Review – Impostor by L J Ross @LJRoss_author #netgalley #impostor

Posted on February 4, 2026 by fundinmental

MY REVIEW

Well, the whole elite criminal profiling unit shut down because of scandal caught my eye, so I grabbed a copy from NetGalley. I have never read any of L J R Ross’s work, so I didn’t know what to expect, but I am always open to reading new author’s work, especially when they write about murder and mayhem.

Small town mysteries are fun to read. Everyone knows everyone else, so you may think it would be easy to figure out who the murderer is, but I think it would be harder. Just like your neighbor, your friend, or you significant other…you think you know everything about them, but…do you? Everyone has secrets.

L J Ross does a good job of hiding who the villain is. Could it be the police that Dr Alex Gregory is working with? Could it be one of the neighbors? And…Dr Alex Gregory has his own secrets. I love watching him work through his own haunted past.

The humor is dark.

I never saw the end coming. I love when an author can surprise me.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos — 4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

There’s a killer inside all of us…

After an elite criminal profiling unit is shut down amidst a storm of scandal and mismanagement, only one person emerges unscathed. Forensic psychologist Doctor Alexander Gregory has a reputation for being able to step inside the darkest minds to uncover whatever secrets lie hidden there and, soon enough, he finds himself drawn into the murky world of murder investigation.

In the beautiful hills of County Mayo, Ireland, a killer is on the loose. Panic has a stranglehold on its rural community and the Garda are running out of time. Gregory has sworn to follow a quiet life but, when the call comes, can he refuse to help their desperate search for justice?

Murder and mystery are peppered with dark humour in this fast-paced thriller set amidst the spectacular Irish landscape.

Genre: Crime, Fiction, Murder, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
311 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 31, 2019
Series: Dr Alex Gregory #1

ABOUT L J ROSS

LJ Ross is an internationally bestselling author, whose books have sold over 7 million copies worldwide.

Her debut, Holy Island, was released in 2015 and became an instant, international bestseller. Since then, a further eighteen of her novels have gone on to take the coveted #1 spot, some even before general release and whilst only available to ‘pre-order’. The Bookseller magazine has reported on Louise having topped the ‘Most Read’ and ‘Most Sold’ fiction charts, and she has garnered an army of loyal fans who love her atmospheric and addictive storytelling.

Her eleventh novel, The Infirmary, is a prequel story to the DCI Ryan series and is available as a major Audible Originals audio-drama starring Tom Bateman, Kevin Whately, Bertie Carvel, Hermione Norris and Alun Armstrong.

The first novel in her Alexander Gregory Thrillers series, Impostor, was shortlisted in the British Book Awards 2020: Crime & Thriller Book of the Year. The audiobook of Impostor, narrated by Hugh Dancy, was also selected as a finalist in the New York Festivals Radio Awards, Best Fiction Audiobook of the Year Category.

In May 2021, Louise was shortlisted for the prestigious Crime Writers’ Association ‘Dagger in the Library’ award, which recognises an author’s entire body of work having been consistently enjoyed by library borrowers around the United Kingdom, and an author’s longstanding support of libraries.

Louise was born in Northumberland, England. She studied undergraduate and postgraduate Law at King’s College, University of London and then abroad in Paris and Florence. She spent much of her working life in London, where she was a lawyer for a number of years until taking the decision to change career and pursue her dream to write. Now, she writes full time and lives with her husband and son in Northumberland and Edinburgh. She enjoys reading all manner of books, painting, travelling and spending time with family and friends.

To find out more about the many philanthropic ventures Louise has founded and sponsored through her publishing imprint, Dark Skies Publishing, please visit ‘Philanthropy’.

If you would like to connect with LJ Ross, she would be very happy to hear from you:

https://www.facebook.com/LJRossAuthor
https://twitter.com/ljross_author
www.lovesuspense.com
lj_ross@outlook.com

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$25 GC – GRQ: Get Rich Quick by Steven Bernstein @partnersincr1me @stevebfilm #getrichquick

Posted on November 26, 2025 by fundinmental

GRQ: Get Rich Quick

by Steven Bernstein

November 17 – December 12, 2025 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

One day. One city on the edge. One man gambling it all.

In a Los Angeles rattled by an earthquake and on the brink of collapse, Marlon has twenty-four hours to change his fate. Drowning in debt, reeling from personal loss, and desperate to save his family, he’s seduced by a shadowy financial guru promising salvation. But as Marlon spirals deeper into a web of risk, secrets long buried begin to surface—and his final gamble might cost him everything.

Taut, urgent, and psychologically astute, Get Rich Quick is a gripping descent into the dangers of ambition, delusion, and the American obsession with success.

Soon to be a major worldwide film release.

Praise for GRQ:

“Reading this book was like listening to a charming con man talk circles around the truth while you laugh and cringe in equal measure. The narrator’s voice is hypnotic. It’s funny, fast-talking, and flawed. Bernstein’s writing feels conversational and unfiltered, filled with tangents, wild lists, and jabs at everything from labradoodles to General Tso’s chicken. It’s brilliantly messy. The narrative never tries to be neat or linear. That looseness works in its favor. It mirrors the chaos of the characters’ lives and thoughts, making the humor land harder and the emotions hit sharper when they sneak in.”
~ Literary Titan

“Author Steven Bernstein builds this sneaky domestic thriller with addictive, vignette-like chapters narrated by voices that alternate between self-justification and raw emotion… Bernstein’s strength lies in how he seamlessly layers humor, suspense and sorrow. On one page, we’re laughing at Marlon’s ridiculous schemes and evasions. On the next, the ground shakes — literally, as Los Angeles is rocked by earthquakes, and figuratively, as the family fractures under pressure.”
~ BestThrillers.com

“Very rarely have I come across a book as riveting and thoroughly engaging as Steven Bernstein’s GRQ. The characters are so vivid and compelling that it wouldn’t surprise me at all if I were to encounter them in real life. An absolute must-read.'”
~ Gale Anne Hurd, Executive Producer (FEAR THE WALKING DEAD, MANKILLER)

“This little book of wisdom is an iChing for the mid 2020s. Marlon is the infernal dumbass in his schemes to Get Rich Quick, to the despair of his darling Viola. The problem is that there’s a Marlon in all of us. Well, most of us. Not me, obviously. A brilliant evisceration of debt and delusion.'”
~JP Maxwell, author and award-winning filmmaker

“I loved it: it feels like a dreamlike odyssey. A book perfectly suited for our era — a world where financial gain overshadows everything else, reminiscent of ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’. The short chapters and vignettes hit you at breakneck speed; you feel like you’re watching someone unravel before your very eyes. A truly compelling read.”
~ Tom Walker, Actor (Jonathan Pie)

“GRQ by Steven Bernstein is a pulsating, psychological thriller. I loved it.”
~ Keith McNally, New York Times best selling author

Book Details:

Genre: Domestic Thriller, Dark Humor
Published by: Fly on the Wall Press
Publication Date: June 3, 2025
Number of Pages: 142, Paperback
ISBN: 9781915789464 (ISBN10: 191578946X)
Book Links: Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | BookBub | Fly on the Wall Press

Author Bio:

Steven Bernstein, ASC, DGA, WGA is an award-winning feature film director and screenwriter, shaping some of the most visually striking films of the past 40 years. His work on the Academy Award-winning film Monster and on Like Water for Chocolate has earned global recognition. He is a recipient of the American Film Institute Award, the Sloan Award (for writing and directing), the Cannes Golden Lion (for commercials), and is an ASC nominee for outstanding cinematography. He has worked on over 50 feature films. He wrote and directed several groundbreaking feature films with major talent (John Malkovich, Samantha Morton, Helen Hunt and many more). His podcast Filmmakerandfans, about the creative process in film production, is listened to by millions.

Catch Up With Steven Bernstein:

Filmmaker and Fan’s Podcast
Amazon Author Profile
Goodreads
Instagram – @stevenbernsteindirectorwriter
Threads – @stevenbernsteindirectorwriter
X – @stevebfilm
Facebook – @StevenBernsteinOfficial
Learn more about GRQ the Movie

Tour Participants:

Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews, posts, and opportunities to WIN in the giveaway!

Click here to view the Tour Schedule

Don’t Miss Your Chance to Win! Enter Today!

This giveaway is hosted by Partners in Crime Tours for Steven Bernstein. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited.

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Get More Great Reads at Partners In Crime Tours

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Review – Fury: a Cinderella story by David Allen @AnotherfunnyD

Posted on June 26, 2023 by fundinmental

Amazon / KindleUnlimited / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

For a debut novel, David Allen did a hellacious job with Fury: a Cinderella Story. The cover didn’t do a lot for me, but after reading Fury, it fits the story. After all, Cindy is the epitome of nice…until she dies…then, she wants revenge on those who feel they are entitled, not thinking twice about the repercussions of their actions.

Cindy does have a wicked sense of humor.

“…Also, when people trust you, it is so much easier to crush them under your heel on the way to the top.”

Cindy does indeed make a Cinderella transformation, from an office worker to the belle of the ball, bringing her to the attention of three of the worst male specimens on earth. It will be the death of her…until…

Cindy plots her revenge, with the help of her best friends, Anna and Jay, and they bring Hell right to them, one by one. David Allen shares her revenge in a graphic, gruesome manner, and the cover comes to mind. She looks sweet and innocent, but her revenge is flaming hot. Even though it is savage and brutal, I found myself smiling, occasionally even laughing. And I smiled as I went through my notes and write this down.

Like Lucifer says in the TV series, “I’m going to bring it right to you.”

When she returns to Inferno, I was blown away. I never saw anything of what was to come and I loved it. I never anticipated the finale and wanted to yell and cheer. Again, I want to congratulation David Allen on his debut novel and highly recommend you horror lovers to grab a copy. I think you will get more than you bargained for…as did Cooper, Ronnie and Emery!

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Fury: a Cinderella story by David Allen.

GOODREADS BLURB

When Cindy Tremaine showed up to the office work meeting Monday morning, no one was surprised given her legendary work ethic. Except for Cooper Washington, who killed her three nights earlier.
Cindy Tremaine is the best employee Cleaning California has, and helped turn is from an idea to a regional powerhouse. She and her best friends, the stepsisters Anna and Jay Hildebrand, are elated when they find out they are going to be merging with Royal Crown industries, a global leader in technology and architecture, founded by Gable Washington.
At a ball to celebrate the merger, she meets Cooper Washington, the unbelievably handsome and charismatic son of Gable, and heir to the company. Along with his two friends, Ronnie and Emery, he uses his prince charming persona to lead Cindy into a night out, in which she ends up drugged and dies as a result. The three men panic and hide her body and put a plan together to get away with the crime. A plan which didn’t account for Cindy arriving back at work. Cindy, along with the stepsisters, now vow vengeance as the men try to figure out a way to stop her.

Genre: Dark Comedy, Fiction, Horror, Humor
361 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 23, 2022

ABOUT DAVID ALLEN

I was born in Ogden Utah. Raised in Cape Girardeau,Missouri and now live in Columbia, MO. I graduated from the University of Missouri, Columbia with degrees in Economics and Philosophy. Fury: A Cinderella Story is my debut novel.

Twitter / Instagram / TikTok

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Grotesquely Funny – Little Mike by Ken La Salle @KenLaSalle

Posted on April 7, 2021 by fundinmental

I have been reading Ken La Salle’s work for some time now and he never ceases to amaze me with his creativity and ability to spin a tale…and some of them are pretty far out there. LOL And I love it.

I was very curious about the cover, because I knew Ken La Salle just couldn’t find the right thing, so I asked him to write up a guest post and share his thoughts about it. The story is very original, unique and…well, it’s very hard to describe, but if you like something that can shock you and make you stretch your mind, this could be for you.

So….welcome Ken.

IN HIS OWN WORDS…

“Seat of the pants” is much more than a style of writing; it really is a way of life. And this is especially true in the writing world where book release dates and cover reveals are just as strategic as the handsome stranger entering in the third act.

For me, though, strategy can get boring sometimes. I was working on Heaven Enough when I was first captured by this strange notion of art as torture, which was only my first glimpse into the world of Little Mike. As strange as this notion was, I knew I couldn’t create a traditional outline or structure – or anything. Little Mike revealed itself much like a sculpture locked in stone, freed by the tiniest chips.

Because Little Mike was such a different kind of book, I talked up the idea with some friends just to see their response to some of the ideas presented and, after I wrote the novel, I managed to corral my first beta readers. I knew there would be pushback to some of my ideas but I was pleased to see the story connect in such a powerful way.

Agents and publishers turned Little Mike away in droves, however. Still, I had to believe that the reactions of my readers meant far more than the publishers and agents who turned their noses up at the mention of a Muslim prostitute. This was, of course, before my editor asked, and I’m paraphrasing, “Are you sure?” This was before two cover artists told me the cover was impossible to create and a third cover artist told me he couldn’t “draw funny.” (Not that anyone asked…)

Seat of the pants style, my wife and I bought a doll, found a place to shoot the cover, and brought Little Mike to life ourselves.

“Seat of the pants” is not a guaranty of success; it is an offer of adventure, a ticket to unexpected destinations. I hope Little Mike takes you someplace unexpected, just as it did for me.

You accomplished your mission, Ken. You definitely took me somewhere I couldn’t have gotten on my own and I LOVE IT! Keep up the great work.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

“The country needed more pollution and dumber children, I guess.”

WOW! I mean…WOW! Ken La Salle blew me away with this grotesquely hilarious glimpse of what our future could behold.

Ken La Salle writes some of the most wildly entertaining, unique, and creative stories I have ever read and Little Mike hits all the marks.

I love the simple cover and it sure doesn’t give anything away. He worked on the cover for quite some time.

Ken La Salle’s version on the have and have nots, and the decline of the human race is…

BEWARE: There is graphic violence and his version of the end of the world, man, oh man…bereft of all hope, surviving while waiting to die…sure don’t see much to live for.

Perversion, depravity. Totally twisted. Laughs and disgust. Need a strong stomach…and maybe a puke bucket. LOL

A satire on the state of the union and what the future could hold for us. Think you have it bad…these characters show that it can always be worse.

Who is better off? An optimist? A pessimist? A realist?

Thought provoking. Soul crushing. Hopeless and hopeful. Had me questioning myself and my responsibilities towards the world we live in.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of Little Mike by Ken La Salle.

GOODREADS BLURB

He’s come to destroy the world.
We beat him to it.
Welcome to a world where you have to suck the KKK for breakfast and people fight for the right to be warehoused. Welcome to a world where television is free just as long as you never turn it off, where opioids are delicious and safe, mostly, where the streets are filled with the bodies of the dead, worms are blessed, and children are tortured for the sake of art.
And into this world awakens Little Mike.
Little Mike is a doll.
Little Mike doesn’t know why he’s woken up. He doesn’t know that he means the end of humankind. He’s too busy being traded for sexual favors, watching Reality TV, and searching for the last shreds of human hope in the same landfill where they’d deposited their decency and their intelligence.
Dystopia is a word that gets thrown around a lot but what do you call a world where the future has been stripped of its meaning? Where the petty greeds of humanity eclipse survival? Where corporations have data-mined the human heart… and no one can see beyond the latest distraction… and human history culminates in silent surrender?
You’d call that the world of Little Mike. It only sounds like the world where you live.

ABOUT KEN LA SALLE

Born on an 18th century mining ship, Ken La Salle is not his name. He just likes it. He writes about whatever he damn well pleases, hoping to build more of a cult following than a readership just for a cut on the robes. Looking for the mainstream but sticking to the shore, you can find out more about Ken La Salle at the imaginatively named www.kenlasalle.com.

GIVEAWAY

Want a glimpse into Ken La Salle’s world? Now is your chance. Ken is offering 3 ebook copies of Little Mike. Entry is easy peasy. All you have to do is leave a comment answering the question and leaving your requested format and email:

Are you…An optimist? A pessimist? A realist?

Please share the love.

MY KEN LA SALLE REVIEWS

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Dark Humor – One Tough Bastard by Adam Howe @Adam_G_Howe

Posted on January 5, 2021 by fundinmental

EARLY REVIEW – One Tough Bastard by Adam Howe will release on 3.1.21

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

As soon as I saw the cover, I thought of Planet of the Apes. Then, as I began reading, I thought of Clint Eastwood in Any Which Way of Loose…but so much more twisted.

Adam Howe does write some in your face, way out there stories and I love spending time in his dark, wacky, perverted worlds.

Shane Moxie is a despicable person, but he does have his moments.

At times, I couldn’t keep myself from laughing out loud.

For all you cinephobes out there, One Tough Bastard by Adam Howe is full of movie and actor references.

I always have difficulty describing Adam Howe’s work. The characters are unique, original, crass, and even seem totally off the wall, at times, but when the ‘chimps’ are down, they are there, dodging bullets and knives.

One Tough Bastard by Adam Howe was not one of my favorite stories by him, but I did enjoy my visit.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of One Tough Bastard by Adam Howe.

GOODREADS BLURB

Shane Moxie: A washed-up 80s action star
who refuses to believe his best days are behind him…

Duke: A hyper-intelligent chimpanzee
and arguably the greatest animal actor of his generation…

Reunited for an anniversary movie screening, when Moxie and Duke are targeted by assassins, the feuding co-stars reluctantly join forces to smash an organized crime syndicate headed by an iconic German action star dealing death from his movie-themed fast food franchise.

One’s a big dumb animal
The other’s a chimpanzee
Shit just got real

From Adam Howe, writer of Die Dog or Eat the Hatchet and Tijuana Donkey Showdown, and the winner of Stephen King’s On Writing contest, comes a ‘buddy’ comedy in the tradition of Lethal Weapon, 48 Hours, and Tango & Cash, and a love letter to the gory glory days of 80s/90s action cinema. One Tough Bastard will turn you into a goddamn sexual tyrannosaurus… just like its author.

ABOUT ADAM HOWE

Adam Howe writes the twisted fiction your mother warned you about. A British writer of fiction and screenplays, he lives in London with his partner, their daughter, and a hellhound named Gino. Writing as Garrett Addams, his short story Jumper was chosen by Stephen King as the winner of the international On Writing contest, and published in the paperback/Kindle editions of King’s memoir. His fiction has appeared in places like Nightmare Magazine, Thuglit, Mythic Delirium, and Year’s Best Hardcore Horror Volume 1. He is the author of Tijuana Donkey Showdown, and two novella collections, Die Dog or Eat the Hatchet, and Black Cat Mojo. In the pipeline: the occult thriller Scapegoat, co-written with James Newman, a horror/crime collaboration with Adam Cesare, and 80s action throwback, One Tough Bastard.

Stalk him at Facebook, Goodreads, and Twitter

MY ADAM HOWE REVIEWS

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Death Can Set You Free – Review for Sick to Death by Greg Levin @greg_levin @pumpupyourbook

Posted on October 28, 2016 by fundinmental

Inside the Book:

Title: Sick to Death
Author: Greg Levin

Release Date: September 3, 2016

Publisher: White Rock Press

Genre: Thriller/Suspense/Dark Humor

Format: Ebook/Paperback

MY REVIEW

Death Can Set You Free

The concept for Sick To Death by Greg Levin hooked me and the opening pages drew me in, keeping me on the edge of my seat until the last page was read. Death. Disease. Vigilantism. Terrorism. Retribution. Murder.

Over the previous six month, there was only one thing Gage has become more efficient at than killing…and that was dying.

In the lottery of life, Gage Adder has won a dead cat, an ex – wife and a cancerous pancreas! After finding out he has cancer and was given a death sentence, Gage comes out swinging.

According to my brother, I only became funny once I started dying.

A year to live.

What would you do with the time left? Probably not what Gage does! I knew what he was going to do, but not the way he would go about it and I love it. Sometimes the only way to see justice done is to do it yourself.

Cancer has a way of ruining a perfectly good murder.

Diarrhea’s what happens when you’re busy making deadly plans.

A humorous accounting of one man’s decision to take matters into his own hands. And the outcome is very surprising.

I never anticipated the creativity and originality Greg Levin displays creating these wonderful characters that jump off the page and into my heart with their willingness to step up, sacrificing their last days on earth to leave it better than they found it. They were drawn together by their disease and death and had a camaraderie many could never understand. Death kept them living.

The moral issues are addressed in a way some could find agreeable, others would condemn them no matter the why. What would it take to make you kill? What about the social and moral repercussions?

I laughed at ‘Tumor Terrorism’, ‘Metastaside’, ‘The Stage Four Slaughters’. Why not go out with a sense of humor and a few laughs.

I empathized with the gang. I have always loved vigilantes, loved the Charles Bronson movies, but, after reading Sick To Death I find why vigilantism is so bad, even when it’s good. Where do you draw the line?

I received a free copy of Sick To Death from Greg Levin.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos 4 Stars

ABOUT THE BOOK

KNOWING YOU’RE DYING CAN BE MURDER.

When Gage Adder finds out he has inoperable pancreatic cancer, things really start to look up for him. He leaves his soul-crushing job, joins a nice terminal illness support group, and takes up an exciting new hobby: Beating the hell out of bad guys.

Gage’s support group friends Jenna and Ellison don’t approve of his vigilante activities. Jenna says fighting never solves anything. Poison, on the other hand… When the three decide to team up and hit the streets, suddenly no rapist, pedophile or other odious criminal in the city is safe.

They are the sickest of superheroes. Their superpower is nothing left to lose. But what happens when one of them takes this power too far and puts at risk the lives of hundreds of innocent people? Where does one draw the line when dying to kill?

Meet the Author:

Greg Levin is an award-winning author of dark comedic fiction.

Greg’s first novel… meh, nobody but Greg really cares about his first novel.

His second novel, The Exit Man, was optioned by HBO for development into a TV series and won a 2015 Independent Publishers Award (a.k.a., an “IPPY”), earning a silver medal for Best Adult Fiction Ebook.

Greg’s third novel, Sick to Death, is out now and is being hailed by critics everywhere as one of the top three books he has ever written. Author Craig Clevenger (The Contortionist’s Handbook)calls Sick to Death “a tour de force dark comedy.”

Greg resides with his wife, daughter and two cats in Austin, Texas, where he reportedly is wanted by local authorities for refusing to say “y’all” or do the two-step. He is currently working on his fourth novel.

Visit him at http://www.greglevin.com