Category Archives: Reviews

Review – Beautiful Brutal Bodies by Linda Cheng #lindacheng #beautiful brutal bodies #netgalley

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Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I saw the title and cover for Beautiful Brutal Bodies and was drawn into this fairy tale that walks on the dark side. I’m not sure what I was expected, but I was curious enough to read until the story finally woke me up the last quarter of the book.

The character, Tian, had me curious, with her being a singer/songwriter with an online following. It seems influencer novels are popping up here and there and I want to see what authors are doing with the subject and characters. Tian is isolated in a mansion with her friend and protector, Liya.

When several fans suffer injuries while listening to her online, she is packed up and shipped off, along with Liya, to an island in the South China Seas.

Tian finds Shenyu, her musical collaborator, is on the island too. That adds another piece to the puzzle that includes bizarre rituals and haunted forests. Could there be some romance in their future?

I didn’t read the first book, Gorgeous Gruesome Faces, so I don’t know if that is why the book seemed to drag a bit in the beginning. But once the story picks up, secrets, curses and danger threaten their survival.

My thanks go out to Roaring Book Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read Beautiful Brutal Bodies.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Full of skin-crawling folk horror and sapphic romance, this feral fairytale and standalone follow-up to GORGEOUS GRUESOME FACES follows a reclusive songstress and her bodyguard who must unravel the occult mysteries of their past to escape from a cursed island.

Tian is a singer-songwriter with a massive online following, known for her hypnotic vocals and ethereal looks. But behind the glamorous façade is a disturbing reality: raised in an isolated mansion, Tian is a prisoner in her own life.

Liya is Tian’s childhood friend and her only close companion, tasked with protecting Tian at all costs. But hidden beneath Liya’s beautiful human exterior is a beastly secret: her teeth are far too sharp, and her appetite much too ferocious.

When several fans mysteriously suffer fatal injuries while watching her livestream, Tian, along with Liya, are sent to a spiritual healing retreat on a remote island in the South China Seas. They are joined by Tian’s musical collaborator Shenyu, a troubled idol whose recent brush with the law and string of bad boyfriends has him seeking his own new start. But the trio soon discovers that the island is no peaceful getaway. There is constant surveillance, bizzare rituals, and something terrifying lurking in the forest. Something not quite human.

In order to escape with her loved ones, Tian must uncover her connection to the island’s blood-drenched legend — and the truth behind Liya’s monstrous identity — before the island claims them all as its final sacrifice.

  • Genre: Fiction, Horror, LGBTQ, Young Adult
  • 336 pages, Hardcover
  • Expected publication November 4, 2025 by Roaring Book Press

ABOUT LINDA CHENG

Linda Cheng was born in Taiwan and spent her childhood moving between cultures and continents. She received her BFA from the Savannah College of Art and Design, and worked as an art director across South Carolina and Georgia where she developed a deep love for sweet tea, grits, and Southern Gothic stories. She currently resides in Vancouver, Canada with her family.

Website

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Dexterish Damien – Review – Watch Me Break by V E Huntley #VEHuntley #watchmebreak

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SHE'S MINE.
MINE TO TAKE.
MINE TO BREAK.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

BEWARE: There are many triggers in Watch Me Break by V E Huntley, so check the book out good if you are squeamish. She has a list of warnings on her website.

Myself, I love walking the dark side, and Watch Me Break definitely has all kinds of darkness. There are many moments of lightness and laughter added to the mix of erotica, stalker, serial killer and vigilante justice. Like Luna’s best friend, Maren, and Ricky the raccoon with a boob fetish. You may wonder how a raccoon could come in to play. Well, Luna runs Sage & Summit Wildlife Sanctuary.

Now that we’ve met Luna, let me introduce you to Damien Wolfe, a billionaire who bought an isolated mansion with a shady history and becomes her nearest neighbor. Once he bumps into her, he lays his claim, keeping his true identity camouflaged. Does he knock on her door? Hell no, he just walks right in.

As soon as I met Damien, I thought of Dexter. He metes out justice to those who manage to evade the law…But there’s more. He’s a stalker who can’t stay away from Luna, but also can’t let her know his true identity. He wants to totally dominate her and is brutal about it. I did flinch a time or two, before I came to accept that their sexual life is not one I would want, but they are consenting adults.

Maren is the wacky best friend that had me laughing out loud with the dialogue that V E Huntley supplied. Maren has a big personality, but will lay her life on the line for her bestie. They both feel an affinity with the animals that come to the wildlife sanctuary.

Watch Me Break had me squirming at times, but I loved every minute of it. Whether Damien was punishing those he feels deserve it, or punishing Luna. I love dark novels, especially when there are serial killers and vigilante justice. Quirky characters, laughable moments and unexpected animals add extra elements to an already great story.

Watch Me Break is the first book in the Watched In Darkness series, with Book II, Watch Me Burn up for preorder and due to be published on December 3, 2025. I can hardly wait to find out what happens next.

My thanks go out to V E Huntley for the chance to read Watch Me Break.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

He’s always watching. She’s starting to want him to.

What do you do if you have an injured raccoon with a boob fetish, dead bodies being dropped in your driveway, and a masked stalker who watches you, breaks into your bedroom at night, and takes your body to heights you didn’t know were possible?

If you’re Dr. Luna Foster, owner of Sage & Summit Wildlife Sanctuary, you seek out your new neighbor, Damien Wolfe, billionaire security mogul, and ask him to wire your property with security cameras.

But little do you know… He might just be the most dangerous predator of them all.

Damien
I have three rules: stay hidden, leave no traces, never let the target know. But Dr. Luna Foster’s smile shatters every rule I’ve lived by. Now I want her to see me, to know what kind of monster is watching her. I’ve spent years in the dark, perfecting the art of hunting those who deserve death. Now I’ve found someone who makes me want to step into the light—even if it means she’ll see the blood on his hands.

Luna
The first time I feel someone watching, I’m terrified. The second time, I’m curious. By the third, I’m leaving my curtains open on purpose. But when I realize my stalker isn’t the nightmare—he’s the one who hunts them—I find myself craving his deadly attention. Slowly, the weight of his gaze starts to feel less like terror and more like a deadly promise I want him to keep.

Fans of H.D. Carlton’s Haunting Adeline, Navessa Allen’s Lights Out, and Sheridan Anne’s Pretty Monster will devour this unforgettable series where love and violence dance hand in hand.

This is a dark romance containing mature themes, graphic violence, and morally ambiguous characters. Intended for adult readers who enjoy psychologically complex relationships and anti-hero love interests. Please see full content warnings on the author’s website.

  • Genre: Dark Romance, Erotica, Fiction, Serial Killer, Vigilante Justice, Suspense, Thriller
  • 476 pages, Kindle Edition
  • Expected publication November 3, 2025

ABOUT V E HUNTLEY

V.E. Huntley is a retired producer who has spent her life telling stories in one way or another. Just ask her cats. They had to endure a lifetime of her endlessly reciting entire dialogue scenes to them, even though all they desperately wanted to do was nap.

Her childhood fear of Dracula was so intense that she couldn’t sleep without the lights on and her mother guarding her bedroom door. Over time, this fear evolved into a lifelong obsession with the dark and twisted world of vampires and the concept of immortality. So, after more than two decades in the film and television industry, she ultimately chose to pursue her true passion—writing dark and sexy paranormal romance.

Besides writing, her hobbies include reading, watching movies, traveling, and keeping her husband busy with an endless honey-do list.

Website

MY V E HUNTLEY REVIEWS

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Review – Eternal Beauty by Ashley Fontainne & Andrea Emmes #ashleyfontainne #eternalbeauty #AndreaEmmes

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EB1
EB2
EB3

 

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Eternal Beauty by Ashley Fontainne & Andrea Emmes is a little bit horror, a little bit supernatural and a whole lot of twisting and turning thrills told by three characters. We have Bridget Higgins, a young girl who wants to write and share horror stories online. Bridget is bewitched by Barbara, an online wellness influencer and Claire is Barbara’s resentful assistant.

All the reasons that you should be careful when placing your trust in a person’s online presence come to mind. The masks people wear can more easily present a false front.

Ashley Fontainne & Andrea Emmes has created a psychological horror story with a pace that had me glued to the pages, unable to look away. The more I read, the more I had to know what comes next. The suspense and anticipation had me shaking my head, wondering how Ashley came up with so many moments of unease, knowing something wicked this way comes. I love when an author can blend fact with fiction so seamlessly. That ending…Excellent!

My thanks go out to Ashley Fontainne & Andrea Emmes for the opportunity to read and review Eternal Beauty.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

“…a psychological horror story that keeps you flipping pages frantically to see what will happen next…the parallels and horror elements reshaped from mythology were impressively shifted into new contexts and put to great use in this timely exploration of online personas and buried trauma, making everything fresh and relevant for teenagers now.” –K.C. Finn for Readers’ Favorite

“What sets this book apart is its refusal to conform to easy it’s messy, raw, and unapologetically horrifying…a spectacular, genre-blurring novel…fiercely original and hauntingly beautiful read.” –Jamie Michele for Readers’ Favorite

“The plot is completely unpredictable, as wild twists and turns pull the rug out from under your feet…This book is a masterpiece, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. If you like supernatural thrillers, I highly recommend this one!” –Pikasho Deka for Readers’ Favorite

A supernatural thriller told in first person by three main characters over the course of eleven years, Eternal Beauty explores the lives of Bridget Higgins, a young girl grappling with grief, Claire Foster, a woman seeking physical perfection while battling her own inner demons, and Barbara O’Malley, a charismatic wellness influencer.

Fueled by her trauma of mysteriously losing her loved ones, Bridget connects deeply with Barbara as she devours her online videos looking for her own place in the world.

Claire, Barbara’s assistant, obsessed with physical beauty, seeks revenge for past tragedies, and her misguided actions affect the lives of others in unexpected ways.

The story explores the masks people wear, both online and in real life, blurring the lines between truth and illusion, and the lies we tell ourselves to justify wrong choices. Claire’s pursuit of beauty masks her inner turmoil. Bridget copes with her pain by creating an online alter ego. Barbara’s carefully crafted public persona hides the excruciating pain of past traumatic events.

Elements of Celtic mythology and folklore abound, adding a layer of mystery and otherworldly danger and creating a sense of uneasiness and impending doom, leading to a chilling climax that will leave readers breathless.

  • Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Paranormal, Supernatural, Teen, Young Adult
  • 299 pages, Kindle Edition
  • Expected publication October 31, 2025 by RMSW Press

ABOUT ASHLEY FONTAINNE

Ashley Fontainne

Award-winning and International bestselling author Ashley Fontainne enjoys stories that immerse the reader deep into the human psyche and the monsters lurking within each of us. She writes in numerous genres including mystery, suspense, horror, sci-fi and sometimes poetry.

Ashley lives in Arkansas with her husband and is the proud mother of one son and grateful daughter of co-author, Lillian Hansen. To learn more about her books please visit https://ashleyfontainne.net/

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Review – Evil by Kevin Bachar @KevinPangolin #evil

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Amazon / KindleUnlimited / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Can a place be evil?

How about Play Time Burgers: I know I won’t be jumping into any ball pits.

Bored: Sometimes being bored is a good thing.

Still Waters Run Deep: The lake is hungry and it demands to be fed.

Bus Load Of Trouble: Have you ever played the game where you are trying to guess what the person’s occupation? You never know who you’ll meet.

The Plan: Not every plan is a good plan.

I Dream Of Death: Is it a dream….or is it real?

The Shut In: Who tossed the mannequin onto the front porch?

The Cabin: Hmmmmmmmmmmm

Hello: Is a drabble, a one hundred word story.

Breezy: A Novella: I had an idea of what was going to happen and I know I would never want to be so isolated.

Evil is an anthology that contains nine short stories and one novella. Kevin Bachar can spin a terrifying tale and make you think twice about your preconceived ideas. Sometimes I laughed and sometimes I thought WT….

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Star

GOODREADS BLURB

Ten-year-old Cassie is playing in the ball pit at the local rundown fast-food palace when she feels something bite her leg and doesn’t want to let go.

The passengers on a cross-country bus trip make a stop that will change the lives of everyone on it, and reveal that one of the riders is hiding a horrific secret.

The locals in a remote mountain town know about the wind that supposedly can kill people; they avoid it at all costs. But when a young college meteorologist comes to study it, will he heed their warnings?

From the writer who brought you the best-selling short story collections DREAD, CREEP, and CURSED, comes a new set of tales that will force you to lock the doors and turn on the lights. EVIL forces you to confront the most terrifying element in our world – EVIL. In each story, we see how it manifests and then consumes those who dare to think they can battle it. In this book, GOOD doesn’t triumph over EVIL, it runs away and cowers under the bed and hopes and prays it goes away and never comes back. Can you handle something that is filled with pure EVIL?

  • Genre: Fiction, Horror, Novella, Short Stories
  • 232 pages, Paperback
  • Published September 22, 2025

ABOUT KEVIN BACHAR

Kevin Bachar is a national EMMY award-winning natural history documentary filmmaker and WGA writer. The elevated horror film he wrote – The Inhabitant – https://www.lionsgate.com/movies/the-inh… – was released through Lionsgate and is available on most streaming services.

If you’ve watched National Geographic, PBS, or The Discovery Channel over the years you’ve seen his work. He’s the idiot in the water filming sharks or crawling into caves to photograph vampire bats. You can see Kevin at work filming sharks here – https://www.imdb.com/video/vi2703407897/…

The natural world has always captured his imagination and the supernatural world inspires his stories. Through his journeys, he’s interviewed scientists who’ve enlightened him, heard folk tales that have frightened him, and seen quite a few things that have challenged his skeptical mind.

His collection of short stories that weaves together the natural world and the supernatural world entitled, DREAD, is available on Amazon. He’s currently working on his second collection entitled – CREEP.

Complimenting his writing, Kevin has lectured and given presentations at prestigious institutions such as Rutgers University, American University, and the Rubin Museum of Art.
To keep up to date with Kevin’s movies, documentaries, and books –
www.kevinbachar.com
https://twitter.com/KevinPangolin
https://www.instagram.com/kevinbachar/
https://www.tiktok.com/@kevinbachar?l…
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjEKM_m…
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1423190/

MY KEVIN BACHAR REVIEWS

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Millionaires Day by Kit Power #millionairesday #kitpower

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Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Be careful what you wish for. You just might get it…and who knows the repercussions that come along with it. With the holiday season approaching, people awoke with a million pounds in cash under them, where they lay sleeping. I love how Kit Power shows how the threads are woven, connecting so many characters together. AND, Kit sure isn’t shy about killing off his characters. He did manage to piss me off a time or two, but other times, I was happy with the result.

Millionaires Day by Kit Power is a quick read. I found the concept intriguing and I wasn’t disappointed. As the bodies fell, I wondered how Kit would wrap up the ending. I feel good about it.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
3 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

On Sunday, 22nd December, 2019, everyone in the United Kingdom woke up with one million pounds in cash under their beds.

The miracle – or catastrophe – was never adequately explained. In the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic the event was largely forgotten or treated as an urban legend.

Until now.

In this explosive volume, investigative journalist/historian Kit Power finally blows the lid off that surreal, impossible morning. Focussing on a few residents of Milton Keynes, a uniquely diverse city northwest of London, Power lays

– the wonder of waking up to a found fortune through the eyes of a neglected child

– the madness and panic of an unprepared public from the perspective of an overworked police officer

– the graphic terror inflicted by a band of reprobate gangsters for whom too much is never enough

– the strangeness of it all through the outlook of man’s best friend

for legal purposes, this book is marketed as fiction. But no one who lived through it could deny the profound impact of…

  • Genre: Fiction, Horror
  • 247 pages, Paperback
  • Published September 23, 2024

ABOUT KIT POWER

Kit Power profile image

Kit Power is an author of horror and dark crime fiction novels, novellas, and short stories; also a reviewer, essayist, and podcaster. The Finite, A Song For The End (BFA finalist, 2021), and Millionaire’s Day (BFA Finalist, 2025) are his most recent fiction works; three novellas with interconnected elements that bring the apocalypse to his home town of Milton Keynes in three very different ways. He encourages you not to read too much into that.

When he’s not gleefully visiting (fictional) destruction on his hometown, Kit writes non-fiction, much of which is collected in My Life In Horror Volumes I and II (BFA Finalist, 2023), reviews, blogs, and podcasts on subjects as diverse as Sherlock Holmes, Bruce Springsteen, and short horror fiction (as one half of The Ultimate Horror Anthology with Jasper Bark). Check out his Patreon for the free newsletter.

 

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Sickening – Bugged by Alan Barysh #bugged #alanbarysh

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MY REVIEW

The Bugged cover caught my eye, but when I read the novella, it wasn’t what I was expecting. Once I finished reading it, I had second thoughts. Bugs do crawl out from under rocks, and in our current climate, I think that is where you may find many of the people who could represent the characters in Alan Barysh’s novella. The vomit spewed on the pages sickened me, but it happens every day in real life. In fact, I think it represents our current climate. I grew up in the Vietnam era, and what Alan shares with us is truly frightening…and some of it really happened. I don’t understand people that are so bigoted, racist, and down right hateful.

I won a copy of Bugged a long time ago (probably in 2016, when it was published). Sorry it took me so long to get to it Alan. 🙂

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
3 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Bugged is the first part of a trilogy called A Book of Struggles (In the Form of Fables and Parables for Modern Times). In Bugged, we meet William Tell, a radical/revolutionary book publisher, and his nemesis Vincent Seita. Mr. Seita confronts Mr. Tell with an extortion threat and the reader is left wondering what William Tell would do. The rest of this book deals with Vincent Seita and his early childhood up to when he returns from the Vietnam War. Throughout this book, many sub-plots weave in and out that make this book a stream of conscious story in the style of the television series Lost. Although it was written before Lost made its debut.

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Review The Witches Of Hant Hollow by D F Jones @Author_DFJones #thewitchesofhanthollow

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Fantasy Romance YA Fantasy Witches Wizards Time Travel Romance Magic Paranormal Bestseller ebook
Fantasy Romance YA Fantasy Witches Wizards Time Travel Romance Magic Paranormal Bestseller ebook
Fantasy Romance YA Fantasy Witches Wizards Time Travel Romance Magic Paranormal Bestseller ebook

 

 

Amazon / KindleUnlimited / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I love the wonderful cover for The Witches Of Hant Hollow: Jonathon’s Curse by D F Jones. I also like the cute witch that’s at the head of each chapter. I picked it up on a free day, which I discovered through her newsletter. A perfect book for the upcoming Spooktacular season.

The characters run the gamut, from the best of the best, to the worst of the worst. It has an especially intriguing villain in Iris, the matriarch of the Doanhart Coven. We have poor Jonathon, who D F Jones puts through the wringer, and Jasmine, who’s heart is so big, she will sacrifice herself for the good of all. AND, there are a lot of peripheral characters that have an important part to play. We, also, have many supernatural characters that make an appearance.

The story begins in 1915 Rockvale, Tennessee. The action moves the story along, sometimes at a fast pace, other times the characters have a chance to treasure a moment in time. There is plenty of romance to go around, as the characters struggle to find their soul mates and overcome the obstacles put in front of them.

D F Jones has crafted a fantastic tale of magic and mayhem and I definitely want to continue my journey with The Witches Of Hant Hollow.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Wickedly thrilling fast-paced tale of a family of witches power struggles over light and dark magic, and how one mortal man gets caught in the crosshairs of the feud causing upheaval in not only Jasmine’s love life but rife within the American Mage Alliance.

Will Jasmine save Jonathan at the risk of losing the one she loves most?

  • Genre: Fae, Fantasy, Fiction, Halloween, Paranormal, Romance, Supernatural, Vampires, Werewolves, Witches, Wizards, Young Adult

ABOUT D F JONES

USA Today Bestselling Author, D. F. Jones began her career as a broadcast consultant at the ABC Affiliate in Nashville, which led her to open an advertising agency. Over the years, she’s created many campaigns for clients but fell in love with writing fiction.

Writing is a source of creative expression for DF. Jones, but it also releases stress. Writing takes D.F. Jones to a place where anything is possible, and fiction takes her to a place made of dreams..

Whether it’s angels or demons, time travel adventures, witches and wizards, mystery suspense, or ghosts, her books are action-packed with supernatural and romantic elements.

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Review – Her Deadly Game by Robert Dugoni @robertdugoni #herdeadlygame

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MY REVIEW

I love a good start to a book, and Robert Dugoni’s Prologue for Her Deadly Game had me hooked from the opening page.

Keera Duggan is a prime example of why you don’t cross professional boundries in the workplace. Because her romantic relationship with a senior colleague ended badly, she was pushed out of her job as a Seattle prosecutor. She feels she has no choice, but to return to the family criminal defense law firm.

Keera was a professional chess player, and it will take all her moves to save her client from a life sentence. I do like the push pull of whether what she is doing is right or wrong. Her father, Patsy, an esteemed defense lawyer until alcohol took over his life, keeps stressing to her that it is her job to give the client the best defense possible and it is the prosecutor’s job to convict him.

This was going to be the game of her life.

I had a feeling about what happened, I just couldn’t figure out the how of it. Guess you can find most anything on Google.

It didn’t take me long to get involved in Keera’s world. The characters and scenarios are realistic and the book was impossible to put down. The mystery and suspense kept the story flowing at a rapid pace. The deeper into the story I got, the more I was determined to find out the ending before going to bed…and I made it.

In the acknowledgments, Robert Dugoni shares that he likes to give each novel a challenge. In Her Deadly Game he creates a dysfunctional family, and a character, Keera, who escaped a future of alcoholism by becoming a chess prodigy. He knows that some lawyers are very good chess players and I think he wove the game throughout the story with panache.

I want to thank Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read and review Her Deadly Game by Robert Dugoni.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

A defense attorney is prepared to play. But is she a pawn in a master’s deadly match? A twisting novel of suspense by New York Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni.

Keera Duggan was building a solid reputation as a Seattle prosecutor, until her romantic relationship with a senior colleague ended badly. For the competitive former chess prodigy, returning to her family’s failing criminal defense law firm to work for her father is the best shot she has. With the right moves, she hopes to restore the family’s reputation, her relationship with her father, and her career.

Keera’s chance to play in the big leagues comes when she’s retained by Vince LaRussa, an investment adviser accused of murdering his wealthy wife. There’s little hard evidence against him, but considering the couple’s impending and potentially nasty divorce, LaRussa faces life in prison. The prosecutor is equally challenging: Miller Ambrose, Keera’s former lover, who’s eager to destroy her in court on her first homicide defense.

As Keera and her team follow the evidence, they uncover a complicated and deadly game that’s more than Keera bargained for. When shocking information turns the case upside down, Keera must decide between her duty to her client, her family’s legacy, and her own future.

  • Genre: Fiction, Legal, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
  • Format: 396 pages, Hardcover
  • Published: March 28, 2023 by Thomas & Mercer
  • Series: Keera Duggan #1

ABOUT ROBERT DUGONI

Robert Dugoni is the critically acclaimed New York Times, and #1 Amazon bestselling author of the Tracy Crosswhite police series set in Seattle, which has sold more than 11 million books worldwide. He is also the author of The Charles Jenkins espionage series, the David Sloane legal thriller series, and The Keera Duggan legal thriller series. He has written several stand-alone novels including the historical novels A Killing on the Hill and Hold Strong, as well as the suspense novel The 7th Canon, and Damage Control. He has written the literary novels, The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell – one of Newsweek Magazine’s Best Books of All-Time and Suspense Magazine’s 2018 Book of the Year, for which Dugoni’s narration won an AudioFile Earphones Award. He has also written the critically acclaimed novel, The World Played Chess; as well as the nonfiction exposé The Cyanide Canary, a Washington Post Best Book of the Year. His novels have been optioned for movies and television series. Dugoni is the recipient of the Nancy Pearl Award for Fiction and a four-time winner of the Friends of Mystery Spotted Owl Award for best novel set in the Pacific Northwest. He has also been a finalist for many other awards including the International Thriller Award, the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction, the Silver Falchion Award for mystery, and the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award.

Robert Dugoni’s books are sold in more than thirty-five countries and have been translated into more than thirty languages.

Visit his website at www.robertdugoni.com, and follow him on twitter @robertdugoni and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AuthorRobertDugoni

 

MY ROBERT DUGONI REVIEWS

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Review – Her Buried Past by Carolyn Arnold #NetGalley @Carolyn_Arnold #herburiedpast

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Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

The blade slices deeply into her neck, and arterial spray sweeps across her vision.

OMG. With a start like that, there is no way I could pass up a chance to read Her Buried Past by Carolyn Arnold. I wonder how Detective Madison Knight will handle all the blood. Even though she has an aversion to blood, she wanted to be a cop, like her grandfather.

Madison is married to Troy, a SWAT commander for the Stiles police department. She had lost a baby eleven months earlier. She never considered herself as the maternal type, but if she would have had the baby, she would have cared for it, loved it as only a mother can. I can relate to Madison eating cold pizza for breakfast. I do it too. I love when an author includes moments that make the characters come to life.

Her partner, Terry, is married to the love of his life, Annabelle, and has an eighteen months old baby girl, Dani. He is a proud papa.

Sidney is a new age therapist, believing in past life regression. But, she has secrets. As Madison and Terry dig into her life, the secrets are exposed, putting them in danger.

At the end of the book, Carolyn Arnold poses a question:

Did the twists and turns catch you by surprise, as they did Madison, and keep you flipping the pages.

You betcha. But, that’s no surprise to me. I expect that from Carolyn Arnold. She breaks her mysteries down and take us step by step to the conclusion. She does put those twists and turns into her novels, drawing me in, making it hard to put the book down until the last page is read.

My thanks go out to Carolyn Arnold, Hibbert & Stiles Publishing, and NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review Her Buried Past.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

The blade slices deeply into her neck, and arterial spray sweeps across her vision. She puts her hand over the wound, feeling the fight already leaving her. In a moment of surrender, she must believe something marvelous will come after she takes her last breath. Otherwise, she’ll be left with nothing but the blackness that is edging in.

After therapist Sidney Callahan is found dead in her home office, Detective Madison Knight drives out to her remote cabin. Also used as a spiritual retreat to explore past-life regression, the otherwise peaceful property stands out in stark contrast to the messy murder scene. With signs of a struggle but no forced entry, Madison must figure out who would want to harm this woman.

Madison soon discovers that Sidney had planned to release a book featuring her patients’ past lives, and she suspects one of them didn’t want their secrets exposed. But as Madison and her partner, Terry Grant, dig deeper, they make the shocking discovery that the therapist had her own dark past.

As they continue their investigation, Madison and Terry must navigate a web of lies and danger. But just as they are inching closer to the truth, someone tries to stop them with deadly force. Will they be able to bring justice to Sidney? Or will they become the next victims?

  • Genre:  Fiction, Mystery, Police Procedural, Suspense, Thriller
  • 282 pages, Paperback
  • Expected publication October 8, 2025 by Hibbert & Stiles Publishing Inc
  • Series: Detective Madison Knight #14

ABOUT CAROLYN ARNOLD

CAROLYN ARNOLD is an international bestselling and award-winning author, as well as a speaker, teacher, and inspirational mentor. She has several continuing fiction series and has many published books. Her genre diversity offers her readers everything from police procedurals, hard-boiled mysteries, and thrillers to action adventures. Her crime fiction series have been praised by those in law enforcement as being accurate and entertaining. This led to her adopting the trademark: POLICE PROCEDURALS RESPECTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT™.

Carolyn was born in a small town and enjoys spending time outdoors, but she also loves the lights of a big city. Grounded by her roots and lifted by her dreams, her overactive imagination insists that she tell her stories. Her intention is to touch the hearts of millions with her books, to entertain, inspire, and empower.

She currently lives near London, Ontario, Canada with her husband and two beagles.

MY REVIEWS FOR CAROLYN ARNOLD

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Review – The Hitchhikers by Chevy Stevens #netgalley #thehitchhikers @ChevyStevens

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The Hitchhikers Chevy Stevens

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

The Hitchhikers by Chevy Stevens sounded like Tom and Alice bit off more than they could chew. I felt like very bad things were headed their way, I wasn’t sure what twisty turns they would have to travel and whether or not they would come out of the experience whole.

Alice and Tom have hit a rough patch in their marriage and Alice has a lot of baggage she struggles to get past, as she tries to navigate her way back to Tom. She felt Tom was making a mistake when he offered Ocean and Blue a ride to the next town. She should have paid attention to her instincts. I felt a sense of anticipation, an eerie feeling that there was a shit load of bad that was going to come down on them.

Up in the front, Alice spun the radio dial. Jenny’s thoughts flipped into new fears. She hadn’t thought about the radio. Would they be on the news?

Wondering who Jenny is? Think about it. Who names their children Ocean and Blue? It had me wondering what they did. What are they running from?

Tom…well, he spends most of the trip in serious straits. As they move from town to town, things only become worse, more frightening for Alice. How many bodies will drop? How can anything end well for Ocean and Blue? I felt empathy for Blue, but…

The ending, I thought something like that would come about, but I wasn’t sure how we would get there. I loved it. And when the facts for their life on the run are fully explained, well, I didn’t see that coming. I was surprised, but it also made perfect sense. A cornered animal will be forced to defend itself.

I want to thank NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review The Hitchhikers by Chevy Stevens.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

On the remote Canadian highways in 1976, Tom and Alice set out to heal their fractured marriage.
An RV, a new beginning, and the hope of recovery after a devastating tragedy.
Then they meet two young hitchhikers,
Ocean and Blue—a seemingly innocent couple who aren’t who they seem. . . .
They are Jenny and Simon.
And they have left a trail of blood, destruction, and madness behind them.
Now Tom and Alice are trapped—prisoners in a deadly game, with nowhere to turn.
But as the tension builds and the lines blur,
the question becomes, In whose heart does evil truly lie?

A chilling, twist-laden ride to the final page—THE HITCHHIKERS is a master class in suspense and shock.

  • Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
  • Kindle Edition
  • Expected publication October 7, 2025 by St Martin’s Press

ABOUT CHEVY STEVENS

CHEVY STEVENS lives on Vancouver Island with her husband and daughter. When she’s not working on her next book, she’s spending time with her family and their two dogs. Chevy’s debut novel, STILL MISSING, was a New York Times bestseller and won the International Thriller Writers Award for Best First Novel. Her books, including THOSE GIRLS which Stephen King called “incredibly scary” have been published in more than thirty countries. Her seventh novel, DARK ROADS, is now available. Please visit her at www.ChevyStevens.com.

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
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  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!