Tag Archives: 4 star review

A Bad Day For Sunshine by Darynda Jones @Darynda

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I have seen Darynda Jones name bandied about for a long time now, so I am glad to finally pick up one of her books and have an introduction into her world with A Bad Day for Sunshine. I couldn’t resist this fabulous cover. I want to thank Darynda Jones and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review my first Darynda Jones novel.

It will be released on April 7, 2020 and is available for preorder HERE.

A Bad Day for Sunshine (Sunshine Vicram, #1)

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I have been wanting to read a Darynda Jones novel for some time now, so when I saw the chance to grab this advanced review copy from NetGalley, I jumped all over it.

Sunshine Vicram is back in town after some shenanigans pulled by her parents, getting her elected as the sheriff of Del Sol, New Mexico, and supplying her with an adorable home for her and her daughter, Aurora.

Right off I liked Sunshine and Auri’s relationship, their verbal banter leads to some very humorous dialogue, and I could see there are some underlying problems.

  • Sunshine has a past that demands answers and she is going to find them
  • Auri has seemed a bit off since the New Year’s party she went to when they arrived.

Del Sol is a small town with all kinds of crazy going on. We have some unique, quirky, entertaining characters and lots of secrets surround them. There is a sense of mystery underlying every event that transpires and no one gives answers easily.

I enjoyed the beginning of the book, but began to wonder what all the hoopla was about Darynda Jones’ work. The fun writing and character’s personalities had me liking them and the undercurrent in town made me think there was danger coming, but where is that feeling that I can’t stop reading until I have all the answers? At 30%, I became more involved, but the verdict is still out.

At 62%, Darynda Jones got my attention with a twist and I even teared up thinking about Auri…and the rest of the pack. After this it moved quickly. I know how this will end, but the last third of the book is what made it all worthwhile, keeping me glued to the pages.

Well…I love it and, even though this story is told, I am sure there is more to come for these fabulous characters and I hope to be there with them.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of A Bad Day For Sunshine by Darynda Jones.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

New York Times bestselling author Darynda Jones is back with the brand-new snarky, sassy, wickedly fun Sunshine Vicram series!

Sheriff Sunshine Vicram finds her cup o’ joe more than half full when the small village of Del Sol, New Mexico, becomes the center of national attention for a kidnapper on the loose.

Del Sol, New Mexico is known for three things: its fry-an-egg-on-the-cement summers, its strong cups of coffee—and a nationwide manhunt? Del Sol native Sunshine Vicram has returned to town as the elected sheriff–an election her adorably meddlesome parents entered her in–and she expects her biggest crime wave to involve an elderly flasher named Doug. But a teenage girl is missing, a kidnapper is on the loose, and all of it’s reminding Sunny why she left Del Sol in the first place. Add to that trouble at her daughter’s new school and a kidnapped prized rooster named Puff Daddy, and Sunshine has her hands full.

Enter sexy almost-old-flame Levi Ravinder and a hunky US Marshall, both elevens on a scale of one to blazing inferno, and the normally savvy sheriff is quickly in over her head. Now it’s up to Sunshine to juggle a few good hunky men, a not-so-nice kidnapping miscreant, and Doug the ever-pesky flasher. And they said coming home would be drama-free.

ABOUT DARYNDA JONES

Darynda Jones

NYTimes and USA Today Bestselling Author Darynda Jones has won numerous awards for her work, including a prestigious RITA, a Golden Heart, and a Daphne du Maurier. As a born storyteller, she grew up spinning tales of dashing damsels and heroes in distress for any unfortunate soul who happened by, annoying man and beast alike. She currently has two series with St. Martin’s Press, the Charley Davidson Series and the Darklight Trilogy. Darynda lives in the Land of Enchantment, also known as New Mexico, with her husband of more than 25 years and two beautiful sons, the Mighty, Mighty Jones Boys.

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The Whispering Room by Dean Koontz @deankoontz #librarylove

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I have been a long time fan of Dean Koontz, though I haven’t reviewed many of his books. I especially love his old time horror, but The Whispering Room is horror of a human kind and I am lovin’ the Jane Hawk series.

The Whispering Room (Jane Hawk, #2)

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

The Whispering Room by Dean Koontz is Book II of the Jane Hawk series. The books need to be read in order, and when I started the series, I had no idea there are five books, looooong books, but I am lovin’ them.

The Whispering Room picks up where The Silent Room leaves off.

I must warn you about the characters. There are so many great ones introduced, but many will not survive, so be careful who you become enamored with. She has ‘friends’ that offer their help, some willingly, some not so willingly, but this is a solo operation and she works best alone.

“They’ll all know about you in The Whispering Room.”

I loved when Jane put her mission aside to render assistance to a family. It shows what kind of person she really is. This is a nice touch, because most of the story is spent with Jane traveling here to there in search for answers.

The high and mighty sociopaths are culling the population. Why? What makes the victims such a threat? How did they even come to think of such horror? And all the other twisted, perverted things they do?

Iron Furnace, Kentucky makes the Stepford Wives look like child’s play.

Utopia…one man’s vision is another man’s horror.

I know, with the digital world we live in, there is no such thing as privacy. Every time we step foot outside our homes, we are being watched. Anyone can be found anywhere. But there are even more threats out there and I wonder if something like this could happen in the future.

I loved that I made a quick appearance, or at least my name did, Sherry. That’s always fun to see.

The action ramps up in The Whispering Room. I was not able to quit reading, rapidly flipping the pages and I mourn for some of the characters that fall victim.

Are ‘they’ going to ‘win’? How can they not? But this is fiction, so I know (?) Jane has to come out victorious.

I checked out The Whispering Room by Dean Koontz from the library and have already downloaded the next book, The Crooked Staircase.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Jane Hawk—fiction’s most relentless, resourceful, stunning new heroine—continues her battle against a murderous conspiracy in the riveting sequel to The Silent Corner.

“No time to delay. Do what you were born to do. Fame will be yours when you do this.”

These are the words that ring in the mind of mild-mannered, beloved schoolteacher Cora Gundersun—just before she takes her own life, and many others’, in a shocking act of carnage. When the disturbing contents of her secret journal are discovered, it seems certain that she must have been insane. But Jane Hawk knows better.

In the wake of her husband’s inexplicable suicide—and the equally mysterious deaths of scores of other exemplary individuals—Jane picks up the trail of a secret cabal of powerful players who think themselves above the law and beyond punishment. But these ruthless people bent on hijacking America’s future for their own monstrous ends never banked on a highly trained FBI agent willing to go rogue—and become the nation’s most wanted fugitive—in order to derail their insidious plans to gain absolute power with a terrifying technological breakthrough.

Driven by love for her lost husband and by fear for the five-year-old son she has sent into hiding, Jane Hawk has become an unstoppable predator. Those she is hunting will have nowhere to run when her shadow falls across them

ABOUT DEAN KOONTZ

Acknowledged as “America’s most popular suspense novelist” (Rolling Stone) and as one of today’s most celebrated and successful writers, Dean Ray Koontz has earned the devotion of millions of readers around the world and the praise of critics everywhere for tales of character, mystery, and adventure that strike to the core of what it means to be human.

Dean R. Koontz has also published under the names Leigh Nichols, Brian Coffey, David Axton, Owen West, Deanna Dwyer and Aaron Wolfe.

Dean, the author of many #1 New York Times bestsellers, lives in Southern California with his wife, Gerda, their golden retriever, Elsa, and the enduring spirit of their goldens, Trixie and Anna.

Website

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Out of the Darkness by Jane Blythe and Amanda Siegrist @jblytheauthor @amanda_siegrist

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I am a huge fan of Jane Blythe and Amanda Siegrist. I loved the first book in the series, Drowning in You, so to continue on and read about Miles and Jade is a no brainer.

Out of the Darkness

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Jade lives in a friendly neighborhood, so when Miles asked her over for pizza and a movie she jumped on it. She is a cop, working on a tough case and could use a break. She has no idea he has a huge crush on her.

Miles is a computer whiz. He is shy, a nerd, and she has doesn’t realize how much he will help when she needs it most.

HE was peeping through the window, watching his next victim. He likes Charlie a lot and thinks about not hurting her…but that won’t stop him.

As Jade and her partner, Carter, begin investigating Charlie’s disappearance, she felt sure it was the serial killer they were looking for. There had been three women found in the park and she was afraid Charlie would be the fourth.

The title is appropriate, because Jade is terrified of the dark. At times her fear paralyzes her, putting her in danger because of her inability to act.

We have plenty of suspects and as we begin to eliminate them, one by one. The clock is ticking. Will they catch him before he kills again? The suspense is building, because I do know what comes next. At least, I think I do. And it’s not good.

We all know Jade and Miles will hook up, so to say the romance is a slow burn works. Have you ever looked at someone and, all of a sudden, saw them in a completely different way, like they’re not the same person you always knew? That’s Jade.

When I hear a noise at Miles door…

Each book introduces us to a new couple that will face danger and fall in love and are able to stand alone. Out of Darkness contains all I need for a horrible mystery to be solved with enough danger to fill me with suspense and characters that will enthrall me to the very end.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Out of the Darkness by Jane Blythe & Amanda Siegrist.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Don’t turn out the lights. Anything can hide in the dark.

Some childhood fears follow you into adulthood. Detective Jade Hawkins is smart, reliable, and successful at her job. At least that’s what she’d like everyone to believe, but, in reality, she leaves a tiny piece of herself with every victim of every case she works. She’s starting to wonder whether one day she will run out of pieces of herself to give, but when a case has her needing the expertise of a friend, she may realize that what she’s been searching for could have been right in front of her all along.

Miles Thomas isn’t shy to admit he’s an expert in computers. Women, on the other hand—that’s an entirely different story. When his friend Jade asks for help in her latest murder case dissecting the victim’s computer, he doesn’t hesitate. He loves computers; they’re his forte, but he also can’t deny Jade anything because he likes her way more than a friend. If only he had the nerve to tell her. He might be shy to admit his feelings, but he refuses to back down when he sees how much Jade truly needs him—no matter what he has to do.

The entire Conquering Fear Novel series: (Each book can be read as a standalone.)
Drowning in You (Book 1): Carter and Rose
Out of the Darkness (Book 2): Miles & Jade

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

ABOUT AMANDA SIEGRIST

Amanda Siegrist

Love! Gimme some love and heaps of romance. I have a sappy heart that just loves two people meeting, going through the cycles of a relationship, and ultimately, falling in love. Give me a good book like that and I’m a happy camper:)

I write contemporary and romantic suspense, but I am partial to suspense. I just love a good mystery.

Besides writing, I love baking, crafts, and baseball…oh, and meeting new people. *smiles*

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MY AMANDA SIEGRIST REVIEWS

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OSR – If You Tell by Gregg Olsen @Gregg_Olsen

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Woo Hoo! I was so excited when I won a hardcover of If You Tell by Gregg Olsen from Freda’s Voice. I want to thank Freda and Gregg Olsen for my copy.

If You Tell: A True Story of Murder, Family Secrets, and the Unbreakable Bond of Sisterhood

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

If You Tell by Gregg Olsen is an indepth look at a sadistic killer who had the ability to lure her victims in like a snake charmer as she plies her torturous ways on the innocent in the true crime novel that is written like a psychological thriller, making it hard to stop reading before the last page is read, but shows her four daughters ability to hold on to love and hope.

I won a hardcover of If You Tell by Gregg Olsen and I would like to thank Freda, Gregg Olsen and Thomas & Mercer.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

An Amazon Charts and Washington Post bestseller.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Gregg Olsen’s shocking and empowering true-crime story of three sisters determined to survive their mother’s house of horrors.

After more than a decade, when sisters Nikki, Sami, and Tori Knotek hear the word mom, it claws like an eagle’s talons, triggering memories that have been their secret since childhood. Until now.

For years, behind the closed doors of their farmhouse in Raymond, Washington, their sadistic mother, Shelly, subjected her girls to unimaginable abuse, degradation, torture, and psychic terrors. Through it all, Nikki, Sami, and Tori developed a defiant bond that made them far less vulnerable than Shelly imagined. Even as others were drawn into their mother’s dark and perverse web, the sisters found the strength and courage to escape an escalating nightmare that culminated in multiple murders.

Harrowing and heartrending, If You Tell is a survivor’s story of absolute evil—and the freedom and justice that Nikki, Sami, and Tori risked their lives to fight for. Sisters forever, victims no more, they found a light in the darkness that made them the resilient women they are today—loving, loved, and moving on.

ABOUT GREGG OLSEN

Gregg Olsen

Throughout his career, Gregg Olsen has demonstrated an ability to create a detailed narrative that offers readers fascinating insights into the lives of people caught in extraordinary circumstances.

A #1 New York Times bestselling author, Olsen has written ten nonfiction books, ten novels, and contributed a short story to a collection edited by Lee Child.

The award-winning author has been a guest on dozens of national and local television shows, including educational programs for the History Channel, Learning Channel, and Discovery Channel. He has also appeared on Good Morning America, The Early Show, The Today Show, FOX News; CNN, Anderson Cooper 360, MSNBC, Entertainment Tonight, CBS 48 Hours, Oxygen’s Snapped, Court TV’s Crier Live, Inside Edition, Extra, Access Hollywood, and A&E’s Biography.

In addition to television and radio appearances, the award-winning author has been featured in Redbook, USA Today, People, Salon magazine, Seattle Times, Los Angeles Times and the New York Post.

The Deep Dark was named Idaho Book of the Year by the ILA and Starvation Heights was honored by Washington’s Secretary of State for the book’s contribution to Washington state history and culture.

Olsen, a Seattle native, lives in Olalla, Washington with his wife and Suri (a mini dachshund so spoiled she wears a sweater).

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And So It Begins – Day O by Nick Clausen @NickClausen9

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Oh yeah! More of the zombie apocalypse and my question is answered,” How did the zombie apocalypse begin?”

Another fabulous cover in the series.

Day O is an exclusive through he readers club HERE. I am a follower and Nick and I would love for you to join us.

Dead Meat: Day 0 (Dead Meat, #0)

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Dead Meat: Day 0 by Nick Clausen was released after Day 3, but tells us how the zombie apocalypse began.

Let me start off by saying, I wanted to reach through my kindle screen and wring Brigit’s neck.

Dennis may be mentally challenged, and I have my own thoughts on why that is, but he knows right from wrong, and this is very wrong.

How the apocalypse came about was a surprise to me and I loved the way Nick Clausen handled it.

Dead Meat: Day 0 is the best one yet and the cause of the outbreak was a refreshing zombie twist.

Bring it on, Nick!

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Dead Meat: Day 0 by Nick Clausen.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

The exciting beginning of the zombie apocalypse.

What happened to set it all off? Who was responsible for the disaster? And could it have been avoided? You’ll find all the answers in Day 0.

Whether you already read the Dead Meat series or haven’t begun yet, you can enjoy Day 0.

ABOUT NICK CLAUSEN

Born 1988 in North Jutland, where I still live with my wife, who also happened to be my earliest childhood girlfriend. From 2017 I have lived as a full-time writer. Up until then, I had different jobs beside the writing. I have been studying as a carpenter for three years, and have also read two years of psychology at Aalborg University. It turned out that the writing had a much more powerful pull on me.

Nick Clausen

I decided early on that I would be an author when I grew up. In fact, the decision came to me already when I read my first book, Snevampyren by Dennis Jürgensen. My first “real” stories I wrote at 14-15 years of age. They were rejected by the publisher, but still got praise. There were some years when I was busy with being a teenager and trying to get an education before I suddenly remembered that I should be an author.

That day I made a promise to write 1,000 words a day until I got a book published. I sat down and started writing. I continued to write every single day for a year and a half. I sent the finished manuscripts to different publishers, and the rejections piled up. Twelve of them by the end. But each time I could feel it was a little bit better. The criticism became more positive. The thirteenth story was called Tidevandet, and it was adopted by the publisher and came out a year later.

I have always enjoyed writing, although in the beginning I put a lot of pressure on myself. My approach to the process has become much more free over the years. For example, I no longer plan my stories. That way, I feel that I’m experiencing the story while writing it and the characters feel like real people. I do not know where the ideas come from, but I’ve never had trouble finding them.

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Giveaway & Review – Problem Child by Victoria Helen Stone @VictoriaDahl @dollycas

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Problem Child: A Jane Doe Thriller by Victoria Helen Stone

Problem Child was right up my alley. I’m disappointed that I missed the first book, because I loved this one. They do stand alone.

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads


Problem Child: A Jane Doe Thriller
Thriller
2nd in Series
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing (March 24, 2020)
Paperback: 265 pages
ISBN-10: 1542014395
ISBN-13: 978-1542014397
Digital ASIN: B07SDTRJP9

MY REVIEW

I love what gets Jane Doe’s emotions revving, her hate for the power plant and her fascination with wind turbines. I, too, feel they are an art form.

Yeah, maybe you could blame some of her sociopathy on her worthless parents, who wouldn’t give her the time of day unless they wanted something from her. Her brother was just as bad. In and out of prison, a bully to her when she was a child. No one was there when she needed someone, so she has no use for them. She can take care of herself.

Unfortunately, she feels she must return home. Her niece, Kayla, is missing. No one seems to care about her either, but after finding out everyone thought that Kayla was just like her, she felt she had to know. Was she a sociopath too? Could she be a mentor, teaching her how to navigate life and keep herself hidden, and maybe have someone to share her true self with?

Sociopaths are not capable of feeling love and loneliness, but Jane feels something. Something for her boyfriend, Luke. He knows she is different, doesn’t want the white picket fence, but could they have a ‘marriage’ of sorts? He accepts her for who she is and that counts for a lot. She wants to keep him. LOL I couldn’t help but laugh at that. Like he’s a puppy or something.

At least searching for Kayla, she could keep from getting bored. When she gets bored, she does things that could bring trouble down around her, and being a lawyer, she has a place where she is comfortable, sorta. Don’t cross her though. You won’t like Jane if you make her mad. She loves the hunt and she’ll play anyone who gets in her way.

As a monster myself, I’m not under any delusion about the kindness of strangers.

Just because she’s a sociopath, doesn’t mean she’s a serial killer.

Problem Child, for me, was eye opening and thought provoking. I know not all sociopaths are murderers, but with Jane, it is just as frightening. It makes me realize, even more, that we could be surrounded by them and never know it. Could it be your neighbor? Your coworker? Your friend? Your family? Your lover? You may look at everyone differently after reading Problem Child.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of Problem Child by Victoria Helen Stone.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

BOUT THE BOOK

She’s cold, calculating, and can deceive with a smile. Jane Doe is back in the Amazon Charts bestselling series—and this time she’s met her match.

After a brutal childhood, Jane Doe has been permanently wired to look after herself and only herself. Now, looking next to normal, Jane has a lover and a job. But she hasn’t lost her edge. It sharpens when she hears from her estranged family.

Jane’s deeply troubled sixteen-year-old niece, Kayla, has vanished, and no one seems to care. Neither does Jane. Until she sees a picture of Kayla and recognizes herself in the young girl’s eyes. It’s the empty stare of a sociopath.

Jane knows what vengeful and desperate things Kayla is capable of. Only Jane can help her—by being drawn into Kayla’s dark world. And no one’s more aware than Jane just how dangerous that can be.

About Victoria Helen Stone

Victoria Helen Stone, formerly writing as USA Today bestselling novelist Victoria Dahl, is originally from the Midwest but now writes from an upstairs office high in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah. After a career in romance that included the American Library Association’s prestigious Reading List Award, she turned toward the darker side of fiction and has written the critically acclaimed novels, Evelyn, After; Half Past; and False Step. Her Amazon Charts bestselling thriller Jane Doe has been optioned by Sony Television. For more on the author and her work, visit VictoriaHelenStone.com.  And on Twitter @VictoriaDahl

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Giveaway & Review – Run Girl Run by Willow Rose @MadamWillowRose @SDSXXTours

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Run Girl Run
Harry Hunter Mystery Series Book 2
by Willow Rose
Genre: Mystery, Thriller

MY REVIEW

Emilia and her mother are homeless, living in their car. She is awoken one night and the unthinkable happened. This took place in the first three chapters and it read like a prologue. I love prologues, because they hook me from the beginning and i eagerly read on to find out what lead up to the event and what happens after.

I am back with some familiar characters, so when Josie was rushed to the hospital, I thought, what could happen to them now. It seems bad luck dogs Harry and his daughter, Josie.

Because Run Girl Run by Willow Rose is Book II in the Harry Hunter series, I don’t want to spoil anything for those who start at the beginning, with Book I, All The Good Girls. I will skip over Camille, his comatose wife, and Jean, his wife’s best friend and love interest, and let you find out about them for yourself.

The situation presents some real life questions. Do you believe in miracles? When is enough enough and you move on with your life? How do you get past the guilt of giving up on someone you love?

Because of her ‘illness’, Josie leaves the hospital with more than she had when she entered. It puts her in great danger. And this poses some real life question too.

With Willow Rose, I am always waiting for that other shoe to drop. Her mysteries are complicated. She makes me wonder how all the characters will come together and what the outcome will be. She takes her characters to the extreme and back again and I am just along for the ride.

Uh oh, I’m thinking something bad about someone close to Harry. Could it be….Nope. How about…hmm…Alright, I was wrong again, sort of…I love how Willow Rose leads me down false paths, constantly questioning myself as I struggle to expose the bad guy. And we do have plenty of bad guys.

As Harry investigates, danger comes knocking. Of course, he makes it out alive, seeing there will be one more book, and I heave a sigh of relief, for now. The danger isn’t over yet!

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of Run Girl Run by Willow Rose.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars
Willow Rose’s beloved detective, Harry Hunter is back in this thrilling second installment of the bestselling series.
When a mother and her child are pulled out of the harbor in their car, the case seems pretty straightforward for Miami PD and Detective Harry Hunter.
Everything points to a murder-suicide.
They were homeless, living in their car, and the mother decided to end it all for them both by driving into the water.
But the case is not what it looks like, Detective Harry Hunter soon realizes.
Harry’s daughter is carrying devastating knowledge about their deaths, and soon she becomes the killer’s next target.
As Harry races to protect her, he is betrayed by someone he thought he knew, leaving him terrified of trusting anyone in a town filled with liars.
RUN GIRL RUN is the second book in the Harry Hunter Mystery Series.
All the Good Girls
Harry Hunter Mystery Series Book 1
This novel is the first book in Willow Rose’s electrifying new Harry Hunter series.
Detective Harry Hunter of Miami PD’s homicide squad throws himself into a case no one asked him to solve.
Four teenagers from one of Miami’s affluent neighborhoods are murdered on a boat. Another is found in a dumpster. All five of them go to the same school and are on a list of witnesses to another crime.
Because he’s in bad standing with his boss, Harry is given the task of protecting a possible future victim, but Harry isn’t always known to follow his boss’s orders.
Soon, he’ll risk everything while racing to stop a killer who has left everyone else in the homicide squad shaking in terror.
ALL THE GOOD GIRLS is the first book in the Harry Hunter Mystery Series and can be read as a standalone.
**Only 99 cents!**
The Queen of Scream aka Willow Rose is a #1 Amazon Best-selling Author and an Amazon ALL-star Author of more than 60 novels.
She writes Mystery, Thriller, Paranormal, Romance, Suspense, Horror, Supernatural thrillers, and Fantasy.
Willow’s books are fast-paced, nail-biting pageturners with twists you won’t see coming. Several of her books have reached the Kindle top 10 of ALL books in the US, UK, and Canada. She has sold more than three million books.
Willow lives on Florida’s Space Coast with her husband and two daughters. When she is not writing or reading, you will find her surfing and watch the dolphins play in the waves of the Atlantic Ocean.
$50 Amazon
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

MY REVIEWS FOR WILLOW ROSE

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New Release – Stranger Still by Michaelbrent Collings @mbcollings

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I have picked up a book or two of Michaelbrent Collings on Amazon free days and through his newsletter. Most are waiting for their turn to be read, but I have read and reviewed Scavenger Hunt. Now, I see his name and I grab the book.

Stranger Still is due for release on 3.10.20. Don’t you just love that creepy cover?

Stranger Still

Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Stranger Still by Michaelbrent Collings is a stand alone novel, even though it is a sequel to Strangers. I didn’t realize I had Stranger on my Kindle, but now that I have met Legion, I have to know more about him.

He named himself Legion. He is a punisher. Doling out lessons to sinners.

Sheldon, but not the cute kid on Young Sheldon, or the genius on Big Bang Theory. No, this Sheldon is a hot mess whose specialty is kidnapping, torturing and murdering. He thinks he’s a god and revels in the gross and disturbing brutality he doles out.

Sheldon takes Camille and Alex hostage while they are on their honeymoon. But why? I have a feeling there is much more to Alex than we know at this time. At first, I thought he didn’t tell her his secrets to keep her safe, but….

I quickly became hooked on the characters, leading me to want to know more about them. I was riding in the front seat of the car with Camille, bouncing around in the trunk with Alex, and in the heads of Sheldon and Legion, and believe me, that is a frightening place to be.

At half way through Stranger Still, I am excited about what is to come. I have no idea how this will end, but I am fully committed and hoping Camille survives. There is something about Camille that comes through in Michaelbrent Collings writing that captures me. I feel she has a bigger part to play than victim, and I am curious to see if I am right. And Legion…

Bad childhoods, and I mean bad, can make people bad people, but there are those that walk out a decent person, overcoming the evil perpetrated on them. As I think about Legion, I wonder where exactly he fits in. He is a character that, even though he is brutal, at times savage, he has a reason for doing what he does. Can that excuse him? Only you can decide.

Is everyone twisted, insane, ruthless? How many sociopaths/psychopaths does it take to create Stranger Still?

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Stranger Still by Michaelbrent Collings.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Star

GOODREADS BLURB

Your sins are Legion…

… and now you belong to him.

***

Legion is a teacher. An avenging angel. A murderer.

A madman.

Born in the blood of a dying mother, raised in the underground hideout of an insane father, he travels the world looking for those who keep secrets and sins. He finds those who have fallen short, and teaches them the lessons they need to leave their mistakes behind.

And if he has to teach a lesson that ends in death, well… sometimes that’s the cost of proper education.

That’s why, when he sees a man kidnap two people on the side of the road, Legion knows it is time to teach again.

Soon he finds himself caught in the crossfire of a coup in a Russian crime syndicate. Legion is captured, beaten, bleeding, in chains; cut off and alone.

It’s just the way he likes it.

Legion has his students. And the lessons are about to begin…

ABOUT MICHAELBRENT COLLINGS

Michaelbrent Collings

Michaelbrent Collings is an internationally-bestselling novelist, multiple Bram Stoker Award nominee, produced screenwriter, and one of the top indie horror writers in the United States.

He hopes someday to develop superpowers, or, if that is out of the question, then at least to get a cool robot arm.

Michaelbrent has a wife and several kids, all of whom are much better looking than he is (though he admits that’s a low bar to set), and also cooler than he is.

Michaelbrent also has a Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/MichaelbrentC… and can be followed on Twitter through his username @mbcollings. Follow him for cool news, updates, and advance notice of sales. You will also be kept safe when the Glorious Revolution begins!

STALK MICHAELBRENT: Website / Twitter

MY MICHAELBRENT COLLINGS REVIEWS

Scavenger Hunt

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  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
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  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Revenge is Poison – Sting by Cindy R Wilson @CindyRWilson #Sting #NetGalley

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I would like to thank Net Galley and Entangled Teen for the opportunity to read and review Sting by Cindy R Wilson. Just looking at the gorgeous cover, I felt this would be a good one.

Sting

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I was scrolling through the books on Net Galley one day, and stopped when I saw this great cover. The tag line: Revenge is poison, also did it’s job. It leapt off the page, and, when I read the blurb, I knew I had to have it.

Tessa. The Scorpion. Robin Hood of the Dark District.

She robs from the rich who live in the Light District and give to the poor in the Dark District.

Climate change has wreaked havoc on the world, making once was habitable, inhabitable. Their country is the place of last resort, and, of course, the privileged claim it as their own.

Tessa had started out the apocalypse on her own, but quickly added to her ‘family’. She does have a love interest in River, a best friend from the wrong side of the district, Elle, and Cass, a child, who she has taken in as if she were her very own. She feels now is not the time for love and romance and fights her attraction to River.

Tessa is a tinkerer, creating bots that she calls Scorpions. She sends them out ahead of the search party, scouting for danger. They scavenge for what little they have, on the verge of starvation, even setting traps for rats.

Everyone needs a champion in desperate times and Scorpion, a humble, young girl, rose to the challenge, believing that someone has to do something. She never saw herself as a leader and questions how that even became possible.

She is betrayed, ending up in prison, where she finds an unlikely ally. I saw the betrayal coming very quickly.

I love the inventory she takes at the beginning of each chapter.

I love the dystopian world Cindy R Wilson created. I felt the need, the desperation, the urgency for the characters. At times it unrolled like a movie playing in my mind, the writing making it so easy to visualize them skulking through the streets, patrolling, battling for survival.

This may be an ARC, but it read as if it could be the final product.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of Sting by Cindy R Wilson.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars
Sting
by Cindy R. Wilson
Genre: YA Dystopian
Release date: March 3rd 2020
Entangled Teen

Summary:
They call me the Scorpion because they don’t know who I really am. All they know is that someone is stealing from people with excess to help people with nothing survive another day.
But then a trusted friend reveals who I am―“just” Tessa, “just” a girl―and sends me straight into the arms of the law. All those people I helped…couldn’t help me when I needed it.
In prison, I find an unlikely ally in Pike, who would have been my enemy on the outside. He represents everything I’m against. Luxury. Excess. The world immediately falling for his gorgeous smile. How he ended up in the dirty cell next to mine is a mystery, but he wants out as much as I do. Together, we have a real chance at escape.
With the sting of betrayal still fresh, Pike and I will seek revenge on those who wronged us. But uncovering all their secrets might turn deadly…

Purchase links can be found HERE! 

Excerpt 
“Don’t take another step.”
My breath catches. My fingers curl around the handle of my knife, but my feet are glued to the ground three steps outside the door. There’s only one Enforcer, but the others can’t be far away. His gun is aimed at my heart, and a dark smile plays on his lips.
“Are you the only one here?” he asks, voice deep.
“Just me.” I hope River and Elle are already hiding. Or maybe they left through the back. I resist the urge to look at Atticus’s and Magellan’s transmissions on my watch.
He narrows his eyes. “Out here all alone. What is it you’re doing at an abandoned warehouse in the middle of the night?”
“Delivering a pizza.” I give him an easy smile, but my voice isn’t as steady as I want it to be. When he glares, I shrug. “I saw the warehouse and got curious.” But I’ve heard pizza is really good.
“In the middle of the night,” he says. “Hmm. And what’s in the satchel?”
It’s not my satchel he should be worried about. It’s the throwing knife in my hand.
“Nothing special.”
“I’ve been hearing stories about a girl they call the Scorpion,” he says.
My heart stops. The Scorpion. How do they know? I pinch the blade of the knife between my fingers.
He smiles. “Is that you?”
My throat is too dry to answer.
There’s movement behind him. He whips around as River appears near the dumpsters, hands up. Crap! With a flick of my wrist, I fling the knife at the Enforcer. It lodges in his thigh, and he howls in pain. Before he can recover, River yanks the gun from his grasp. Elle is right behind him, eyes wide.
“Out of here. Now,” I growl, racing away from the warehouse. River and Elle are close by my side as we rush through the streets, dodging dumpsters and bags of trash. The slow burn of asphalt from the heat of the day reaches my nose. Lanterns shine in some windows, but it’s late, and, for the most part, we can only see our path by the glow of the moon. From here, the Light District is countless blocks away, a firefly of light buzzing with energy.
“Are you hurt?” River asks, glancing over.
“Not as bad as the Enforcer.” I brush off his concern even though my leg throbs and blood rolls down my calf. I shut down my receiver to save power. I’ll summon Atticus and Magellan later. “Lost my favorite knife, though.” One of the few mementos I have from my dad.
He lifts his arm. “Got a gun.”
“I told you this was a bad idea,” Elle says, breath short. “I heard what he said. The Enforcer.”
I slow down after we’ve put some distance between us and the warehouse. My heart still races, and my mind whirls. The Enforcers know about me.
“So did I,” River says. “That’s why they were there tonight. They were looking for the Scorpion.”

About the Author

Cindy lives at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, and loves using Colorado towns and cities as inspiration for settings in her stories. She’s the mother of three girls, who provide plenty of fodder for her YA novels. Cindy writes speculative fiction and YA fiction, filled with a healthy dose of romance. You’ll often find her hiking or listening to any number of playlists while she comes up with her next story idea.



Author Links:

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Twofer One Sentence Reviews – Sunny Weber and Elizabeth McKenna @sunnyone24 @elizamckenna

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I won both these books through IReadBookTours. From warm and fuzzy to cold and dangerous, I loved both the books and want to thank IReadBookTours, Sunny Weber and Elizabeth McKenna for my beautiful copies. They look wonderful on the shelf.

From Wild to Mild: A Dog in Two Worlds

Amazon / Goodreads

MY ONE SENTENCE REVIEW

Told from Kaya’s point of view, From Wild to Mild by Sunny Weber is a wonderfully sweet and easy reading adventure story of a kidnapped puppy and how he makes hard decisions in order to find his place in the world.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars
Killer Resolutions

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

An isolated lodge in the woods, a blizzard, and I’m sure nothing can go wrong (LOL) as family and friends, along with one stranger, unite to put the past where it belongs in this novella that quickly turns into a mystery filled with suspense and a killer that goes on a rampage.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars
  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
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  • 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!