OMG…right out of the gate…breathtaking, jaw dropping, spine tingling…One of the most Criminal Minds on steroids, suspense, mystery, horror, thriller stories I have ever read, and a must read for all you extreme horror lovers…and I DARE YOU to go on that cruise? đ
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB: A hair-raising thriller from an Amazon bestselling author! …A must read for mystery lovers.
In the middle of the night, Alberto Alonzo sneaks out to play at the casino with his mother’s credit card in his hand. The next morning he is gone and no one knows where he is and, for his family, a real-life nightmare unfolds.
Emma Frost is with her family on a cruise in the Mediterranean Sea when the boy goes missing from the ship. The boy is the son of a world-famous race driver. When the wife is killed shortly thereafter, everyone turns their attention to the race driver and thinks he killed them both.
But soon, another teenager disappears in the middle of the night and Emma suddenly finds herself leading a desperate manhunt to track down the killer before he strikes again.
-RUN, RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN is a spine-chilling mystery. It is the third book in Willow Rose’s bestselling Emma Frost series.
When Jesse Graham almost runs over a âbodyâ in the road one night, she
is plunged into a labyrinth of secrets, lies and murder. All Jesse
wants is a simple life teaching at St. Bartâs⌠and a chance at
love with Joe Riley. She realizes that plan has been thwarted when
puzzling occurrences at St. Bartholomew Academy for Girls get
increasingly dangerous. The danger doesnât just spring from the
ghost who haunts the grounds of St. Bartâs, but from a sinister
presence that is not ghostly at all. As she digs into the mystery,
threats on her life and the life of her student escalate.
Which danger threatens her life the most? The ghost haunting her student or
the secrets buried in the school?
When Jesse Graham unlocks the door to the deserted house she inherited
from her Aunt Helen, she doesnât realize sheâs unlocking secrets
that had lain dormant for years. Reeling from a broken engagement to
acclaimed musician Robert Cronmiller, Jesse wants to leave the city
where her name is linked to his in all the society pages. Her best
friend Maggie, aka Sister Angelina, convinces her to take a job at a
private girls school in the pastoral Finger Lakes region of upstate
New York. Anticipating a quiet, revitalizing life in her auntâs
deserted house, Jesse is instead thrown into a maze of danger.
Questions about her auntâs death lead Jesse to investigate events
surrounding it and the people involved, but she uncovers a web of
deceit that reaches far beyond the occurrences of over two decades
earlier. Still dejected from her broken engagement, Jesse finds it
difficult to trust anyone, even her self-absorbed mother. Joe Riley
is irresistible, but secrets obstruct involvement with him until
Jesse can solve the secrets of the Cavanaugh House. Someone doesnât
want those secrets unearthed and will stop at nothing, even murder,
to keep them hidden.
Author, blogger and believer in dreams-come-true, Elizabeth Meyette fell in
love with books as a child when her sister read her Goldilocks and
the Three Bears. “She had me at ‘Once upon a time…’,”
Elizabeth admits. A native of upstate New York, Elizabeth now lives
in West Michigan with her husband Richard. She retired early from
teaching to pursue her passion: writing. “Yes, I hear voices in
my head and I give them names and call them characters.”
Elizabeth describes her books as âa little mystery, a little history, a
little romance.â She has also written several childrenâs books
are in line for publication in the near future. Her poetry has
appeared in various anthologies.
A native of upstate New York, Elizabeth now lives in Michigan with her
husband Richard. They have an agreement that she cannot cook on
writing days after he endured burnt broccoli and dry chicken.
Fortunately, Rich is an excellent cook.
. The Friday 56 is hosted by Fredaâs Voice.The only rules are to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your ereader and find any sentence or a few ( no spoilers) that grabs you and post it.
Please join Rose City Reader every Friday to share the first sentence or so of the book you are reading along with you initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires.
Please include the title of the book and the authorâs name.
~~~
A messy bookshelf is the norm around the Fundin household. I just cannot help but pick up another book and another and anotherâŚ
I am a big fan of horror, suspense and thriller novels, so John Saul is always on my must read list.
The door swung open, a man was shoved inside, and then the door was pulled closed again.
(Page 56 in hardcover,1st edition, published in 2001)
Book Beginnings
Time had finally lost its meaning.
Weeks could have passes. Or months.
GOODREADS BLURB: In Manhattan Hunt Club John Saul plumbs the depths of the Manhattan underground–the network of subway tunnels and secret caverns and chambers where the homeless denizens of the city have created their own society. It’s a world Jeff Converse, a young college student convicted of a crime he didn’t commit, never knew existed until he is plunged into it after an “accident” that occurs while he is being transported to prison. He soon realizes that it’s no accident, but the opening move in a deadly game being played by some of the city’s most powerful men and women, a game in which he is the prey and they are the hunters. Jeff’s only chance to make it to the surface and survive lies in allying himself with a homicidal maniac who’s appointed himself the young man’s protector, but whose designs on Jeff are almost as lethal as those of his enemies in the Manhattan Hunt Club.
Saul made his reputation in the horror genre, but he now focuses on psychological terrors rather than things that go bump in the night. His narrative gifts are displayed to great advantage in this heart-stopping thriller; the pacing is flawless and the central characters are very well developed. What keeps this from living up to its fullest potential is the inadequate motivation of the villains, who are largely one-dimensional cardboard cutouts. But that won’t keep this otherwise topnotch thriller off the bestseller lists, where Saul (Nightshade, The Right Hand of Evil), like Stephen King, is a perennial contender for the number one spot. –Jane Adams
Lauren Carr is the bestselling author of the Mac Faraday Mysteries, the Lovers in Crime Mysteries, and the brand new series, The Thorny Rose Mysteries. We caught up with the charming mystery writer as she preps to kick off her upcoming virtual book tour for A Fine Year for Murder, the 2th in the Mac Faraday series.
Author Interview with Lauren Carr
Lauren, thank you so much for chatting with us. Right off the bat, I’m curious. Is it hard to break away from your successful Mac Faraday series to work on another one?
Yes and no. Actually, I donât consider this breaking away so much as taking a break from Mac and the gang at Deep Creek Lake. Iâm not leaving Mac Faraday and the gang in Deep Creek Lake or the Lovers in Crime in their small town in West Virginia at all. Iâm simply taking my readers on a detour to visit a new and different group of detectives.
As a writer, an occasional detour helps me to step away and marinate on my next Mac Faraday or Lovers in Crime Mysteryâthink about where I want the characters to go. Now that I am returning to the next Mac Faraday Mystery, I am actually approaching it with a fresher perspective, which adds a special treat for my readers as well.
A Fine Year for Murder, the second Thorny Rose Mystery, was released January 30. The Thorny Rose Mystery series is a different direction for you, isnât it?
Yes, it isâwhich makes it exciting for me as the writer and for my readers, as well. As an author, I am always striving to stretch my wings and try new things. I always listen to readers, not just talk about my books, but other authorsâ books. It is not uncommon to hear a reader complain about an authorâs books starting to all read the same, or for the reader to become bored with an authorâs books. Well, that can also happen to the author who is writing the books. Some readers may not like the new direction I go with the Thorny Rose Mysteries. They can take comfort with Mac Faraday and the Lovers in Crime. The rest, they can dive into the mystery and suspense of Murphy and Jessica, the next generation of mystery detectives.
In the first Thorny Rose Mystery, Kill and Run, it was plain to see that the young newlywed couple, Jessica and Murphy, have a far different lifestyle than Mac and Joshua. Can you share some of the differences we will see? Living in Washington DC, will their stories lean toward political suspense?
Jessica and Murphy are much younger, more daring, and without a doubt more impulsive than their fathers. Also, since they are millennials, they lean toward todayâs high tech lifestyleâthus, the character of Nigel, their virtual butler.
The setting alone (Washington DC) makes for a different type of criminal element. Since Murphy is a military officer assigned to the Pentagon, then we get to add a political element. As a phantom, heâs often sent on secret assignments. Then, we have Jessica Faraday, a savvy and rich young woman who knows her way around high society, which will prove to be helpful to Murphy.
Behind the scenes, readers get to see the normal adjustments that every newlywed couple must deal withâlike where does the peanut butter go (fridge or cupboard) and how many children do they want to have and when.
Yet, personally, I do not want the Thorny Rose Mysteries to be a wholly political suspense mystery series. Wanting to make that clear, I set our detectives in the wine country of southern Virginia for A Fine Year for Murder.
Speaking of setting, how do you decide on the setting for a book? For instance, in choosing Washington DC or Virginiaâs wine country, do you already have your story idea in mind before you settle on the location or is it character driven?
Character driven! My books are completely character driven. The decision for Washington DC for the Thorny Rose series came naturally. Murphy Thornton was a recent graduate from the Naval Academy and Jessica wanted to be with him. That meant she had to move to Washington as well. As an author, this worked well for me because I used to work in Washington as an editor for the federal government. My husband had been a navy officer assigned to the Pentagon, so I didnât need to do that much research.
Yet, for A Fine Year for Murder, the murder case was based on a real cold case that happened in a small town. I had selected this mystery to be Jessicaâs case, since Murphy took center stage in Kill and Run. Jessica had grown up in the suburbs of Washington DC, which is not a small town. So, I created the storyline in which she had become involved in the case as a child while visiting distant relatives. That resulted in my taking Jessica and Murphy on a road trip to southern Virginia.
What led to the decision to bring together the two grown children of Mac (Mac Faraday) and Joshua Thornton (Lovers in Crime)? I love the idea, by the way.
Oh, like love, it just sort of happened. I thought long and hard about bringing the two of them together before I made the final decision. Then, it was almost a year after that before I decided found the right book launch them.
Murphyâs character came about in my first mystery book, A Small Case of Murder, a Joshua Thornton Mystery. At that time, he was seventeen years old. I knew then that he would be going to the Naval Academy. When I created the character of Jessica Faraday (readers meet her via phone conversation in Old Loves Die Hard) she was already in college in Williamsburg. When I brought back Joshua for the Lovers in Crime, I realized Murphy and Jessica were about the same age. As their fathers became friends, it became natural for them to grow close. Like my readers, I was very surprised by how quickly they grew together.
Your Mac Faraday series as well as the Lovers in Crime series have both garnered a loyal following. Iâm one of them. We will still be seeing their series continue as well, wonât we?
Oh yes! Each series will continue to grow on their own with interconnecting mysteries occasionally. In Kill and Run, the Lovers in Crime actively participate in the mystery. In A Fine Year for Murder, Mac Faraday and the Deep Creek Lake gang make an appearance. Then, this summer, readers are in for a treat as all of my series characters come together for two mysteries in Twofer Murder! This special mystery will be a lot of funâI promise! As long as readers are clamoring for mysteries, Iâll be writing them.
I, for one, love the direction you are going with this series. Characters grow and change and to keep up with the times makes them feel even more real to me.
Thanks so much for visiting, Lauren, and I look forward to reading more of your work!
After months of marital bliss, Jessica Faraday and Murphy Thornton are still discovering and adjusting to their life together. Settled in their new home, everything appears to be perfect ⌠except in the middle of the night when, in darkest shadows of her subconscious, a deep secret from Jessicaâs past creeps to the surface to make her strike out at Murphy.
When investigative journalist Dallas Walker tells the couple about her latest case, known as the Pine Bridge Massacre, they realize Jessica may have witnessed the murder of a family living near a winery owned by distant relatives she was visiting and suppressed the memory.
Determined to uncover the truth and find justice for the murder victims, Jessica and Murphy return to the scene of the crime with Dallas Walker, a spunky bull-headed Texan. Can this family reunion bring closure for a community touched by tragedy or will this prickly get-together bring an end to the Thorny Rose couple?
Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, and Thorny Rose Mysteriesâover twenty titles across three fast-paced mystery series filled with twists and turns!
Book reviewers and readers alike rave about how Lauren Carrâs seamlessly crosses genres to include mystery, suspense, romance, and humor.
Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She lives with her husband, son, and four dogs (including the real Gnarly) on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.
They found each other. Then the killer found them. Detective Jackson âJaxâ McKenna walks into a psychologistâs office and finds that the doctor bears a striking resemblance to his first love, Lainie, who disappeared ten years ago after their disastrous first date ended in violence. Dr. Elizabeth Parker is really Elaine Wilson, Jaxâs Lainie. Sheâs been in hiding since the night that changed both their lives. Jax discovers the truth when the killer lets Lainie know heâs found her. When Jax and Lainie go on the run to keep Lainie safe, old feelings resurface as the killer threatens their lives. Can Jax save Lainie and help her stay Invisible?
L.A. Remenicky is a wife and mother of two fur kids. A payroll
professional by day, she writes out the stories in her head by night.
An avid reader all her life, she finally put pen to paper (or fingers to
keyboard) during NaNoWriMo in 2012 and has never looked back. When
sheâs not typing away on her latest story with music playing in the
background, she can usually be found spending time with her family
and friends.
Welcome to Teaser Tuesday hosted by The Purple Booker, the weekly Meme that wants you to add books to your TBR, or just share what you are currently reading. It is very easy to play along:
⢠Grab your current read ⢠Open to a random page ⢠Share two (2) âteaserâ sentences from somewhere on that page ⢠BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesnât give too much away! You donât want to ruin the book for others!) ⢠Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Everyone loves Teaser Tuesday.
~~~~~~
I won A Pair of Docks by Jennifer Ellis some time ago, but am just getting around to reading it. I am very pleasantly surprised with the storyline and want to read more.
“That’s quite the leap, Caleb. We don’t even know if we were on Earth, never mind if it was real. It could have all been a dream,” Abbey said.
(page 56% in paperback)
GOODREADS BLURB:Fourteen-year-old Abbey Sinclair likes to spend her afternoons in the physics lab learning about momentum and gravitational pull. But her practical scientific mind is put to the test when her older brother, Simon, discovers a mysterious path of stones that allows them, along with Abbeyâs twin, Caleb, to travel back and forth between their world and what appears to be…the future.
Unfortunately, theyâre not the only ones who know about the stones, and they soon realize their lives are in danger from a man known only as Mantis. Abbey, Caleb, and Simon must follow a twisting trail of clues that will lead them from their autistic neighbor, Mark, to a strange professor who claims to know the rules of the stones, and to multiple futuresâsome of whose inhabitants donât want to stay put.
It will take all of Abbeyâs analytical skills to unravel the secrets of the stones, uncover the threads that tie the futures together, thwart Mantisâs plan, and, most importantly, keep her family aliveânow and in the future.
A Pair of Docks explores Einsteinâs Theory of Relativity, the meaning of time, the potential for parallel universes, and the boundary between science and witchcraft. It is the first novel in the Derivatives of Displacement series.
âThe summer I turned ten, my life took a fairy tale turn.â
So begins Reema Ben Ghaziâs tale set in Morocco, SHE’S LIKE A RAINBOW. Reema awakes one morning to find her skin has changed from whipped cream to dark chocolate. From then on, every few years she undergoes another metamorphosis, her color changing successively to red, yellow and ultimately brown. What is the cause of this strange condition and is there a cure? Does the legend of the White Buffalo have anything to do with it? As Reema struggles to find answers to these questions, she confronts the reactions of the people around her, including her strict and unsympathetic mother, Lalla Jamila; her timid younger sister, Zakia; and her two best friends, Batoul and Khalil. At the same time, she must deal with the trials of adolescence even as her friendship with Khalil turns to first love. One day, in her search for answers, Reema discovers a shocking secret â she may have been adopted at birth. As a result, Reema embarks on a quest to find her birth mother that takes her from twentieth-century Rabat to post-9/11 New York.
Reemaâs humanity shines through her story, reminding us of all we have in common regardless of our particular cultural heritage. SHE’S LIKE A RAINBOW, which will appeal to Teens as well as Adults, raises intriguing questions about identity and ethnicity.
A native New Yorker, Eileen Colucci has been living in Rabat with her Moroccan husband for the past thirty-plus years. She is a former teacher and recently retired after twenty-eight years as a translator with the U.S. Embassy, Rabat. Her articles and short stories have appeared in various publications and ezines including Fodor’s Morocco, Parents’ Press, The New Dominion and Expat Women. SHE’S LIKE A RAINBOW is her second novel.
**all images are linked to Amazon (I am an affiliate)**
~~~
Hello everyone. Hope you are having a wonderful weekend.
My post this week will be a short one. We made a road trip to Birmingham, Alabama. It is my mother in law’s 80th birthday. A milestone that we wanted to share with her. Mr Wonderful’s brother, wife and one of the daughters came in for the occasion. We met up with other family members and had a wonderful meal, drinks and birthday cake. MMMMMM
It seems like spring is in the air. I know I mentioned the azaleas blooming last week, but now they are out in all their glory. Gorgeous, but I wonder what that means when (?) the cold hits.
As we say goodbye to January, we are getting ready for Mardi Gras!
. The Friday 56 is hosted by Fredaâs Voice.The only rules are to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your ereader and find any sentence or a few ( no spoilers) that grabs you and post it.
Please join Rose City Reader every Friday to share the first sentence or so of the book you are reading along with you initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires.
Please include the title of the book and the authorâs name.
~~~
A messy bookshelf is the norm around the Fundin household. I just cannot help but pick up another book and another and anotherâŚ
I have a few of John Sanford’s novels, of which Mind Prey is one. I bought this quite some time ago from the Mobile Public Library. I have also checked out many other books by him and have enjoyed each and every one.
I need to get back to the library and catch up on his latest.
Then he was on her, slamming her back against the stone wall, ripping at her jacket, at her blouse. She screamed at him, “No, don’t, John…”
(Page 56 in hardcover,1st edition, published in 1995)
Book Beginnings
The storm blew up late in the afternoon, tight, gray clouds hustling over the lake like dirty, balled-up sweat socks spilling from a basket. A chilly wind knocked leaves from the elms, oaks, and maples at the water’s edge. The white phlox and black-eyed susans bowed their heads before it.
GOODREADS BLURB: From the bestselling author of Night Prey and Winter PreyâŚan all-new Lucas Davenport thriller.
Run for itâŚIt was raining when psychiatrist Andi Manette left the parent-teacher conference with her two young daughters, and she was distracted. She barely noticed the red van parked beside her, barely noticed the van door slide open as they dashed up to the car. The last thing she did notice was the hand reaching out for her and the voice from out of the past â and then the three of them were gone.
Hours later, deputy chief Lucas Davenport stood in the parking lot, a blood-stained shoe in his hand, the ground stained pink around him, and knew that this would be one of the worst cases he’d ever been on. With an urgency born of dread, he presses the attack, while in an isolated farmhouse, Andi Manette does the same, summoning all her skills to battle an obsessed captor. She knows the man who has taken her and her daughters, knows there is a chink in his armor, if only she can find it. But for both her and Davenport, time is already running out.
John Sandford’s novels have always been extraordinary for their harrowing twists, unforgettable characters, and crackling prose. But Mind Prey tops them all. It is the work of a true master.
5 Stars
Look on the right sidebar and letâ talk.
The Friday 56 is hosted by 
so of the book you are reading along with you initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires.
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