Beyond The Creek by Nico Bell is one of those books where the rating bounces between a three and a four, so I always round up. What drew me in was the cover, then the title gave me that icky feeling that I look for in a horror novel, and the blurb finished me off.
We are in Madison, Virginia, where Alex Foster hopes for a new start, a second chance for her and her baby. Things are looking up for her. She just had to watch out for Harry, the tarantula, and don’t cross the creek. Would you? Sometimes being told not to do something makes me want to do it. You know that saying, curiosity killed the cat.
Alex didn’t care that her new home was not the Taj Mahal. There’s no Robert here.
The story sounded familiar to me…bit it didn’t take long for me to see it wasn’t what I was thinking. Nico Bell took it to a place that surprised me and I love when an author can do that.
I also love a characters that steps away from the norm. Alex is not a sleek, trim, model type. She’s giving and pregnant.
Danger arises, lives are at risk, monsters come a calling and I wonder, who will live and who will die.
Vivid, frightening descriptions of the monsters. Creepy good. So much better than I thought because it sounded so familiar to me, predictable, but by the time I got to the end, I had to hold my breath during the battle and smiled when she opened to door to….because I thought I knew what was coming. I loved the ending!
I vountarily reviewed a free copy of Beyond The Creek by Nico Bell.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
When Alex Foster accepted the caregiver position with the eccentric Nox family, she was issued a single rule. Don’t wander past the creek. Alex isn’t interested in exploring the Nox’s vast wooded property. After escaping an abusive past, her sole focus is building a safe future for herself and her unborn baby. Except, a series of chilling events threatens her happily-ever-after. Now, she must fight to survive an ancient evil before all hope is lost. There’s something beyond the creek, and it’s hungry.
ABOUT NICO BELL (from Amazon)
Nico Bell is a horror writer from America who dabbles in both the dark and humorous. She’s had several short stories published, and her debut novel Food Fright is available March 26, 2020.
Warning: This is not for the faint of heart. The characters have issues, the sex is raw, graphic, including rape, bondage…
Desecrated Essence has another beautiful cover for the Desecrated Duet series by C A Rene, though the story inside is dark and tormented, as are the characters.
Desecrated Essence is the second book in the Desecrated Duet series. For me, Desecrated Essence takes erotica to a whole new level.
We are three months later than the end of Desecrated Flesh, the first book in the series.
I started reading Desecrated Essence as soon as I finished Desecrated Flesh. The characters fascinate, disgust, and frighten me. Psychopaths and sociopaths walk around us, never showing their true colors. Here, you will see them. Understand them? Probably not.
Pleasure and pain. Dark…I found these characters so deep, dark and primal, I cannot put into words what I felt as I read, yet I couldn’t stop reading. I am so disturbed that I have to know how their story ends.
I know I keep repeating myself, but I don’t even know what to say about Kailey…and the rest. Sex, sex, sex. I am worn out just reading about it. I am getting bored and kinda grossed out by all the sex, yet I am waiting to see what the Monster wants.
I know there is more to story about the guys, how dangerous they are. They do come from mob families.
I do love reading about dark, depraved characters, but these guys are so far gone, I don’t think any of them can be saved. To say they have mental issues is putting it way to mildly They are brutal, savage, murderous, yet, like all criminals, they do have a code of their own.
I had trouble writing the review for the first book, Desecrated Flesh, and I am having an equally hard time writing a review for Desecrated Essence.
If you like to wallow in the dangerous, brutal world of sexual degradation, come on in.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Desecrated Essence by C A Rene.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
What happens when your only source of warmth and light leaves you? The dismal shadows once kept at bay, begin to seep back in and coat everything the light once touched. All feeling becomes saturated in their inky grasp and escape becomes impossible. She left me here in the dark, alone and awaiting the impending destruction.
Who do you turn to when you feel all is lost? His presence isn’t welcomed, and his anger scorches my insides, but at least he never leaves. Now that I’m truly alone, his claws sink deep and trying to flee would be futile. We are one, him and I. There’s nothing I can do but watch the storm clouds roll in.
How do I warn them if the warning is me? I can’t control him once he has something in his sights, his determination knows no bounds, and his wrath is an addiction I know too well. There’s no stopping the lightning if you don’t hear the thunder.
ABOUT C A RENE (from her website)
First off… Call me Chrissy!
I’m
so glad you’re here, whether it’s because you found me from reading my
books or hit a link, I’m just ecstatic you decided to check me out.
In
my books you will find complete inclusivity and I refuse to be kept in
any specific box. I write across all genres and dabble in just about
everything.
To keep up with all new releases and teasers for all my upcoming books, you can follow me on any social media platform!
Lover
of all things dark. I love to read it, write it, own it, eat it,
whatever it. My addictions include Coffee, books, and WINE, in that
order.
I used to read a lot of true stories about organized crime, so when I saw the great cover for Unorganized Crime by Judy Serrano, I had to read it. This is one of those times where the cover sucked me in more than the story.
I do want to make you aware that I read an ARC, so it is not the final product. Things can change, be tightened and ramped up, made clearer.
I thought the plot was an interesting concept, but the story jumped all over the place, like Jazz. I couldn’t decide if I liked her or not, but she did have her moments. It is hard to know the time frame and I would have liked a more detailed, fleshed out story.
Though I was not on pins and needles, I enjoyed my time spent with Jazz, Gage and Achilles. The way everything came together in the end makes me wonder what comes next and I am intrigued. That’s a definite thumbs up for Judy Serrano.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Unorganized Crime by Judy Serrano.
As Jazz finds herself falling from a helicopter, Gage St. Claire
comes to her rescue. Organized crime is once again the culprit of her parents’
situation, and as usual, she is caught in the crossfire. Gage pulls her out of
the water and helps her escape to safety. The love between them is undiscovered
as he tries to leave her behind in an attempt to keep her safe and move forward
with his black ops pursuit. Jazz becomes an undercover cop with wiping out
organized crime forever as her goal. After Jazz exposes one of the largest
crime families in the country, quite by accident, she is hired to expose crime
syndicate leader Michael Giambetti Jr., otherwise known as Achilles. Achilles
earned his nickname because he has no weaknesses. He has no weaknesses, that is
until he meets Jazz. Achilles has been untouchable, and if she were to break
this case, she could finally prove herself as a serious undercover officer. Her
job is not an easy one, and people around her are not who they appear to be.
Will Gage come back for Jazz, or will he be lost to her forever? Will she crack
the case on her own? Read as this courageous upstart stumbles through another
adventure.
“When you think about it, I really only need one hostage,” he said as he put
his hand on the small of my back and gave me a gentle shove. The helicopter was
in the air, and I fell helplessly into the clouds. I grabbed hold of the
landing skid and dangled above the water. We were not quite high enough yet
that I would turn to dust if I were to drop. “Let go!” he shouted from below. I
saw Gage take off his boots and put his wallet next to them on the ground.
“Jasmine, jump!”
I saw him
dive into the water, and I let go. This was the most terrifying thing I had
ever done. As I hit the water, two strong arms reached for me and pulled me up
as I plunged powerlessly into the deep. I held my breath, but I didn’t have
much air left. He pulled me up so that I could breathe, and I grabbed hold of
his neck. “I’ve got you, Jazz. You’re okay.”
He turned
me so that I could hold onto his neck from behind, and he swam to the shore.
The helicopter, which was holding my dad tied up and gagged, was long gone.
When we got to the shore, Hector, Gage’s boss, was standing there. He pulled me
out of the water, and Gage followed. “Good job,” Hector said to me. “You’re
very brave.”
I watched
Gage grab his wallet, cigarettes, and shoes. “You need to quit,” I said.
“They’re no good for you.”
He pulled
out a smoke and lit the tip, taking a deep pull off his cigarette. “Someday,”
he answered. “Unfortunately, we often want what is no good for us.” I knew to
what he was referring, but I let it go. Although you might think that the smell
of the cigarette would fill the air, there was an engaging male scent radiating
off of Gage that made me almost forget my name.
Suddenly, I realized that Hector was gone. “Where did Hector go? Where’s my
mom?”
“They
went after the helicopter, Jazz. I don’t think she’s coming back this time.”
My mom
abandoned my dad and me years ago. They both worked for the FBI, and she never
seemed to be able to balance her job and her family. Hector was in charge of
all their destinies. As delightfully delicious as Hector was, I always resented
him for taking her away. It was my goal to be a cop someday and wipe out
organized crime just so people like the ones my parents fought daily would go
out of business for good. Of course, I realized how unrealistic that was.
“I
started my own team. You must remember me mentioning that to you,” he said.
“Yes,
Storm. That’s what you call it.”
We
stepped over to his jeep. He reached in and handed me a towel. I began to dry
my face and hair with it, as he did the same with his own. Gage was a storm all
by himself. He was tall, well-built, and had smoldering dark eyes. His hair
fell just below his ears, and I can remember how soft it was when I last ran my
fingers through it.
“I’m not
just working for the FBI this time. I have a job out of the country. I’m going
to find someone’s daughter who was taken by terrorists.”
My
stomach churned as he opened the door to the jeep, and I hopped inside. “Don’t
leave me, Gage,” I said, as my soaking wet body leaked all over his vinyl car
seats.
I reached
up for his face, but he grabbed my hand. “We’ve been through this. You’re too
young, Jasmine.”
“Gage, I
am 19 years old. I’m old enough.”
“I’m 27,
Jazz. You’re too young for me.”
That
stung. I was waiting for Gage to the be the one for me. I didn’t want anyone
else, and even though he may think of me as too young for him, I felt the ache
in his eyes. We heard a gunshot, and Gage pushed me down onto the floor of his
jeep. He jumped into the driver’s side and took off down the road. “What’s
happening?” I asked. “Who’s here?”
“Someone
realized you were still breathing, princess. Put your head down.”
I stayed
down on the floor of the jeep as a bullet hit the windshield shattering the
glass. I tried so hard to be brave, but I could barely hold it together. I
heard Gage give our location and situation out on a radio. It was only a few
moments before everything got quiet. “I lost them,” he said.
“This is all related to my parents, isn’t it.”
“You know
I can’t tell you that.”
“And the
terrorists. Who are they? Who’s the girl?”
He pulled
the jeep over to the side of the road and sighed before looking at me. “Jazz,”
he said, putting his hand on the side of my face. “Don’t wait for me. I won’t
be back. Do you understand what I’m saying? I’m no good for you. Forget me.”
He
grabbed his towel and brushed the glass off the passenger’s seat. Then he held
out his hand for me to take, and he pulled me up off of the floor. I sat
uncomfortably and refused to meet his eyes. He wanted me to discard him like a
pack of cigarettes. I knew he was no good for me, but I just couldn’t stop
thinking about him. I didn’t say anything. Clearly, my efforts were futile.
He put
his hand back on the steering wheel, put the jeep back in gear, and we drove
down the highway. “Don’t make me come back just to check on you,” he said.
“Behave yourself. Move forward. Forget about me.”
*****
I waited for him. I anticipated his return. I am now 24 years old, and he
didn’t come back in time … or did he? This is my story. Let the ride begin.
About the Author
Judy Serrano graduated from Texas A&M University-Commerce with a master’s degree in English. She is the owner of Make Cents Editing Services, is an English teacher at a local high school, and an adjunct professor at a local junior college. Judy writes romantic suspense, paranormal romance, and Mafia romance novels. She is the author of The Easter’s Lilly Series, The Linked Series, Ivy Vines Visions, and Unorganized Crime. Although originally from New York, she lives in Texas with her husband and near her four boys. In her spare time, Judy plays guitar and sings at her church, and dotes on her fur babies.
Hardcore Kelli is my first foray into Wrath James White’s world and, even though it is a novella, it rocked my world and has stuck with me, leaving me wanting more. I love reading off the wall, twisted works and Wrath supplied me with a few hours of reading entertainment. I thought it would have a three rating, but seeing I can’t get it out of my head that seemed so wrong, so four it is.
Katy is a boxer, with a losing record. A garden variety type. She only did it for the money. Her world changed when she was introduced to Hardcore Kelli by her sister, Samantha. I love her. I couldn’t help but smile and laugh, until the story took an ugly turn, one I never saw coming.
If you love a quirky tale, with blood, guts, and gore, this could be for you.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Harcore Kelli by Wrath James White.
4 stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Bullets whizzed past Katy as she dashed through the grass and weeds, and the maze of broken recreational vehicles, farm equipment, and other slowly oxidizing junk. She gripped the gleaming battle axe in both hands as she waded through gunfire, determined to reach her archnemesis and end his reign of terror forever. Murder Man stood in the doorway of the rundown mobile home, firing at will. She had found his lair. Now it was time to bring him to justice.
Katy hurdled the rusting skeleton of an old ’77 Ford Thunderbird like an Olympic gymnast. She had once been a cheerleader, a good one. Once upon a time she could do flips, handsprings, and somersaults with ease. That was so long ago it felt more like an ancient story from some dusty old history book than something that had actually occurred in her lifetime.
How could I possible resist this fabulous cover? A raven on the cover always intrigues me. How about you? Do they give you a warm fuzzy feeling, or do you feel, like me, that there is trouble on the horizon?
The Night Road by Kevin Lucia was a quick read. I loved the illustrations and chapter headins.
For Grace, running was her saving grace. She would run, visit Lilly at the hospital, go home, run, visit Lilly at the hospital and go home. Day after day. Her despair drove her and when I found the reason why it all had to happen….
Great ending.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Night Road by Kevin Lucia.
3 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
For most of her life, Grace Donaldson’s passion has been running. As a star in Cross Country and Track and Field, Grace ran to win, because losing wasn’t an option. For her, running was freedom, and she was only ever her true self when racing toward the finish line.
Her senior year, that all changed. Afterward, instead of running toward something, Grace started running away. From her pain, her anger, and her guilt. Now, as her younger sister lies on her deathbed from attempted suicide and Grace’s darkness threatens to consume her, she discovers The Night Road, and the chance to run toward something again, instead of away… if she’s willing to pay a terrible price.
ABOUT KEVIN LUCIA
Kevin Lucia’s short fiction has appeared in several anthologies, most recently with Neil Gaiman, Clive Barker, Bentley Little, Peter Straub and Robert McCammon.
His first short story collection, Things Slip Through was published November 2013, followed by Devourer of Souls in June 2014, Through A Mirror, Darkly, June 2015, and and his second short story collection, Things You Need, September 2018. His novella Mystery Road is forthcoming from Cemetery Dance Publications.
I am going to start the five one sentence reviews I will be sharing today with Refrain by Susan Griscom. I won an audible and kindle copy. I quickly got hooked, so scrolled through my Kindle and read every one of the Blood Courtesan Kindle Unlimited series stories that I had.
Oh Yeah…Vampires…I love when I see my name in a book, and even though Refrain, which is a complete story, is predictable, it is filled with enough steamy deliciousness to keep me reading more of the series and wanting more of her work.
3 Stars
Reborn (Blood Courtesans) by Michelle Fox was an Amazon freebie.
Reborn is a complete story, a novella, about the loss of innocence and I love Myra’s feistiness, the laughs, the kisses and bullets, though I did get frustrated with her casual stupidity, but my love of vampires keeps me reading most anything with them in it.
3 Stars
Wanted: Corynne by Kristen Strassel was an Amazon freebie.
One way to deal with bullies is to become a vampire…LOL…she had been bullied to the point of murder and was counting on becoming a courtesan, offering blood and sex, to find a place to belong in this action packed story that filled all my bloody needs.
Thank all that is vampire that someone wanted to pay their good fortune forward or Angelica may never have been accepted as a blood courtesan because she would would make a personal sacrifice, sell her soul for her sister, and I love her naive yet provocative personality filled with humor.
3 Stars
Ensnared: Star by Rebecca Rivard & Michelle Fox was an Amazon freebie.
She had been set up for the theft of one hundred thousand dollars and her only out was to become a courtesan…one month with Remy de la Lune, but this hunkalicious vampire has met his match and I was happy to be along for the ride.
I love suspense, thrills, crime and mystery. I have also been to Mexico numerous times, though I never saw it the way Carmen Amato has. Her book covers attracted my attention, because I am a sucker for great covers. Another thing that really caught my attention and made me curious was the author herself. She has a very interesting history, so be sure and scroll down to check her out.
I am going to review them in the order I read them. If they look good to you, click on the cover to hop over to Amazon. They may still be free, but be sure and check for the “0”.
The covers fit the series so well. I love when an author creates a brand.
Her whole world was this moment, this stinky mat, this iron beast that she had become. A fabulous description of Emilia Cruz…and she will need that iron will, that strength, in what is to come. Emilia is the first female detective in Acapulco and she had fought hard for it. I love the character and as I read the five stories in Made In Acapulco, I grew to love her more.
Machismo. Corruption. Cartels.
“Always pay it forward. It’s the only way we’ll save our future.”
BEING BRAVE IS NOT THE ABSENCE OF FEAR: IT’S THE COURAGE TO PRESS ON IN SPITE OF FEAR
This introduction into Emilia Cruz only makes me want to read more.
3 Stars
I missed so many books between Made In Acapulco, my introduction to Emilia Cruz, to Narco Noir, the eight book. I have missed a lot.
I have missed all the books in the series except what I consider the introduction to Emila Cruz, Made In Acapulco. I think it probably affected my review, because I was just getting the hang of being in Mexico, but now I do have some familiarity with the characters and how the city of Acapulco operates.
I sense a romance, but what kind of future does a detective from the barrios have with an American with plenty of money? Could they make it work?
Well, that’s a twist. I didn’t see it coming and I am curious where it will go.
She is a badass. I love a strong female character that can hold her own. Even in the machismo world of Mexico, she earns her place and the respect of (at least) some of her coworkers, informants…
Every move is filled with danger and betrayal. Corruption is rampant, so it’s hard to know who to trust. She has to keep things close to the vest.
Her partner, Silvio, is the only person she calls in her time of need.
There is so much about the book I liked, but I was frustrated by some of the characters actions. I don’t want to say much to spoil it for you, because I think it’s worth finding out for yourself.
I do recommend starting at the beginning and you will need to read to the end of the series to get the complete story.
3 Stars
The Emilia Cruz series takes place in Acapulco, Mexico. In The Hidden Light Of Mexico City by Carmen Amato we step away from Acapulco.
“So you’re too afraid to save our country?….What will you leave your grandchildren? A country that’s just a playground of violence for the cartels?”
Eddo hated what he was forced to do just to be able to do the right thing. People will get hurt, but he couldn’t sit back and do nothing just because it was dangerous and may cost him his life.
Luz has sacrificed everything for her family. I feel so bad for her and I wonder when or if she will have her turn. Her family ticks me off. What gives them the right to treat her the way they do. Even her brother walks a fine line in my book. Family is family, but when is too much enough?
An indepth look at the brutality and corruption of Mexico’s’ drug trade and the war for territory.
Whoa…I was brought up short. I thought I knew what the story would be: betrayal, corruption, power hungry, brutal, savage, and those who try to do the right thing. I’ve always heard how Mexico was driven by the drug cartels, so on that front I wasn’t surprised.
The twist with the romance…
The Hidden Light Of Mexico City by Carmen Amato is a great police procedural, suspense/thriller. At times my heart was in my throat and I love the characters, good and bad.
The ending is excellent. Not too short, not too long, just right.
4 Stars
Now, we are real life moments in Mexico. Aapply your suntan lotion, put on your hiking boots, bring your swimsuit, bring your appetite, and let’s go meet some new people.
I took no notes for The Insider’s Guide To The Best Of Mexico. These snippets of introductions from the 42 contributor’s to the guide share their favorites in a page or three. I would take it with me if I were traveling to Mexico.
4 Stars
ABOUT CARMEN AMATO
Following a 30 year career with the Central Intelligence Agency, Carmen Amato writes mystery and suspense, including the Detective Emilia Cruz police series set in Acapulco. Emilia is the first female police detective in Acapulco, confronting Mexico’s cartels, corruption and social inequalities. The series recently won the Poison Cup award for Outstanding Series from Crime Masters of America and was optioned for television.
Originally from upstate New York, Carmen’s experiences in Mexico and Central America launched her fiction career. Carmen is a recipient of both the National Intelligence Award and the Career Intelligence Medal.
I have read a lot of novels by Carolyn Arnold and she is on my must read list of authors. Girl On The Run was published this month and I was so happy to get a review copy. I love the cover and it fits the story inside.
I love a Prologue. I am like a hungry fish, swimming around, looking for a juicy worm and with a good Prologue, I eagerly bite and get hooked. Girl on the Run by Carolyn Arnold definitely set the hook.
She runs, but there is no escape.
“You’ll be wishing for a bullet by the time she’s done with you.”
I am curious to know why.
Madison was in line for a coffee, when she heard of a shooting at the Liberty Train Station, suspected causalities. Madison is on the case seeing she works for Major Crimes. Two dead, one in the hospital.
Madison is tenaciious, a Bulldog. She felt putting bad guys behind bars was her legacy and made personal sacrifices to achieve it. She has her chocolate lab, Hershey and her fiancee, Troy Matthews, who works for the Stiles Police Department too, to keep her grounded.
Who is the girl with the orange backpack that seemed to Madison to be the trigger, and what does she have to do with the shooting?
Madison had been through hell due to corrupt cops, so when she saw the shooter, who had identified himself as a cop, she stood at attention. Could a corrupt cop and the Russian Mafia be behind the shooting? She had dealt with them on more than one occasion. They were prolific in Stiles.
The investigation deepens, spreading out in different directions. Carolyn Arnold is an expert at bringing all the pieces together.
Two dead, one wounded, a girl with an orange backpack, a victim that Madison recognizes from her past, the Russian Mafia, drug trafficking, infidelity, betrayal…Step by step, I follow Madison’s footsteps to the conclusion.
Most of the book, I was plodding along, accumulating clues with Madison, thinking three stars. I was complacent, knowing this is a police procedural so it may lack the in your face thrills and chills I love so much, then…KAPOW…I’m awake now. It’s those punches, book surprises, that add the extra star.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Girl On The Run by Carolyn Arnold.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Shivers tear through her, but she must be brave—for herself, for her future. She grips her coat tighter and steps into the night and the cold, pouring rain. Never to be seen again.
An ordinary Monday morning commute turns deadly when a gunman opens fire in the local train station. Detective Madison Knight rushes to the scene, but she’s too late for the victims. Two women were fatally wounded, including an expectant mother, and one is fighting for her life. But it’s the face of one of the dead that has Madison seeing a ghost from her past. She looks just like Madison’s college friend Courtney Middleton, who vanished over fifteen years ago. If it is her, where has she been all these years, and does her resurfacing have anything to do with the shooting?
Eyewitnesses say that a young woman triggered the incident, but both the shooter and the girl seem to have evaporated into thin air. Mounting evidence suggests they may be part of a drug-trafficking operation, the girl being one of their runners. But Madison’s not so sure the girl is the hardened criminal she appears to be.
As Madison races to track down the young woman, more people turn up murdered, and there’s still no sign of the girl. Is her body out there to find or is she on the run? If the latter, is it due to fear or guilt? Could it simply be that the shooting victims were caught in the crosshairs of organized crime? Madison’s not sure, but she can’t shake her niggling suspicion: what if it was something more than that?
An absolutely gripping and addictive crime thriller. Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Lisa Regan, and Rachel Caine.
ABOUT CAROLYN ARNOLD
CAROLYN ARNOLD is an international bestselling and award-winning
author, as well as a speaker, teacher, and inspirational mentor. She
has four continuing fiction series—Detective Madison Knight, Brandon
Fisher FBI, McKinley Mysteries, and Matthew Connor Adventures—and has
written nearly thirty books. Her genre diversity offers her readers
everything from cozy to hard-boiled mysteries, and thrillers to action
adventures.
Both her female detective and FBI profiler series have been praised
by those in law enforcement as being accurate and entertaining, leading
her to adopt 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 north of London, Ontario, with her husband and
two beagles and is a member of Crime Writers of Canada and Sisters in
Crime.
A B Whelan is a must read author for me, so I was super excited to have another novel from her. AND secrets, I love when secrets are exposed and the shit hits the fan, so let’s get started on the review for Big Little Secrets.
First, we’ll meet Nelli Horvath, a Hungarian immigrant and the wife of Clint Horvath. She made one mistake during her teenage years and it has haunted her ever since. Her life has been gray, with moments of happiness here and there. She keeps tight control of herself, lest her secret from the past escapes. She didn’t expect much from life when she fled Hungary and came to the United States…but then, she met Clint. What can be so bad she can’t share it with her husband?
Things are happening around her and when the invitation for her twentieth reunion came, she felt she had no choice but to attend. She loves her husband, but she will travel to Hungary alone. I can’t imagine living under the weight of her worry, her guilt, just waiting for the anvil to drop and crush her.
She had lived under socialism in Hungary where you learned, ‘It is what it is.’ I learned a bit about Hungary, its people and their cuisine. I love when an author does their research.
My rating: For most of the book I kept thinking my rating would be a three, but the mystery was not easily solved because of so many moving parts and the ending was worth a star, seeing it was unexpected and left me feeling sad and angry, and sad and angry….
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Big Little Secrets by A B Whelan.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
A complex and
fast-paced atmospheric thriller—a terrifying journey through a maze of
secrets and locations, leading to a jaw-dropping culmination of
unexpected events.
“I now know that my wife has dark secrets,
and I must discover how a horrific accident twenty years ago is
connected to my wife’s disappearance … before it’s too late.”
Nelli
Horvath is a Hungarian immigrant, seemingly living the American dream
with her husband, Clint, and their son, Ryan, in Las Vegas. After
receiving an invitation to her 20th high school reunion, Nelli flies
back to her home country for the first time after nearly two decades,
and that’s the last time her American family sees her.
Determined
to find his missing wife, Clint travels to Hungary for the first time,
where he races against the clock, chasing clues through historical towns
and dangerous places to investigate the whereabouts of his missing
wife.
Caught in a web of old secrets and murderous lies, Clint
realizes how little he truly knows his wife, leaving him to wonder if he
really knows her at all.
ABOUT A B WHELAN
New release: No One Can Hear You Scream is a gripping, atmospheric
psychological thriller about obsession, survival, and family bonds,
releasing on October 20th.
Whelan is an Amazon bestselling author of domestic psychological thrillers.
She
currently resides in California with her husband and two children.
When she isn’t writing, editing, marketing, or researching her next
book, you can find her walking her two rescue dogs, socializing online,
coaching soccer, or doing another DIY project with her husband.
Find me on: * Facebook (AuthorABWhelan) * Instagram (authorabwhelan) * Goodreads (A.B. Whelan) * Twitter (AuthorABWhelan) * Bookbub: A.B. Whelan
As Grandma Rain lay in her hospital bed, dying, she says, “You’re late.”
Grandma Rain had raised Lake, after her parents disappeared. As they talk, Grandma Rain cracks me up with her dialogue.
“Lake, I broke the rules. Once and only once. It cost me your mother’s life. Your father’s too. Not that I gave a crap about him. Useless prick. But you loved that man. And you lost him because of me…The Wall Men took them. They did it to punish me because I wouldn’t set them free.”
A haunted house. It is so much more than that. Wall Men is not like any other haunted house story I have read. I love when an author takes an original approach to an oft told tale. No one can say that Mimi Jean Pamfiloff doesn’t have original thoughts.
Lake has no idea what is happening in the house, but did she have to do that to get the answers? Worlds collide and she has a vital role to fulfill to save them all and prevent a War of the Worlds.
I won’t share her travails, only tell you that they are worth finding out for yourself.
Thrills and chills abound in a world you need to ‘see’ to believe.
I never know what will happen when I crack open a Mimi Jean Pamfiloff book, but she never fails to surprise me with her ability to create worlds and characters that will keep me reading until the last page is read.
We have smiles and laughs with the pain and loss…BUT, the story doesn’t end here and I can hardly wait to read more.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Wall Men by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
From New York Times Bestseller Mimi Jean Pamfiloff comes a suspenseful Dark Fantasy, Wall Men, Book One. (Book Two, coming June 2022!)
MONSTERS? VAMPIRES? GHOSTS AND DEMONS? MEN WHO GUARD THE WALL BETWEEN US AND THEM.
I’m
sitting at my grandma’s bedside, moments away from losing her, when she
begins to rant about monsters and men trapped in her old mansion. I
practically grew up there, so I know it’s the pain meds talking. There’s
nothing inside that drafty house except rotting books, rusty pipes, and
neglected antiques.
“I’ve written down all the rules, Lake. You
must follow them,” she tells me, gasping for air. “The Wall Men cannot
get free. They are soulless and evil. They will try to seduce you. But
you cannot listen. They must remain chained to the wall.”
What the…?
In
her final breath, she makes me swear to read her journals. But above
all, I must promise to never go inside her bedroom, the one that’s
always kept locked.
Madness!
Weeks after her funeral,
I’m forced to confront the neglected estate she’s left behind. I can’t
afford the taxes, so it has to be cleaned and sold.
That’s when I hear a deep velvety voice on the other side of her bedroom door, demanding to be let out.
And dammit if I don’t want to break my promise and see who’s on the other side.
ABOUT MIMI JEAN PAMFILOFF
MIMI JEAN PAMFILOFF is a New York Times bestselling author who’s sold
over one million books around the world. Although she obtained her
MBA and worked for more than fifteen years in the corporate world, she
believes that it’s never too late to come out of the romance closet
and follow your dreams.
Mimi lives with her Latin lover hubby, two
pirates-in-training (their boys), and their three spunky dragons
(really, just very tiny dogs with big attitudes) Snowy, Mini, and Mack,
in the vampire-unfriendly state of Arizona.
She hopes to make
you laugh when you need it most and continues to pray daily that
leather pants will make a big comeback for men.
Nico Bell is a horror writer from America who dabbles in both the dark and humorous. She’s had several short stories published, and her debut novel Food Fright is available March 26, 2020.
