet, reeked of stomach acid.

Jason let her rant until she ran out of steam. When she finally took a breath, he said, “I was dog-tired yesterday afternoon. Up all the night before, and then had an early court appearance in Santa Luisa. I went home and slept.” He put both hands on her shoulders and pushed down hard, until she stood flat-footed. Holding her at arm’s length, he said, “Anyway, we both hold the keys to the puzzle, as you point out.”

The tension ebbed slowly from her body and her usual air of self-confidence began to return. “Like Frodo and Gollum in Lord of the Rings,” she muttered. She wore a black warm-up suit and running shoes, and unlike the other times he’d seen her, seemed unconcerned about her appearance. Although he was certain he was free from her spell, he couldn’t deny she was stunning even in drab athletic gear.

He beckoned her to follow him around the bookcase to his desk. “I did start to contact some of the banks,” he began as they walked.

“What?” she shrieked. “You just told me—”

“Christ, Rory, will you let me explain! I wanted to see what kind of responses I’d get.” He turned to face her, speaking patiently. “Banks have so many privacy restrictions these days, and we don’t have anything to prove we’re entitled to access Geraldo’s accounts.”

“Uh-huh,” she said with an edge in her voice, “so what’d you find out? Anything useful?”

“Pretty much what I expected. We need a password or some kind of authorization. Here. See for yourself.” He gave her his handwritten list.

“Your writing’s too hard to read.”

“Alright, I’ll translate. The first one is Commerce Bank, and they require a power of attorney or a court order. The next is Farmers & Mechanics….” He read the rest of the list.

“There’s no way Geraldo gave you power of attorney or any kind of authorization.”

“You’re right. No way.”

“How long will it take to get a court order?”

“A couple of weeks after I file the papers.”

“Why so long? I can’t…don’t want to wait forever.”

“It may be longer,” he said. “I heard the Probate Judge just retired.”

“Well, why can’t we figure out the passwords? We have Geraldo’s alphanumeric code.”

“That’s ten characters,” Jason said, thinking out loud. “Passwords can be any length, but they’re usually six or eight, and we don’t know which six or eight he’d have used for any particular bank. Or, whether he’d have mixed numbers and letters, or capitals and lower case. Or, used fewer characters.”

“Can’t we just try different combinations?”

“Yeah, we could try that…maybe on one of the banks that doesn’t seem important…but you probably get just one bite of the apple in this kind of situation.”

“You mean where strangers are trying to get information about a dead person’s account?”

“Exactly.”

 

 

Review

 

This mystery has many twists and turns that kept me wondering what could possibly happen next, who killed Geraldo, and would Jason keep his ethics and morals in check.

The book is peppered with a variety of characters from the despicable to endearing, but mostly on the former end of the scale. However, all of these characters make the book flow and adds dimension to the storyline. Plus, it gives you a lot of suspects!

I felt for Jason and everything that he was going through with his soon to be ex, the woman he was dating, his law practice, and just life in general. He knows what he wants and doesn’t want, and in the end, will he get it or will he do the right thing? This is one of those moments where you have no idea what I’m talking about and I can’t really say much more because it would spoil the ending.

The story does take some time to reveal all of the details, yet the book leaves us hanging without any real resolution. We know how the murder happened and a few other details, but it left me with more questions than answers. Perhaps the author was setting this up to have a sequel?

There could be some triggers if that sort of thing has an effect on you when reading from child pornography and drug use are two main ones.

We give this book 3 1/2 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Jack Cameron is a retired lawyer who lives on California’s Central Coast with his wife and two cats. He spent his career writing about the crises or issue of the moment and now writes mysteries and short stories. He always imagined having a solo law practice in a small town like Sea Cliff, the setting for The Storm Drain Murder.

 

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Synopsis

 

Today we see crime, abuse, alcoholism, drugs, anger, and anxiety everywhere. Jails and prisons are crammed on an industrial scale. Recovery centers are packed with patients. Extreme political and religious groups regularly trap more members. Too many schools are simply factories for dropouts. All of this is the result of unresolved trauma. Ultimately, the quality of our lives depends on our ability to successfully process our heartbreaks and catastrophes. By college age, 66% to 85% of all people have been impacted by at least one traumatic experience. COVID has arguably traumatized everyone.

In Post-Traumatic Thriving, we follow the journey from the depths of the initial shock to the pinnacle of ultimate healing and growth. This book interweaves advanced science with the stories of people who have not just survived, but used their trauma as the fuel to thrive:

• A devoted wife and mother, Debbie discovers that her husband―who died of suicide―led a double life
• Leo lost an eye and his hearing in two separate accidents
• When only 17, JC was convicted of murder and sent to San Quentin prison for life
• Ron, a gifted athlete whose dreams of Olympic glory were dashed • Susan, whose luxury home was demolished by a landslide
• John was living an idyllic island life when his daughter was killed by nuclear fallout
• Erica was a young Hungarian girl whose life was brutalized by the Nazis
• Tonya’s sister―her sweet, caring, innocent sister―was horrifically murdered
• Born with cerebral palsy, Geri fought bullies and rampant discrimination
• Joe longed for a relationship with his father, but the Mafia got to his father first
• And finally, a little boy who learned that only open-heart surgery would save him – He is Dr. Randall Bell, the author of this book These people not only faced their trauma but thrived in remarkable ways.

Post-Traumatic Thriving bridges the iconic work of Dr. Kübler-Ross’s five stages of grief and the pioneering work of Dr. Richard G. Tedeschi and Dr. Lawrence G. Calhoun involving trauma and growth. This is the ideal companion book for therapists and patients alike. When trauma hits, your most significant decision will be to dive, survive, or thrive. If you choose to thrive, this book is for you. The principles have the power to change the world. If that doesn’t happen, at least they will change your world.

 

 

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Praise

 

Never has there been a more impactful book, at a more needed time than this one. Post-Traumatic Thriving offers the latest information on the science of trauma, how to overcome traumatic events, while offering real life stories of resilience from survivors. While we all experience trauma in one form or another, this book will teach you not only how to survive life, but how to thrive! – Marianne Pestana (Former Producer at PBS & Host of Moments with Marianne – iHeart Radio)  

Written with both frankness and compassion, Dr. Bell’s guide is simultaneously scientific and holistic, lending readers a path not only for getting through trauma, but also achieving their highest potential because of it. – Vicki Pepper (Radio Host & Reporter – KFRG-FM)

This book could not have come at a better time – offering a lifeline of hope to a world facing trauma. It is a must read. In this you’ll discover practical solutions and life-changing insight to not only help yourself, but others. – Eleisha Foon (Reporter – Radio New Zealand) 

 

 

About the Author

 

As a socio-economist, Dr. Randall Bell has consulted on more disasters on earth than anyone in history. Dr. Bell is widely considered the world’s top authority in the field of post-traumatic thriving. His clients include the Federal Government, State Governments, International Tribunals, major corporations and homeowners. Dr. Bell believes that “the problem is not the problem — the problem is how we react to the problem.”

Often called the “Master of Disaster,” he is squarely focused on authentic recovery and resilience. Dr. Bell’s research has been profiled on the Today Show, Good Morning America, every major television station, BBC Radio, Success Magazine, Forbes, Inc. Magazine and the international media.

 

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Synopsis

 

The coming-of-age story follows Gwyn Madison, the summer after her high school graduation, as she grapples with her fast-approaching future. She’ll have to face more than she bargained for with her Aunt Delia, the family matriarch, who holds the purse strings and the final word. In the meantime, Gwyn stumbles upon a tightly held family secret. Could a mysterious letter provide Gwyn the leverage she desires? Will it only bring more family division? Or, maybe, the past was never meant to stay buried after all. Whispering Through Water navigates family dynamics, young love, and female autonomy with a little 1990s nostalgia.

 

 

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Review

 

I enjoyed this book and the journey back to the 1990s when we weren’t tied to cell phones or computers.

“I wanted nothing more than for Aunt Delia to understand that my choice to leave was not a rejection of my family. She tried to protect me from acting on the same fierce independence that I admired in her. My aunt, the one person I was terrified to confront, was the one who I most wanted to hear me.”

Gwyn is a senior in high school, living in a small town with her mother, aunt, and uncle. She has not had a carefree childhood, but it wasn’t bad. Then one day, she stumbles across a letter to her aunt that references someone getting married. This piques her interest, and she sets off on a quest to figure out who this person is and why someone is telling her aunt. There are a lot of secrets that will be revealed, and not just ones about her aunt. Turns out several people have not shared their whole story.

I really enjoyed the family dynamic. Not that it was perfect, but you could see the love they had for each other despite her Aunt Delia’s rules. Gwyn is mature for her age, and I appreciated how much she wanted to follow her dream of attending an art school and not abandoning it when the rug is pulled out from under her regarding funding. I also enjoyed watching her fall in love with an unlikely guy, one that she met trying to uncover the mystery of her aunt. His family was so welcoming and treated her like she was part of the family. Maybe they were psychic!

I found this book very engaging, and I had a hard time putting it down. This coming-of-age story might resonate with many readers. It is also a mystery and a love story too. It has a little bit of everything for everyone.

We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Rebecca Wenrich Wheeler was raised in West Point, a small town in the Tidewater region of Virginia. From the moment she submitted her first short story to a young author’s contest in second grade, Rebecca knew she wanted to be a writer. Her love of writing led her to earn a BA in English and an MEd in English education. She spent several years as a high school teacher, during which she also developed a passion for mental health advocacy. Rebecca completed an MA in professional counseling and now works in the school-based mental health field and as a college adjunct psychology instructor. Rebecca also teaches yoga for the young and the young at heart, and she likes to infuse yoga and breathwork in her counseling practice wherever she can.

She believes the most valuable use of her time is teaching youth how to love and care for each other and the world around them. Her stories share her focus on positive relationships and a love of nature. Rebecca now lives in Durham, North Carolina, with her husband, two children, and two spoiled Siamese cats.

Whispering Through Water is her first YA novel and second book. Her picture book When Daddy Shows Me the Sky was released November 2021.

 

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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

 

The Cold War and the Beat Poets of North Beach collide in 1958 San Francisco in Peter Kageyama’s noir thriller about a Japanese American private eye investigating the mysterious goings on at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard.

SAN FRANCISCO, 1958. World War 2 veteran, Katsuhiro, “Kats” Takemoto is a Nisei, second generation Japanese American and the private detective for those who don’t get noticed by the police or get the attention of traditional private eyes. The city is exploding with population growth and creative expression as the Beat poets and artists fill coffee shops and galleries. When a young Beat poet enlists Kats to keep his family from being pushed out of the Bayview Heights neighborhood by a shady developer, Kats learns that the conspiracy to take over the land around Hunters Point runs deep into Cold War fears and politics. Kats takes on the US government, the Navy, unscrupulous businessmen and the west coast mafia as he and his friends race to find the truth.

Award winning author Peter Kageyama’s debut novel brings the post-war San Francisco scene to life with historic characters including Jimmy Stewart, Jack Kerouac, Neal Cassady, Alfred Hitchcock and Shig Murao, along with the dynamics of racial identity for Japanese Americans finding their footing again in America following the war and internment.

 

 

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Excerpt

 

Katsuhiro Takemoto watched the man who was watching the woman. Voyeurism wasn’t unusual for Kats. As a private detective, he spent too much time quietly observing the lives of others. Today was different. Today he knew the man he was watching.

Fort Point, under the Golden Gate Bridge, was where tourists, lovers, and even the locals came for the spectacular view of the bridge and the bay. It was unusually empty today, but Kats wasn’t looking at the scenery. The tall man in the dapper gray suit and brown hat kept his distance as he watched the woman walk toward the embankment’s edge. He didn’t need to conceal himself, as the woman was focused on the bouquet of flowers she held in her white, gloved hands. Even at this distance, Kats knew she was beautiful. Her hair was platinum blond and swept up, and she wore a dark blue dress that flattered her high-heeled walk.

She stopped at the elevated edge and began to slowly pick apart her bouquet, throwing the flowers one at a time into the cold water below. The gray-suited man shifted back and forth as if he was trying to puzzle out the meaning of this gesture. As the last of the flowers fell from the woman’s hands, she purposefully turned toward the bay and jumped into the water.

The man stood stunned for a moment but then rushed forward to where she had stood. Throwing off his coat and hat, he approached the water and prepared to leap.

“Cut!” came the voice over Kats’s shoulder. Instantly the empty park was filled with activity. Production assistants rushed forward, the stuntmen and stunt women crawled back up the embankment, and costumers grabbed the coat and hat as the park transformed into a Hollywood movie set.

Kats turned his attention to the gray-suited man who had turned and was walking back toward the camera and the large presence sitting there. Alfred Hitchcock, the acclaimed film director, sat talking with his cameraman and his assistants. “That was fine, James. I believe we have what we need,” Hitchcock said in his unmistakable voice. Never one to lavish praise on even the finest actors, everyone knew that was Hitch’s way, especially the man in the gray suit who was an old hand at dealing with the demanding director.

Jimmy Stewart, America’s favorite male actor for over a decade, smiled as he approached the director. Even though the reshoot of this scene could probably have been done with a stand-in, Stewart was happy to reprise the scene and the character he had inhabited since late summer. “How about some b-roll of me swimming in the bay?” quipped the actor with a smile.

Hitch elongated his already elongated face, “Thank you, James. We are quite done with San Francisco.” Production delays and these reshoots had put Hitchcock behind schedule, and everyone knew he was feeling pressure from the studio. He was anxious to return to the controlled confines of Paramount Studios in Hollywood to finish his film.

Kats quietly stood back as several folks approached the actor and attended to various bits of business. Eventually Stewart broke away and, turning to Kats, smiled and said, “What do you think?”

“I thought I was going to have to jump in after you.” Stewart laughed, and Kats smiled at the face familiar to everyone in America. Kats was still amazed that he and this American icon had become friends over the past several months. The movie had brought them together.

 

reprinted with permission

 

 

About the Author

 

Peter Kageyama is the author of For the Love of Cities: The Love Affair Between People and Their Places, the follow ups, Love Where You Live: Creating Emotionally Engaging Places, and The Emotional Infrastructure of Places. In 2021, he released For the Love of Cities REVISITED, a revised and updated version of his award-winning book.

In 2023, his debut novel based on the post-internment life of his parents was released by St. Petersburg Press.

Peter is a special advisor to America In Bloom and was a Senior Fellow with the Alliance for Innovation, a national network of city leaders. He is an internationally sought-after community development consultant and grassroots engagement strategist who speaks about bottom-up community development and the amazing people who are making change happen around the world.

 

 

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Synopsis

1944, Poland. Jacob Stein and Zalman Mendelson meet as boys under terrifying circumstances. They survive by miraculously escaping, but their shared past haunts and shapes their lives forever.

Years later, Zalman plows a future on a Minnesota farm. In Brooklyn, Jacob has a new life with his wife, Esther. When Zalman travels to New York City to reconnect, Jacob’s hopes for the future are becoming a reality. With Zalman’s help, they build a house for Jacob’s family and for Zalman, who decides to stay. Modest and light filled, inviting and warm with acceptance―for all of them, it’s a castle to call home.

Then an unforeseeable tragedy―and the grief, betrayals, and revelations in its wake―threatens to destroy what was once an unbreakable bond, and Esther finds herself at a crossroads. A Castle in Brooklyn is a moving and heartfelt immigration story about finding love and building a home and family while being haunted by a traumatic past.

 

 

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Review

 

A story that spans decades of love and loss. It might just break your own heart.

There are multiple storylines, but it centers around a few main characters – Jacob, Esther, and Zalman. Jacob and Zalman escaped Poland during WWII and remained fast friends for most of their life. There is an incident that tears them apart, but you’ll have to read the book to find out what exactly. They went different ways once they reached America, but they stayed in touch the best they could. Once Jacob married Esther, Zalman moved to New York and remained with them for many years. It was an interesting dynamic to watch how they interacted with each other.

The story is also about a house. The house was built by Jacob for Esther, and Zalman designed it. It was where they lived and created many memories. It was also where they dealt with some harshness that life threw at them. The house knew love, joy, pain, and sadness. There were many memories that were fondly remembered and others that broke hearts. It was interesting when the house was rented in later years how it was appreciated and then not appreciated by the tenants.

This story spans approximately 70 years, and I enjoyed the jumps back and forth in time because it gave me more information to understand Jacob and Zalman’s past in Poland. It added layers to the characters that we couldn’t understand until they told their story. Each of the characters in this story had their own issues to deal with that many of us might experience in our own lives.

I enjoyed this book and give it 4 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Shirley Russak Wachtel is the author of the short story collection Three For A Dollar, the book of poetry, In The Mellow Light, and several books for children. Her short stories and poems have appeared in various literary journals.

A daughter of Holocaust survivors, Wachtel was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. She holds a doctor of letters degree from Drew University and, for the past thirty years, has taught English literature at Middlesex College in Edison, New Jersey. The mother of three grown sons and grandmother to two precocious granddaughters, she currently resides in East Brunswick, New Jersey, with her husband, Arthur.

 

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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.

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Synopsis

 

Roxy Constantine is the jam queen of Shavano, Colorado. But her social life is a bust, and she’s still recovering from a bad experience as a line cook in Denver. Things improve when she meets tasty local chef Nate Robicheaux, but she’s also fending off the attentions of another local, Brett Holmes, who won’t take no for an answer. When Brett threatens to derail Roxy’s career, the two have a very public fight. A few days later, Brett is found murdered in his restaurant kitchen, and suddenly Roxy’s a prime suspect. Now Roxy must find the truth about Brett and his murderer before the town of Shavano decides her reign as jam queen is over for good.

 

 

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Review

 

I enjoy discovering new towns in cozies. The towns are usually small, filled with interesting characters, and a killer. And not just one killer, but many, especially if it is a longer series!

Shavano, Colorado, seems like a quaint and quiet town, and Roxy is back home and has become the jam queen. But what brought her back is an incident that shook her to her core and has her wary of men. That is until she meets Nate. Nate also had an incident in his past that brought him home too. What neither expects is to become potential suspects in the murder of Brett Holmes.

When you read this book, you will quickly realize that Brett is not someone you would want to know or associate with. He is sleazy, conceited, and a bully. Maybe he doesn’t deserve to be killed, but sometimes some characters just need to go away in one way or another. There are a few suspects, but it takes some sleuthing by Roxy and her bestie Susa to uncover the truth.

We see Roxy talking to various potential suspects, but the clues are few and far between. Once the killer was revealed, it probably should have been an obvious answer based on other factors, but I just didn’t see it. I don’t think that the book really points the reader in any specific direction in regard to the killer. I would have liked to have seen a few more clues or even some red herrings. However, very little of the information pointed in any specific direction.

I enjoyed watching the relationship between Roxy and Nate progress. However, I wonder if there is a potential triangle coming with Chief Fowler. Only future books will tell.

I loved reading about all the jam flavors. While I’m not a jam maker, I would have loved to have seen a few recipes included in the book.

This is a good start to a new series, and I look forward to future books and visiting Shavano again. We give this 4 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Meg Benjamin is an award-winning author of romance. Her newest series, the Folk, is a paranormal series from Soul Mate Publishing set in Colorado. Meg’s Konigsburg series is set in the Texas Hill Country and her Salt Box and Brewing Love trilogies are set in the Colorado Rockies (all are available from Entangled Publishing). Along with contemporary romance, Meg is also the author of the paranormal Ramos Family trilogy from Berkley InterMix. Meg’s books have won numerous awards, including an EPIC Award, a Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, the Holt Medallion from Virginia Romance Writers, the Beanpot Award from the New England Romance Writers, and the Award of Excellence from Colorado Romance Writers.

 

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Synopsis

 

Austen Keller was living her dream. She landed a career-defining job which moved her and her husband to Paris. <Swoon!> Shortly thereafter, she was divorced. This wasn’t the plan. Yet there she was—pushing 40 and starting over.

A decade after she’d last been single, Austen enters the dating scene playing by a new set of rules in a different language, culture, and lingerie standards. She experiences every type of miserable first date imaginable and lives to tell the tales of Pierre the Mansplainer, Simon the Snoozer, Emile the Over-Sharer, Guillaume of the Gym Shorts, and many more. On most dates, she struggles to get past one glass of Bordeaux without wanting to bolt. Even worse, no one chases after her when she runs. It doesn’t take long for her to realize that whoever said French men were romantic deserves a swift kick in the pants.

A rewarding and high-powered career.

Fabulous female friendships.

True love. <Umm?>

Austen continues to ask herself: Is “having it all” too much to ask?

A genuine and tragically hilarious novel about an ex-pat woman’s journey of self-discovery through a string of disastrous dates, relationships forged in a deep cultural divide, world travels, and wine. A lot of wine.

 

 

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Review

 

I have to start off by saying I LOVE the title of this book! That is a question I ask often…it could make or break going to an event!

Austen is my kind of gal, and I think we would be good friends. She is strong, confident, and knows what she wants from life. Well, most of the time. She seems to be chasing love or an idea of what love should be like. This is a detriment in a way because she looks at things unrealistically, but it makes for good fodder when telling dating stories, which we are privy to via her blog stories. Men are the same no matter what country you are in; you will have some winners and some losers.

There is a lot of flirting, witty repartee, interesting travels, and soul searching. I enjoyed the various locations and the interesting characters. I liked how there was a close-knit group that spans the globe. I was jealous that they could drop and take a trip at almost the drop of a hat. But that is the difference between European and American outlooks when it comes to vacation.

This was a fairly quick read for me, and I look forward to future adventures from this author.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Whitney Cubbison is an American living in Paris since 2009. She grew up in Texas and California and graduated from UCLA with a degree in French. She started her career in Communications working for high-tech PR agencies in San Francisco and eventually joined Microsoft, where she worked for sixteen years, thirteen of which from the Paris office. During that time, she held various international roles that encompassed public relations, employee communications, executive speechwriting, and social media.

She left Microsoft in July 2022 to focus on completing her first novel, Will There Be Wine? The story, while fiction, is deeply inspired by Whitney’s own experiences as an ex-pat divorcée living in Paris and trying to navigate the cultural minefield of dating in a foreign country.

DatingDisasters.Paris is the URL of a “dates-gone-wrong” blog written by the book’s main character, Austen Keller, and also happens to be Whitney’s author website.

When she’s not writing, Whitney can be found sitting in Parisian cafés and restaurants with her friends, drinking wine.

 

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Snuffed Out (Magic Candle Shop Mystery)
Paranormal Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting –   Savannah, GA
Crooked Lane Books (January 10, 2023)
Hardcover 304 Pages

 

Synopsis

 

Twin sisters Tabby and Sage co-own a candle shop, but will it all go up in flames in Valona Jones’ series debut, perfect for fans of Amanda Flower and Bailey Cates.

30-year-old fraternal twins Tabby and Sage Winslow own The Book and Candle Shop in Savannah. Sage is hot-headed and impulsive while Tabby is calm and collected, making them the perfect partnership. When one of their customers is found murdered, from a blow to the head, that partnership is put to the test.

Blithe McAdam had been seen in a heated argument with shop clerk Gerard, which immediately makes him suspect number one. The twins are convinced of Gerard’s innocence and start digging into Blithe’s past. But no one is cooperating. The neighbor who found the body isn’t talking, medical examiner Quig won’t give any details about the autopsy, and nasty rumors begin surfacing about the drowning of Blithe’s father years earlier—evidence that could seal Gerard’s fate.

Tabby and Sage dig desperately for the truth. But it’s not only their friend who’s in peril. With the clock ticking, the twins find themselves in the grip of an unseen and deadly energy that has seeped into their midst—and in the sights of a ruthless killer.

 

 

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Guest Post

 

Aromatherapy candles by Valona Jones

 

Can you resist cinnamon-scented air? Most of us respond to pleasing aromas. It’s no wonder we love to gather in kitchens, when the scent of delicious food draws us in.

The smell of fresh bread baking and a favorite stew simmering on the stove make my mouth water. The scent fills me with hunger and builds a sense of anticipation for the reward of savoring the dish. The enticing scents of coffee brewing, brownies baking, or even food grilling over charcoal will trigger desire/hunger in nearly everyone.

With that said, it’s easy to see why scents became paired with candles.

How many times have we sought out a special flower, blooming shrub, or evergreen tree? Fragrances catch our notice, they reel us in. As a bonus, scents play on our emotions, evoke strong memories, and even teach us things we like or to avoid. That natural response is both innate and primitive.

For as long as I can remember, my family used many candles. They were decorative and functional as we lived in a coastal area fraught with strong storms and frequent power outages. Bayberry scented candles were popular for holidays, as was apple cinnamon, and I still associate those aromas with home.

Some scents energize us physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually. Some, like lavender, are known to calm and relax people, while others may enhance thinking or clarity, though those responses may be highly individual. There are essential oils associated with relieving multiple human conditions including end-of-life ones, and fyi candles aren’t the only means to infuse the fragrance in the air. Diffusers, atomizers, steamers, baths, hot cloths on faces, and massages also help to disperse essential oils into breathable vapors.

According to the National Institute of Health, “Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils from plants (flowers, herbs, or trees) as a complementary health approach. The essential oils are most often used by inhaling them or by applying a diluted form to the skin. Many essential oils are used in aromatherapy, including those from Roman chamomile, geranium, lavender, tea tree, lemon, ginger, cedarwood, and bergamot.”( https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/aromatherapy )

In addition, many consider aromatherapy to be an alternative medicine. Today’s medical profession even has scientific articles where this helpfulness has been documented.

The fictional Book and Candle Shop, located on Bristol Street in Savannah, Georgia, is featured in my A Magic Candle Shop Mystery series. The shop is known for their excellent products, particularly their aromatherapy candles. The way the candles are made in the shop’s stillroom is similar to other aromatherapy candle making, with the exception of an extra step. First Auntie O and then Tabby Winslow learned how to imbue good energy in her candles as she crafts them. That process means that the candle imparts goodness to those nearby throughout the entire burn.

In “Snuffed Out,” the story opens with a dissatisfied customer who felt no added oomph from the last shop candles she bought. Turns out that Auntie O forgot to tell Tabby about that extra part as it came to her so intuitively, she didn’t think of it as a candle making step. Once Tabby corrects her process, she makes perfect aromatherapy candles.

But it’s too late for Blithe McAdam. This distraught customer’s showdown in The Book and Candle Shop goes viral online. Worse Blithe is murdered, and the cops put Tabby’s shop clerk, Gerard, at the top of their suspect list. With twins Tabby and Sage very new to owning and running the shop, they can’t afford to lose Gerard. Tabby vows to investigate and set things right.

 

 

About the Author

 

Valona Jones writes paranormal cozy mysteries set in Southern locales. Her work blends mystery and the unexplained, along with a sprinkle of romance. A former scientist, she’s drawn to the study of personal energy. She sharpened her people-watching skills as a lifelong introvert and thankfully had a bank vault full of personal observations when she began to write fiction. Her forthcoming release, Snuffed Out, A Magic Candle Shop Mystery, is slated for January 10, 2023, release. She’s a member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime. She lives in coastal Georgia, where time and tide wait for no one.

 

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Giveaway

 

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