Tag Archives: Boston

Review of Absolution by Susan Fleet

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This book will grab you from the first page and not let you go. Feelings of frustration, disgust, and anger will leave you panting for more. I kept wanting to yell, don’t open the door.

He was watching Dawn from his car, thinking of how she teased him. She was a sinner, not very bright, and she would be his fourth Absolution in New Orleans. He knew the police and FBI were after him but he felt God was watching over him .

The citizens were up in arms, wanting action. Racial tensions were high and they had just arrested a black man for being near the murder scene. Rona knew they were trying to pin it on a black guy, so she told Renzi about Kitty, her informant. She took Renzi to talk to her. Kitty claimed to be a psychic. He arranged for her to do an identikit, but before he left, she told him she thought the guy was a priest. He had made a sign, as if absolving her of her sins.
bourbon street Pictures, Images and Photos

When Rona published the story stating a witness had escaped the Tongue Killer and described him as white and a priest, all hell broke loose and Renzi was in the middle of it. What would that mean for the witness?

Father Sean was very upset about Lynette. All the victims had been Catholic and he had told his housekeeper, Aurora, about seeing her talking to a young priest at the mall. When Father Sean approached him to talk to him, he had been very rude. She thought he should go to the police, but he had secrets of his own. The police and FBI would begin to question him, and his secrets would come out.

Father Sean Daily was doodling with the killers sketch while thinking of what would happen if he was exposed. Suddenly it dawned on him, it looked like………

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos    5 – Would Buy It For Them (lol)

I guess I must be a pretty sick person, because I love to read about serial killers. I feel they must be some of the most depraved animals, that are considered to be part of the human race. Murder and death are fascinating to me.

I feel the media tends to inflame the killers, by giving them the attention they crave. Giving them names –  Son of Sam, BTK, Green Mile Killer, just to name a few. I think the media will go to any lengths to increase their bottom line. The reporter will lie and make things up to break a story, win a Pulitzer.That is only one of the evils involved. There are plenty more to go around.

Politics. What can I say about politics? High profile cases are used to climb the ladder of advancement. Some can only be promoted to the level of their incompetence. It is seen everywhere and in every walk of life.

This book includes all of the above. It will piss you off, as you read about Norris. And the media naming the serial killer – Tongue Killer. Susan seems to hit on a lot of the problems going on today in her books. I like that it makes it more real and stirs my emotions, sometimes to a fever pitch.

The Killer – he studied serial killers and liked that he had a name, because so many of them did. Of course, he thought he was smarter than the press, police and FBI. He had a mission. He had to expose the evil women. His goal for them was Absolution.

Norris is the biggest dick. Arrogant, know it all. A man I love to hate. He is disrespectful, bigoted, racist, and the boss. He will climb the ladder, by stepping on you. If you don’t get pissed off when you read about him, then you must be a better person than I.

Renzi and Norris are constantly butting heads. Renzi has to bite his tongue and watch Norris take the credit for his work. On top of that, his father is a judge and his expectations for Renzi are high.

Kenyon Miller, his partner, “Didn’t your daddy tell you never to pick fights with guys bigger than you?” Renzi, “Hell, no. When a damsel’s in distress, my father expects me to slay the dragon, no matter how big it is.”

What can I say about New Orleans? They don’t call it The Big Easy for nothing. You can tell that Susan loves the town and her years spent there. She also manages to work her love of Jazz into her stories. I have spent many a day – and night – in New Orleans and there is no other place like it.

Shotgun house – can shoot through the front door and out the back without hitting a wall. I had never heard of that, until I moved down south. I actually lived in a shotgun house, but it had been remodeled and a wall built to block the bullet. lol

I received this book from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Susan Fleet   Music & Mayhem is my game. Started my trumpet career in my teens, got into the mayhem later. My print journalist father taught me how to play pool in the police station. Maybe that’s how I discovered my dark side.

After gigging on trumpet in the Boston area for many years (while teaching at Brown University and Berklee College of Music), I moved to New Orleans, which became the setting for my crime thrillers.

I survived Katrina, but moved back to Boston in 2010. On my website I post profiles of women musicians and just began a blog, DARK DEEDS, about serial killers, stalkers and domestic homicides. Please come visit!!

You can stalk Susan at the links below:

Website

Goodreads

You Tube

 To purchase any of Susan Fleet’s books, simply click on the cover below.

GIVEAWAY

taiwan flag smiley animated gif Pictures, Images and PhotosSusan Fleet  is offering  for the Giveaway, 2 (two) ebooks for your reading pleasure. International. Easy entry as always, just leave your email address and answer the question:

Susan has a love of New Orleans. Have you ever been there and what was your favorite thing about your visit?

WINNERS – Stephanie and Ari.

Happy Reading. Thanks to all who stopped by to comment and enter the Giveaway.

Susan is offering Natalie’s Revenge for FREE this week. Go HERE to see how to get your copy.

 To see my 5 STAR Review of Natalie’s Revenge, go HERE..

To see all my Reviews, go HERE.
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To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

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You Must Stop by and get your FREE copy of this 5 STAR Novel

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  Just Evil, Book I for FREE right now on Amazon March 7th and March 8th.

This book was one of my top reads for 2012. The Evil Trilogy is a must read. I not only fell in love with the book, JUST EVIL, I fell in love with the cover, too.

Just Evil

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JUST EVIL
The Evil Trilogy
Despite growing up together in their trendy Beverly Hills neighborhood, three best friends hide dark childhoods. The lives of Kit, Baylee and Quinn have been anything but perfect. Little do they know a stranger is about to unravel long, buried secrets, bringing the past back to life with a vengeance.

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Just Evil
Kit Griffin has finally overcome a painful childhood at the hands of her mother, former actress Alana Stevens. No longer living in the grasp of the cold, tyrannical woman, Kit’s life is finally on track. That is, until Alana is found brutally murdered on Mother’s Day, pulling Kit back to the dark horrors of her past. To make matters worse, the police consider Kit the prime suspect.

Jake Boston is an old family friend and the man Kit has loved since she was a teen. He’s fighting his own demons as a suspect in his wife’s murder two years earlier. Despite his past, he’s determined to win Kit over once and for all. But before that can happen they need to convince the police there’s a killer working his way down a list with cold-hearted vengeance in mind.

Forced to delve into Alana’s dark past, Jake and Kit uncover a forty-year-old double murder leading them straight to the door of a legal dynasty. Soon they find out just how far the heirs will go to keep the past buried.

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To see my 5 STAR Review, go HERE.

To purchase the book, simply click on the cover.

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  To see my 5 STAR Review, go HERE.

To purchase the book, simply click on the cover.

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To see my 5 STAR Review, go HERE.

To purchase the book, simply click on the cover.

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Vickie’s Kindle Fire Fan Appreciation Giveaway is in full swing until March 24th.

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Grand Prize: 7″ Kindle Fire
First Prize: $25 Amazon GC
Second Prize: $20 Amazon GC
Third Prize: $10 Amazon GC

Enter at Vickie’s  Facebook page for your chance to win. No purchase necessary to win.

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Dragon Lady Step Aside For Natalie – Review

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Natalie’s Revenge – A Frank Renzi Novel by Susan Fleet

Natalie's Revenge (Frank Renzi, #3)

1988 – As soon as she woke up, she knew something was wrong.

Natalie was only ten, but she doubted her mom when she said she worked so late because she was a hostess at some fancy restaurant. Natalie was always home alone and never opened the door for anyone. When the doorbell rang, she looked out the peephole. It was a woman cop and she knew Natalie’s name. She went on to tell her that her mom was dead.

July 2008 – Renzi was called out in the middle of the night for a body with a bullet hole in the middle of his forehead. It was a hit. Renzi’s partner, Kenyon Miller was on his way. When he arrived, he told Renzi that he knew him. He was a bigwig at the new casino – The BABYLON.

The victim, Arnold, had been a good father, but a womanizer. He and his wife lived separate lives and it came out that he had a gambling problem. Could it be a disgruntled husband? A Business partner? His Wife? A Loan shark?

As they went over the security tapes from the Hotel Bienvenue, where Peterson was staying, Renzi saw her. She entered Peterson’s room. Her hat and sunglasses covered her face, but he noticed her walk, that she was fit and athletic. He also noticed a tattoo on her ankle. High priced hooker?

At the Sunshine Inn, June Carson was preparing to leave town. Her next stop was Circle K for travel supplies. She saw she was being watched by a guy in a cowboy hat. She left quickly, but he followed her, then called her name “Natalie”. It was an old classmate, Tex Conroy, from Pecos, Texas.. He had recognized her firebird pendant – her good luck charm. Not so good now. She knew what she had to do, get him off in an isolated place.

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After her mother’s death, she was sent to her Uncle, Jerome Brixton in Pecos Texas.  She liked to watch America’s Most Wanted and wondered what it would be like to run from the law. She researched her Vietnamese heritage and chose birds and mountains to protect herself. If she didn’t avenge her mother’s death, would angry spirits ruin her life?

Her cousin, Randy, called her slant eyes and gook. When she adopted a kitten, Randy killed it. She vowed she would make him pay.

Chinese proverb – All warfare is based on deception. Natalie learned Tae (strike) Kwon (strike with fist) Do (means way). She learned Jiapsul – pressure points. Part of the Tae Kwan Do oath was,  “I shall be a champion of justice and freedom”.” She liked that. Justice for her mom. Freedom for herself. She learned to shoot guns because sometimes martial arts wouldn’t be enough.

As Renzi investigated Tex’s death in Pecos, the name Natale came up. She was accused of killing her cousin, Randy. He fell off a cliff at a family picnic. She wasn’t charged, but Renzi felt she was the one.

She knows he is closing in on her, but nothing was going to stop her from fulfilling her destiny.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos    5 STARS – Would Buy It For Them (lol)

I love the cover. Red is very eye-catching and who doesn’t love a shoot ’em up female protagonist. She even holds the gun properly. The title speaks for itself. The “package” made me want to pick it up and read it the moment I got it.

New Orleans. I’ve spent a lot of time visiting New Orleans. I love to read about places I’ve been to and am so familiar with. It seems to add something extra.

Once Renzi got to Pecos, I read faster and faster, learning about Natalie and her life in Pecos. I could feel the suspense building as I wondered how Renzi would catch her and wishing he wouldn’t. Very well written. I was unable to put it down. I had to know what was going to happen to her.

I love when the character, whether a book, TV show or movie, has to seek justice for themselves, like Death Wish . I have watched them so many times, I feel like I know all the characters intimately. I loved all the Death wishes, so I knew I would love this book. Of course, if everyone did it, we’d be like the Wild West.  I rooted for her to exact her revenge and get away with it, even though she might have went too far.

I loved that Natalie went about her life, doing what she had to do to accomplish her goal, made me feel more empathy for her. Stripping, hooking and sacrificing her life, so she could put things right. Feeling as if her heritage demanded it  or she would be haunted for the rest of her life. She became an actess, a chameleon.  She had seven words to live by – Be what they want you to be. She trusted no one and relied only on herself.

I loved her single-mindedness to achieve her goal and the sacrifices she made, but then what? She really wanted what we all want, but she needed answers to be able to move on. And after all she had done, how could she have a “normal” life?

How far would you go to make sure someone paid for destroying a loved one’s life? Would you be able to do whatever it takes to make them pay?

Loved it when Vobitch kicked Hammer out of his office. I loved the dialogue between Renzi, his partner Kenyon and his boss, Vobitch. A verbal jousting match. Sarcastic, back and forth bantering, like Lisbon and Jane on The Mentalist.

Multiple story lines throughout the plot. Renzi is in love with Kelly who is also a cop. Hurricane Gail is heading for New Orleans. Guess a lot of us know what that entails.

Ending? Loved it. I sat there with my mouth hanging open, thinking…….Let me………………… Nope, you’ll have to find out for yourself.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Susan Fleet  Music & Mayhem is my game. Started my trumpet career in my teens, got into the mayhem later. My print journalist father taught me how to play pool in the police station. Maybe that’s how I discovered my dark side.

After gigging on trumpet in the Boston area for many years (while teaching at Brown University and Berklee College of Music), I moved to New Orleans, which became the setting for my crime thrillers. Scroll down and check the video trailers for DIVA and ABSOLUTION.

I survived Katrina, but moved back to Boston in 2010. On my website I post profiles of women musicians and just began a blog, DARK DEEDS, about serial killers, stalkers and domestic homicides. Please come visit!!

SUSAN’S HANGOUTS

Website  /  Goodreads

GIVEAWAY

taiwan flag smiley animated gif Pictures, Images and Photos  Susan is offering 2 ebooks for the Giveaway – one for the US and one for the UK. Easy entry as always, just answer her question – New Orleans has many local coffee shops, but one is particularly famous. Not only that, I set one early scene at the coffee shop in Absolution, my first Frank Renzi mystery.   What’s the name of the coffee shop? Have you ever been there? – and leave your email address.

Closed. Winners are Laura Thomas and Emily Guido.

Giveaway will run from 12/12 – 12/26.

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My Reviews for Natalie’s Books

Dragon Lady Step Aside For Natalie – Review

Is Winning the Lottery a Curse or a Blessing – Jackpot by Susan Fleet

Review of Diva by Susan Fleet

Review of Absolution by Susan Fleet

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To order any of the books, simply click on the cover below.

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.
To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

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Lucky Isn’t So Lucky Is He?

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Getting Lucky

Getting lucky by Bob Sanchez

My office is above Robby’s Auto and I feel it is an appropriate place. There is a car graveyard behind the building and Webster Investigations is built on ruined lives.

My wife, Molly had asked for a divorce and right after that I had shot a drug addict. I was on suspension when Patrolman Mike Poirier pushed me past the breaking point and I punched him. I had been a police officer, but had belted him in front of way too many witnesses and was asked for my resignation.

It was Thanksgiving weekend and I figured no one would be coming into the office, so I would try to clean it up a bit. The building left a lot to be desired.

In walked a woman asking for Clayton Webster, that was me. She introduced herself as Bonita Esquivez and told me her husband was missing. He had been gone since last night and she was afraid he may be hurt. Why would she think that?

She pulled out a stack of hundred-dollar bills and asked when I could start. They had come here from Miami, so I couldn’t help but wonder why they would stop here, in Lowell, Massachusetts.

She said a black officer at the precinct had given her my name. I figured that must be Lieutenant Willis Chubb. I picked up a cup of coffee for him and went to his office. He confirmed it was him who sent her. He warned me to be careful with her, you know, the femme  fatale are always trouble.

I started with the hotel bartender. His roommate Chicken Man told me he had seen a man hitting on another man’s wife. The man punched him and Chicken Man said he helped him outside. He left him puking by the canal. Could he have fallen in and drowned? When I left, Chicken Man came down right after and jumped in his car, a beat up Volvo. I had seen one when I was with Bonita earlier and looked at the license plate – EJAQL8. I wouldn’t forget that.

I went around asking more questions, but couldn’t find out anything. I went looking along the canal to see if I could find a sign of Lucky. I recognized Choop, from when I was on the force, and yelled for him to wait up. I wanted to talk to him. He was looking down at the canal and I wondered if he saw something. He ran and lost his footing, falling in the canal. The cold water jolted my system as I dove into the canal. He almost strangled me as I tried to save him and I had to knock him out.

My next step would be to check out hotbed motels and the city bars.

Bonita called me to thank me for the box of chocolates, but I told her I didn’t send them. Ibox of chocolates Pictures, Images and Photos heard her vomiting, as she was trying to talk to me on the phone.  I called the front desk and told them to get up there in a hurry.When I got there, I checked the box. It said, with compliments from Webster Investigations. I could see tiny holes in the bottom of the candies. She wouldn’t let me call the police. I was now really motivated to find Lucky.

Bonita had said her husband might be with his cousin, Carlos Chavez, in Boston. I told her I was headed there and she said not to leave without her. She had to go back to the hotel first. She found that her purse had been ransacked and her gun was missing. Nothing else was touched. I had to find a safe place for her.

I headed to Boston on my own. While I was there, I was knocked out and robbed. I figured someone didn’t want me to find Chavez.

I found out Bonita had lied to me. No big surprise there. Bonita had told me Lucky was in the jewelry business, but I found out he was dealing in porn.  Bonita had sent me to the warehouse where I was attacked. Bonita had been out at 2:00 am. What does she really want from me?

 

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos    3 STARS – Would Recommend To Others

I liked the cover. Anything with water and vibrant colors catches my attention. The title is appropriate and could have more than one meaning.

The book was detailed and well written. The storyline was easy to follow. I always like these kinds of books. No big surprises.

The femme fatale, as usual, lies and can never be trusted. You don’t know who or what to believe.

Lucky was scum, abusing his wife and stepchild. The plot dealt with the seedy parts of life. How low could someone go? Lucky was pretty low. Who cared if he died?

The blurb caught my attention because of Boston and Lowell,  Massachusetts. They are places very familiar to me and I am always drawn to a book that has a location I know.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bob Sanchez was born in New Orleans, grew up and worked in Massachusetts, and lives with his wife and two cats in New Mexico. Bob has published three novels: When Pigs Fly, Getting Lucky, and Little Mountain. He actively participates in several writers’ groups, edits nonfiction reviews for The Internet Review of Books, and maintains or contributes to several blogs.

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/bob.sanchez1

Website:  bobsanchez1.blogspot.com

To order one of the books below, simply click on the cover.

Dark Dealings Review

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Dark Dealings by Karen-Victoria Smith

.Dark Dealings

Micaela was driving to Bridewell to visit her Una when she saw Reece, the son of Chief Deerfield of Pokanoket, on the side of the road. He appeared bloody and beaten, maybe dead. She stopped and went back to check, but there was nothing there. Had her visions returned? Samhain was approaching and was the time of year when Spirits and people could move between worlds. Was Reece a spirit?

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Peggy, Reece’s wife was Yankee. She was at the house when Micaela arrived  and told her Reece was missing. Because of her “gift” , Micalela had been treated as a pariah but now that they needed her help, they wanted her to use her “gift” to find Reece.  She had buried it deep when she left Bridewell and wasn’t sure if she could pull it out at will. As she held Adam’s hands, she found her way to Reece. It was if she was really with him, not sitting on the porch with Adam. The horror was more than the mind could imagine and she told Reece to hold on, Peggy was pregnant and they were coming to save him.

Micaela returned to New York just in time for the party at the Metropolitan Museum. While she was there she met Francois Leveque, who tried to get her alone. She could tell he was afraid, but they were interrupted by Baron Vasilievich before they could talk. She arranged to meet him in a couple of days at his hotel.

She had a recurring nightmare for the past four years. She was fleeing something and ran into a clearing. Her Una and mother were there and told her they were glad she had come to take her rightful place, but there had never been a beast before.

Micaela was meeting Francois in his hotel room, but there was no answer at the door. As she knocked again, the door opened on its own. The living room was in a shambles. The bedroom was covered in blood, it was everywhere. Even though she didn’t want to, she went to the bathroom thinking he could still be alive. When she saw him in the tub, his throat and chest had been ripped out. As she fought the scream, she fumbled with her cell phone trying to dial 911.

Thank God her friend responded with the others. Nikki was a cop and her friend, there to help. She had accumulated time and said she was taking it. Micaela was determined to find out what happened and Nikki was going to help.

At first she was surprised when she looked across the room and saw Francois. They were having his wake at the Salmon Run Inn. What was he trying to tell her?

She headed back to Bridewell for some leisure time. She needed to regroup. She stopped at a diner for a quick bite. When she felt a tingle, she looked around to see why. Lately she had been having more and more psychic events and tried her best to control them. She spotted a Hummer she thought was following her. When he rammed into the back of her car, she thought of Francois. The road was abandoned and the police were too busy to respond to her call for help. When she gunned the Porsche to outrun the Hummer, two motorcycles took over the chase. She managed to lose them. The only thing watching her now was a large bird, black as night, as she headed to Bridewell and Una hoping she wasn’t bringing the bad to her.

When she arrived and was leaving the car, she saw a black feather on the dashboard and took it with her. It felt like it was humming to her and she looked up to see the Raven above her parents bedroom.

Everyone was there, Nikki, Liam, Una, Reece, the Pokanoket Ethan Lowell, Sons of Danu, Sean Murphy… What was going on? Whoever had been after Francois was now after her.

Liam and Micaela walked to the creek to talk, he told her she should come to the gathering in the Grove, that plans for Beltaine were set. She said no, she never came to the Grove but she would be at the Ceili.

She felt her gift was out of control, she had to talk to Una before she left again. Micaela told her about seeing the entire Grove when Reece was missing, seeing Francois beat up and dead, and how at the dance she was there, yet somewhere else. Una told her to remember what her father used to tell here while they were out sailing. “Don’t fight the currents or the wind, use them.” Una assured her the Grove was there to help her.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos    3 STARS – Would Recommend to Others

I won this in a Goodreads First Read Giveaway. Karen was gracious enough to sign my copy for me. Thank you Karen.

I liked the cover and the title. I always like a simple, clean look, with a little mystery. I like it when they make me think what the book might be about before I read the book blurb. I thought the cover and title both were relevant to the book.

Events start happening at the very beginning of the book. The suspense and mystery continue through the book, keeping you on your toes while you try to figure out what is going on. Karen doles the story out in small pieces so you can’t quite be sure of what will happen next.

Characters were interesting. Really had me wondering about Lowell and Ivan. Couldn’t quite figure out who was good or bad. Even when I thought I had them figured out, it kept twisting and turning making me unsure again.

“When she thinks the spirit world is a much a part of her childhood as the NE Patriots and the Boston Red Sox”, it made me smile. My husband is an avid Red Sox fan and his brother is a Patriots fan. It makes the story feel more real when I can relate to it in  a personal way.

Other than a few editing errors, nothing that interfered with the flow of the story in any way, I thought it was well written and easy reading.

  To order this book, simply click on the cover.

Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/KarenVictoriaSmith

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Twitter Username: kvictoriasmith
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