Review: A Dexter-ish & Dark Suspense Thriller – Hades by Candice Fox

HADES by Candice Fox

A Dexter-ish twist to this debut thriller.

This novel had me on the edge of my seat. Candice Fox had some twists and turns that surprised and amazed me. One, especially. I felt it coming, but didn’t want it to happen. I love when an author can keep me guessing, is she really gonna do that? And the ending? Awesome and I can hardly wait to read the next book!

Is there a book that stands out in YOUR mind where the author kept YOU guessing until the very end?

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MY REVIEW

Covers are very important to me and this one spoke volumes. I knew something bad would happen, but the butterfly made me wonder if there was a ray of hope for the girl. What do you think?

I read the blurb and it said Dexter-ish, so that only peaked my interest more. I loved the show and the books and was left wanting more, just like Hades.

The book starts out dark and grim and stays that way. The descriptions and details make me cringe at the Hell I have entered. This is Candice’s debut novel and she knocked it out of the ballpark. So, come with me, into this evil and dangerous world of human monsters. Because, yes, there is more than one human being that doesn’t deserve to draw breath in our world.

Hades – Lord of the Underworld. He creates sculptures from junk, believing things should not be so easily tossed aside, just like Eden and Eric, brother and sister. They exude danger. He did not seek them out, but he will not give them up. They give him hope, where he had none before. How does he end up with “family?” That is a mystery worth finding out for yourself.

Eden – a loner, switchblade in hand, manicured yet ready for battle.

Eric – well, what can I say about Eric. Nothing good.

Frank – a detective, selfish, arrogant. Eden’s new partner, which she isn’t that happy about.

Jason – serial killer and psychopath. He had been abused and was puzzled by feelings, both animal and human. They are beyond his understanding. But, he is so much more than just your run of the mill serial killer.

When I didn’t think think it could get any worse, it did, and in a big way.

What breeds a serial killer? The age old question – Nature or nuture?

We all have our beliefs and boundaries. Desperation will cause people to justify their actions, no matter how grotesque and horrendous.

I watch a lot of crime shows and read a lot of crime books, both fact and fiction, trying to get a glimpse into their minds. How does a serial killer and psychopath think? How can they do the things they do? I have yet to be able to understand.  I just can’t see it. I believe they are so damaged and evil, they cannot be redeemed. Do the ones who catch them have to become them?

When Eden and Frank talked to Derek and Eliza, my anger and rage went off the charts. I would have loved to pull out a gun and shoot them on the spot. How in the world can they plead for mercy after what they have done?

And Martina – OMG.

OMG – I knew it was coming, but damn, I didn’t see it coming this way. I kept telling Candice, no, please don’t do it. Hello “Dexter”. I can’t believe it took me this long for it all to come together. The two different, yet connected storylines fooled me. This is such a great approach to the serial killer. I love the twists to a well known storyline.

I was blown away by Candice Fox’s debut novel. She got me on the cliff and made me hang there, wanting to read more, yet afraid to go on. I was pissed, enraged, terrified and heartbroken. The ending – I can’t get over it. Candice had surprise after surprise in store for me and I loved every minute of it.

More to come in Eden, Book II. Check out the book cover below. That is how I felt while reading Hades.

I received Hades by Candice Fox from Net Galley in return for an honest and unbiased review.

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

SYNOPSIS

A dark, compelling and original thriller that will have you spellbound from its atmospheric opening pages to its shocking climax. Hades is the debut of a stunning new talent in crime fiction.

Hades Archer, the man they call the Lord of the Underworld, surrounds himself with the things others leave behind. Their trash becomes the twisted sculptures that line his junkyard. The bodies they want disposed of become his problem for a fee. Then one night a man arrives on his doorstep, clutching a small bundle that he wants ‘lost’. And Hades makes a decision that will change everything…

Twenty years later, homicide detective Frank Bennett feels like the luckiest man on the force when he meets his new partner, the dark and beautiful Eden Archer. But there’s something strange about Eden and her brother, Eric. Something he can’t quite put his finger on. When the two detectives are called to the scene of an attempted drowning, they find a traumatized victim telling a story that’s hard to believe – until the divers start bringing up bodies.

Frank is now on the hunt for a very different kind of serial killer: one who offers the sick and dying hope at murderous cost. At first, his partner’s sharp instincts come in handy. Soon, he’s wondering if she’s as dangerous as the man they hunt.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

14795_10151255303066637_927218830_nCandice Fox is the middle child of a large, eccentric family from Sydney’s western suburbs composed of half-, adopted and pseudo siblings. The daughter of a prison parole officer and an enthusiastic foster-carer, Candice spent many of her early Christmases travelling to Long Bay Correctional Facility in the family minibus to knock on prison cell windows, run around the razor-wired yard and eat fruitcake prepared by inmates. While her mother and stepfather developed an ever-growing mob of Sydney’s most disadvantaged children throughout her later youth, entertainment had to be cheap. She spent her school holidays exploring free, open spaces – farms, bushland and cemeteries.

As a cynical and trouble-making teenager, her crime and gothic fiction writing was an escape from the calamity of her home life.

Bankstown born and bred, she failed to conform to military life in a brief stint as an officer in the Royal Australian Navy at age eighteen. At twenty, she turned her hand to academia, and taught high school through two undergraduate and two postgraduate degrees. She currently works lecturing writing at the University of Notre Dame while undertaking a PhD in literary censorship and terrorism.

She recently won the Ned Kelly Award for Best Crime Fiction.

 Website Goodreads.

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Do you think the butterfly signifies a ray of hope?

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Friday 56 #22 – Did you say Aliens? A Human Element by Donna Galanti

The Friday 56 hosted by Freda’s Voice.

The only rules are to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader and find any sentence, or a few (no spoilers) that grabs you and post it.

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A HUMAN ELEMENT by Donna Galanti

Book I of The Element Trilogy

This beautiful cover tells me there are some surprises waiting for me to discover them.

Is it alien? Is it supernatural?

I have heard great things about A Human Element from my sister, Laura @ fuonlyknew and I am excited to begin reading.

This glimpse into the story has me curious. How about you?

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(page 56% on Kindle)

“It was a spaceship that crash-landed at Coopersville Lake almost thirty years ago. You were right to think so.”

“It cam from the planet named Elyon.”

“How did these beings from Elyon get here Felix? And how is it possible they can reach us?”

“…they’ve discovered how to operate on a non-physical plane, unlike us on Earth.”

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SYNOPSIS

Evil comes in many forms…

One by one, Laura Armstrong’s friends and adoptive family members are being murdered, and despite her unique healing powers, she can do nothing to stop it. The savage killer haunts her dreams, tormenting her with the promise that she is next.

Determined to find the killer, she follows her visions to the site of a crashed meteorite in her hometown. There, she meets Ben Fieldstone, who seeks answers about his parents’ death the night the meteorite struck. In a race to stop a madman, they unravel a frightening secret that binds them together.

But the killer’s desire to destroy Laura face-to-face leads to a showdown that puts Laura and Ben’s emotional relationship and Laura’s pure spirit to the test. With the killer closing in, Laura discovers her destiny is linked to his, and she has two choices—redeem him or kill him.

 Click on the cover below to get your Amazon copy of A Human Element by Donna Galanti.

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There’s a new Vampire in Town – Love Without Blood by Raz Steel

Love Without Blood is the debut novel by Raz Steel – the only male finalist in Romantic Times 2006-2007 American Title Contemporary Romance Contest for previously unpublished authors.

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  • Paperback: 336 pages
  • Publisher: Montlake Romance (June 25, 2013)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 147780840X  /  ISBN-13: 978-1477808405
  • Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars – 22 reviews

Raz Steel’s Website

MY REVIEW

Love Without Blood by Raz Steel is a fun and original slant on a vampire romance fantasy novel. The characters include Dr Lara West, a surgeon, a male vampire pretending to be gay, a gay male nurse who knows his secret and his parents, an evil vampire, and a government agency with an vampire agenda. Let the hunt begin.

“Dr West. I came to your house because I can’t go to a hospital. do what you can for me.”

And that is how Dr Lara West begins her journey into the world of vampires.

Lara’s dream was to be the youngest Chief of Emergency at Jefferson Memorial, smack in the middle of gangbanger territory. But she has something else to be afraid of.

A vampire working in a hospital and pretending to be gay, this has got to be good.

Raz Steel shifts the point of view between the past and the present, then and now. It caught me by surprise and confused me for a while, but I quickly caught on and became captured in the story.

She is approached and recruited by Jake Plummer after her run-in with Robert, the vampire who appeared at her home demanding she remove a bullet and then proceeding to set her house on fire with her in it. Jake works for the WPAVU – Witness Protect Agency Vampire Unit and recruits her, telling her he will keep her safe.

In the beginning it didn’t really make a lot of sense and kept repeating itself, scene after scene. I couldn’t understand her wilingness to go along with everything. Then I thought, it’s a novel, just let it go and let’s see where the story takes me.

I can’t help but laugh at Bobby/Roberre, even though he is quite the monster.

Lara seems to be the “dumb blond”, if you know what I mean, but she goes on and on, like the energizer bunny,

I know they will all cross paths and I think I know what’s coming. I am curious to find out if I am right. I can’t help but look at this in a comical way, like Supernatural and Buffy. You know, monsters, but having a good time chasing them. Gruesome, yet funny. Well, I was close to predicting the outcome, but there is a surprise or two and I definitely enjoyed the ride to the end. I would be interested in reading more about this team of hunters.

I won Love Without Blood by Raz Steel (a first edition paperback) in a giveaway. My thanks go out to Laura at fuonlyknew.

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

Click on the cover below to get your Amazon copy of Love Without blood by Raz Steel

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Ride with me through the pages of Moonlit by Jadie Jones

Take a long look at this beautiful and fantastic cover. Gorgeous. I can almost feel the power radiating from the amazing animals. That alone made me want to read the book. Be sure and scroll down to read my Review and enter the Giveaway.

moonlit tour

 MOONLIT by Jadie Jones

Moonlit

Eighteen-year-old Tanzy Hightower knows horses, has grown up with them on Wildwood Farm. She also knows not to venture beyond the trees that line the pasture. Things happen out there that can’t be explained. Or undone. Worse, no one but she and the horses can see what lurks in the shadows of the woods.

When a moonlit ride turns into a terrifying chase, Tanzy is left to question everything, from the freak accident that killed her father to the very blood in her veins. Broken and confused, she turns to Lucas, a scarred, beautiful stranger, and to Vanessa, a charming new friend who has everything Tanzy doesn’t.

But why do they seem to know more about her than she knows herself?

Amazon Kindle * Amazon * Goodreads

WiDo Publishing * Barnes & Noble

 Praise

“Virginia’s trees look like they’re burning. Most of them blaze crimson or gold, but some still have a chokehold on their green. I wish they’d give it up already. Leaves are more beautiful when they’re dying.”

And so Moonlit begins. From here the story rolls from one twist to another with many vivid characters whose motives are hard to predict. I found myself being suspicious of everyone, wanting to tell Tanzy to be very careful. The deeper I fell into the plot, the more questions kept rising to the surface. But not to worry, all of my questions were answered. Appropriate for all ages, if you love paranormal fantasy mixed with suspense, mystery and other-worldly romance, you’ll love this novel!

~Author Julie Ford

Prologue

The first anniversary of my father’s death was even harder on my mother. Back then, I thought she was haunted most by what she didn’t know. I refused to blame her when she raged above me on our staircase that night, drunk and sad and angry. When she made me promise I’d never ride again. When she hurled a half-full bottle of vodka at my face and it exploded on the wooden stairs at my feet. I hadn’t tried to get out of the way. She had just missed.

I wanted to tell her that knowledge was no solace, that what you know can burn inside you until there’s nothing left but guilt and ash. I also wanted to protect her from losing the only piece of him she had left. So I didn’t say a word.

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MY REVIEW

Tanzy thought she saw something in the woods, then she heard the howl. She told herself it was just coyotes.

Tanzy’s father’s death ended life as she knew it. Not only did she lose her father, she lost her mother and her horse, Moonlit. She had not ridden since.

Dana McDaniel has been running the farm. She knows horses and Tanzy trusts her. She didn’t push her to get back on a horse, just left a note saying, “Hopewell needs a ride…..” She mounted Hopewell and felt like she had come home.

It is the anniversary of her father’s death. She receives a call telling her to be careful. She wonders if it is someones idea of a sick joke.

Tanzy had fallen asleep at Dana’s desk and awoke to see Lucas. His eyes were almost black and his face had two scars running down his cheek. She does not know him and is surprised by her immediate attraction to him.

Tanzy took Hopewell on their nightly ride. She had disregarded the warning telephone call and the night would end in a vicious attack on her.

white and black horses photo: Dashing... dashing.jpg

When she awoke after the riding accident, they told her she was lucky to be alive. The only thing that saved her was Dr. Metcher and his miracle drug.

Dana told her, while she was in the hospital, there had been a fire at the farm and there was no sign of the horses. They had not died in the fire, just seemed to vanish into thin air.

She meets Vanessa, Dr. Andrews wife. He is one of Tanzy’s doctors. Vanessa told her she got lonely at home during the nights her husband worked, so she came to read to patients at the hospital and had been reading to Tanzy while she had been unconscious.

Tanzy asks her about Ryan, the medical student who was assigned to her. There was something puzzling about him, but she couldn’t put her finger on what it was.

Tanzy had tried to keep the accident from her mother, but she showed up anyway.

She was brutal when she told her that Tanzy was not hers. She said she was done with her. She is speaking but Tanzy can no longer understand what she is saying. She walks out the door and Tanzy begins to vomit blood and feels like she is dying, again.

Lucas takes her hand and pulls her back, but when she open her eyes, it is Ryan and Dr. Andrews standing over her. She waits for an MRI and Cat scan with Ryan and proceeds to tell him about the golden horseshoes she keeps seeing on peoples palms. But he doesn’t explain.

Vanessa confides in her, telling her about seeing things others don’t. She said it made them special and they had to stick together. She told Tanzy she saw what happened to her. Vanessa explained that her visions had started after a bad car accident.

When Tanzy was released from the hospital, she stayed with Vanessa and Dr. Andrews. She thought it was the kindness of strangers but would soon find out it was so much more than that.

Who can she trust as the world she knows crumbles around her and she finds her true purpose in life?

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

The cover made me choose this book. It is so beautiful. I love the horses. Wildwood, the  horse farm in Shenandoah Valley, made me think of Bonanza. Does that date me?

I was amazed by everything in this book. I loved it. It took me places that I haven’t been before and didn’t see coming. It was riveting from beginning to end. I can hardly believe this is Jadie Jones’ debut novel.

This novel has everything and more that you would want in a paranormal story. It was very well written and the characters come alive on the pages. Watch out for the twists and turns and be careful of who you trust.

Even after being warned, Tanzy takes her nightly ride on Hopewell. When someone tells you don’t go in the woods, then don’t. It is not going to end well. I always laugh when I come across this example in the books I read. Don’t open the door. Don’t go down in the basement……….

I was crushed when I realized I wouldn’t find out what happened to Tanzy until the next book. I hope Jadie Jones is a fast writer because I can hardly wait to get my hands on Book II.

I received this book in return for an honest and unbaised review.

 ABOUT AUTHOR Jadie Jones

Georgia native Jadie Jones first began working for a horse farm at twelve years old, her love of horses matched only by her love of books. She went on to acquire a B.A. in equine business management, and worked for competitive horse farms along the east coast. The need to write followed wherever she went.

She currently coaches a hunt seat equitation team that competes in the Interscholastic Equestrian Association, and lives with her family in the foothills of north Georgia. When she’s not working on the next installment of the Moonlit series, she is either in the saddle or exploring the great outdoors with her daughter. Moonlit is her first book.

 

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One Fateful Mistake and………….Giveaway and Review of Deadly Road by Tara Neideffer

Deadly Road

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Lizzie had been drinking when she saw her boyfriend, Michael, with someone else in the bar. She ran out and jumped in her car, even though she knew she shouldn’t be driving. She was tipsy and crying, barely able to see where she was going. She usually slowed down when she approached that certain area of the road, because of the fog, but not tonight. She just wanted to get home.

the road killers Pictures, Images and Photos

Then she heard thump-thump. Oh no. She checked her tires and saw blood on the front of her car. Great, she had hit an animal, but it was so much worse than that – a man. She panicked, what to do. She proceeded to drag him off the road and into the woods. Afterwards, she jumped in her car and drove home.

Once she got home, she even acted like a murderer. She changed her clothes and cleaned up, hiding any evidence of the accident. She saw a bloody hand print smeared on the wall and cleaned that up too. All the while, a feeling of impending doom hung over her.

Her friend, Haley, called to make sure she arrived home okay. As they talked, Lizzie reached for her necklace. It was her good luck charm and she was always reaching for it, but now it was missing. Where could she have lost it?

At work, she waited on a man wearing a ball cap. Strange things happened. She saw spiders crawling all over him. When she questioned him about what he said to her, he denied saying the things she knew she had heard him say,

can’t hide it, haunt you until you die“.

Was she hallucinating?

She headed home and forgot to detour around the accident site. She had been avoiding the area ever since “it” had happened. As she approached the spot, she saw him.

Was he haunting her? Was her mind playing tricks on her? She knew something was very wrong.

When Lizzie went to work the next night, Haley told her about the little girl who had been found in the woods near her house. She wondered about the man. Had he been found?

Michael, her boyfriend, had heard about the little girl, too, and became worried for Lizzie. He went to her workplace, the Tavern, and arranged to go home with her. She felt a sense of relief having him there, she wouldn’t be alone and afraid.

Michael woke her from a nightmare she was having. The little girl was dead and  warned her that the man was coming for her. It had felt so real to her. She wondered if it would ever be over.

In the morning, Michael became afraid, because it was so hard to wake her up. When he saw the marks around her neck he worried that he had choked her during their passionate lovemaking. She knew it wasn’t him. Her nightmare had come to life. Should she tell him?

Michael had to go out of town for work, so she was alone again. She told him she would be fine, but she didn’t really believe it.

She loved paranormal and horror movies, but she didn’t believe in it. Until now. Now, she felt she was living it.

   5 STARS – Would Buy It For Them (lol)

The cover is awesome. Eerie and foreboding. The spooky moon is indicative of what is to come.

The plot was suspenseful and grabbed me from the very beginning. Tara’s description of Lizzie’s nightmare was so realistic, it was believable. It could have been real. I knew something was coming, but what. My anticipation was such, that I was sitting forward on the couch, crunched up, waiting for the attack, or whatever was coming. It wouldn’t be good. The hair on my arms stood up and I felt chills running down my back.

I hate spiders, so when I read this, I had to make a note of it:

“Spiders are messengers from the other side. When you see a lot of spiders it means something or someone on the other side is trying to tell you something and you’re not listening.”

When I first picked up the book, I thought – this is good, like a three. As I kept reading and the suspense and pace of the novel picked up, I thought – whoa, this is a solid four. Then I began racing through the pages as one thing after another began to happen. I read it in one sitting. The plot and writing were gripping and drew me deeper and deeper into the story.

This is Tara Neideffer’s debut novel. I am constantly amazed at the quality of writing of so many indie authors and their debut novels.

Lizzie’s story could happen to anyone, except maybe for the ghost part. A normal, upright, careful person makes one mistake that could ruin their life.

Michael was a two-timing cheater. Would Lizzie be able to forgive him for his mistake? Will they find their way back to each other?

The book made me think of Ghost Whisperer with Jessica Love Hewitt. Ghosts came to her for help and she was able to talk to them and see them, when others couldn’t.

Tara Neideffer offered me a free copy in return for an honest and unbiased review, but when I checked my Kindle, I had already downloaded the book.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Image of Tara Neideffer.

Tara Neideffer loves everything that has to do with the paranormal. She grew up reading Stephen King novels and watching horror movies. Deadly Road is her first paranormal novel. She is currently working on her next novel which will be a paranormal series.

In her free time she likes to spend time with her husband, daughter and step-son and sometimes go ghost hunting.

To find Tara Neideffer, you don’t need paranormal abilities, just look below.

Blog  /  Facebook  /  Goodreads

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To purchase a copy of Deadly Road by Tara Neideffer, simply click on the cover.

GIVEAWAY

taiwan flag smiley animated gif Pictures, Images and PhotosTara Neideffer is offering  for the Giveaway

2 (two) signed paperbacks. US and Canada only.

Easy entry as always, just leave your email address and answer the question:

Have YOU ever made a terrible mistake and have you been able to make it right? 

CLOSED. WINNERS ARE – Laura T. and Barbara B.

Giveaway will run from 2/4 – 2/18, 2013 .

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