Category Archives: Reviews

Review – Blind Spots by Thomas Mullen #netgalley #thomasmullen #blindspots

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I want to thank St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Blind Spots by Thomas Mullen. I thought this futuristic science fiction thriller had elements that could be all too true.

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Wow, what a concept. I love the cover for Blind Spots by Thomas Mullen and when I read the blurb, I knew I had to read it. I mean…check it out…Seven years earlier everyone went blind. Technology steps up to fill the gap, creating a device that allows people to see and downloads information directly into your brain. NOW…WHAT CAN POSSIBLY GO WRONG?

Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely is an observation Lord Acton made in a letter to Bishop Creighton on April 5, 1887.

With our technological advances in the health care field, Blind Spots by Thomas Mullen may be a warning. I mean, everything is hackable. Why someone would want to do that? There can be many motivations. Greed, hate, power…

The book started out predictable and slow for me. Those who want…everything…take advantage of a bad situation and go for broke. They will stop at nothing to have it all.
Abuse of power, corruption, greed, and all those things that corrupt the corruptible.

The Blinding. The cause is not known for sure. Could it be a bioweapon? Could it be a virus? Think pandemic. What happened when Covid hit, taking down one country after another until it spread worldwide. Did the elite and moneyed get preference? Were those who wanted to take advantage of the situation able to do so? How long does it go on? Years? Decades?

I felt for Homicide Detective Mark Owens, but couldn’t quite connect with him, or any of the other characters. I love the plot of a story, but my reading enjoyment has changed and I want, no, I need, that character connection.

I wanted to love it, but the writing, though I cannot say exactly what it was, did not grip me, did not keep me hanging on by my fingertips. BUT, it did keep me involved. I thought I would be raving while reading it, maybe even throwing my ereader, but that didn’t happen. No matter how badly I wanted to rage, I was thinking, yep. Figured that. Knew that. I wonder if maybe I have become so enured to the CRAP floating around these days that I am immune.

For the rating…First of all, this is an ARC. Things can be changed, twisted and tightened up to improve your reading experience. I flipped between a 3 and a 4. If I did halfsies, it would be 3 1/2.. In that case, I round up to a four. I loved the premise, the technology, and the abuses that follow. I don’t know if it is me or the writing lacked that something extra to get my emotions ramped up, but it is a book I would recommend. It can be a warning, in a way. Technology and all its goodness, can be misused. How do we get the benefit without paying the price? Would you get a vidder, a device that gives you sight and downloads information directly to your brain?

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of Blind Spots by Thomas Mullen.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

A riveting crime novel with a speculative edge about the ways our perceptions of reality can be manipulated.

Seven years ago, everyone in the world went blind in a matter of months. Technology helped people adjust to the new normal, creating a device that approximates vision, downloading visual data directly to people’s brains. But what happens when someone finds a way to hack it and change what people see?

Homicide detective Mark Owens has been on the force since before The Blinding. When a scientist is murdered, and the only witness insists the killer was blacked out of her vision, Owens doesn’t believe her—until a similar murder happens in front of him. With suspects ranging from tech billionaires to anti-modernity cultists—and with the bodies piling up—Owens must conduct an investigation in which he can’t even trust his own eyes.

Thomas Mullen, the acclaimed author of Darktown and The Last Town on Earth, delivers an unputdownable crime novel about one man’s search for truth in a world of surveillance and disinformation that’s all too recognizable.

ABOUT THOMAS MULLEN

Thomas Mullen is the author of Darktown, an NPR Best Book of the Year, which has been shortlisted for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, the Southern Book Prize, the Indies Choice Book Award, has been nominated for two Crime Writers Assocation Dagger Awards, and is being developed for television by Sony Pictures with executive producer Jamie Foxx; The Last Town on Earth, which was named Best Debut Novel of 2006 by USA Today and was awarded the James Fenimore Cooper Prize for excellence in historical fiction; The Many Deaths of the Firefly Brothers; and The Revisionists. He lives in Atlanta with his wife and sons.

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I Am So Lovin’ The Epic Fantasy of Unicorn Island by Donna Galanti With Illustrator Bethany Stancliff @DonnaGalanti #bethanystancliffe

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PREORDER – Will be released 4.4.23

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

If you are looking for some reading material to give your child hours of reading pleasure, getting lost in a fantasy world where Sam and Tuck take some amazing adventures, I must recommend this series.

The books are beautiful, with wonderful illustrations that draw us into the book, making it easier to visualize the scenes as they unfold, offering a little something extra to keep children involved, maybe even putting themselves in Sam and Tuck’s place.

Sam has a big heart and a need to help others, drawing Tuck into her adventures. Verny the Wyvern and Barloc the Unicorn are a couple of their best friends and volunteer to help them go Beyond The Portal to find discover answers about the disappearance of her biological mother.

Not only will they get the answers they are searching for, but they will help others who are in desperate need of it. All of them will be surprised at the outcome, learning that things are not always as they appear and helping others comes back to you. I love watching them grow and develop into more complex characters that are willing to accept what is, to go above and beyond what is expected of them, doing it with love and compassion.

I highly recommend the Unicorn Island series by Donna Galanti. Children will have hours of fun on Sam and Tuck’s adventures, playing on Unicorn Island, solving mysteries and making new friends of the supernatural kind. Their imaginations will blossom, maybe believing in magic and legends that are sure to supply hours of entertainment. I hope I conveyed my love of this series without spoiling anything for anyone.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Unicorn Island: Beyond The Portal by Donna Galanti.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

The secrets of Unicorn Island are all revealed in the final book in Epic’s middle-grade fantasy series! When Sam and Tuck discover a way to unlock the answers they’ve been seeking, they must set out to discover the truth…

For Sam, knowing a little about her mother’s disappearance through the portal is almost worse than knowing nothing at all. Determined to distract herself, she tries to learn everything possible about caring for the herd on Unicorn Island. But when she and her friend Tuck stumble on a coded verse in The Unicorn Protector Creed, they are faced with an even greater task.

With no way of knowing what’s beyond it, Sam, Tuck, and Barloc the unicorn step through the portal and find that not only is Sam’s mother no longer a unicorn protector, she also lives in a world plagued by its own problems—and convinced that the only solution to them rests in the horn on Barloc’s head.

With the portal closing at sundown on the third day, Sam and Tuck are in a race to rescue their friend, reunite their families, and save another world from a terrible fate of its own making!

ABOUT DONNA GALANTI

Donna Galanti is the author of the bestselling paranormal suspense Element Trilogy and the children’s fantasy adventure Joshua and The Lightning Road series. Donna is a contributing editor for International Thriller Writers the Big Thrill magazine, a writing contest judge at nycmidnight.com, and regularly presents as a guest author at schools and teaches at writing conferences. She’s lived from England as a child, to Hawaii as a U.S. Navy photographer. Donna also loves teaching writers about building author brand and platform through her free training series at yourawesomeauthorlife.com. Visit her at donnagalanti.com.

CONNECT WITH DONNA:

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New Release Review – So Close by Sylvia Day @SylDay @SmithPublicity

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I have a paperback with this cover and I love it. The one below is the Amazon US paperback.
This cover is gorgeous and definitely pertains to the story, seeing Lily is front and center.

SO CLOSE by Sylvia Day

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR RELEASES

A LUSHLY GOTHIC NOVEL OF DOMESTIC SUSPENSE

MY REVIEW

First off, doesn’t that cover stop you in your tracks. It sure did me. Then add in all the other goodies, a fabulous story and an award winning author, how could I go wrong. We all know things can happen, our expectations can be dashe, but Sylvia Day caught me from the beginning and kept me til the end. Well done, Sylvia.

His grief knows no bounds. A love he cannot let go. He is obsessed with his wife. Madly in love with his wife. Married to his wife…even in death. He has a charisma that draws women to him like a moth to a flame…and they will get burned.

Witte…so much more than he appears to be. He met with Kane Black, planning on turning down his job offer. He couldn’t resist him either. They have been together for six years. Together, Kane found a reason to go on, to prosper. Witte taught him how to dress for success, protected him, allowed him to pull himself together when he was lost in the pits of despair.

A glimpse. A look of terror. Lily…She is like a Phoenix, risen from the dead. Is she going to burn down the world? What’s the story?

A family more treacherous than any outside enemy.

Things that crawl around in the shadows can never be trusted.

At times I thought it was familiar, but it didn’t take long for Sylvia Day to have me meandering down a convoluted path of betrayal and danger, intrigue and surprise. I love a story I cannot figure out and she kept me guessing.

Told from multiple points of view, the characters are fascinating, good and bad alike. Family means nothing to…most of…them. They have ulterior motives and desires, willing to sacrifice anything to fulfill them. As their true faces are revealed, I am disgusted and delighted.

Some of my favorite characters are Amy, who is a raging alcoholic driven to insanity? Aliyah is someone who would step over a dead body to get to the money. Witte, well, a total surprise and I love him. Can I have one of my own? Kane. We cannot reveal too much or there will be a spoiler alert. The same applies to Lily…and a few other characters who were hidden in the shadows but rose to the surface as we neared the end. They were a pleasant surprise and I cannot wait to read more about them…in a future story. 🙂

I tripped and stumbled over the I and you writing style, so it did affect the pacing of the story. Also, I had no idea this would be a series. That is a good and bad thing, because the story isn’t finished…and by the time I reached the end I was happy it wasn’t, Because I want more.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of So Close by Sylvia Day.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

ABOUT SO CLOSE BY SYLVIA DAY

From the #1 USA Today bestselling author of the CrossfireÒ saga comes the beginning of a twisty tale of obsession and rage. In SO CLOSE [Rōnin House, March 28, 2023], author Sylvia Day takes her fans on a darker and more suspenseful journey than ever before. 

Widower Kane Black is still ruinously married to his late wife, Lily. Grief has hollowed him—until he sees a woman with his wife’s inimitable beauty in Manhattan. Kane takes her home to his towering penthouse, where reminders of Lily are everywhere. Aliyah, Kane’s mother, and Amy, his sister-in-law, are suspicious and distrustful of the new “Lily,” who wields dangerous control over Kane. As Aliyah fights viciously to stay on her family’s throne and Amy spirals deeper into the rage of a woman betrayed too many times, the formidable women in Kane’s life attempt to uncover each other’s secrets. But Kane is happier than he’s ever been and will do anything to stay that way.

The first novel in the thrilling Blacklist Duology, So Close is the propulsive and compelling story that Day’s die-hard fanbase has been waiting for. In this steamy psychosexual thriller, readers will experience Day’s trademark themes of survival and vulnerability on a never-before-seen level of emotional intensity and intrigue. Day’s prose are vividly descriptive and entirely unforgettable – readers of So Close will want to return to the book again and again to re-experience its brilliantly intricate mysteries and scorching love story.

Maxine Hitchcock, Publishing Director of Michael Joseph (Penguin Random House UK), says, “Sylvia Day is an author who has captivated legions of fans across the world. So Close marks a triumphant return of a storyteller at the very height of her powers. In Lily, Aliyah and Amy, Sylvia has created an unholy trinity of women, linked by buried secrets, who circle a man who unquestionably accepts the return of his beloved long-lost wife. She takes us on a thrilling, atmospheric and emotionally intense journey which had me thirsting for the next installment. This is the start of an exciting new chapter for an author with an already glittering career.”

So Close is perfect for fans of Jessica Knoll’s Luckiest Girl Alive and Caroline Kepnes’s You series. This story is domestic suspense with gothic elements in the vein of Rebecca with a cast of strong female trauma survivors who are dangerously committed to never being vulnerable again.

ABOUT THE SYLVIA DAY

Her work has been covered in Time, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, People, the Wall Street Journal, Cosmopolitan, the Associated Press, USA Today, and Entertainment Weekly, among others. Her bestselling novel Afterburn / Aftershock was developed into a motion picture by Passionflix and released in November 2017. The documentary following her 2016 world tour, Beyond Words: Sylvia Day, was released in October 2018.

Bestselling titles in Sylvia’s canon include Bared to You, Reflected in You, Entwined with You, Captivated by You, One with You, Wish List, A Touch of Crimson, Eve of Darkness, Seven Years to Sin, and more. The sequel to So Close and the final chapter of the Blacklist Duology will be entitled Too Far.

Connect with Sylvia on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Goodreads, or at www.sylviaday.com

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Review – Making Leine by DV Berkom @dvberkom #assassin

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Goodreads

MY REVIEW

EXCLUSIVE TO HER NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIBERS. So, if you want to get a glimpse into Leine Basso’s psyche and why sex traffickers make her ‘crazy’, sign up today

I am a huge fan of Leine Basso and DV Berkom is a must read author for me. To get this prequel, highlighting Leina Basso’s introduction to the life of an assassin and how she became the Leopard, visit DV’s website and sign up for the newsletter.

Eric found her at sixteen. She was sent on honey traps in the beginning.

Eric mentioned it wouldn’t do much good to stem the sex trafficking of those young girls – mainly because such crimes were low priority. Leine could, would, not turn her back on them. I was as filled with disgust as Leine was and I only hope, if I were in her position, I could act as she does.

A short, interesting read showcasing my favorite DV Berkom character.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
3 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

The untold story of Leine’s early years.

Before she was Leine Basso, elite assassin, she was just Leine, sixteen years old and recently orphaned. Find out how she transformed from angry and alone to formidable assassin, The Leopard.

ABOUT D V BERKOM

Image of D.V. Berkom

DV Berkom is a slave to the voices in her head. As the author of two popular thriller series (Leine Basso and Kate Jones), her love of creating resilient, kick-*ss female characters stems from a lifelong addiction to reading spy novels, mysteries, and thrillers, and longing to find the female equivalent within those pages.

Raised in the Midwest, she received her BA in political science from the University of Minnesota and promptly moved to Mexico to live on a sailboat. Many, many cross-country moves (and several years) later, she now lives just outside of Seattle, Washington with the love of her life, Mark, an ex-chef-turned contractor, and writes every chance she gets.

My Reviews DV Berkom’s Leine Basso Thrillers:

My Reviews for DV Berkom’s Kate Jones Thrillers:

My Reviews for DV Berkom’s Claire Whitcomb Westerns

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Review – The Scorned by David Putnam @daveputnam @oceanviewpub

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The Scorned
The Scorned
The Scorned
The Scorned

I first saw The Scorned by David Putnam in a tour. His name was familiar, but when I saw this cover, I was determined to do everything I could to win the giveaway. Karma was on my side, and I won the fabulous package below.

I know I am starting this out of order, but The Scorned by David Putnam is his latest release, so I am going to share that one first. As you can tell, I don’t have all of the other nine, but the main thing is….I have The Disposables, Book I, that I will be reading next.

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

First off, The Scorned by David Putnam is Book 10 and I have not read the previous books. The more I read of The Scorned, the more hooked I became and I will be going back to the beginning, The Disposables.

In the opening pages, David Putnam describes something that I find true, living in a tropical climate:

The humidity so thick words hung suspended a moment longer before dissipating.

I love the whole ex-cop, ex-con concept. Books that deal with trafficking in women and children hit home for me. I want to know the villains will get their comeuppance, at least in fiction. All too often, in reality, that does not happen. It does cause all my emotions to come into play.

Bruno Johnson and his bud, Karl Drago will face the villains…head on, raining hell down on them. I felt I knew Bruno, but Karl…it was a pleasure watching him grow and develop into a more complete individual. I would definitely want him on my side…and his crusty dog too.

The characters, even the good ones, do not walk the straight and narrow. Sometimes, to make things right, stepping outside the law is the only answer. Other times, we don’t always have the full story, so rushing to judgment can have you eating crow.

Most of the time, this action packed thriller was full of horrendous happenings, drugged and trafficked women, stolen babies, and meth heads. Other times, the good guys confront them, holding them accountable for their actions, showing no mercy and occasionally, even having some light hearted moments.

The more I read of The Scorned, the more it drew me in, feeling anger and fear, wondering how it will all end and if all my ‘friends’ will remain standing. I missed learning how the characters came to be in the situations we find them in…on the run, evading the law, forced to leave the United States and relocate to Costa Rica, though David Putnam did address it, filling in some of the blanks.

The children…the amazing actions taken to save any and all….

In the beginning, the story had an old time feel to it, the writing style making we wonder if the Bruno Johnson series was really for me. I kept at it and lost myself. I can hardly wait to go back to the beginning, The Disposables, and find out how it all started.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Scorned by David Putnam.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Ex-cop, ex-con Bruno Johnson stumbles into a criminal organization that exploits women and children—he must fight his way out and home

Bruno Johnson is hiding out from the U.S. law in Costa Rica with his pregnant wife, Marie, and the ten kids they rescued from toxic homes in South Central Los Angeles. When Marie encounters a difficult labor and delivery, their good friend Dr. Vargas rescues both her and Bruno’s infant son. So Bruno feels indebted when asked to escort his daughter Layla, a college student in Los Angeles, back home to Costa Rica.

When Bruno arrives in Los Angeles, he finds the problem with Layla is complicated and dire. Layla has fallen in with Johnny, the leader of a vast and notorious criminal empire that exploits women and children. She says she’s had his child and that he has taken the baby.

Bruno enlists the help of his old friend Karl Drago—and his dog, Waldo—to aid in his search for Layla’s baby—a baby her parents disavow. Bruno soon discovers things aren’t as they appear, but he will stop at nothing to save the innocent baby and return to his family and newborn son in Costa Rica—providing he can evade capture while on U.S. soil.

Perfect for fans of Michael Connelly and David Baldacci

While all of the novels in the Bruno Johnson Crime Series stand on their own and can be read in any order, the publication sequence is:

The Disposables
The Replacements
The Squandered
The Vanquished
The Innocents
The Reckless
The Heartless
The Ruthless
The Sinister
The Scorned
The Diabolical (coming 2024)

  • Thriller, Mystery, Internations, Suspense

352 pages, Hardcover

Published February 7, 2023

ABOUT DAVID PUTNAM

Best-selling author David Putnam comes from a family of law enforcement. During his career, he did it all: worked in narcotics, served on FBI-sponsored violent crimes teams, and was cross-sworn as a US Marshall, pursuing murder suspects and bank robbers in Arizona, Nevada, and California. Putnam did two tours on the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s SWAT team. He also has experience in criminal intelligence and internal affairs and has supervised corrections, patrol, and a detective bureau. In Hawaii, Putnam was a member of the real-life Hawaii Five O, serving as Special Agent for the Attorney General investigating smuggling and white-collar crimes.

Putnam lives in Southern California with his wife, Mary.

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Review – Sunshine And Shadow: Exodus, or The Second Transit by Benjamin X Wretlind @bxwretlind #sciencefiction #fantasy

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people on a journey

It doesn’t get easier.

They were promised a new world and got it. Now they’re in a fight for their lives. No one said colonization would be easy.

Sunshine and Shadow

My Journey to the planet Tishbe began with winning The First Transit by Benjamin X Wretlind. Then I was lucky enough to win The Second Transit and a tour for The Third Transit came up, so I got the third book…of this nine book series.

Amazon / KindleUnlimited / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

It all started when Elijah jumped off a cliff to his death, but the gods felt his work wasn’t done. They gave him abilities that led him to take his followers from Earth to paradise….

The ‘happy life’ on Tishbe began to deteriorate when Candice, an eleven year old girl, disobeyed her parents warning…Don’t go in the holes.

The three main characters are Miriam Michaels, Micah and Joel. They had never know Earth, having grown up on Tishbe. As the danger around them rises, so do questions. Why had no one investigated the forests, the mountains, the rest of the planet. Secrets were kept, and we all know that sooner or later, those that kept them would be called out.

The creatures and the planet are vividly described, as a small group venture forth, looking for a new place to live. Not only will they learn about Tishbe, but they will learn about each other. Some will not survive.

The Transit series by Benjamin X Wretlind is a nine book series. Each book I’ve read has been over five hundred pages long. I happily spent hours with the characters, ‘watching’ the story unravel, dodging creatures that want to eat me…I mean them…avoiding dangers as they discover a new place to live, wondering why it was deserted and where the aliens went. The more I read, the more curious I become.

Paradise? Utopia? Sure!

On to All We Leave Behind: Transit Three by Benjamin X Wretlind.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Where do you go when the storms come and your paradise rebels?

On a cold and rainy September afternoon, Father Elijah Jonas convinced his followers to abandon the purgatory that was Earth and travel on faith to a new world. Now, forty years after the most important event in human history no one left on Earth witnessed, the descendants of those who followed Elijah have built a remarkable life. From farms to stables to the mundane of the day, life has been fruitful. But, like many things in life and society, what lies under the surface threatens the future.

As natural disasters and wild dangers claim the human residents on the planet Tishbe, relationships strain, families are torn apart and allegiances are tested. For Miriam Michaels, granddaughter of the eldest elder and man responsible for the societal mores and traditions the community follows, the future is found in the unknown. For young Micah, a scribe-in-training, the present is a confusing array of love and hate with few answers to the myriad of questions which emerge daily. And for Miriam’s cousin, Joel, an engineer determined to follow in the footsteps of his mentors, it is the past which holds answers.

For all of them, the journey from their normal life into the unknown will test the strength and resolve of the community and strain relationships, threatening to destroy the grand vision Father Elijah and his followers had for the future of mankind. In sunshine they were born and in shadow they will pass, but not until they can build the life each of them imagine on a planet far from paradise.

It doesn’t get easier.

ABOUT BENJAMIN X WRETLIND (from Amazon)

Benjamin, a multi-genre author, ran with scissors when he was five. He now writes, paints, uses sharp woodworking tools and plays with glue. Sometimes he does these things at the same time.

He is the author of the dystopian novel Beneath Gehenna, the psychological horror Castles, Sketches from the Spanish Mustang (literary fiction), Sunset on Maior Pales (a sci-fi western) and other novels and novellas.

Benjamin lives with his wife Jesse in Colorado.

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Review – Poisoned Lily by Nik Grybaski #nikgrybaski #mystery

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Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I am intrigued by the amazing cover, the great title and the mystery within Poisoned Lily by Nik Grybaski. The story is okay and a quick read, 72 pages. Be prepared to be transported to the past in this historical mystery. The treatment of the dead woman could be happening in real time, seeing she is unimportant to some and deserving of an investigation to others.

Leo Katz, a photographer, and Klaus Rosnbloom, a pathologist, stumble onto each other, working together to help the police solve the crime. This is a quick, yet enjoyable read that some may like more than I.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Poisoned Lily by Nik Grybaski.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
2 Stars

AMAZON SYNOPSIS

Was Lily murdered, or did her sinister secret force her to take her own life?

In a room above a tavern, on the hedonistic streets of Praterstrasse Vienna, is the dead body of a kept woman.

A mysterious lady sits alone in the bar. A man exits the premises through the back door, gripping onto a cane with an amber head. A youth, clutching a bottle, stumbles down the stairs and drinks the remnants of the poison his dead lover, Lily, took just minutes before.

Was it suicide?

It’s up to photographer Leo Katz and his new friend, pathologist Klaus Rosenbloom, to solve the mystery. But how can they discover who the killer is when vicious thugs steal vital evidence and threaten their lives?

Grab you copy of this thrilling murder mystery now!

ABOUT NIK GRYBASKI

Nik Grybaski is neither real nor imaginary, existing solely in the shadows of the worlds Nik creates.

Nik is responsible for creating Leo Katz and the things that Leo gets up to when Nik is asleep.

A dabbler at most things useless but creative, Nik writes to forget…Nik has already forgotten.

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Review – The Girl Who Crossed The Line by Tikiri Herath @Herath_Tikiri

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Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I gave The Girl Who Crossed The Line by Tikiri Herath two stars and let me tell you why. Disappointment. Everything about the prequel intrigued me. From the cover to the blurb, I was drawn in. BUT, the prequel was only half the book, ending in a cliffhanger. The other half, chapters of Book I, The Girl Who Ran Away…and that, of course, left me wanting more. Soooo, I was miffed. I wouldn’t waste my time with this one. If it sounds like one for you, go for Book I, The Girl Who Ran Away.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy The Girl Who Crossed The Line by Tikiri Herath.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
2 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

A reckless girl. A grave mistake. A fateful destiny.

She’s the underdog everyone loves to hate….

…then she commits a crime.

Young Asha is the outsider, the girl everyone loves to hate at school.

One day, she does the unspeakable in a desperate bid to keep a friendship.

But she doesn’t realize her misdeed has got the attention of a ruthless and powerful man who rules the dark underworld of human trafficking.

Will he let her get away with it?

Or will he entrap her too?

One thing is for sure. Asha’s grave mistake will haunt her for the rest of her life.
Did you like Lisbeth Salander from The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo? Then, you’ll love Asha from the Red Heeled Rebels.

Begin a wild ride around the world without getting a passport or even buying an airline ticket.
Get it now.

_________________________________________________________________________

The Girl Who Crossed the Line is the prequel story to the addictive Red Heeled Rebels psychological suspense series.

*This book was formerly titled Shattered / Beginnings.

If you enjoy gripping psychological thrillers with flawed but gutsy heroines, vigilante action in exotic locales and twists that get your pulse pounding, you’ll love these books by multiple award-winning Canadian novelist, Tikiri Herath.

Amazon / KindleUnlimited / Goodreads

ABOUT TIKIRI HERATH

Tikiri Herath is the multiple award-winning author of international mystery and thriller novels.

Tikiri has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Victoria, Canada, and a master’s degree from the Solvay Business School in Brussels, Belgium. For almost two decades, she worked in the intelligence and defense sectors, including in the Canadian Federal Government and at NATO in Europe and North America.

Tikiri’s an adrenaline junkie who has rock climbed, bungee jumped, rode on the back of a motorcycle across Quebec, flown in an acrobatic airplane upside down, and parachuted solo.

When she’s not plotting another thriller scene or planning an adrenaline-filled trip, you’ll find her baking in her kitchen with a glass of red Shiraz and vintage jazz playing in the background.

Born in Sri Lanka, Tikiri grew up in East Africa and has studied, worked, and lived in Southeast Asia, continental Europe, and North America through her adult life.

An international nomad and fifth-culture kid, she now calls Canada home.

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Instagram / LinkedIn

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Review & Giveaway – Chris Crossed Murder by Lauren Carr @iReadBookTours @TheMysteryLadie

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Book Details:

Book Title:  Chris Crossed Murder (A Chris Matheson Cold Case Mystery #4) by Lauren Carr
Category:  Adult Fiction (18 +) 
Genre:  Mystery
Publisher:  Acorn Book Services
Release date:   Feb 22, 2023
Content Rating:  PG-13 (Lauren Carr’s books are murder mysteries, so there are murders involved. Occasionally, a murder will happen on stage. There is sexual content, but always behind closed doors. Some mild swearing (a hell or a damn few and far between). No F-bombs!

MY REVIEW

I have been loving the Chris Matheson Cold Case series by Lauren Carr for four books now. I think it would make a fabulous TV series, along the lines of Bones, Castle, or Rizzoli and Iles. I do love humor with my murder, add some unique critters with huge personalities that are a source of amusement, and I feel you can’t go wrong. I think my favorite may be Sterling. He sure does shine in many ways. Also, Thor. What a cutie pie.

Tis the season and there is a mystery to be solved. Will they get it done in time to enjoy the holiday season? I like to think so.

“What would have happened if someone had killed you?”

You Mom and the Geezer Squad would have hunted the bad guy to the ends of the earth and brought the full force of hell down on him.”

That’s an example of Lauren Carr’s writing style that hooks me and keeps me coming back for more in this cold case series. The characters shine and pool their investigative skills under the guise of a book club. The Geezer Squad is on the case, so the villains better beware.

Chris Matheson may be a retired FBI agent, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be any dead bodies in his future. The interaction between the characters, human and animal alike, are mixed with murder and danger, with a sprinkle of romance scattered throughout. I laughed, I worried, I got down right angry, but it all worked out in the end…except for the bad guys.

I love cold cases. They tend to creep up on the characters, leading them left, right, up and down and all around. Revenge and greed may be the death of someone, but I’m not telling who. The ending…I loved it. I had some things figured out, but I didn’t know THAT was coming until I got there. What a fabulous surprise and I was left with a feeling of satisfaction for a job well done, Lauren.

There were several bumps in the road, otherwise this would have been a 5 star review.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Chris Crossed Murder by Lauren Carr.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars
“Carr is a master at creating unique, complex plots and colorful characters, both evident in her latest cold case mystery featuring  Chris Matheson and the geezer squad. The plot is twisted, the mystery unique and the ending a surprise. A must-read!” – Review of CHRIS CROSSED MURDER (A Chris Matheson Cold Case Mystery, Book Four) by Marilyn R. Wilson, Author, Speaker, Book Reviewer

“Lauren Carr is among my favorite mystery writers. She knows how to write a fun tale while keeping readers engaged. …I would give Chris Crossed Murder one hundred stars if I could. I believe readers who enjoy reading well-written and clean cozy mysteries will most definitely want to read it. I have no doubt they will enjoy it as much as I did. The fifth installment from A Chris Matheson Cold Case Mystery series is on my radar for when it releases.” – Review of CHRIS CROSSED MURDER (A Chris Matheson Cold Case Mystery, Book Four) by Amy Campbell, Locks Hooks and Books
Book Description:
It proves to be a Christmas to remember when the Matheson family receives the horrendous news that Chris Matheson’s body has been found in the woods near an international airport.

Everyone is stunned—especially Chris Matheson.

The mystery deepens when they discover the victim has Chris’s federal agent badge and appears to have been investigating one of his old cases.

The Geezer Squad’s latest case is not only a whodunit but who-got-dun. Is this a case of mistaken identity? Was Chris the intended victim? If not, then they must identify the murder victim to find his killer.

With Christmas days away, join the Chris Matheson and the Geezer Squad as they race to piece together the clues to their most puzzling case yet.
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Review – House Of Jaguar by Mike Bond #mikebond #houseofjaguar

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Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

“We’re back in Guatemala.” “When we get out this time, I’m going to bag it too.”

But they waited one trip too long and Murphy’s life as a pilot flying marijuana from Guatemala to the States is over.

I’m not going into everything that is in the blurb, but I do remember hearing a lot about the CIA, the cartels, corrupt politicians…on both sides…those with their own agendas. To me, everything about the ‘drug wars’ and the way our government handles it is all wrong. A book like House Of Jaguar gets my emotions roiled. The tragic circumstances of the poor and those who get in the way, makes my heart break for them.

“For two years I do not see a track. Then since you came this one’s been near. He’s very rare, a black one…Tonight after the ceremony I go and call him. Then we’ll have money for more seeds – black skins are the most valuable.”

In tragic, dangerous circumstances, there are those who open their hearts, putting their own lives on the line to help others. Dona is one of those characters and Murphy has the misfortune (?) to fall in love with her. How can it be a happy ever after?

He knows too much and tries to tell the world what is being done to the Guatemalans. It is unfortunate that no one seems to care enough to do anything about it, other than hunt him down and shut him up. He is naive to think the things he does won’t end in a bad way. Lives will be lost, but he cannot help himself. He wants her. He wants to make a difference. He wants to be a good guy. He wants to make a difference.

They kill their own. Psycopaths are turned loose on the innocent. Men turn into animals. The savage violence turns my stomach, pisses me off to no end. Why? What makes them think they are more valuable to the world than the next person? Sometimes I think, do unto others should be done unto them. You reap what you sow. You take a life, you have to give one…yours!

Violence, tragedy, intensity, emotions…The author has lived them and it shows in the story he tells. I don’t read books like House Of Jaguar too often any more. They make me soooo angry, frustrated and disturbed because it seems like we, as a people, never learn and history does repeat itself…over and over again.

The ending….

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of House Of Jaguar by Mike Bond.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Shot down over the jungle with a planeload of marijuana, Vietnam War hero Joe Murphy gets caught up in the brutal Guatemalan Civil War when he witnesses an attack on a Mayan village by the Guatemalan Army and its CIA “advisors”. Badly injured, he escapes on a nightmare trek through the jungle, hunted by the Army, the CIA, and death squads.

Healed by guerrilla doctor Dona Villalobos, he falls in love with her and tries to save her from the War’s widening horror of insanity, tragedy, and death. Caught in the crucible of violence and love, he learns the peaks and depths the human heart can reach, and what humans will do for, and to,each other.

Based on the author’s own experiences as one of the last foreign correspondents left alive in Guatemala after over 100 journalists had been killed by Army death squads.

This interview with Mike Bond lasts for 30+ minutes.

ABOUT MIKE BOND

MIKE BOND has been called the “master of the existential thriller” by the BBC and “one of the 21st century’s most exciting authors” by the Washington Times. He is a bestselling novelist, environmental activist, international energy expert, war and human rights correspondent and award-winning poet who has lived and worked in many remote and dangerous parts of the world. His critically acclaimed novels depict the innate hunger of the human heart for what is good, the intense joys of love, the terror and fury of battle, the sinister vagaries of international politics and multinational corporations, and the beauty of the vanishing natural world.

Website

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
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