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Hi Everyone. I have been bust going through closets, trying on clothes and messing around the house. I am doing some decluttering and I love when I can look in the closets and know what’s in there and where things are. I still have some drawers to go through and the office is…well, I’m not saying. LOL How about you? Do you do spring cleaning?
The pool is in dire need of cleaning, but I need the pool guy to come first. I have been putting it off, but, no more. I hope to get him in this week. Until then, Mr Wonderful and I are doing some yard clean and shed clean up. I am actually excited about it. 🙂
I was hoping the weather would be warmer, but I do remember Mardi Gras and the Senior Bowl, which we are watching right now, are usually pretty chilly. At least the sun is shining. Right now my computer say 52 degrees and I have my blankie keeping me comfy. What’s your weather like where you are at?
I have a couple of Book Trailers by Anita Dickason, a fabulous author.
I hope to see you during the week for reviews and giveaways. Stay safe..
I can’t remember how I got so many of Ashley Fontainne’s novels, but I think I won them in a giveaway. I have been trying to pick them off one by one as I also read/review her newer books. She is always a must read author for me since I cracked open the very first book.
I love this fabulous cover. What do you think about it?
Ashley Fontainne is a must read author for me since I picked up the very first book. That being said, Empty Shell is not one of my favorites, though I did enjoy the mystery. She has an ability to start her books with a fantastic hook, making me continue flipping pages.
Over the years, I had watched too many of my friends go through this nightmare. Held them while they wept, hearts ripped apart.So many strong women turned into empty shells, nothing but former husks of themselves.
I was lost inside the empty shell of my womb, unable to find my way out of the darkness.
Secrets, betrayals, mystery, murder and loss fill the pages. Good friends can make life easier, so it’s a good think Melody as a couple. I didn’t see the biggest betrayal of all, and I love when an author can sneak in a surprise that leaves me shaking my head because I didn’t see it.
Ashley Fontainne has included many Christian references and I found, at times, it slowed the reading down for me. That may not be the case for others, so keep that in mind if Empty Shell sounds like a good fit for you.
I am looking forward to the next Ashley Fontainne story.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Empty Shell by Ashley Fontainne.
3 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
A pair of pink, silk underwear…
The quiet world of Melody and Jack Dickinson is about to be turned upside down. Twenty years of marriage hangs in the balance when Melody finds out about Jack’s infidelity. The betrayal is made worse when Melody discovers his lover is Serena Rowland, a young woman who works at Melody’s law firm.
A receipt from an overpriced hotel…
Harsh words are exchanged before Melody storms off to work, determined to have Serena fired. But when Melody hears Serena was murdered over the weekend, everything changes. Serena’s body is found beaten and strangled with a pair of pink, silk panties, in the same hotel that Jack had admitted staying at over the weekend. Within seconds of hearing the news, Melody’s life spins out of control when Jack calls in a panic. The police are at their home to arrest him for Serena’s murder.
Pictures of a young woman’s scantily clad torso on a cell phone…
Was she married to a monster? One who beat and strangled the young woman to death, or was Jack set up? Did Melody’s own dark secret, hidden inside her heart for years, have something to do with the nightmare they suddenly find themselves in?
Melody and Jack are about to discover that one fateful mistake will destroy many.
ABOUT 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/
This is a true fairie tale. And like all true fairie tales, it is bloody, violent…and there is no guarantee that good will win in the end.
Michaelbrent Collings writes some of the darkest stories I have ever read and creating some of the most violent villains that I have ever ‘met’. I love that the stories are so original and unique, and I challenge you to figure out what is coming before it happens. I sure can’t. I am sure my review is not going to do Lost Girl justice, but I will do my best.
The stars are Eve, Peter Pan, Wendy and Hook, but don’t let the fairy tale fool you. Not all characters are as you expect them to be. Be careful who you trust. Be cautious who you let into your life. Who can you trust? It’s hard to say, because even her mother and grand mother have secrets they do not share.
I have read several books in the past few weeks where a character has asthma. That adds an extra level of danger. For Eve, it has gotten worse and she feels something is coming, something evil. How can she prepare for it if she has no idea who will bring it and what it will be? I never could have anticipated any of it, if I hadn’t read the blurb…vampires! Oooo, I love vampires. Don’t care if they are blood thirsty cannibals or soft and friendly.The big question is…who is the good guy and who is the bad guy? The Lost Boys are truly lost in this unconventional coming of age story.
Brutal, violent, savage:
Gaping holes. Hearts cut from their bodies. No blood. No blood no blood no blood because there was NO BLOOD MOMMY NO BLOOD AT ALL.
Eve has no father, an alcoholic mother and a grandmother with alzheimers who always wants Eve to read her favorite book, Peter Pan, to her. She is on her own. She abuses herself, just to feel alive. She is bullied and abused at school, but she continues to attend. She wants the education, regardless of no support, no friends, and teachers turning a blind eye. Dreams, or should we say, nightmares, haunt her sleep.
My heart breaks for her, but I had a feeling…somehow…she would find someone, something good would come out of her life. Well, it doesn’t work out like I thought. I was constantly surprised, if that is the correct word. Nothing is at it seems. No one is as they seem. The complexity of the novel kept me riveted, rapidly ‘flipping pages’, wanting to get to the end, but not. I wanted more…
Lost Girl by Michaelbrent Collings was published in 2012, but I feel there is more to be told. Give me more!!!!!! How about it M?????? Are the characters talking to you yet??????
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Lost Girl (Formerly Peter & Wendy: A Tale Of The Lost) by Michaelbrent Colliings.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Eve has no father. An alcoholic mother. Abused at school. A loser. But when the new boy comes to school, things start to change. He’s popular, he’s good-looking, he’s smart. He likes her. And he wants to kill her. Because he’s Peter Pan. And he’s a vampire.
Eve is Wendy’s great-great-great-great-granddaughter, and Peter has made it his mission to seduce and destroy every woman in the Wendy line.
Eve can’t stay with him, but can’t stay away, either. Now, the only one who can save her is a young man, crippled and lonely, named Captain Hook: sworn protector of the Wendy line.
Eve has to uncover the mysteries that have roots in her past, and that will change her future. Mysteries that will determine whether she lives, dies… or suffers a fate worse than death.
Because Eve is changing herself. Becoming faster, stronger. More than her life is at stake. Her soul is up for grabs, and Eve will have to find more strength than she knows to stay alive… and to keep from becoming the thing she fears…
ABOUT MICHAELBRENT COLLINGS
Michaelbrent Collings is an internationally-bestselling novelist, multiple Bram Stoker Award nominee, produced screenwriter, and one of the top indie horror writers in the United States.
He hopes someday to develop superpowers, or, if that is out of the question, then at least to get a cool robot arm.
Michaelbrent has a wife and several kids, all of whom are much better looking than he is (though he admits that’s a low bar to set), and also cooler than he is.
Michaelbrent also has a Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/MichaelbrentC… and can be followed on Twitter through his username @mbcollings. Follow him for cool news, updates, and advance notice of sales. You will also be kept safe when the Glorious Revolution begins!
Book Title: Copper Waters – A New Zealand Mystery (Annalisse Series Book 4) by Marlene M. Bell Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 340 pages Genre: Mystery-Suspense Publisher: Ewephoric Publishing Release date: October, 2022 Format available for review: print – softback, e-book (mobi file (for Kindle), ePub, PDF ) Will send print books out: USA Content Rating: G. Book is for general audiences. No profanity. No graphic scenes. Crimes described briefly after-the-fact. Mild and limited romance
Book Description:
Annalisse Drury and Alec Zavos find themselves on opposing sides when an ex-lover from Alec’s past introduces him to his alleged son. With Alec distracted and their future engagement in limbo, Annalisse accepts a key to her dream cottage—situated on a picturesque sheep station on South Island, New Zealand—only this time, she travels alone.
But not long after her arrival she’s confronted by two peculiar deaths—either accidental, or the deliberate acts of a psychopath.
Local investigators are closing the cases too quickly and want Annalisse to exit the country before she reveals the town’s darkest secrets.
Will she return to Alec, or sacrifice their future together to expose it all?
Book Title: Stolen Obsession (Annalisse Series Book 1) by Marlene M. Bell Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 296 pages Genre: Mystery-Suspense Publisher: Ewephoric Publishing Release date: March 2018 Format available for review: print – softback, e-book (mobi file (for Kindle), ePub, PDF), audiobook (audible download) Will send print books out: USA Content Rating: PG. Subtle romantic interludes. No profanity.
New York antiquities appraiser Annalisse Drury’s best friend was murdered. The killer’s identity may be linked to her friend’s expensive missing bracelet—a 500-year-old artifact that carries an ancient curse, one that unleashes evil upon any who dare wear the jewelry created for the Persian royal family.
Weeks later, Annalisse sees a matching necklace at a Manhattan gallery opening. She begs the owner to destroy the cursed piece, but her pleas fall on deaf ears—despite the unnatural death that occurs during the opening. With two victims linked to the jewelry, Annalisse is certain she must act. Desperate, Annalisse enlists the gallery owner’s son to help—even though she’s afraid he’ll break her heart. Wealthy and devastatingly handsome, with a string of bereft women in his wake, Greek playboy Alec Zavos dismisses Annalisse’s concerns—until his parents are ripped from the Zavos family yacht during their ocean voyage near Crete.
Annalisse and Alec race across two oceans to save his parents, feared kidnapped or even dead. When the killer changes tactics and goes after Alec behind Annalisse’s back, can her plan to rescue Alec’s mother save them all?
Book Title: Spent Identity (Annalisse Series Book 2) by Marlene M. Bell Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 378 pages Genre: Mystery-Suspense Publisher: Ewephoric Publishing Release date: Nov 2019 Format available for review: print – softback, e-book (mobi file (for Kindle), ePub, PDF), audiobook (audible download) Will send print books out: USA Content Rating: PG-13+M. Main Character is accosted and fights an assailant in one chapter. Mild profanity.
MY REVIEW
I love the Prologue. Ethan Fawdry, the farmhand is walking along, engrossed in a myrder mystery he is reading, and stumbles across something pink…with teeth.
Annalise needed a break from her Manhattan life and her relationship with Alex Zavos. Coming home to Goshen and the Walker Farm to get advice from her Aunt Kate.
A letter arrives from Kate’s son Jeremy, telling her he is selling the farm out from under her, leaving her with nothing. But, that is only the beginning of her troubles.
One thing after another is thrown at Annalise. It should have had her head spinning, and sometimes it does, but she approaches each situation methodically. She has people she trusts, looking out for her. Though she has her doubts by Alec, he is by her side. Can they work out their issues? We shall see.
Communication was definitely an issue with the characters, but isn’t that how real life is. People keep silent to protect themselves.
We have plenty of suspects and I was unable to eliminate any of them, feeling I was missing something…until Marlene M Bell spelled it out for me. She was able to keep me guessing. Even though I had an inkling who may be behind it all, I didn’t see it unraveling the way it did. I love when I can’t figure things out. Great job, Marlene.
From the Prologue, to the end of the book, I didn’t want to put it down. Annalise is no damsel in distress, and I loved following her through all her trials and tribulations. It never hurts to have a happy ever after and it feels just right.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Spent Identity by Marlene M Bell.
4 Stars
Book Description:
Antiquities appraiser Annalisse Drury drives to her family farm in upstate New York to consult with Aunt Kate about her troubled relationship with Greek tycoon, Alec Zavos. When Annalisse arrives, she learns the beloved farm she expects to inherit is for sale.
That same morning, they find a stranger’s body decaying in the barn. Then her aunt vanishes.
In Spent Identity, Annalisse and Alec join forces for the second time. They must find the mastermind behind her aunt’s abduction before Kate’s health issues worsen. Was the corpse in the barn a coincidence or a warning? The clock ticks for Annalisse to find her aunt and repair what she has left with the man she loves.
Book Title: Scattered Legacy (Annalisse Series Book 3) by Marlene M. Bell Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 352 pages Genre: Mystery-Suspense Publisher: Ewephoric Publishing Release date: Oct 2021 Format available for review: print – softback, e-book (mobi file (for Kindle), ePub, PDF) Will send print books out: USA Content Rating: PG+M. Brief kissing/romance. mild use of profanity like “damn.” No F Bombs. Some violence and talk of an attack by villain that doesn’t materialize.
Book Description:
To outsiders, the relationship between Manhattan antiquities assessor Annalisse Drury and sports car magnate Alec Zavos must look carefree and glamorous. In reality, it’s a love affair regularly punctuated by treasure hunting, action-packed adventure, and the occasional dead body.
When Alec schedules an overseas trip to show Annalisse his mother’s birthplace in Bari, Italy, he squeezes in the high-stakes business of divesting his family’s international corporation. But things go terribly wrong as murder makes its familiar reappearance in their lives – and this time it’s Alec’s disgraced former CFO who’s the main suspect.
Accompanied by friend and detective Bill Drake, Annalisse and Alec find themselves embroiled in a behind-closed-doors conspiracy that threatens the reputation and legacy of Alec’s late father – linking him to embezzlement, extortion, and the dirty business of the Sicilian Mafia. The search for the truth sends the trio straight into riddles, secrets, and an historic set of rosary beads. Annalisse leads Alec toward a discovery that is unthinkable, and events that will change their futures forever.
Scattered Legacy is the third in Marlene M. Bell’s thrilling Annalisse series, which weaves romance, crime, and historical mystery into addictive tales to instantly captivate fans of TV show Bones or Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code.
Marlene M. Bell is an eclectic mystery writer, artist, photographer, and she raises sheep in beautiful East Texas with her husband, Gregg, three cats and a flock of horned Dorset sheep.
The Annalisse series has received numerous honors including the Independent Press Award for Best Mystery (Spent Identity,) and FAPA— Florida Author’s President’s Gold Award for two other installments, (Stolen Obsession and Scattered Legacy.) Her mysteries with a touch of romance are found at marlenembell.com. She also offers the first of her children’s picture books, Mia and Nattie: One Great Team! Based on true events from the Bell’s ranch. The simple text and illustrations are a touching tribute of compassion and love between a little girl and her lamb.
I grabbed Creators by Nicole Ciacchella on 6.9.14. Don’t ask me why I waited so long to get to Creators and Contributors (which is free on Amazon, but be sure and check). Books seem to get lost as I download and download and download…
Scrolling through my books, looking for something to read, I came across Creators by Nicole Ciacchella, a ninety page novella in the Contributor series. I find the cover and title interesting, making me curious, and I do love apocalyptic and dystopian fiction. When I saw it was about the food system being threatened, I thought….could this be a portent about what is to come for us?
With all the ecological damage being done to the planet, the overpopulation, what happens when there isn’t enough left for everyone to survive? Who makes the choice of who to save and who to leave to their own devices? Are you thinking what I’m thinking?
Well, we shall see. Even good people have to make hard choices. Would you choose to stay behind and let someone else have your spot?
A lot of my emotions rose to the surface. I felt disgust for those who had no thought for anyone but themselves, empathy for those knowing what is going on and having to make difficult choices, despair for those who figure things out and know they are being left to fend for themselves, almost no food, no water, the planet a barren landscape.
What would I do? What would you do? Does throwing ourselves to the wolves benefit anyone? How do we live with ourselves?
Glad I have Contributor, Book I, by Nicole Ciacchella to see what happens next.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
When the imminent collapse of the world’s food system threatens to all but eradicate the human race, it’s up to nineteen-year-old Liang Zhang to determine which of his company’s employees will live and which will die.
Liang and the other Job Creators have only weeks to choose which of their staff and families to move into the domes, the last refuges on the barren planet. Despite their best efforts, the Job Creators are unable to keep their selection project under wraps, spurring violent protests against the privileged few.
Now, Liang must race: against starvation, against insurrection, and against his own conscience.
ABOUT NICOLE CIACCHELLA
Nicole has never met a genre she doesn’t like. She dabbles in everything from science fiction to contemporary rom-coms to fantasy fiction.
Nicole has previously published under the pen names Elizabeth Darcy and Anne Wentworth, but is no longer using those names.
Nicole has had a lifelong passion for the written word. As a child, one of her most treasured Christmas gifts was an electric typewriter, which enabled her to crank out her stories even more quickly than she could with a pen. Naturally, the personal computer is one of her favorite inventions. When she isn’t writing, Nicole can usually be found curled up in a chair, whiling away the hours with a good book.
One of Nicole’s other great passions is travel, and she has visited Europe, as well as traveling to many of the fifty states. Her favorite trips include visits to Paris, Maui, and various parts of Belgium. She feels fortunate that she is married to a native Belgian, as it gives her plenty of reasons to visit Europe as often as possible. Also, it gives her an excuse to eat Belgian waffles regularly.
Born and raised in Michigan, Nicole lives there still with her husband and two beautiful children. She thinks Michigan is the greatest state in the country, and Michigan State University is the greatest university in the world.
The beautiful cover caught my eye. The title made me curious. And this line from the blurb finished me off:
Green Shoots is a story of grief and revenge, a gripping crime thriller with an ecological heart.
I reviewed Green Shoots by Ben Westwood on November 16, 2022. Everything about his book spoke to me and I was amazed at Ben Westwood’s ability to pen such a fabulous debut novel. So….I decided to spotlight the artwork and cover that knocked my socks off.
The artwork has always been central to my novel Green Shoots, not least because the ideas for the cover and the mural came before I had even started writing the book.
I’ve always been obsessed with the color green. It’s my favorite color and I’ve always had a lot of green in my house – from the carpet to blankets and clothing. Of course, it’s the color of nature and the environment, and bathing in green light is supposed to be great for the soul. I always find myself drawn to natural surroundings to feel better.
Calling the book Green Shoots did present some problems though – it doesn’t sound like a thriller. It sounds like a nature book or possibly an economics book – “green shoots of recovery” etc. This is why the central image of blood dripping off green shoots is so important and ended up on the cover. With that image, I feel the story is defined – it’s an eco-thriller, which expresses a love of nature under the shadow of violent crimes. The image itself only appears in the book once – in the video that the killer releases globally, which in effect expresses his manifesto.
“Out of their ashes, green shoots will grow” – these words were a sort of mantra and again they came to me before even writing the book. As I was writing the first couple of chapters, I knew that I wanted the killer to leave that message at the crime scenes. But as I was writing, I realized it would be far more interesting to have a visual representation of the words rather than leaving them simply written. That’s how the idea of the mural came about. I liked the idea that the words came from somewhere else, repeated by the killer rather than actually coined by him. When I repeated the sentence to myself, I clearly visualized ashes and death on the left and rebirth on the right. I then pictured a mural with the detail of this image.
It’s described in chapter 3 of the book: “On the left is a scene of scorched earth, blackened tree stumps, skulls and bones, merging into thick forest on the right with toucans, monkeys and indigenous children. The graffiti written in white in the soil below reads: ‘De sus cenizascrecerán brotes verdes’. My Spanish is good enough to know it means: ‘Out of their ashes, green shoots will grow.’ ”
The mural first appears as a photograph in the first crime scene, but appears later in the book as an actual mural in South America. Its appearance is never fully explained and that was deliberate – I have always admired subversive pop-up artists such as Banksy and I had that idea in mind.
When the book was finished, I knew there was still some creative work to do. I wanted someone to actually paint the mural – not on a wall but as a painting. I have no painting talent at all so I found an artist – my friend Anna Walker, who lives local to me in Sussex, England. Over a couple of months she moved from sketches to completing the painting. It now hangs on my wall. It’s big – over a meter wide and dominates by living room.
The words and their accompanying images very much define the book. It is a book about hope coming from despair – both personally for John and for the world at large.
I was scrolling through my books to be read and came across The Last Track by Sam Hilliard. The cover and title made me curious and when I saw that we had a mystery with a paranormal twist and a young man with asthma, alone, lost in the woods, running for his life, I had to know more.
Mike Brody is a former Special Forces operative and a master tracker, with psychic abilities that enhance his tracking talents. When he learns an asthmatic, young boy is lost in the woods, maybe being chased by those who he saw commit a murder, he knew he had to find him.
Mike has his own demons, nightmares from his past that haunt him. And it is a horrid past that no child should have to go through. That is what motivates him.
A murder, sure, but a mystery that goes so far much farther than the loss of one life. I had my sites on several as the villain, but Sam Hilliard does not make it easy to commit to one or eliminate another. Danger surrounds Mike Brody and his family. Threatening phone calls, people creeping in their rooms, makes ME nervous, so why doesn’t Jessica hold her cards closer to her vest. They have traveled together, even though Jessica and Mike are separated. They still have a good relationship and a child that they love. She is an investigative reporter, with resources that will come into play, but I worry that she isn’t more careful about her person, her room, her child.
As we track the boy, the murder starts to take a backseat to the complex mystery of what is really going on in the town and who is behind it. I love that I had the villain(s) in site, but could never make up my mind if it was them or not. There are so many of them and some others that could be and could not be ruled out..until Sam made it official. I love when I say yeah, its him, no, it’s not…..
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Mike Brody, the man you want when the one you love is missing.
After an asthmatic boy witnesses a murder and goes missing in the Montana wilderness, police turn to Mike Brody, a former Special Forces operative and master tracker with psychic abilities. But as Mike and a local officer follow their elusive quarry deeper into the woods, the killer begins a hunt of his own…
Some say his gift is supernatural, others consider it a curse. To Mike Brody, it’s a penance.
From the back cover: “A good mix of mystery and adventure, The Last Track will appeal to any thriller reader. A good yarn, not to be missed . . . highly entertaining and extremely difficult to put down.” ~John A. Dunay, Police Lieutenant (Ret. ‘06) ~Police Advisor to Department of Justice, Dinwanyah and Kurdistan, Iraq ‘08
“The Last Track, by Sam Hilliard, is full of mystery and suspense to intrigue the mind. The story captures the thrill of the chase and the fear of the unknown. What kept my interest was the struggle for that we desire most in the form of love, success, money, and complete control. This book will keep your reading lamp on in the wee hours of the night!” ~Spc Amanda Daigle, Jan-Dec 09, Kirkuk, Iraq. ~Purple Heart, Feb 09
“The Last Track is one of the best thrillers our book club has ever read. Chock full of unexpected twists and turns, this well-crafted mystery kept us guessing up until the very last page. A natural storyteller, Hilliard knows how to build suspense and create compelling characters. We can’t wait to go on another adventure with Mike Brody!” ~Revolution Reading Club
ABOUT SAM HILLIARD
For seven years Sam Hilliard served as the IT Director at an all-girls boarding school, where he learned world class drama first hand, as well as the proper role of martial arts in secondary education and the need for a very strong deadbolt on his office door.
Currently he lives at an undisclosed location in New Jersey with his wife and Cat Army. On the long dark nights, he works on the sequel to The Last Track, which despite allowing the manuscript sufficient breathing space at times, is not, in fact, writing itself. He also works at Princeton University.
The subtle colors of the pretty cover do signify to me that a mystery is waiting to be solved in Girl Jacked by Christopher Greyson. This is a standalone book in the Detective Jack Stratton Mystery Thriller Series and I am loving it. It left me craving more of Jack…and his sidekick, Replacement. Does the name make you curious? This is a must meet character!
Detective Jack Stratton is a damaged character filled with self loathing. I think he is way too hard on himself. He was raised by a foster family and I love that Haddie, the foster mother, did not care what color they were, she loved them all. Twenty seven to be exact. He had served in Iraq, and lost his foster brother and best friend in action. His nightmares haunt him.
Haddie had every belief that, “Jack will find Michelle.”
“You suck” one of the chapter headings made me smile.
Two ‘women’ have their opinions about Jack. When I found out why woman #1 said it, I couldn’t help but smile. And woman #2, well, she is here to stay. I immediately loved her. She is bright, persistent, determined, loyal…and so adorable. When Christopher Greyson describes some of her actions, I can SEE her. I smiled, I laughed, sometimes had tears in my eyes, and, at times, my heart breaks for her…and Jack. She feels he is Batman, but he feels he is a failure.
The humor added to the mystery, suspense and thrills, made me so happy I had finally ‘cracked the spine’ on Girl Jacked by Christopher Greyson. The characters, good and bad, are richly developed, with their actions described in vivid detail, sharing all the good, the bad and, the ugly.
The mystery of Michelle, the danger and suspense of the journey for answers, took second place to the characters. It is rare when they shine so brightly to me, but I fell in love with Replacement, especially, but Jack too. To watch them heal, grow, and change into richer characters, leaves me wanting more…and more. Any book that can end with me having tears in my eyes is a winner!
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
“Jack knew pain. They were old friends. He knew only one way to deal with pain. Hunt it down and kill it.”
Police Officer Jack Stratton is hiding. Hiding from the world. From pain. From the memories of losing his best friend, Chandler, in Iraq. Suffering from PTSD and isolated from those he cares about, the last thing Jack expects to hear is his foster sister Michelle, Chandler’s sister, is gone. The words cut straight to his core. Although the police think she just took off, he knows Michelle would never leave those she loved behind–like he did. Now he must take action, find Michelle, and bring her home or die trying.
The first novel in the Jack Stratton Collection introduces us to handsome rogue, Jack Stratton. A debt of honor to his dead foster brother drives Jack into a world of deception and lies. As Jack’s walls begin to crumble, he must navigate the quirky characters that seep into the mystery of his foster sister’s disappearance. And in the sleepy community of Darrington, like so many places in this world, nothing is as it appears. The hidden mysteries that often go unnoticed begin to emerge as Jack and his new unpredictable sidekick begin to turn over the rocks. Following a trail that has grown cold, Jack must tread carefully to protect his job, his family, and his life.
This stand-alone novel features rogue hero Jack Stratton. Look for other books in the Jack Stratton Collection including Jack Knifed, Jacks are Wild, and now Jack and the Giant Killer. They can be read in any order, however, they are best experienced in sequence.
ABOUT CHRISTOPHER GREYSON
My name is Christopher Greyson, and I am a storyteller.
Since I was a little boy, I have dreamt of what mystery was around the next corner, or what quest lay over the hill. If I couldn’t find an adventure, one usually found me, and now I weave those tales into my stories. I am blessed to have written over twenty novels.
My love for tales of mystery and adventure began with my grandfather, a decorated World War I hero. I will never forget being introduced to his friend, a WWI pilot who flew across the skies at the same time as the feared, legendary Red Baron. My love of reading and storytelling eventually led me to write and it’s the best job I’ve ever had.
I love to hear from my readers. Please visit ChristopherGreyson.com, where you can become a preferred reader, download an exclusive Jack Stratton mystery, and receive advanced notifications of book releases and more! Please follow Detective Jack Stratton on Twitter @chris_greyson and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ChristopherG…. Thank you for reading my novels. I hope my stories have brightened your day.
Number Seventy Five by Ashley Fontainne is seventy four pages of goodness. There are a couple different covers. I think they are both great, but the Goodreads Kindle version is my favorite. I am a huge fan of Ashley Fontainne’s, so I foresee some heart pounding moments coming my way.
I love that the character of Mandy Rusell is in her forties. I do read a lot of young adult, so an older female protagonist is always nice to be with, no matter how horrific the conditions.
I thought the online dating was going to be a bad thing, but had no idea how bad it would be. Mandy was smart about it, giving her best friend, Shawna a safe word and going to a restaurant that her cop friends frequented.
“…A true woman is prepared for anything, especially a southern one, cause we know the woods is full of varmints.”
Ashley Fontainne’s writing shares her love of all things southern, including the varmints.
I know with Ashley Fontainne, bad things will be coming, but I sure didn’t see this, and the surprises kept on coming, right to the very end. I sure wouldn’t want to meet Mandy in a dark alley. She is a hellcat and will fight to the death to try and save herself. The number seventy five in the title holds a special significance and it was even more horrific than I could have anticipated.
At the price of $0.99, this is a steal.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Number Seventy Five by Ashley Fontainne.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Her first date could be her last…
Three years after the demise of her seventeen year marriage, Mandy Russell decides to jump back into the choppy waters of the dating world. With very little options available in her small town of Bainsville, Tennessee, Mandy lets her best friend Shawna persuade her into joining and online dating site.
Feeling she has met someone she can really connect with, Mandy decides it’s time to meet face to face with her new suitor, unaware of his true plans for her. Dark, sinister plans that will test Mandy’s physical strength, mental fortitude and will to survive.
Will Mandy prevail or will she become number seventy-five?
ABOUT 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/
I got Loose Ends (Mary O’Reilly Series Book 1) by Terri Reid on an Amazon free day. I downloaded it on 5.13.12, so it has been waiting a long time to be read.
Loose Ends is my first book by Terri Reid, but I will keep her on my radar. I love paranormal mysteries, and Mary O’Reilly is a ghost whisperer. She had been shot, died, and was given a choice. She could stay dead or come back, though things would be different for her. She sees and hears ghosts. They come to her for help and she is happy to oblige.
She is a private investigator, a former Chicago police officer, using her gift to solve mysteries. The hardest part is getting real evidence, evidence that will hold up in a court of law. She has two close friends, Stanley and Rosie. I love when peripheral characters are allowed to shine.
Twenty four years ago a woman drowned in a State Senator’s swimming pool. The ghost is seeking help. When Mary gets involved, the mystery becomes deeper. Is there a connection between the young woman in the pool and five little girls that went missing twenty four years ago, the mystery never solved.
Mary meets the police chief, Bradley Alden, in a funny moment. Bradley had his won reasons for moving to the small town of Freeport, Illinois. I do enjoy humor with my mystery and Terri Reid keeps the smiles on my face, except in those dangerous moments when they are dodging bullets and running from death.
“I’ll be there in five minutes, he said, “Don’t go down there alone.”
I was waiting for her to go down in the basement, by herself, but she didn’t. That really stuck with me, until…She may run through the woods alone, but the basement…no way. LOL We gotta have the hunky guy come to the woman in distress, don’t we?
Cozy mysteries, for the most part get a 3 rating from me (easy reading and light on the mystery), but as the danger and depth of the mystery grows in Loose Ends, so does my interest in learning more. Seeing there are twenty books in the series, it seems like that won’t be a problem.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Dying is what changed Mary O’Reilly’s life. Well, actually, coming back from the dead and having the ability to communicate with ghosts is really what did it.
Now, a private investigator in rural Freeport, Illinois, Mary’s trying to learn how to incorporate her experience as a Chicago cop and new-found talent into a real job. Her challenge is to solve the mysteries, get real evidence (a ghost’s word just doesn’t hold up in court), and be sure the folks in town, especially the handsome new police chief, doesn’t think she’s nuts.
Twenty-four years ago, a young woman drowned in the swimming pool of a newly elected State Senator. It was ruled an accident. But now, as the Senator prepares to move on to higher positions, the ghost of the woman is appearing to the Senator’s wife.
Mary is hired to discover the truth behind the death. She unearths a connection between the murder and the disappearance of five little girls whose cases, twenty-four years later, are still all unsolved. As she digs further, she becomes the next target for the serial killers’ quest to tie up all his loose ends.
ABOUT TERRI REID
Terri Reid is the author of the Mary O’Reilly Paranormal Mysteries. An indie author, Reid uploaded her first book “Loose Ends” in August 2010. By the end of 2012, “Loose Ends” had sold over 82,000 copies and, as of the writing of this bio, was the number one bestselling book in Amazon’s ranking of Ghost Stories in the Book/Literature & Fiction/Genre Fiction/Horror/Ghosts section and the number two in the same area in the Kindle eBooks section. She has eight other books in the Mary O’Reilly Series and has enjoyed Top Rated and Hot New Release status for many of them in the Women Sleuths category through Amazon US. Her books have been translated into Spanish and Portuguese and are also now also available through CreateSpace and Amazon in print versions. She is also working on an audiobook for “Loose Ends.” Reid has been quoted in a number of books about the self-publishing industry including “Let’s Get Digital” by David Gaughran and “Interviews with Indie Authors: Top Tips from Successful Self-Published Authors” by Claire and Tim Ridgway. She was also honored to have some of her works included in A. J. Abbiati’s book “The NORTAV Method for Writers – The Secrets to Constructing Prose Like the Pros.” She has also had the distinct privilege of guest blogging for Joe Konrath. Reid is from Northwest Illinois, near the town of Freeport, the home of her fictional characters. Her background is in marketing and public relations. She is married, is the mother of seven children and the grandmother of eleven. Her constant writing companions are Riley, a Bernese Mountain Dog-Golden Retriever mix; Hans, a German Shepard mix; and McDuff, a Siamese cat.
