I love the ominous old time feel of the cover for Lies On Bristol Lake by Jean Nicole Rivers. I had an idea of what the book would be about, the mystery and the danger. Any book that takes place on or near the water always catches my attention, making me curious to know if it will be a fit for me. Jean Nicole Rivers put her own twist on a familiar tale and that is why I love her writing so much.
It wasn’t hard to figure out early on that Dahlia Dixon would marry the wealthy boss, the synopsis told us so, but what is happening after they are married really pissed me off. A lot of it was obvious, but there are more plots going on than just the one between Dahlia and her husband, Malcom.
I love when an author adds some humor to her darkness and cracks me up:
‘I could rip my top off right now and whip glittering pink tassels attached to my nipples in wild circles and few would even notice…’
Keep in mind that I am reading an ARC. Some things may be corrected and changed for the finished product.
Dahlia’s past haunts her. She feels she is split in two and Dark Dahlia is now warning her…something is not right. Are the dead talking to her? Trying to tell her their secrets? Is Thomas really dead, her lover who tried to drown her in high school?
There was a surprise or two…and one really blew my mind. I didn’t see that coming at all! I love when an author can surprise me, shock me, giving me pause…before I read on.
Lies On Bristol Lake gave me a sense of complacency in the beginning. I knew there was a mystery and there would be some danger. It creeps up on me slowly, pouncing when I least expect it. As everything comes together I am left with a feeling of satisfaction. Well done, Jean, you got me…and that is not any easy thing to do. I usually figure things out before the author has a chance to tell me what’s happening. I did with some things, but that ending…awesome!
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Lies On Bristol Lake by Jean Nicole Rivers.
4 Stars
AMAZON SYNOPSIS
Dahlia Dixon is finally getting a grip on her once crippling PTSD, the result of a college incident that nearly left her dead in a university pool. After marrying her wealthy boss, she’s whisked away to his isolated home on Bristol Lake. Her new husband’s first wife drowned in Bristol Lake only months before and is still hauntingly present in every corner of the modern retreat.
When Dahlia is run off the road, lies begin to surface. She learns that another woman recently died in Bristol Lake. Dahlia is sure she is in someone’s crosshair. No can be trusted. The dangerous paranoia is returning. Dahlia must dive into the secrets that dwell in the lake before she herself is dragged beneath its glassy surface.
ABOUT JEAN NICOLE RIVERS
Jean Nicole (@jeannicole19) is a National Black Book Festival award-winner and author of two psychological horror novels, Black Water Tales: The Unwanted and Black Water Tales: The Secret Keepers. She has also garnered awards for her screenplay, If I Die, from multiple film festivals including the Shivers International Film Festival (Canada).
Currently, she is working through the 3rd installment of her Black Water Tales series on a novel currently titled, To the Moon and Back.
In 2016, she launched the only novel writing software founded and owned by a black woman, Simple Stylus (www.SimplyStylus.com) and she teaches an online beginner writing course titled, Simply Writing: An Aspiring Author’s Guide to Developing A Solid Writing Process and FINALLY Writing Their Novel.
She writes because she loves words, she writes because she loves stories, she writes because she has a story to tell.
Book Title: When the Smoke Cleared (A Murder Mystery in Malden) by Bill Powers Category: Adult Non-Fiction (18 +), 400 pages Genre: True Crime Publisher: PowersCourt Press Release date: Oct, 2022 Content Rating: PG-13 Some violence some profanity
Book Description:
There is no greater distinction or responsibility for a law enforcement officer than to be selected to investigate homicides. The same is true for a prosecutor. It is analogous to a call up to the big leagues where the curveballs or slapshots are frequent and more challenging, the lights are brighter, the audience larger and louder, and the scrutiny and demand for perfection can at times be a bit overwhelming.
This story follows an extraordinary murder investigation from the crime scene through to the arrest and into the courtroom. It is narrated by retired Detective Lieutenant Bill Powers, the former commander of the State Police Detective Unit for the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts:
“When the smoke from the fire cleared and the water level receded, it was visually evident that a violent struggle, quite possibly a homicide, had preceded the fire. But where was the victim? The waterlogged bloodstains in the function room told us it wasn’t likely they stood up and walked out the door. We were confronted with an unusual dilemma. We not only had to investigate what happened and develop probable cause to make an arrest, but we also had to locate the poor soul who had spilled so much of their blood.”
Walk the path of the investigation with Bill and his team, and then follow in ADA Adrienne Lynch’s footsteps as she guides the trial from opening statements through to the final verdict; a truly unique accounting with a bird’s eye view.
Beyond a police and courtroom procedural, this story is about the personal struggles in the victim’s life and how her death impacted her family’s lives in ways no one could have foreseen. It is a love story that grew from unspeakable tragedy.
Bill Powers writes from the heart because he spent twenty years living the life of a homicide investigator. He went to literally hundreds of death scenes and, while each made its mark, none had more of a personal effect on him than this case.
Bill Powers has been active in the Massachusetts law enforcement community since he joined the Massachusetts State Police in 1974. Over time he rose through the ranks and was promoted to the rank of Detective Lieutenant. He commanded the State Police Detective Units (SPDU) in both Middlesex and Suffolk Counties, where he had direct oversight and involvement in more than one hundred homicides. His State Police career came full circle when he was named Commandant of the Recruit Training Academy. He retired as the director of the Media Relations Section. Following his retirement, Bill was appointed as an Assistant Professor in the graduate program for forensic sciences at the Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM). For the next seven years he lectured on criminal investigation and expert testimony to the graduate students. In addition, he produced training seminars for police investigators covering a wide variety of topics. Following his tenure at the BUSM he returned to the law enforcement profession as the Director of Public Safety at Wentworth Institute in Boston. Bill earned an undergraduate degree from Northeastern University with a major in Criminal Justice and a Juris Doctorate degree from the New England School of Law.
He resides South of Boston with his wife Jane. Their two daughters and their families live nearby. He has been blessed with five remarkable grandchildren who sparkle like bright stars in the night sky.
Veteran trekker Hardy Durkin takes his first bike tour group to Béziers, in the South of France, for what is expected to be relaxing, uneventful bicycling in the Hérault region. This notion is kicked to the curb when a double cold-case with present-day repercussions is discovered on one of the group’s outings. Hardy becomes embroiled in another homicide when he is present at a murder that takes place during an innocent flamenco performance that is anything but.
The bottom line: murder and intrigue follow Hardy Durkin like a shadow, even in the sunny, laid-back South of France, but this time his wheel of fortune veers uncomfortably off the rails in Homicide Hérault.
Book Details:
Genre: Mystery Published by: Blue Shutter Publishing Publication Date: December 2022 Number of Pages: 199 ISBN13: 978-1-941611-20-3 Series: Hardy Durkin Travel Mystery Series Book 6 | Each is a Stand Alone Mystery Book Links:Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | Smashwords
Read an excerpt:
There was a brief lull in the questions, then Delia asked what everyone else was thinking. “Who are you, Hardy Durkin? You’ve got this Clotiers guy on speed dial. You’re not in the least bit flustered about finding two dead soldiers on a god-forsaken riverbank in the South of France, you seem to be evading the police about it… Just who the hell are you?”
A shocked silence was interrupted by Clive. “I can answer that,” he said. He turned to Hardy almost apologetically. “My cousin was on your trek in the Black Forest.” To his fellow cyclists he explained, “Hardy is exactly who he seems to be. He has a trek business for points in Europe.” He paused, then added, “He also has an unusual skill set from his military training and for reasons unknown to anyone has a knack for wading into mysteries, stumbling upon dead bodies, and bringing criminals to justice.”
***
Excerpt from Homicide Hérault by Bluette Matthey. Copyright 2022 by Lucinda Guthrie. Reproduced with permission from Bluette Matthey. All rights reserved.
Author Bio:
Bluette Matthey is a 3rd generation Swiss American and an avid lover of European cultures. She has decades of travel and writing experience. She is a keen reader of mysteries, especially those that immerse the reader in the history, inhabitants, culture, and cuisine of new places. Her passion for travel, except airports (where she keeps a mystery to pass the time), is shared by her husband, who owned a tour outfitter business in Europe. Bluette particularly loves to explore regions that are not on the “15 days in Europe” itineraries. She also enjoys little-known discoveries, such as the London Walks, in well-known areas. She firmly believes that walking and hiking bring her closer to the real life of any locale. Bluette maintains a list of hikes and pilgrimages throughout Europe for future exploration.
Bluette is the author of the Hardy Durkin Travel Mystery series, author and developer of the South-of-France travel app, Potty Poche, and her latest mystery, Two Murders Too Many. She lives in Béziers in the South of France, with her husband and trio of loving cats.
The great cover for Cry To Me by J A Schneider immediately drew me in. I love suspense thrillers. Add a hurricane, blizzard, or any kind of weather or storm to the scenario and it steps things up. I love the characters trapped and in danger.
Little Miss Cry To Me, Kim Bell, cannot say no to anyone and finds herself overloaded with obligations. Things become worse. At a celebration in their home, she finds her brother in law and sister, with a gun in her hand, dead in his office. The police think she murdered Wyatt, then killed herself. It isn’t possible. Her sister hates guns.
David, Wyatt’s brother is at her side, pulling her away. Kim is a true crime writer and a quick thinker. Something doesn’t seem right to her, so she quickly pulls out her phone and snaps a few photos. Her first experience with murder was her own father’s, which was never solved. Her mother became an alcoholic. Kim and Liddy became each other’s world.
Liddy was the fun sister, the creative one, the peacemaker. Wyatt is was a tech CEO guru. Winnie is one of Liddy’s best friends. She seems VERY helpful and makes me suspicious. (I am not paranoid. I know people are out to get me. LOL) Zoe Martin is another of Liddy’s best friends. Many times things are not as they seem, so I immediately begin to try and figure out who is the villain. Is it one of the ‘ladies’ or one of their husbands?
Police Officer Miller…bitch is pissing me off. Her dismissive attitude and quick assumptions lead me to believe that, if she didn’t have a partner looking for the real answers, the investigation could have ended with Kim found guilty in Liddy and Wyatt’s death.
I read LOTS of mysteries, suspense and thriller stories. It’s important to me that the mystery stays muddled. I love red herrings, twist and turns, and danger dogging the characters footsteps. Early on it becomes obvious the characters are keeping secrets. I may need my own murder board to focus in on the culprit and that’s a good thing. No easy answers here.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Cry To Me by J A Schneider.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Liddy Bell shot her husband – or did she? In the middle of a party she’s giving with her guests just feet away? Liddy’s sister Kim, a true crime writer, struggles to prove her sister innocent.
Wyatt Bell was a powerful tech CEO; the party was to celebrate the purchase and restoration of his and Liddy’s 1920s mansion. No one heard the shots that killed him and wounded Liddy. The band was loud and guests were scattered. When the police declare the crime a failed murder-suicide attempt and Liddy as their suspect, her sister Kim is devastated and insists it’s a setup. Wyatt’s handsome brother David and Liddy’s closest friends try to help Kim investigate…but questions arise. Could Liddy have only pretended to be happy, snapped, and shot her husband? Above all, Kim’s worst anguish is wondering if she ever really knew her sister…
With a hurricane approaching, the police put their investigation on hold, and those closest find themselves all under one roof. Relationships unravel, and Kim thinks, “This is terrifying. We’re all five of us in this house. At night in a hurricane with no power…and a terrible feeling of menace. I can’t shake it.”
ABOUT J A SCHNEIDER
Wheaton College, Norton MA (French Lit Major, Minor in Spanish & squeezed in Russian.) Sorbonne, Jr. Year in Paris
Exchange student in the Soviet Union, where I got arrested for spreading anti-Soviet propaganda – ha! Caught with friends laughing at their pea-green-colored drinking water; that was the offense; four of us arrested. Let go after a day, guess they decided we weren’t worth an international incident. Then weeks later I landed in a Soviet hospital because I fell down a ravine during a student hike in the Caucasus mountains near Sochi. It wasn’t bad. Docs in Sochi were nice…
Former writer at Newsweek Magazine. Author of the 6-book EMBRYO medical thriller series; the 4-book Detective Kerri Blasco Police/Psychological Thrillers FEAR DREAMS, HER LAST BREATH, WATCHING YOU, & SHOELESS CHILD.
Also 5 standalone thrillers: INTO THE DARK, GIRL WATCHING YOU, WHAT YOU’VE DONE, CRY TO ME, & THE WIFE LIST. Also the U.S. Civil War thriller, KATE WARNE’S SISTER IS MISSING. (She was America’s first female detective and a Pinkerton. The story takes place in NYC – a pro-South hotbed – at the outbreak of the Civil War.)
I want to thank Book Sirens and J A Schnieder for the opportunity to read and review a copy of The Wife List. This is my first book, but I have already downloaded two more from Book Sirens for review. If this sounds like a book for you, hope and over and grab a copy.
I love the cover, but it was the title, The Wife List by J A Schneider, that had me so curious. My mind started working. Was it going to be the wives that are the victims? Was it going to be the wives that are the badasses, taking out the bad guys. Oh yeah, I was ready to dive in and begin reading almost as soon as I had it on my ereader.
J A Schneider sure can pen a mystery/suspense thriller. It may have seemed a bit slow at times, sharing her thoughts, fears, and the danger that surrounded Beth Kemp, especially being she was asthmatic. The Wife List takes place as the pandemic is ending, people trying to go back to normal. Restaurants are open, but not many patrons are out. Trash and the homeless litter (I know that is a terrible word to apply to people, but I find the description applicable) the streets. Danger, murder, theft, muggings are especially dangerous for Beth Kemp. Stress and anxiety exacerbate her asthma. She never goes anywhere without her inhalers.
People are dying around her. Her father, then her agent. Beth and her husband, Brad, are successful crime writers. He talks her into moving from New York to Connecticut. Hmmm…all my spidey senses start tingling. I’m not paranoid, I just think everybody’s out to get her. LOL Does it make her paranoid when she sees her friend being abused, her neighbor being murdered? and her husband…and his friends…putting her on edge? Does she need psychiatric help?
This psychological thriller had me bouncing around, thinking I knew what was coming…But, then, something would happen. Like Beth, I wondered if I was seeing villains everywhere I looked? Are they out to get me…I mean her. LOL Was she being gaslighted? Was she being framed? I loved that the twists and turns kept me on my toes, making The Wife List by J A Schneider an unputdownable read.
There is so much more that I want to share, but I am not going to spoil anything for anyone. If you love mysteries, suspense and thrills, jumping at the creaky floor and murmuring voices, then The Wife List by J A Schneider is for you. I loved it so much, I immediately grabbed Cry To Me and Kate Warne’s Sister Is Missing.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Wife List by J A Schneider.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Has a group of men conspired to murder each other’s wives – figuring their perfect alibis will save them? That is what Beth Kemp starts to suspect, but is she losing her mind? Her husband says he fears so… ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ I’ll give this marriage one more try, Beth Kemp thinks. She is a successful crime writer in New York City, who regrets that tension has crept into her relationship with her husband, Brad. He too is a writer who, after early success, finds his career fading.
Brad urges that a move to the country would make them happy again – and safe, especially Beth, to avoid the city’s stress that triggers her severe asthma attacks. Beth wavers, until her close friend is murdered and the friend’s husband has a perfect alibi. She finally accepts that the city with its surging crime has become too hard for her.
The Kemps move to beautiful Sheffield, Connecticut, so perfect it seems too good to be true. It is. When one new friend cries in fear about her husband, and another has a bruise under her eye, Brad tells Beth that she’s overimagining. But when she hears of another wife’s unsolved murder and yet another friend dies mysteriously, Beth suspects the husbands of covering for each other. Brad tells her she’s getting crazy, paranoid.
Then Beth stumbles onto the most devastating shock of all, one she never imagined…
ABOUT J A SCHNEIDER
Wheaton College, Norton MA (French Lit Major, Minor in Spanish & squeezed in Russian.) Sorbonne, Jr. Year in Paris
Exchange student in the Soviet Union, where I got arrested for spreading anti-Soviet propaganda – ha! Caught with friends laughing at their pea-green-colored drinking water; that was the offense; four of us arrested. Let go after a day, guess they decided we weren’t worth an international incident. Then weeks later I landed in a Soviet hospital because I fell down a ravine during a student hike in the Caucasus mountains near Sochi. It wasn’t bad. Docs in Sochi were nice…
Former writer at Newsweek Magazine. Author of the 6-book EMBRYO medical thriller series; the 4-book Detective Kerri Blasco Police/Psychological Thrillers FEAR DREAMS, HER LAST BREATH, WATCHING YOU, & SHOELESS CHILD.
Also 5 standalone thrillers: INTO THE DARK, GIRL WATCHING YOU, WHAT YOU’VE DONE, CRY TO ME, & THE WIFE LIST. Also the U.S. Civil War thriller, KATE WARNE’S SISTER IS MISSING. (She was America’s first female detective and a Pinkerton. The story takes place in NYC – a pro-South hotbed – at the outbreak of the Civil War.)
The fantastic cover for On The Savage Side by Tiffany McDaniel made me think of twins or multiple personalities. It made me read the blurb and grab a copy. You can judge this book by the cover, because it tells of what is to come, psychological chills that made many emotions rise to the surface. Sorrow, disgust, happiness, wonder.
In the beginning, and throughout the book, we smell the stink of the papermill. Arcade and Daffodil, along with their mother and aunt, live on the wrong side of town and when it snows, it snows ash from the papermill. I worked at one in Alabama, so I know exactly what she is talking about, the indescribable stench and the car being covered in ash. It creates its own ecosystem.
I was confused, and I believe that was a good thing. It meant I wasn’t able to figure out what the hell was going on half the time. Getting lost in the mind of drug addicts I find unable to describe.
The family are drug addicts, and I think you can guess what everyone thought of them…disposable. When the first girl was found in the river, they rolled right by it. Add another, and another, and another….Who will find out what happens to the lost and the forgotten. Everyone deserves a life, for someone to care about them.
Arcade and Daffodil broke my heart. They pretty much raised themselves, with the help of a loving grandmother who painted a future full of dreams and imagination. Their father had died when they were six years old. Their mother and aunt were sex workers and drug addicts, so that doesn’t bode well for them and their friends. That doesn’t mean they don’t deserve being acknowledged as human beings.
Tiffany McDaniel paints pictures, some pretty and some ugly, but she does it with such panache the characters come to life. The evil oozes off the page as much as the sweetness of the girls and the love of their grandmother, who is the most positive person in their life.
Tiffany draws me in deeper and deeper. The more I read, the more involved I get. I cannot say enough about the writing, getting lost in the words. I am having difficulty describing all my thoughts and feelings. It’s wondrous and awful, disturbing and inspirational.
The sketches gave me the creepy crawlies, and that sure fits the story. Six young girls, living a horrible life but finding moments of brightness and love, breaking my heart and for those who preyed on them there is nothing bad enough. Sometimes I saw those spiders moving…my skin crawling and tears in my eyes.
Tiffany McDaniel had me surfing the internet, not only for The Chillicothe Six, but references to other things that made me curious.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of On the Savage Side by Tiffany McDaniel.
4 stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Six women—mothers, daughters, sisters–gone missing. When the first is found floating dead in the river, it reveals the disturbing truth of a small Ohio town. Inspired by the unsolved murders of the Chillicothe Six, this harrowing and haunting novel tells the story of two sisters, both of whom could be the next victims, from the internationally-bestselling author of Betty.
Arcade and Daffodil are twin sisters born one minute apart. With their fiery red hair and thirst for an escape, they forge an unbreakable bond nurtured by both their grandmother’s stories and their imaginations. Together, they create a world where a patch of grass reveals an archaeologist’s dig, the smoke emerging from the local paper mill becomes the dust rising from wild horses galloping on the ground, and an abandoned 1950s convertible transforms into a time machine that can take them anywhere.
But the two sisters can’t escape the generational chaos that grips their family. Growing up in the shadow of the town, the sisters cling tight to one another. As an adult, Arcade wrestles with these memories of her life, just as a local woman is discovered drowned in the river. Soon, more bodies are found. While her friends disappear around her, Arcade is forced to reckon with the past while the killer circles ever closer. Arcade’s promise to keep herself and her sister safe becomes increasingly desperate while the powerful riptide of the savage side becomes more difficult to resist.
Drawing from the true story of women killed in her native Ohio, acclaimed novelist and poet Tiffany McDaniel has written a powerful literary testament and fearless elegy for missing women everywhere.
ABOUT TIFFANY MCDANIEL
TIFFANY MCDANIEL is an Ohio native whose writing is inspired by the rolling hills and woods of the land she knows. Drawing from her Cherokee heritage, she is a poet, a novelist, and a visual artist. Her debut novel, THE SUMMER THAT MELTED EVERYTHING, won the Guardian’s Not the Booker award and the Ohioana Reader’s Choice Award. She is the author of BETTY, an international bestseller and a Friends of American Writers Chicago, the Society of Midland Authors, Nautilus Book Award, and Ohioana Library Readers’ Choice Award winner. She lives with six cats and a dog surrounded by the trees and wildlife that she loves. When not writing, she may be found in the garden or walking in the woods.
Her third novel, ON THE SAVAGE SIDE, is forthcoming 2023.
Carmel Conundrum: A Liz Adams Mystery by Stacy Wilder
About Carmel Conundrum
Carmel Conundrum: A Liz Adams Mystery Cozy Mystery 2nd in Series Setting – California Wild Hawk Press (December 10, 2022) Paperback : 226 pages ISBN-13 : 979-8985426625 Digital ASIN : B0BPQXHL7Y
Stolen identities, a cult, a kidnapping, an attempted murder, and a budding romance . . .
Join Private Investigator Liz Adams, and her lie-detecting Labrador, Duke, in the scenic town of Carmel By-the-Sea, as the pair investigate the mystery of stolen identities. Complications arise when Liz becomes romantically entangled with her hot new client, Brad.
Enter Apollo, a charismatic cult leader, whose mission to save the homeless has a dark twist. Why does he continue to trespass on Liz’s property? She’s compelled to uncover the answer.
Tensions mount, as the stakes become a matter of life and death. Will Liz and Duke solve both mysteries before the damage is irreparable?
Travel with Liz from Charleston, SC to Carmel, CA, and back to discover the astounding truth.
The Carmel Conundrum Playlist
1. “Hotel California,” The Eagles (thanks to Barry Edick for the song suggestion)
2. “Only The Good Die Young,” Billy Joel
3. “California Dreamin,’” The Mamas & the Papas (thanks to Mary Ellen Hendricks for the song suggestion)
4. “Glitter in the Air,” P!nk
5. “King of the Road,” Roger Miller
6. “California Girls,” The Beach Boys (thanks to Barry Edick and Mary Ellen Hendricks for the song suggestion)
7. “Celebration,” Kool & The Gang
8. “Take My Breath Away,” Berlin
9. “Hit the Road Jack,” Ray Charles
10. “(Sittin’ On) the Dock of the Bay,” Otis Redding
11. “Life is a Highway,” Rascal Flatts
12. “Bad Day,” Daniel Powter
13. “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” Cyndi Lauper
14. “I Knew I Loved You,” Savage Garden
About Stacy Wilder
Stacy Wilder has traveled to six out of seven continents Books have shaped her life and her travels. Her love of mysteries began with Nancy Drew.
Carmel Conundrum is the second book in the riveting Liz Adams Mystery series. In addition to mysteries, Stacy writes children’s stories, short stories, and poetry. She and her husband live in Houston, Texas, with a totally spoiled Labrador retriever, Eve.
Book Title: Copper Waters – A New Zealand Mystery (Annalisse Series Book 4) by Marlene M. Bell Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 340 pages Genre: Mystery-Suspense Publisher: Ewephoric Publishing Release date: October, 2022 Format available for review: print – softback, e-book (mobi file (for Kindle), ePub, PDF ) Will send print books out: USA Content Rating: G. Book is for general audiences. No profanity. No graphic scenes. Crimes described briefly after-the-fact. Mild and limited romance
Book Description:
Annalisse Drury and Alec Zavos find themselves on opposing sides when an ex-lover from Alec’s past introduces him to his alleged son. With Alec distracted and their future engagement in limbo, Annalisse accepts a key to her dream cottage—situated on a picturesque sheep station on South Island, New Zealand—only this time, she travels alone.
But not long after her arrival she’s confronted by two peculiar deaths—either accidental, or the deliberate acts of a psychopath.
Local investigators are closing the cases too quickly and want Annalisse to exit the country before she reveals the town’s darkest secrets.
Will she return to Alec, or sacrifice their future together to expose it all?
Book Title: Stolen Obsession (Annalisse Series Book 1) by Marlene M. Bell Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 296 pages Genre: Mystery-Suspense Publisher: Ewephoric Publishing Release date: March 2018 Format available for review: print – softback, e-book (mobi file (for Kindle), ePub, PDF), audiobook (audible download) Will send print books out: USA Content Rating: PG. Subtle romantic interludes. No profanity.
New York antiquities appraiser Annalisse Drury’s best friend was murdered. The killer’s identity may be linked to her friend’s expensive missing bracelet—a 500-year-old artifact that carries an ancient curse, one that unleashes evil upon any who dare wear the jewelry created for the Persian royal family.
Weeks later, Annalisse sees a matching necklace at a Manhattan gallery opening. She begs the owner to destroy the cursed piece, but her pleas fall on deaf ears—despite the unnatural death that occurs during the opening. With two victims linked to the jewelry, Annalisse is certain she must act. Desperate, Annalisse enlists the gallery owner’s son to help—even though she’s afraid he’ll break her heart. Wealthy and devastatingly handsome, with a string of bereft women in his wake, Greek playboy Alec Zavos dismisses Annalisse’s concerns—until his parents are ripped from the Zavos family yacht during their ocean voyage near Crete.
Annalisse and Alec race across two oceans to save his parents, feared kidnapped or even dead. When the killer changes tactics and goes after Alec behind Annalisse’s back, can her plan to rescue Alec’s mother save them all?
Book Title: Spent Identity (Annalisse Series Book 2) by Marlene M. Bell Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 378 pages Genre: Mystery-Suspense Publisher: Ewephoric Publishing Release date: Nov 2019 Format available for review: print – softback, e-book (mobi file (for Kindle), ePub, PDF), audiobook (audible download) Will send print books out: USA Content Rating: PG-13+M. Main Character is accosted and fights an assailant in one chapter. Mild profanity.
MY REVIEW
I love the Prologue. Ethan Fawdry, the farmhand is walking along, engrossed in a myrder mystery he is reading, and stumbles across something pink…with teeth.
Annalise needed a break from her Manhattan life and her relationship with Alex Zavos. Coming home to Goshen and the Walker Farm to get advice from her Aunt Kate.
A letter arrives from Kate’s son Jeremy, telling her he is selling the farm out from under her, leaving her with nothing. But, that is only the beginning of her troubles.
One thing after another is thrown at Annalise. It should have had her head spinning, and sometimes it does, but she approaches each situation methodically. She has people she trusts, looking out for her. Though she has her doubts by Alec, he is by her side. Can they work out their issues? We shall see.
Communication was definitely an issue with the characters, but isn’t that how real life is. People keep silent to protect themselves.
We have plenty of suspects and I was unable to eliminate any of them, feeling I was missing something…until Marlene M Bell spelled it out for me. She was able to keep me guessing. Even though I had an inkling who may be behind it all, I didn’t see it unraveling the way it did. I love when I can’t figure things out. Great job, Marlene.
From the Prologue, to the end of the book, I didn’t want to put it down. Annalise is no damsel in distress, and I loved following her through all her trials and tribulations. It never hurts to have a happy ever after and it feels just right.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Spent Identity by Marlene M Bell.
4 Stars
Book Description:
Antiquities appraiser Annalisse Drury drives to her family farm in upstate New York to consult with Aunt Kate about her troubled relationship with Greek tycoon, Alec Zavos. When Annalisse arrives, she learns the beloved farm she expects to inherit is for sale.
That same morning, they find a stranger’s body decaying in the barn. Then her aunt vanishes.
In Spent Identity, Annalisse and Alec join forces for the second time. They must find the mastermind behind her aunt’s abduction before Kate’s health issues worsen. Was the corpse in the barn a coincidence or a warning? The clock ticks for Annalisse to find her aunt and repair what she has left with the man she loves.
Book Title: Scattered Legacy (Annalisse Series Book 3) by Marlene M. Bell Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 352 pages Genre: Mystery-Suspense Publisher: Ewephoric Publishing Release date: Oct 2021 Format available for review: print – softback, e-book (mobi file (for Kindle), ePub, PDF) Will send print books out: USA Content Rating: PG+M. Brief kissing/romance. mild use of profanity like “damn.” No F Bombs. Some violence and talk of an attack by villain that doesn’t materialize.
Book Description:
To outsiders, the relationship between Manhattan antiquities assessor Annalisse Drury and sports car magnate Alec Zavos must look carefree and glamorous. In reality, it’s a love affair regularly punctuated by treasure hunting, action-packed adventure, and the occasional dead body.
When Alec schedules an overseas trip to show Annalisse his mother’s birthplace in Bari, Italy, he squeezes in the high-stakes business of divesting his family’s international corporation. But things go terribly wrong as murder makes its familiar reappearance in their lives – and this time it’s Alec’s disgraced former CFO who’s the main suspect.
Accompanied by friend and detective Bill Drake, Annalisse and Alec find themselves embroiled in a behind-closed-doors conspiracy that threatens the reputation and legacy of Alec’s late father – linking him to embezzlement, extortion, and the dirty business of the Sicilian Mafia. The search for the truth sends the trio straight into riddles, secrets, and an historic set of rosary beads. Annalisse leads Alec toward a discovery that is unthinkable, and events that will change their futures forever.
Scattered Legacy is the third in Marlene M. Bell’s thrilling Annalisse series, which weaves romance, crime, and historical mystery into addictive tales to instantly captivate fans of TV show Bones or Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code.
Marlene M. Bell is an eclectic mystery writer, artist, photographer, and she raises sheep in beautiful East Texas with her husband, Gregg, three cats and a flock of horned Dorset sheep.
The Annalisse series has received numerous honors including the Independent Press Award for Best Mystery (Spent Identity,) and FAPA— Florida Author’s President’s Gold Award for two other installments, (Stolen Obsession and Scattered Legacy.) Her mysteries with a touch of romance are found at marlenembell.com. She also offers the first of her children’s picture books, Mia and Nattie: One Great Team! Based on true events from the Bell’s ranch. The simple text and illustrations are a touching tribute of compassion and love between a little girl and her lamb.
Not Me: Speluncaphobia, Secrets and Hidden Treasure (Macavity and Me Mystery) by Charlotte Stuart
About Not Me!
I loved this cover soooo much, I had to share it.
Not Me: Speluncaphobia, Secrets and Hidden Treasure (Macavity and Me Mystery) Cozy Mystery 3rd in Series Setting – Seattle (where the protagonist lives), Vancouver BC, and a trip up the Inside Passage Taylor and Seale Publishing (July 29, 2022) Paperback : 242 pages ISBN-10 : 1940224225 ISBN-13 : 978-1940224220 Digital ASIN : B0B8187514
Aztec gold artifacts from the 16th Century, a fake treasure map, and cryptic clues leading to a cave in the Canadian wilderness—
• Feuding family members • A suspicious death and surfeit of suspects • A sailboat trip up the Inside Passage and . . . a stowaway cat
Two cousins get together to investigate the death of a favorite uncle and to honor his legacy by fulfilling his dream to recover Aztec gold. They are thwarted in their efforts by greedy family members, a jumble of challenging clues, a prank from the grave, and unscrupulous treasure seekers.
What begins with a letter from the deceased leads to a wilderness adventure and ends with revealed secrets and a confession.
About Charlotte Stuart
Charlotte Stuart PhD is an award-winning mystery writer who got her start in academia, left a tenured faculty position to go commercial fishing in Alaska, spent a frustrating year as a political speech writer, enjoyed time as a management consultant, and survived several years as a VP of HR and training.
Her current passion is for writing mysteries with complex characters and twisty plots. Books in her Macavity & Me Mysteries have won a Pinnacle Book Achievement Award, a gold Global Ebook Award, and a Firebird Book Award for humor. Two were NYC Big Book Distinguished Favorites, one was a finalist in Killer Nashville’s Silver Falchion contest, and Not Me! is currently a finalist in the Chanticleer Mystery and Mayhem competition.
Charlotte lives and writes on Vashon Island in the Pacific Northwest and is the past president of the Puget Sound Sisters in Crime.
The subtle colors of the pretty cover do signify to me that a mystery is waiting to be solved in Girl Jacked by Christopher Greyson. This is a standalone book in the Detective Jack Stratton Mystery Thriller Series and I am loving it. It left me craving more of Jack…and his sidekick, Replacement. Does the name make you curious? This is a must meet character!
Detective Jack Stratton is a damaged character filled with self loathing. I think he is way too hard on himself. He was raised by a foster family and I love that Haddie, the foster mother, did not care what color they were, she loved them all. Twenty seven to be exact. He had served in Iraq, and lost his foster brother and best friend in action. His nightmares haunt him.
Haddie had every belief that, “Jack will find Michelle.”
“You suck” one of the chapter headings made me smile.
Two ‘women’ have their opinions about Jack. When I found out why woman #1 said it, I couldn’t help but smile. And woman #2, well, she is here to stay. I immediately loved her. She is bright, persistent, determined, loyal…and so adorable. When Christopher Greyson describes some of her actions, I can SEE her. I smiled, I laughed, sometimes had tears in my eyes, and, at times, my heart breaks for her…and Jack. She feels he is Batman, but he feels he is a failure.
The humor added to the mystery, suspense and thrills, made me so happy I had finally ‘cracked the spine’ on Girl Jacked by Christopher Greyson. The characters, good and bad, are richly developed, with their actions described in vivid detail, sharing all the good, the bad and, the ugly.
The mystery of Michelle, the danger and suspense of the journey for answers, took second place to the characters. It is rare when they shine so brightly to me, but I fell in love with Replacement, especially, but Jack too. To watch them heal, grow, and change into richer characters, leaves me wanting more…and more. Any book that can end with me having tears in my eyes is a winner!
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
“Jack knew pain. They were old friends. He knew only one way to deal with pain. Hunt it down and kill it.”
Police Officer Jack Stratton is hiding. Hiding from the world. From pain. From the memories of losing his best friend, Chandler, in Iraq. Suffering from PTSD and isolated from those he cares about, the last thing Jack expects to hear is his foster sister Michelle, Chandler’s sister, is gone. The words cut straight to his core. Although the police think she just took off, he knows Michelle would never leave those she loved behind–like he did. Now he must take action, find Michelle, and bring her home or die trying.
The first novel in the Jack Stratton Collection introduces us to handsome rogue, Jack Stratton. A debt of honor to his dead foster brother drives Jack into a world of deception and lies. As Jack’s walls begin to crumble, he must navigate the quirky characters that seep into the mystery of his foster sister’s disappearance. And in the sleepy community of Darrington, like so many places in this world, nothing is as it appears. The hidden mysteries that often go unnoticed begin to emerge as Jack and his new unpredictable sidekick begin to turn over the rocks. Following a trail that has grown cold, Jack must tread carefully to protect his job, his family, and his life.
This stand-alone novel features rogue hero Jack Stratton. Look for other books in the Jack Stratton Collection including Jack Knifed, Jacks are Wild, and now Jack and the Giant Killer. They can be read in any order, however, they are best experienced in sequence.
ABOUT CHRISTOPHER GREYSON
My name is Christopher Greyson, and I am a storyteller.
Since I was a little boy, I have dreamt of what mystery was around the next corner, or what quest lay over the hill. If I couldn’t find an adventure, one usually found me, and now I weave those tales into my stories. I am blessed to have written over twenty novels.
My love for tales of mystery and adventure began with my grandfather, a decorated World War I hero. I will never forget being introduced to his friend, a WWI pilot who flew across the skies at the same time as the feared, legendary Red Baron. My love of reading and storytelling eventually led me to write and it’s the best job I’ve ever had.
I love to hear from my readers. Please visit ChristopherGreyson.com, where you can become a preferred reader, download an exclusive Jack Stratton mystery, and receive advanced notifications of book releases and more! Please follow Detective Jack Stratton on Twitter @chris_greyson and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ChristopherG…. Thank you for reading my novels. I hope my stories have brightened your day.
