Tag Archives: 4 star review

Giveaway & Review – A Fighting Chance by Chrys Fey @ChrysFey

Posted on by

.

I was watching the Bones TV series, the episode where Bones and Booth get married. When Cundi Lauper began singing At Last, I immediately thought of sharing it with this review. It seemed so appropriate. Funny how that happens sometimes.

GUEST POST

Sherry Asked: Why did you name Detective Thorn…Thorn?

Chrys Fey’s Answer: Honestly, I don’t remember. HAHAHA! Usually, I’ll have a first name for a character, and then I have to come up with a good last name to go with it. I’ll explore surname websites and even the credits for movies to find a suitable last name. When it comes to my detective or law enforcement characters, I first come up with the surname that’ll pair well with “Detective” or “Officer.” I do this before even considering the first name. If I ever do.

For example, Officer Burnett is a character we meet in Seismic Crimes (Disaster Crimes Book 2), and we are reacquainted with him in A Fighting Chance. I simply considered a last name that sounded good with “Officer.” I wanted it to be strong. Officer Burnett is a strong title and name combo. So, when it came time to name the detective who comes in to help hunt down the corrupt cop and murderer David Buckland aka Buck, I literally contemplated what name would sound really badass with “Detective.” It doesn’t get much more badass than Detective Thorn.

Pages: 154

Genre: Romantic-Suspense

Heat Rating: Hot

MY REVIEW

It’s a great day. A Fighting Chance is the final book in the Disaster series and it it time for Thorn’s and Amanda’s story to be told.

Because you may want to start this series at the very beginning with Hurricane Crimes, I will try not to give anything away. I have loved growing and living life to the fullest with Beth and Donovan and would love for you to learn what they have been through to have a life so good they never even dreamed of it.

Thorn is a police officer and best friend to Beth and Donovan. Amanda is a survivor of domestic violence, still hiding out from her ex. She works with Beth at the Fighting Chance, and has become a very good friend of hers. These women have learned to stick together and their man will put their life on the line to keep them safe.

Amanda has found so much to live for, and when the danger comes walking through the door, she knows she cannot face it alone. Thank goodness she doesn’t have to.

She is afraid for Thorn. Afraid to hope for happiness. She is broken, but not beaten.

Thorn and Amanda’s relationship develops in a slow, realistic way. It is tentative and sweet.

I loved reading about her home remedies for defending her home. They are low tech, but they do the job. When Amanda talks about how she points her blinds, I couldn’t help but smile. I do the same thing.

Chrys Fey handles a difficult topic, like domestic abuse in a graceful and interesting way and I can’t help but believe it could be an inspiration for those who need a little bit of help to feel they are worth of a good, loving life.

The feeling of evil, of danger, of a sense of urgency, is subtle, but present throughout the story.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of A Fighting Chance by Chrys Fey.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

BLURB

*A FIGHTING CHANCE is Book 6 in the Disaster Crimes series, but it’s a spin-off featuring a new couple, so it can be read as a standalone.*

Thorn has loved Amanda from afar, giving her whatever she needs as a survivor of abuse—space, protection, and stability. He yearns to give her more, though, to share his feelings, kiss her, love her, but he’s worried the truth will frighten her away.

And Amanda is afraid. She’s scared of her attraction for Thorn. Most of all, she’s terrified of her ex-boyfriend, who is lurking nearby where no one can find him. When she grows closer to Thorn, Damon retaliates, jeopardizing their happy ending.

Up against an abusive ex and Mother Nature, do Thorn and Amanda have a fighting chance?

Book Links: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / iTunes

EXCERPT

Amanda looked up from the current list of up-to-date payments for classes. A movement outside the glass storefront caught her eye. She tilted her head to see a man coming up the sidewalk from the side where the picnic bench sat. Through the vertical blinds, she glimpsed a square face—a short, rugged beard and long, dark hair pulled into a man bun. Her breath fled from her lungs. Her body went from icy cold to flaming hot in the span of a millisecond. She dropped to the floor and slid under the counter, beneath the ledge where they put their purses and cell phones.

“What—” Beth peeked at the windows. Then she snapped her fingers at April and pointed at the stools.

April jumped into action. She pushed the stools in so they blocked Amanda. The bell attached to the door jingled as April removed the jacket she wore and draped it across the stools, creating a curtain to shield Amanda.

From a crack, Amanda watched Beth move to stand in front of the twins, who were in their walkers playing peacefully. “I’m sorry, but we’re going to be closing.”

“I don’t give a shit. I’m here for Amanda.”

The sound of Damon’s voice had her heart beating even harder. That voice had haunted her nightmares, had come back to life in her memories.

Beth cocked her head to the side. “Who? There’s no one by that name here.”

“Don’t bullshit me. I know she works here.”

His voice was closer now.

***FREE FOR A LIMITED TIME***

THE DISASTER CURSE

Book Links: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / iTunes

Author’s Note: I wrote The Disaster Curse to answer a few lingering questions readers may have after reading A Fighting Chance, and to tie the whole series together with a neat, shiny, perfect little bow. Plus, there was one disaster that I hadn’t written about yet. *wink*

The Disaster Crimes Series:

  • *The Crime Before the Storm (prequel)
  • Hurricane Crimes (novella, #1)
  • Seismic Crimes (#2)
  • Lightning Crimes (free short, #2.5)
  • Tsunami Crimes (#3)
  • Flaming Crimes (#4)
  • Frozen Crimes (#5)
  • A Fighting Chance (spin-off, #6)
  • The Disaster Curse (short story, #7)

*Free exclusive story to newsletter subscribers.

***LAUNCHING A WEBSITE***

TheFightingChance.org is a website dedicated to domestic violence and sexual assault awareness. Inspired by the Disaster Crimes series.

***GIVEAWAY***

Prizes: Hurricane Crimes (Disaster Crimes 1) and Seismic Crimes (Disaster Crimes 2) eBooks (mobi or epub), Hurricane Crimes Playing Cards, Girl Boss Sign, and a Volcanic Blast Scented Candle

a Rafflecopter giveaway ;

ABOUT CHRYS FEY

Chrys Fey is author of the Disaster Crimes Series, a unique concept that blends disasters, crimes, and romance. She runs the Insecure Writer’s Support Group Book Club on Goodreads and edits for Dancing Lemur Press. https://www.chrysfey.com

Author Links:  Newsletter / Website / Facebook Group /Blog / BookBub

Instagram / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads / Amazon

MY CHRYS FEY REVIEWS

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

Meet Amanda Steele in The Little Grave by Carolyn Arnold @Carolyn_Arnold @HibbertStiles

Posted on by

.

NEW RELEASE

The Little Grave is my introduction to Amanda Steele, but not to Carolyn Arnold. She writes some amazing stories and I am happy to have read….some.

Woo Hoo. I love when I see my name in a book, whether intentional or not. Do you ever see yours?

The Little Grave (Detective Amanda Steele #1)

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Amanda Steel had lost her reason for living. She lost her husband and her child to a drunk driver. Since then, her life has been a series of one night stands and a loss of her desire to follow in her father’s footsteps, becoming a police chief. It takes a sleeping pill for her to get any rest. Becky, her best friend, is her salvation.

When the man responsible for her family’s death ends up dead himself, she is allowed to investigate, under the direction of her new partner, or so they say. That is the only thing I didn’t like about the book. Maybe it would happen in real life, maybe not, but Carolyn Arnold’s books are so realistic, that it stuck with me.

At times I was sure I knew where Carolyn and Amanda were taking me…then there would be a curve in the road, leading me to who knows where. Only Carolyn Arnold knows…until YOU read the story yourself.

Amanda Steele’s past comes back to haunt her, though, in truth, it never left her.

Carolyn Arnold is an amazing author, creating complex stories and characters that keep me reading until the last page is turned. I want to know, I have to know. I do hope Amanda Steele can find the life she is meant to live.

Some serious issues arise, like murder, alcoholism, death, sex trafficking, and Amanda Steele, Carolyn Arnold, and I are on the case.

Two doozies at the end of the story have me salivating, thirsting for the next book.

I voluntarily reviewed and ARC of The LIttle Grave by Carolyn Arnold.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Detective Amanda Steele stops just inside the doorway, recognizing the victim’s face instantly. He seems so vulnerable in death; soft, human, even harmless. But she can never forget the evil he has inflicted. Her heart is hammering as she remembers her precious daughter, with her red curls and infectious laugh, and how she was lowered into that little grave…

It’s been five years since Detective Amanda Steele’s life was derailed in the path of an oncoming drunk driver. The small community of Dumfries, Virginia, may have moved on from the tragic deaths of her husband and daughter, but Amanda cannot. When the driver who killed her family is found murdered in a motel room, she can’t keep away from the case.

Fighting her sergeant to be allowed to work an investigation with such a personal connection to her, Amanda is in a race to prove that she can uncover the truth. But the more she digs into the past of the man who destroyed her future, the more shocking discoveries she makes. And when Amanda finds the link between a silver bracelet in his possession and the brutal unsolved murder of a young exotic dancer, she realizes she’s caught up in something darker than she ever imagined and suspects that more girls could be in danger.

But as Amanda edges toward the truth, she gets closer to a secret as personal as it is deadly. Amanda has stumbled upon a dangerous killer, and she must face some terrible truths in order to catch this killer – and save his next victim as she couldn’t save her own daughter…

A gripping, page-turning thriller full of mystery and suspense. Perfect for fans of Rachel Caine, Lisa Regan and Robert Dugoni.

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.

Carolyn Arnold

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 just west of Toronto with her husband and beagle and is a member of Crime Writers of Canada and Sisters in Crime.

Connect with CAROLYN ARNOLD Online:  Website  /  Twitter  /  Facebook

And don’t forget to sign up for her newsletter for up-to-date information on release and special offers at http://carolynarnold.net/newsletters.

MY REVIEWS FOR CAROLYN ARNOLD

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

Broken Gems #6 – Salvaging Marigold by Jane Blythe @jblytheauthor #romanticsuspense

Posted on by

.

Jane Blythe writes some fabulous suspense/thrillers and I am always eager to read whatever she writes. So…buckle up, because I am sure this will be a bumpy ride.

Salvaging Marigold (Broken Gems #6; Police and Fire: Operation Alpha)

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Woo Hoo. Another romantic suspense novel for the Broken Gem series by Jane Blythe and I am super excited to share it with you.

Marigold was jealous of Emerald Hatcher, her cousin who is getting married, and she hates herself for it. Emerald deserves to be happy after all she has been through. Sure, love and life hasn’t worked out for Marigold…but Emerald and her sisters had been sold to traffickers and Marigold wants to be a part of their lives.

Of course, there is a hunkalicious piece of eye candy that catches her eye. I’m just wondering what’s going to happen to her for there to be a need to save her. Enter Jonah Jagger. He loves being a part of the Hatcher sister’s lives and wants a woman to love and cherish for himself. Jonah had filed for divorce because he was in love with the idea of love, not his wife, but she doesn’t accept it. How far will she go to TRY and get him back?

When the characters MEET…lips to lips…he cannot help himself. Nor could she. Marigold Vaile was there to change her life. Why not start with Mr Hottie? Seems all the girls want the cops that work with Sapphire, to her chagrin.

Marigold has a twin, Lavender. She had expected her to show up for the wedding. After all, she was the one that convinced Marigold to come in the first place. Marigold is the sensible one and Lavender has a devil may care attitude, but Marigold knows that something is very wrong when she doesn’t show up or answer her cell phone. A call to Sapphire and help is on the way. The sisters know what’s important in life and vow to make it happen.

WOW! That’s a direction I didn’t see going and the twists keep on coming, from one nightmare to another. AND, now, the suspense really ramps up. If you think you know where this romance suspense novel is going, you may be half right, because I know Jane Blythe will be adding a branch here and there on this family tree. I am waiting…for the other shoe to drop. How will it happen? When will it happen? I knew the moment was here when I wanted to take a two by four and smack Jonah up side the head. What a sap!

Jane Blythe’s writing is so wonderful and exciting with her happy ever afters that have me eagerly picking up each book with anticipation. She has never failed me, so I felt confident setting aside time. I know I won’t be putting the book down until the last page is read.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Salvaging Marigold by Jane Blythe.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

She’s been used by men her whole life what makes him any different?

Marigold Vaile has a bad track record when it comes to men, but she is determined to start the new year by making some changes. When her twin fails to show up for their cousin’s wedding she’s going to have to trust her one night stand to get her sister back alive. Is he different than all the others or will her heart be broken all over again?

Jonah Jagger moved to get away from his ex-wife after the disintegration of their marriage. When a stunning redhead catches his attention the two celebrate New Year’s Eve by tumbling into bed. What was only supposed to be one night quickly becomes more when he promises her cousin he’ll look after her as they hunt for her missing twin. Only a killer might not be all the couple has to contend with as his persistent ex circles closer.

ABOUT JANE BLYTHE

Jane has loved reading and writing since she can remember. She writes dark and disturbing crime/mystery/suspense with some romance thrown in because, well, who doesn’t love romance? She has one completed series, Detective Parker Bell, and one new series, Count to Ten.

When she’s not writing Jane loves to read, bake, go to the beach, ski, horse ride, and watch Disney movies. She has a black belt in Taekwondo, and a 200+ collection of teddy bears. She has the world’s two most sweet and pretty Dalmatians, Ivory and Pearl. Oh, and she also enjoys spending time with family and friends!

Website  /  Twitter  /  Facebook

MY REVIEWS FOR JANE BLYTHE’S BOOKS

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

Review – Mermaids Marry In Green by Alice Renaud @alicerauthor

Posted on by

.

Mermaids Marry In Green by Alice Renaud is Book III of the Sea of Love series. If you are a lover of the mer world, this is one series that is a must read.

54898039. sx318

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Once I started reading Mermaids Marry in Green by Alice Renaud, I couldn’t stop. I forgot how fantastic the series is and I won’t put off reading any of her work again.

The afane had awakened, only to find out he was the last of his kind. He desperately struggles to find someone he can communicate with.

Calitha is on of the strongest mermaids in the western seas, but she struggles to fulfill her destiny. She wished she had had more time with her mother, more time to prepare for her role as the leader of the three mer clans. Whenever she was in doubt, she thought, “What would my mother do.” She never found time for herself, for a love life, for romance.

When Jonty, a warlock, entered her life, all bets were off. He came to her requesting her help in dealing with the afane, a water monster in England, and she was eager to go. The attraction was immediate, but Calitha is a leader, not to be mated to a human. Even though it was forbidden, the heart wants what the heart wants. It surely will not be an easy road, but I have a feeling…Sexual tension follows them, but they put it aside to deal with the problem at hand.

She surrendered, thinking she would have one night of pleasure before she returned to her duties, but that one night told her the truth – he was her mate. Of course, we know that is coming, but I do love all the push/pull that keeps them from making a commitment. It’s how the romance will come about that becomes one of the most interesting aspects of the story.

They both had a past, a mistake made, guilt weighing them down. Of course their love will have a rocky road filled with danger, but the sex is sweet…and HOT.

I love mer stories, but all too often I don’t finish a series. I am so glad I had all three of the Sea of Love series, because once I started it, I didn’t want to quit. Now that the story is told, what do I do? Where do I go from here. Any suggestions Alice?

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Mermaids Marry in Green by Alice Renaud.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Caltha Dooran is the toughest, fiercest shape-shifting mermaid in the western seas. She has three Clans to rule, and no time for romance. But when a warlock, Jonty, turns up and asks her to come with him to London to capture a water monster, she can’t say no. In London, away from her duties, her attraction for Jonty grows… and they soon fall under each other’s spell. But will his past and her responsibilities pull them apart, or can they find the only true magic, the one that binds two souls together?

ABOUT ALICE RENAUD

Alice lives in London, UK, with her husband and son. By day she’s a compliance manager for a pharmaceutical company. By night she writes fantasy romance about shape shifting mermen, water monsters and time-travelling witches. Her first book, “A Merman’s Choice,” was published in January 2019 by Black Velvet Seductions. It is the first book in a fantasy romance trilogy inspired by the landscapes and legends of Brittany and Wales. The second book, “Music for a Merman,” is out now and the third, “Mermaids Marry in Green,” will be released on 1 November. Alice has also written a short story, “The Sweetest Magic of All,” included in the BVS “Mystic Desire” anthology, out now. Alice loves reading and writing stories, and sharing them with anyone who’s interested!

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Goodreads * Amazon

MY ALICE RENAUD REVIEWS

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

Review: The Third Note by Virginia King @selkiemoonbooks

Posted on by

This year I have finished more series than usual and am proud of that. A lot of times, I start a series, read the first book, and never continue. Not so here and I am happy I took the time to get the entire story of Selkie Moon.

The Third Note (Selkie Moon Mystery, #3)

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

The Third Note by Virginia King picks up where The Second Path, Book II, left off. I highly recommend reading this series in order.

A package arrives from Selkie’s long dead grandmother. It was supposed to be delivered on her eighteenth birthday, but it was seventeen years late. Stella, her step mother begs her not to open it and it just makes Selkie more curious about what’s inside. I knowsecrets have been kept and I want her to find them out.

“What if you could heal the past?” That is what Selkie has been trying to do since her move to Hawaii.

Soooooo, it’s off to Ireland with Davina, who believes Selkie is a psychic detective. They both have pasts that will confront while there. She’s on a mission to discover what happened to her twin relatives. Supposedly, one was murdered and the other sent away.

Psychic visions, myths and legends, fairies, ghosts, magic, superstitions, secrets, and Selkie is determined to unveil them.

The Third Note is heavy on the mystery and the suspense is subtle, yet there are urgent and dangerous moments as Selkie and Davina visit their roots in Ireland. So many pieces to the puzzle, it took Selkie spelling it out for me, piece by piece, to see how the puzzle came together. The romance is sweet and develops over time.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of the Third Note by Virginia King.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

A mysterious parcel. An unsolved crime. A spell from beyond the grave.

After returning from her last strange quest, Selkie Moon is more than ready to settle down. So when she receives a parcel from her great grandmother 35 years after her death, opening it seems like such a bad idea.

But curiosity wins and the objects it contains plunge Selkie into long-buried family secrets. Suddenly an old mystery begins to echo with the present and she’s wrapped in a spell that won’t let go: frightening visions, deadly encounters and a pull from the past that she can’t ignore. What happened down by the old stone well in 1896 – and why does it matter to Selkie after more than a hundred years? Armed with only her wits and psychic twinges that are hardly reliable, Selkie is drawn into a web of cryptic clues that delve deep into the folklore of Ireland where superstition still weaves a powerful – and fatal – spell.

If you love mysteries with lightning pace, twists and turns you never see coming, quirky clues and a sprinkling of the supernatural, then you’ll love The Third Note.

Join Selkie Moon on a quest that will threaten not only her sanity, but her life.

ABOUT VIRGINIA KING

Virginia King

When a voice wakes you up in the middle of the night and tells you to write a mystery series, what’s a writer to do? That’s how I came to create Selkie Moon, after a massage from a strange woman with gifted hands was followed by this nocturnal message. I sat down at the keyboard until Selkie Moon turned up — a modern woman with a mythical name. Soon I was hooked, exploring far-flung places full of secrets where Selkie delves into psychological clues tangled up in the local mythology.

Before Selkie Moon invaded my life, I’d been a teacher, an unemployed ex-teacher, the author of over 50 children’s books, an audio-book producer, a workshop presenter and a prize-winning publisher. These days I live in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney with my husband, where I disappear each day into Selkie Moon’s latest mystery. Bliss.

Website

MY VIRGINIA KING REVIEWS

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

Labyrinth of the Dolls by Craig Wallwork @craigwallwork

Posted on by

.

Labyrinth of the Dolls is book two in Craig Wallwork’s Tom Nolan series. I loved the first one, so it was a no brainer grabbing this one when Craig asked me if I would like a copy.

Labyrinth of the Dolls (Tom Nolan #2)

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I loved the first book of the Tom Nolan series, Bad People, by Craig Wallwork, so when I got the chance to get my hands on Labyrinth of the Dolls, Book II, there was no hesitation.

Pam Bollen was in a great mood as she set off to work. Every Wednesday, at 6:00 AM, she headed to the home of Joanna Harcourt to clean her house. The grisly sight awaiting her was the macabre body of Joanna.

Enter MIT, the Murder Investigation Team, and Tom Nolan. He had joined the team with the specific purpose of chasing down his nemesis.

The past converges with the present as Tom Nolan hunts for what the media has labeled the Dollmaker. Tom has a knack for finding serial killers and it will take all his resources to put the past to bed once and for all.

I love that Tom is not a GQ kind of guy, though there is nothing wrong with that. LOL In fact, I love them too. But Tom feels like a realistic character. He’s a bit on the chunky side with an overbite, but there is someone for everyone, isn’t there? Will we have a little romance on the side?

The Ragman is his boogieman, that comes in the dark doing evil things. Only he knows why he does what he does, but Tom is pretty darn good at getting into his head.

The Tom Nolan series is one of those that keeps on giving. In fact, I think it got better with Labyrinth of the Dolls. As I sit, watching Criminal Minds, I feel as if Craig Wallwork could have been one of the writers. His books are filled with human evils, frailties, weaknesses and strength.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Labyrinth of the Dolls by Craig Wallwork.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

EVIL HAS A NEW FACE

It’s been one year since the horrific murders of Stormer Hill, and the events of that time continue to resonate with Detective Constable Tom Nolan. In an attempt to find the second killer, known only as the Ragman, Nolan joins West Yorkshire’s Murder Investigation Team.

Partnered with Jennifer Morrison, a straight-talking detective with her eye on promotion, the two officers are assigned to track down a new killer whose victims are all found dressed like human dolls. As the investigation progresses, Nolan becomes an intricate piece in the killer’s grand vision that puts his life in danger.

But with the body count rising daily and the pressure to find who the media is labelling the Doll Maker increasing, Nolan discovers more than just a series of grisly murders…

Within the human dolls, the answers he has sought for nearly a year may finally be found.

ABOUT CRAIG WALLWORK

Craig Wallwork is the author of the novels, Bad People, and The Sound of Loneliness, as well as the short story collections, Quintessence of Dust, and Gory Hole. His stories have been nominated three times for the Pushcart Prize, many of which feature in various anthologies and magazines both in the U.K. and U.S. He currently lives in England.

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Pinterest / YouTube

MY CRAIG WALLWORK REVIEWS

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

Gingerman: In Search of the Toymaker by Tony Bertauski @tonybertauski

Posted on by

I have been reading the Claus series by Tony Bertauski since the first one, Claus, Legend of the Fat Man. I have missed one or two, and hope to catch up on them. The series is unique and fun to read.

Gingerman: In Search of the Toymaker (Claus #8)

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Gingerman is not my first foray into the world of Claus by Tony Bertauski and it won’t be my last. I have been loving this quirky series since the beginning, with Claus, Legend of the Fat Man.

Christmas White Blizzard, better known as Chris, is off to school. His mother loved Christmas so much, she names him and his sister, Yuletide. He is terrified of going off to school, but his desire to learn overrides his fears.

The Institute of Creative Minds is the ultimate dichotomy:

“Be creative and free. But follow the rules or go home.”

The Institute is unlike any school I have ever heard of before. It is Christmas all the time.

When he meets Joli, she decides to be his introduction to the school. I love her feisty, independent personality. She’s a rebel.

Gingerman….well, I don’t want to spoil your introduction to him, so you will need to discover everything about him yourself. I will tell you…he is…unusual. Whether he is good or bad, we will have to wait and see. The verdict is still out, but I do have my thoughts.

The magic of Christmas comes alive through Tony Bertauski’s descriptive words. So, come along with me, Chris, and the Gingerman to solve the mystery of the Institute. It is a wild ride and I think you may enjoy it. It is delightful, unique and mysterious.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Gingerman by Tony Bertauski.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

His real name is Christmas. It’s embarrassing.

He’s been accepted into the Institute of Creative Mind, a prestigious institute for eccentrics, outliers, and gifted students. A school located in the middle of nowhere with two-hundred-year-old castles and a formidable stone wall. A school where Christmas is celebrated the entire year.

Christmas trees, ornaments, and lights decorate the castles. Presents are given out every month, and students are pitted against each other in creative challenges. Chris soon finds out, however, the stakes are high.

The losers are expelled.

He spends sleepless nights keeping up with his homework to not disappoint his parents and to keep a cruel guidance counsellor off his back. But this place is more than a demanding school for gifted students. Chris finds a clue in a textbook his first night, written in code.

Run, run as fast as you can.

When he’s presented with an impossibility that defies all laws of physics and biology, anything becomes possible. Chris discovers students aren’t chosen for their artistic abilities but because of a DNA test. He doesn’t know what the school is really after. If he doesn’t stop them, Christmas will end forever. Everything depends on his courage.

And a strange little friend.

ABOUT TONY BERTAUSKI

Tony Bertauski

Get my books FREE. Tell me where to send them at http://bertauski.com

My grandpa never graduated high school. He retired from a steel mill in the mid-70s. He was uneducated, but he was a voracious reader. I remember going through his bookshelves of paperback sci-fi novels, smelling musty old paper, pulling Piers Anthony and Isaac Asimov off shelf and promising to bring them back. I was fascinated by robots that could think and act like people. What happened when they died?

I’ve written textbooks on landscape design, but that was straightforward, informational writing; the kind of stuff that helps most people get to sleep. I’ve also been writing a gardening column with a humorous slant. That takes a little more finesse, but still informational for the most part.

I’m a cynical reader. I demand the writer sweep me into his/her story and carry me to the end. I’d rather sail a boat than climb a mountain. That’s the sort of stuff I wanted to write, not the assigned reading we used to get in high school. I wanted to create stories that kept you up late.

Fiction, GOOD fiction, is hard to write. Having a story unfold inside your head is an experience different than reading. You connect with characters in a deeper, more meaningful way. You feel them, empathize with them, cheer for them and even mourn. The challenge is to get the reader to experience the same thing, even if it’s only a fraction of what the writer feels. Not so easy.

MY TONY BERTAUSKI REVIEWS

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

One Sentence Review – City of Ghosts by J H Moncrieff @JH_Moncrieff

Posted on by

.

City of Ghosts

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

City of Ghosts by J H Moncrieff is a predictable, at times realistic, horror story that had me rapidly flipping the pages as Jackson Stone was chosen to tell a ghostly tale of pain, anger and vengeance.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Winner of the 2018 Kindle Book Review Award for best Horror/Suspense.

On the day the villagers were forced to flee Hensu, not everyone got out alive.

Jackson Stone is touring the abandoned Chinese city when he slips away from the group to spend the night, determined to publish an account of his ghostly experiences there.

Then he meets Yuèhai, a strange, soft-spoken woman who can tell him the city’s secrets—secrets the Chinese government would kill to keep hidden.

As Jackson uncovers the truth about Yuèhai and the ghost city, he’s drawn into a web of conspiracy, betrayal, and murder. He must risk everything to save himself and bring honor back to Yuèhai and her family.

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

Review – Below Dark Waters by Katie Zaber @Zaberbooks

Posted on by

.

Below Dark Waters

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

The Dalya series by Katie Zaber needs to be read in order.

Below Dark Waters is told by three points of view.

Princess Mega is on the run, with her friends by her side, running from her father, who wants her dead. Does it get much worse that that?

Carmia is a free spirit, an adventurer. She felt the call of the sea and had Octavia built so she could take to the sea, where she felt at home. A woman pirate, gotta love it. She is on the hunt for treasure, leaving her family behind, though they didn’t miss her much.

Lily…love her. She is a master of disguise.

Seeing this is Book II, I don’t want to spoil the wonder of Princess Megan’s world. I want to be at her side, saving children, being taken to an underwater world where evil is afoot, growing, changing, evolving into the leader she never asked or wanted to be. She has devoted, loyal friends and gathers more, as they see her for who she is, a warrior, a fair and determined woman who knows right from wrong. She grabs what moments of happiness and love that are at her fingertips, knowing she may have to sacrifice her own desires and do the right thing for their worlds to survive and prosper.

The end is not here and I can hardly wait to see where we go to next.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Below Dark Waters by Katie Zaber.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Princess Megan, who never had a reason to assume she was anything but human, has been on the run, protected by her friends. With each step toward the city of Delmont, she hopes they will have time to regroup before setting sail to the Ka’Pamau Islands, their final destination. Instead, her bad luck shadows her and chaos continues to ensue everywhere she goes—including a new part of the world that most air breathers have yet to explore.

Confronted with another royal family and a smitten prince whose advances turn cold, she faces another life-altering decision with ramifications she can’t possibly begin to guess at.

Back on land, Lilly reveals more of her secrets, her story, and her goals. Monumental changes and challenges are headed her way as she embraces her new role in life.

On the sea, Aunt Carmia is stirring up trouble while continuing her hunt for the treasure she most desires. She experiences upheavals, but she is always prepared for the unknown.

As their stories unfold, they remain unaware how fate connects them in the world of Dalya

ABOUT KATIE ZABER

Katie Zaber

Katie Zaber is originally from Southern New Jersey. Her childhood home is just minutes from the Long Beach Island Bridge. When not writing, Katie can be found at wine tastings, sun bathing at the beach, going for hikes, screaming at Six Flags, reading, or in her favorite place, her kitchen, baking desserts and breads. She currently lives in Morris County, New Jersey with her boyfriend.

Website

MY KATIE ZABER REVIEWS

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

Ghostly Happenings & The Haunting of Hacket House by Astrid Addams #AstridAddams

Posted on by

.

The Haunting of Hacket House

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

“When the shit hits the fan, that’s when having a God to pray to or curse is really satisfying…”

No Hacket House or the town of Bramley showed up on the internet when Jane researched the offer for a live in caregiver, but the lucrative paycheck had her packing and moving. Maybe the lack of information should have been a warning?

There are clocks of every variety cluttering the house. What’s up with that? It made me think of my father in law. He loves tinkering with clocks and has them all over his house, but, they are not like these clocks.

The house sounds more like a mansion or museum, with twisting, turning hallways and hundreds of rooms.

Jane is running from someone and thought Hacket House would be a great place to hide. If she can’t find anything about the house and town, maybe nobody else could either. The reason she is running is even sadder than I anticipated.

The man she is there to take care of is in dire straits, uncommunicative. He has dementia (?), with hands like claws and his body stuck in the fetal position. Is it dementia? Is he being tormented? Haunted? And who…or what…is Nark?

As the secrets are revealed, I wonder about Jane and what will become of her. Looming clocks that seem to move on their own, shadows running from clock to clock, people in robes…

The Haunting of Hacket House is a creepy, deliciously spooky tale that kept getting creepier and creepier as I read. It would make a fantastic movie.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Haunting of Hacket House by Astrid Addams.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Some places don’t let go….

Offered a lucrative job at the mysterious Hacket House, Jane agrees to travel across country to live at the mansion. After all, a fresh start is just what she needs. Besides, the remote house is a long way from the past she is still running from.

Arriving at her new home, she finds a strange red house set in a wood of red, gnarled trees. The same trees used to build the house and the grandfather clocks that haunt every room and dark corridor.

Jane quickly realises that there is something very wrong at Hacket House and the village of Bramley.

Why is there a graveyard in the garden of Hacket House? Who are the people in hoods who haunt the house at night? What are they doing with the old man in the bed? Why is somebody moving the grandfather clocks? Who is the strange woman no one will admit exists? What are the shadows that scoot across the walls like cockroaches? Who is Erazmus Nark whose grave nothing will touch?

As the sinister behaviour of the village escalates and her own past closes in around her, Jane learns that just because something is dead, doesn’t mean that it’s gone.

MY ASTRID ADDAMS REVIEWS

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

Share this: