Review & Giveaway ~ Turnabout & Shallow Secrets by Rick Ollerman

Posted on March 5, 2015 by fundinmental

Turnabout & Shallow Secrets

by Rick Ollerman

Genre: Crime

Published by: Stark House Press

Publication Date: September 26, 2014

Number of Pages: 389 – the “book” contains 2 novels

ISBN: 978-1933586472

More: This is a set of two books featuring Crime.
These include strong language.

Purchase Links:

MY REVIEW

I love the simple cover, the colors and palm trees spoke to me. Murder and crime are my game, so I was excited to read this twofer. I thought it was two separate mysteries, but it is really one long book. I am going to review it that way.

This noir detective story started out with a splat. Rick’s description of what it’s like to fall (or to be pushed) out of an airplane, with no parachute, counting down the seconds until you hit, knowing you are going to die, had me white knuckled as I read. With a start like that, I am eager to read on. So I did.

Frankie O’Neil sets out to determine what really happened to his best friend. He never believed he committed suicide and he would not let the deed go unpunished. If something happened to me, I would love to have a friend like him.

O’Neil had retired from the police force because it was so hard on his wife. He loved her and did not want to lose her. He knew getting involved in this investigation would take its toll on their marriage, but it was something he had to do. He has a plan, but there are two police officers who are determined to be kept in the loop, dogging him at every turn.

This is in the early days of computers and his friend, Tim Clayton had a consulting business. He had taught O’Neil the ropes and he had started his own consulting business.

Reed is a naive and innocent kid he recruits to help him with the investigation. I love the kid. Poor Katy is caught in the middle.

Five years later, B J Donnelly is busted with a thirteen year old girl in his trunk and he drops O’Neil’s name. They try to keep O’Neil out of the investigation. He had been running the Sun Coast Murders Task Force, but Detective Sergeant James Robinson will be running it now and every time O’Neil turns around, James is there.

O’Neil has become a suspect and once accused, it doesn’t matter much if you are guilty or not. The stigma will follow you everywhere you go. Your life will be ruined.

Now it’s eight years later and there is another body. How could that be if Donnelly was the guilty party? Guess there is only one thing for him to do, and that’s to solve it himself. I knew that, but I am happy to ride along with him as we dodge the dirt and corruption. When you don’t know who to trust, trust no one.

There is more going on than meets the eye. I had my suspicions. I am so glad I did not quit reading after finishing Turnabout and went right on to read Shallow Secrets. Yes, there are secrets. Suspense, oh yeah. Fear, oh yeah. Twists and turns that kept letting me relax for a moment, thinking the story is over, then knocking me for a loop, again and again.

I would highly recommend the debut twofer, Turnabout and Shallow Secrets, by Rick Ollerman.

I received a signed first edition paperback in return for an honest review.

4 Stars

SYNOPSIS

Remember those old Ace paperbacks, with two actioners in one volume? Stark House is reviving them, with the current offering holding all the slam-bang anyone might want.

In Turnabout, ex-cop Frankie O’Neil is skeptical when a friend’s death is ruled a suicide. He uncovers a crime unknown to the Ace masters: computer theft. These crooks have friends with guns, and halfway along the novel becomes a series of cliffhangers that hit another memory: movie serials. Will Frankie escape in time? Find out in the next chapter. You won’t stop until you know.

Shallow Secrets moves slower, with a subtext: the power of chance to provoke horrors, then avenge them. Cop James Robinson doesn’t just know the accused killer. They’re roommates. The coincidence ruins his career. Then there are fresh killings, and Robinson is “a person of interest.” Near the end, Robinson almost tells a woman that “there wasn’t anything they could do to make the world safe” from murders. But coincidence can bring them down, as when someone sees something he’s not supposed to.

– from Don Crinklaw

EXCERPT

When they touched down in Miami, Gene could have passed out in relief. In a superhuman test of will, he forced himself through the cattle call of customs without drawing attention to himself. From there he almost ran to the nearest rest room and claimed the first open toilet as his own. He had pains in his gut now, his lower abdomen, and he swallowed two Ex-Lax tablets as he lowered himself onto the toilet.

It was a very unpleasant feeling when the first one came out, goose bumps breaking out across his thighs and arms, but Gene almost cried he was so thankful. He counted carefully, not wanting to get up until every last one of those damned things was pushed through his body, never relaxing, always afraid that any one of them might rupture, get caught on something on the way out, just before it cleared his asshole. Never again, he thought. His days as a mule were over.

Finally, the last condom exited his spent body and Gene slumped forward, exhausted. He had to spend some more time waiting for the effects of the laxatives to subside, but he didn’t mind. It was over and he had made it. He was tired and stinking of dried sweat and public bathroom, but he had brought the drugs in. All he had to do now was pick those little white torpedoes out of the toilet and boogie on back to Everglades City. To Midge and his knife and that damned spooky necklace.

Gene finally stood up and looked over his shoulder. It was hard to imagine how much money that ugly mess was worth. He took a half step forward and bent over to pull up his pants then stumbled and fell into the door of the tiny cubicle. The whoosh of water from the flushing toilet sent a bolt of electrified panic down his spine.

On his knees he turned and dove towards the toilet bowl in time to see the last wad of crumpled tissue get sucked into the hole at the bottom. In a futile gesture he grabbed for it, grabbed for anything, jamming his hand up to the wrist into the small opening.

Oh my fucking lord, Gene thought as he looked up at the piping coming out of the wall. What the fuck happened? There was no way to flush the damned thing, no goddamned lever to pull. Christ! he swore again. He hadn’t done anything!

He pulled his hand out of the toilet and wiped it in his shirt as he got to his feet. Staring in disbelief, he finished fastening his pants as he took a step back toward the door. Again the toilet flushed itself.

The damned thing was like the automatic doors to the terminal! It flushed itself when he moved away from it! How the hell was he supposed to know, God damn it? Nobody ever told him anything about fucking automatic toilets.

Author Bio:

Rick Ollerman made his first dollar from writing when a crossword magazine printed a question he’d sent. Later he went on to hold world records for various large skydives, appear in photo spreads in LIFE magazine and The National Enquirer, can be seen on an inspirational poster during the opening credits of a popular TV show, and has been interviewed on CNN. He also had a full-screen shot as an extra in the film Purple Rain. His writing has appeared in technical and sporting magazines and he has edited and proofread many books, and written introductions for a dozen more. Notably in 2014 he sold a short story and an essay to Noir Riot and his first two books, Turnabout and Shallow Secrets, were published by Stark House Press in September.

Catch Up:

Grab you copy at Amazon.

Tour Participants:

1. 3/02 Guest Post & Showcase @ Our Wolves Den
2. 3/05 Review @ fundinmental
3. 3/09 Review @ 3 Partners in Shopping
4. 3/10 Review @ Tea and A Book
5. 3/16 Guest Post @ Writers and Authors
6. 3/16 Review @ Deal Sharing Aunt
7. 3/19 Review @ Vics Media Room
8. 3/22 Review @ Quirky Book Reviews
9. 3/25 Showcase @ Mommabears Book Blog?
10. 3/29 Radio Interview @ Suspense Magazine
11. 3/31 Showcase @ Ryder Islingtons Blog

GIVEAWAY

This is a giveaway hosted by Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours for Rick Ollerman. There will be three winners of 3 sets of – 1) Signed book plus a 2) signed, limited chapbook of two essays on paperback original writers that served as introductions to other books. The giveaway begins on Feb 28th, 2015 and runs through April 3rd, 2015.

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Get More Great Reads at Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours

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Review & Excerpt ~ Three Days To Forever by Lauren Carr

Posted on March 2, 2015 by fundinmental

fundinmental would like to welcome Lauren Carr and her new mystery novel, Three Days To Forever.

I have so much to share, I hope you will take the time to enjoy it all.

Pour a cup of coffee, put up your feet, wrap up in your snuggly and let’s check it out.

Title: Three Days to Forever
Author: Lauren Carr
Publisher: Acorn Book Services
Pages: 466
Genre: Mystery
Format: Paperback/Kindle

MY REVIEW

I am familiar with Mac Faraday and his cohorts, so I was happy to be able to read to review this mystery novel. I felt Lauren Carr would not let me down and was right. I enjoyed the novel and look forward to reading more of her work.

I am loving the cover, simple, yet I sense an aura of menace.

Mac Faraday and Archie Monday are getting married. It will be the event of the season for the Spencer Inn and Deep Creek Lake, Maryland.

Just days before the wedding, Mac receives an envelope, containing a warning. As if that is not enough of a problem, he is attacked by a professional hit squad and the tale is off and running. Someone wants him dead. Or do they? Is he the real target? It seems so obvious, I am suspicious. I read on, getting deeper into the story, more involved with the characters as the danger spreads.

Plots within plots. There is so much going on, twisting and, turning, keeping me wondering how this will come together in a completed story. Who’s doing what to whom? Is it revenge for a perceived wrong? A terrorist threat from Iraq?

There are too many characters to mention, but they all contribute to the story in their own special way. We have met some of them before and will hear about some of them again and again, as we travel through the mystery series with Lauren Carr.

An invisible unit: Under the cover of anonymity, a secret unit, that does what no one else can do, what cannot be allowed to reach the light of day. They are cloaked in secrecy and deniability.

The politics are dirty, but necessary. This book will expose its biggest weaknesses, at the highest levels. Three Days To Forever by Lauren Carr reads as if it could be true. The good. The bad. The current events. Revenge, murder, terrorism, romance, love, loyalty and a determination to do what is right, regardless of the consequences.

Three Days To Forever is not a light read. The mystery and suspense kept me captivated, as I traveled from Iraq to the United States and back again. Lauren kept me guessing and on my toes. I never anticipated all the events that would ensue.

I did not sit on the edge of my seat with bated breath, or have to stay up all night until I finished it, but I did read the book, which is 434 pages in this ARC paperback, within a twenty four hour period.

I look forward to reading more Mac Faraday mysteries by Lauren Carr, or anything else she chooses to write.

4 Stars

SYNOPSIS

In this latest Mac Faraday Mystery from best-selling mystery author Lauren Carr, readers will embark on a rollercoaster adventure with old friends (including the Lovers in Crime team of Prosecutor Joshua Thornton and Homicide Detective Cameron Gates), but also meet new ones as Mac Faraday’s daughter Jessica Faraday and Joshua Thornton’s son Murphy Thornton join the team in the race to get the love birds to the altar!

With three days left to the year, Deep Creek Lake is hopping with holiday vacationers and wedding guests pouring into the Spencer Inn for Mac Faraday and Archie Monday’s huge wedding ceremony which is being touted as the social event of the year.

But droopy flowers and guests who failed to RSVP are the least of Mac’s and Archie’s problems when a professional hit squad hits Spencer Manor to send the groom, Joshua Thornton, Archie’s mother, and Gnarly running for their lives.

With time running out to the big day, Mac Faraday and Spencer’s small police force have to sort through the clues to figure out not only who has been targeted for assassination, but also who is determined to stop everything … FOREVER!

“Lauren Carr’s mystery novels are indeed one of my go-tos when I’m looking for a good whodunit.” –Reviewer: Shana Benedict, ABookVacation Book Reviews.

“Lauren Carr does a good job of moving the quirky storyline along nicely with an abundance of witty dialogue. And you have no idea who the good guys are and who the bad guys are until the end.” – Reviewer: Every Free Chance Book Reviews.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Three Days to Forever is available at Amazon.
Watch the book trailer at YouTube.
Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.

EXCERPT

How many years have I lived here, and I still don’t know where Archie puts the scissors?

After closing the drawer in the nightstand on his side of the bed, Mac gave up and twisted around to grasp the designer tag hanging from under his armpit. Hoping to not tear a hole in the new blue sweater that his daughter, Jessica, had given him for Christmas, he gave it a sharp tug.

The tag gave way, but the plastic “do-hickey” that kept it attached to the sweater didn’t.

Rats!

From where he was sprawled out in the center of the bed, Gnarly cocked his head at him.

“I don’t suppose you could bite it off without putting a hole in this sweater, huh, Gnarly?”

Mac studied the label he had torn off. Dolce & Gabbana.

Never heard of them. But if Jessica bought it, it has to be expensive, and she’ll have a fit if I put a hole in it. Mac went into the master bathroom in search of nail clippers.

Gnarly’s bark, and then his jump between the bed and the door, prompted Mac to forget the do-hickey hanging under his armpit. After grabbing his gun from the drawer in the nightstand, he followed Gnarly down the stairs to the two-story foyer, out the cut-glass front door, and onto the front porch. Mac clutched his weapon behind his back. When Gnarly, sitting at his side, uttered a low growl, Mac tightened his grip and watched the sedan slowly make its way around the circular driveway before coming to a halt at the bottom of the porch steps.

When the elderly driver stepped out of the car, Mac placed her and the car.

Agnes Douglas. Archie’s mother.

No wonder Gnarly had growled. He never had liked her very much … and the feeling was mutual.

Shoving aside his fears about the safety of Archie, his family, and their friends, Mac forced a wide grin onto his face.

After shoving the gun into the back waistband of his pants and covering it up with his sweater, he hurried down the steps to take the white-haired woman into his arms. Like her only daughter, she was petite. She fell two inches short of five feet tall, and Mac had to bend over to hug her. In her heavy dark blue winter coat and thick snow boots, she resembled a blue snow man.

Shouldn’t she be with Archie and the bridesmaids getting their hair done at the salon? Oh well, Agnes goes and does what she wants when she wants. Best not to question.

“Agnes, I’m so glad to see you.” Mac clasped her arm, slipped his other arm around her waist, and guided her across the slick ice, up the steps, and inside.

At the top of the steps, Gnarly backed away. Agnes had made it quite clear to Gnarly that he was only allowed to look at, but not touch, her.

“I told her that I had one of my headaches.” At the top of the porch steps, she turned to Mac. She tilted her head back to peer up at him from over the top of her glasses. She paused to look him up and then down, and then she noticed that he was wearing only his bedroom slippers without any socks. “What are you doing outside in two feet of snow and ice without boots on?”

“I heard you coming and didn’t want you to slip on the ice.”

Agnes’ head bobbed up and down while she chastised him. “Do I look like I need your help? I haven’t broken a hip yet. Archie depends on you. What good are you going to do her dropping dead from pneumonia?”

Unable to come up with an answer, Mac shrugged.

Willing Gnarly out of her way, she opened the front door.

“I hope you have the tea ready.” Grabbing him by the elbow, she ushered him inside. Gnarly was barely able to slip inside before she slammed the door.

“Actually,” Mac said as gently as possible, “I was on my way out.”

Her head snapped up to glare at him. “What do you mean you were on your way out?”

“One of my groomsmen and I have an appointment with the tailor.” Mac looked down at the tiny elderly woman who stood before him in the middle of the living room. She clasped her handbag with both hands in front of her.

Like a referee at a boxing match, Gnarly sat between them, looking from one to the other.

“Did I do something to upset you, Agnes?”

“I think it’s best if we lay out our ground rules before you marry Archie,” she said.

Sensing a battle, Mac folded his arms across his chest. He was physically setting up a barrier. “Okay, Agnes. Shoot.”

“To be blunt,” Agnes said in a tone devoid of emotion,“I’m giving this marriage five years. Archie refuses to tell me how much you’re paying for this huge three-ring circus, but I hope you’ll think it’s worth it when you only get five years on your investment.”

“Five years? Investment?” Mac chuckled. “With all due respect—”

Agnes’ hand shot up. She shook her head. “Don’t give me that all-due-respect crap. I’ve had seven children, six boys.

Archie’s daddy keeled over with a heart attack when she was only five years old. Since that time, I’ve been ’round the block so much that I wore a rut in it and”—she shook her finger at him—“I learned ages ago that when someone says to me ‘with all due respect,’ they’re not giving me an ounce of it.”

“I don’t consider Archie to be an investment,” Mac said through gritted teeth. “And to be blunt, I don’t think you know enough about our relationship to be in a position to make any sort of prediction about the success or lack of success of our marriage.”

“Archie has spent the last dozen years of her life hiding out in this mansion, taking care of your mother,” Agnes said.

“Then, she’s spent the last few years in your bed. Now,” she glanced him up and down, “you’re a very attractive man, and I’m sure Archie wouldn’t want to marry you if you weren’t good in bed. I’m sure all of that money adds to your appeal, but there’s more to lifelong happiness than sex and money. There’s character, and marriage with a man who has no character—”

Mac stepped toward her. “What gives you the right to comment on my character?”

As if to voice his agreement, Gnarly barked.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lauren Carr is the best-selling author of the Mac Faraday Mysteries, which takes place in Deep Creek Lake, Maryland. Three Days to Forever is the ninth installment in the Mac Faraday Mystery series.

In addition to her series set on Deep Creek Lake, Lauren Carr has also written the Lovers in Crime Mysteries, which features prosecutor Joshua Thornton with homicide detective Cameron Gates, who were introduced in Shades of Murder, the third book in the Mac Faraday Mysteries. They also make an appearance in The Lady Who Cried Murder.

Three Days to Forever introduces Lauren Carr’s latest series, detectives, Murphy Thornton and Jessica Faraday in the Thorny Rose Mysteries. Look for the first installment in this series in Spring 2015.

The owner of Acorn Book Services, Lauren is also a publishing manager, consultant, editor, cover and layout designer, and marketing agent for independent authors. This year, several books, over a variety of genre, written by independent authors will be released through the management of Acorn Book Services, which is currently accepting submissions. Visit Acorn Book Services website for more information.

Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She also passes on what she has learned in her years of writing and publishing by conducting workshops and teaching in community education classes.

She lives with her husband, son, and three dogs on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

For More Information

Visit Lauren Carr’s website.
Connect with Lauren on Facebook and Twitter.
Visit Lauren’s Goodreads page to find out more about her books.
Visit Lauren’s blog.
Contact Lauren.

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Friday 56 #41 & BB #17 ~ Death of a Schoolgirl by Joanna Campbell Slan

Posted on February 27, 2015 by fundinmental

The Friday 56 is 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..

Please join Rose City Reader every Friday to share the first sentence or so of the book you are reading along with you initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires.

Please include the title of the book and the author’s name.

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DEATH OF A SCHOOLGIRL by Joanna Campbell Slan

I read this some time ago, but would like to share it with you.

You can see my review here.

MY 56..I told her about my trip in the mail coach and the incident with the thief. I ended my recitation with, “I hate the thought of telling Edward I have lost the Rochester diamonds!”

(page 56 in paperback).

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BOOK BEGINNINGS.

When Jane Eyre first wrote her autobiography, it was intended as a multivolume work, for she’d lived a rich and varied life despite her harsh beginnings. But after publication of the first volume of her early life, from her birth to her marriage in 1819, the book received such an overwhelming amount of attention – some positive, but much negative – that it quite turned her again publishing the rest of the story she’d written.

…reader discovered a handwritten manuscript…

And so, dear reader, her story continues…

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SYNOPSIS

In her classic tale, Charlotte Brontë introduced readers to the strong willed and intelligent Jane Eyre. Picking up where Brontë left off, the year is now 1851, and Jane’s life has finally settled into a comfortable pattern. She and her beloved Edward Rochester have married, and have an infant son. But Jane soon finds herself in the midst of new challenges and threats to those she loves…

Jane can’t help but fret when a letter arrives from Adèle Varens—Rochester’s ward and Jane’s former pupil, currently at boarding school—warning that the girl’s life is in jeopardy. Although it means leaving her young son and invalid husband, and despite never having been to a city of any size, Jane feels strongly compelled to go to London to ensure Adèle’s safety.

But almost from the beginning, her travels don’t go as planned—she is knocked about and robbed, and no one believes that the plain, unassuming Jane could indeed be the wife of a gentleman. Even when she arrives at the school, the headmistress takes her for an errant new teacher, and berates her for her late arrival. Most shocking to Jane is the discovery that Adèle’s roommate has recently passed away under very suspicious circumstances, yet no one at the school seems concerned. Taking advantage of the misunderstanding, she decides to pose as the missing instructor—and soon uncovers several unsavory secrets, which may very well make her the killer’s next target…

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Do you read autobiographies or historical novels?

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Giveaway ~ The Third Twin by C J Omololu

Posted on February 26, 2015 by fundinmental

The Third Twin by C.J. Omololu

When they were little, Lexi and her identical twin, Ava, made up a third sister, Alicia. If something broke? Alicia did it. Cookies got eaten? Alicia’s guilty. Alicia was always to blame for everything.

The game is all grown up now that the girls are seniors. They use Alicia as their cover to go out with boys who are hot but not exactly dating material. Boys they’d never, ever be with in real life.

Now one of the guys Alicia went out with has turned up dead, and Lexi wants to stop the game for good. As coincidences start piling up, Ava insists that if they follow the rules for being Alicia, everything will be fine. But when another boy is killed, the DNA evidence and surveillance photos point to only one suspect—Alicia. The girl who doesn’t exist.

As she runs from the cops, Lexi has to find the truth before another boy is murdered. Because either Ava is a killer . . . or Alicia is real.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Praise:

“[An] original, riveting thriller.” — Melissa Marr, New York Times bestselling author of Made for You

“Delicious and deceptive, The Third Twin is a twisty-turny thrill ride! I couldn’t flip the pages fast enough!” –Kimberly Derting, author of the Body Finder series and The Taking

“A classic whodunit.”–Kirkus Reviews

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

CJ OMOLOLU is the author of the ALA-YALSA Quick Pick Dirty Little Secrets and several other YA novels. She loved to read but never thought to write until she discovered that the voices in her head often have interesting things to say. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and their two sons.

Website * Twitter

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 3/19/15

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Giveaway ~ Defcon Darcy by A J Lape

Posted on February 21, 2015 by fundinmental

Fisher Stanton, Valley High School’s Nantucket wannabe, has a cheating girlfriend. When he hires Darcy Walker to chase her to a local club, in true Darcy fashion she stumbles upon a dead body. Thing is, this body has secrets…and Darcy’s mysterious friend, Jaws, and the reporter, Tito Westbrook, have a vested interest. Both enlist Darcy to find the person responsible who has eluded them for years, but Darcy doesn’t solve crimes for free anymore, especially where Jaws is concerned. Knowing Darcy’s Achilles heel, Jaws blackmails Darcy into working for him.

In a true test of wills, Darcy and Jaws battle head-to-head to see who can outsmart the other—Jaws needs Darcy to help him end a bitter grudge war; Darcy needs Jaws to divulge the mystery surrounding her mother’s death. Haunted by a past that shaped her present, Darcy will stop at nothing to get answers. Even if it means breaking the law and being disloyal to her new boyfriend, Dylan Taylor, in the process.

DEFCON DARCY gives Darcy’s demons a name and ties up loose ends that made Darcy into the verb that she is. What she thinks she knows as truth, isn’t. What she wishes wasn’t true…is.

The problem is, when your life goes DEFCON 1, not everyone lives to tell about it.

Put Defcon Darcy on your TBR list! Goodreads

Buy on Amazon

About the author:

A. J. Lape is the Amazon bestselling author of the Darcy Walker Series. She lives in Cincinnati with her husband, two daughters, an ADD dog, a spoiled hamster, and an unapologetic and unrepentant addiction to Coca-Cola–and a lifelong love affair with bacon. If the FBI ever checks her computer, she’ll be wearing prison orange due to the various “wiki” articles she looks up…all in the name of career research, of course.
Find out more about A. J. at http://www.ajlape.com

Find A.J on:

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Teaser Tuesday #37 ~ Laissez les bon temps roulez

Posted on February 17, 2015 by fundinmental

LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL!

Mardi Gras is Party Time!

Mr Wonderful and I had front row parking.

We got there two hours early and hunkered down with our snacks and cocktails, waiting for the party to begin. As you can see, I never go anywhere without my trusty Kindle. 🙂

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following: Grab your current read. Open to a random page. Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

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TURNABOUT/SHALLOW SECRETS by Rick Ollerman

This paperback is a twofer – two thrillers are inside.

Murder and Mayhem await you.

Add Me to Goodreads now.

MY TEASE

“I’m going to put you off my boat.”

“No, you can’t. You don’t understand,” she pleaded. “Two men forced me down here They left me chained up in shack, but I got loose. You have to help me get away!”

(page 153 of paperback)

SYNOPSIS

Turnabout: Ex-cop Frankie O’Neil is caught in the middle of a murder and money laundering scheme in Florida, forced to fight for his family while trying to survive in a world he thought he’d left behind. Shallow Secrets: An unsatisfactory conclusion to a series of crimes cost James Robinson his career—eight years later, a new wave of murder may finally redeem him.

Do you believe in redemption?

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Review: Is it a Betrayal or a Rescue ~ Week of Lies by I C Camilleri

Posted on February 12, 2015 by fundinmental

Week of Lies by Isabella Camilleri is FREE on Amazon, so get your copy now.

This is a suspense/thriller that will keep you guessing.

Is he a good guy or a bad guy?

Add me to Goodreads now.

Week of Lies by I C Camilleri

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (September 22, 2014)
ISBN-10: 1502454491
ISBN-13: 978-1502454492

MY REVIEW

I have read a couple of I C Camelleri’s novels and when she offered me a copy of Weeks of Lies to read and review, I jumped all over it. Romance with twists and turns that will keep you guessing and wondering, do you really want Beth to get her man?

Beth Banks was born with a silver spoon in her mouth, but she was not a happy person. Her mother had been murdered right in front of her when she was five years old and her father barely acknowledged her existence. She is like the spoiled rich kids you see on TV, denied nothing, partying, shopping and lavishly throwing their money around. Her desire to be loved made her push the envelope. Friends? Not many. Most followed her around, just wanting to be a part of the gravy train.

Rob Menenez, the damaged hero (?) is a lawyer, but had no job. He is quite the hunk and rejects her at every turn. That makes her want him all the more. He was good and kind, or so she thought. He has his moments, but crosses the line of proper dating etiquette.

He came in and out of her life in a weeks time, then vanished. She had fallen in love with him and thought he had done the same. Partying and meaningless sex, was this going to be her life?

Elena, Rob’s sister, was into internet pornography. We all know sex sells. But, love…the things we do for the one we love knows no bounds. We will overlook their faults, no matter how bad they are, staying by their side no matter what.

New Years Day and she rang it in on a dead note and I mean a really dead note. Her father is found dead of a suicide.

Here we go…

Suicide? I don’t know about you, but I’m not buying it. Why? How? Who?

She went in search of Rob and stepped in it. He had warned her repeatedly that he couldn’t be trusted and he would be leaving shortly, but she didn’t want to hear it and turned a deaf ear. We know how that goes. The mind is a powerful thing, capable of twisting and turning things, allowing us to believe in what we want.

As I go through Beth’s week with Rob, I feel her loneliness and insecurity, her desperate need to be loved. Her mother’s death haunts her dreams. She would drift off, as if in a trance, her mind taking her where where it would, dreaming of this or that. She never anticipated what a positive influence this elusive man would have on her.

Happy are the reckless and damned are the deep thinkers.

It is writing like this that makes I C Camilleri such a great author. Her insight into what drives her characters, as if they are real, does bring them to life on the pages. She did a wonderful job of articulating Beth’s slow growth, from a spoiled brat to a real person. From the buy all, me, me, me attitude, to giving for the sake of doing something just because you are able to help.

“Now don’t you dare move from there, you handsome naked man.” I couldn’t help but laugh. I can picture Beth standing there, naked herself, hands on her hips, and telling him she will be right back.

The twists began early in the book and kept right on coming. I wasn’t sure itI was going. I C Camilleri caught me off guard and kept me off balance. Can we have a happy ever after? Do we want a happy after, considering what Rob has done? I guess, like me, you will have to read the book. I do not think you will be disappointed.

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

4 STARS – Would Highly Recommend To Others

SYNOPSIS

It is New Year’s Day. Beth Banks wakes up to find her father dead in their multimillion pound house in London. It appears to be a suicide, but Beth has her doubts. She looks back on her previous week, her introduction into the cryptic world of Rob Menezes, the righteous law graduate desperately seeking a living, the man she has grown to love and trust despite his many facets. She sets out in search of the truth and she uncovers a dark secret that could radically change her life.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I C Camilleri is a medical doctor. Her first novel, The Blake Curse was published in March 2012. A year later it was nominated for The People’s Book Prize UK, a national competition voted for by the public. After a three month vote The Blake Curse became one of the three finalists in the Summer 2013 Collection.

Her next two novels, The Blake Soul and The Blake Mistake were published in 2013. Each book in the Blake series could be read as a stand-alone.

Week of Lies is her fourth novel, a revenge thriller/romance published in 2014.

Stalk I C Camilleri: Twitter / Goodreads / Facebook

Click on a cover below to get your I C Camilleri novel now.

MY 5 STAR REVIEW OF THE BLAKE SOUL

MY 5 STAR REVIEW OF THE BLAKE MISTAKE

Week of Lies by Isabella Camilleri is FREE on Amazon, so get your copy now.

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

Posted on February 6, 2015 by fundinmental

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?

Add Me to Goodreads now.

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

Candice 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.

Do you think the butterfly signifies a ray of hope?

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Teaser Tuesday #35 ~ Hades by Candice Fox

Posted on February 3, 2015 by fundinmental

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

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HADES by Candice Fox

A Dexter-ish twist to this debut thriller.

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

Add Me to Goodreads now.

MY TEASE

“What have you done?” Hades ran a hand through his hair. He gazed at the body. “What have you done?”
(41% on Kindle)

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.

Do you think the butterfly signifies a ray of hope?

~~~~~~~~~~~~

To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?

Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.

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Thanks for stopping by fundinmental!

Giveaway ~ In For The Kill by Shannon McKenna

Posted on January 27, 2015 by fundinmental

In for the Kill by Shannon McKenna

Publisher: Kensington Books

Print Length: 416 pages
Publication Date: January 27, 2015

Amazon / Nook / B&N / BAM / Book Depository / Google Play

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SYNOPSIS

Years ago, the McClouds and their friends rescued little Sveti Ardova from ruthless organ traffickers. Now she’s all grown up, and getting into some scorching trouble of her own . . .

The risks ex-cop Sam Petrie has taken have turned his life into a train wreck. So he has nothing to lose by doubling down as the elusive Svetlana Ardova’s unwanted bodyguard on her ill-advised trip to Italy. Her crusade against modern slavery has blazoned a bullseye on her chest, but when one of the death threats against her almost hits the mark, Sam’s protective instincts go into overdrive. Every lethal obstacle and trap they encounter ups the stakes—and the undeniable heat between them.

Now they’re spiraling in on a deadly and explosive secret—one that could either redeem them or destroy them … and the closer they get, the shorter the fuse …

“The McCloud series is an auto buy for me.” –Maya Banks

“McKenna writes intense, sensual stories.” –The B&N Review

“Shannon McKenna makes the pulse pound.” –BookPage

EXCERPT

All yours. Sam’s fantasy head rush was swiftly quenched when Sveti lunged for the door. He blocked her way. “No way.”

Her golden eyes widened, shocked. “You don’t think you’re keeping me in here, do you? You’re not serious!”

“You heard Tam,” Sam replied. “You leave this room, and she comes after my balls with the bolt-cutters.”

Sveti’s chest heaved, which highlighted her excellent nipple hard-on. “What Tam might do to you is nothing compared to what I will do to you if you try to stop me from walking out that door.”

Sam reached, and flicked the knob lock. “I’ll take my chances.”

She crossed her arms over the nipple jut. “Wrong answer.”
Displaying MBB_TourBookCoverBanner_InForTheKill copy.jpg
“Yeah? What are you going to do to me? You got a pair of bolt-cutters under your skirt, too?”

She snorted. “Most guys seem to think so.”

He admired the hot flush staining her cheekbones. “I don’t.”

“Good for you. Congratulations. You’re very brave. Now get out of my way. I can’t stand being confined. Not after what happened to me.”

He waved that away. “Don’t play the captive-waif-in-the-dungeon pity card with me. It’s old and tired. Move on.”

Her jaw sagged, in utter shock. “You asshole!”

“Yeah, sure,” he agreed. “I have nothing to lose. You already think I’m a dickhead. Why not say whatever I damn well please?”

Curling wisps of hair swayed around her chin as she shook her head. “I have bigger problems than your unrequited crush, Petrie!”

“Burrrrrnnn,” he murmured. “Tell me about those big problems, since we’re shut in here together. You can start with the death threats.”

Her eyes slid away. “I do not want to discuss that.”

“Too bad. I say we do.”

A tense silence followed that statement. She flicked him a wary glance from under those longlashes. “You can’t bully me,” she said.

“You think not?” he said. “Let’s see about that. Spit it out. Who, what, where and when. Was it that sweatshop bust, six months ago? Those piece of shit snakeheads Helen Wong and Him Goh?”

Her eyes went wide and startled. “How do you know about them?”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Shannon McKenna is the NYT bestselling author of over ten action packed, turbocharged romantic thrillers, among which are the stories of the wildly popular McCloud series. She loves tough and heroic alpha males, heroines with the brains and guts to match them, villains who challenge them to their utmost, adventure, scorching sensuality, and most of all, the redemptive power of true love. Since she was small she has loved abandoning herself to the magic of a good book, and her fond childhood fantasy was that writing would be just like that, but with the added benefit of being able to take credit for the story at the end. Alas, the alchemy of writing turned out to be messier than she’d ever dreamed. But what the hell, she loves it anyway, and hopes that readers enjoy the results of her alchemical experiments. She loves to hear from her readers. Contact her at her website, http://shannonmckenna.com, or join the newsletter by
signing up here: http://shannonmckenna.com/connect.php.

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GIVEAWAY

$20 Amazon/BN GC

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