Books from the Backlog is a fun way to feature some of those
neglected books sitting on your bookshelf unread. If you are anything
like me, you might be surprised by some of the unread books hiding in
your stacks.
To survive the violent streets of Belfast in the 1970s, young Darren McCann learns to fight. The IRA are interested in recruiting him but, though he is a Catholic, he refuses to take sides until a family tragedy allies him with “the cause”.
His specialist training turns him into an efficient sniper and covert operative. One brutal interrogation earns Darren the reputation as “The Butcher of Belfast” and pairs him with his infamous knife, The Killer. After a high profile assassination, he takes refuge in Spain where he works with ETA terrorists and takes part in an audacious bank raid.
He returns to Ireland to continue the fight, but the seeds of doubt are planted in his mind by a British MI6 officer with shocking information and plans to turn him into a double-agent.
“This fast-paced chronicle of death and double-cross kept me glued to my seat from first page till last…” Clifford Thurlow, co-author of Making A Killing.
I added The Killing by Jack Elgos to my TBR on 11.9.12. Even thought it is a series, I usually try to read any book I own anyway. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn’t but I think this will be a good one either way.
An unsolved murder. Disturbing dreams. A missing child.
Caitlin Walker hasn’t had a dream in nine years. But now nightmares
torture her son Adam and awaken in Caitlin buried memories and a dark
secret. Her husband Lance has a secret of his own, one that his son’s
nightmares threaten to reveal.
In Culver Creek newly hired detective Sage Dorian works to unravel
the small town’s notorious cold case, the grisly murder of a young girl.
How are Caitlin and Lance connected to the horrific crime? And how
far will they go to make sure their secrets stay hidden? Find out in
this riveting thriller.
Book Details:
Genre: Mystery Thriller Published by: Glitter Pigeon Press Publication Date: January 12, 2021 Number of Pages: 356 ISBN: 9781949852080 Series: Culver Creek Series, Book 1 Purchase Links:Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
Read an excerpt:
Caitlin emerged from a black, dreamless sleep to screams. Adam’s
tortured cries sounded almost otherworldly. They turned her blood to ice
and made her heart race. She sat straight up, then bolted from bed,
blinking sleep from her eyes as she raced toward the door, banging her
shin on the dresser as she went. She yanked on the doorknob and almost
toppled over when it didn’t yield as she expected. Goddammit. Lance had
locked the door again.
She spared a glance toward the bed, but her husband wasn’t there.
Instead he was standing, looking out the window. For a moment she
thought she was mistaken. Were the screams coming from outside?
“Lance?” she asked.
He turned to her, but his eyes looked past her at some point on the wall.
“What’s going on?” he mumbled, barely awake.
“Adam’s having a nightmare,” she said.
“Again?” he asked. “Maybe we should just let him sleep it off.”
The screams had subsided now, but she could still hear her son’s
whimpers from down the hall. Sleep it off? Could Lance really be that
clueless? She unlocked the door and flung it open. It bounced almost
silently off the rubber doorstopper, which didn’t really give her the
dramatic exit she was hoping for.
She still couldn’t quite wrap her head around her husband just
standing there looking out the window while Adam cried for them. Usually
Lance was the one who woke up first. Maybe he had already gone to
comfort Adam and came back to their bedroom by the time she awoke. He
seemed so out of it, though. Well, that’s what a lack of sleep could do
to a person.
Adam sat on his bed in a nest of tangled sheets. His face was damp
with tears and sweat, his dark hair plastered to his forehead. The hippo
nightlight cast large, ominous shadows when she stepped into his room.
He looked up with a start, then relaxed when he saw it was her.
She sat down beside him and pulled his small body to her, wrapping
her arms around him and rocking him gently back and forth. The tears
subsided, but he still felt tense.
“Mommy, I’m scared of the bad boy,” he said. “The bad boy’s going to hurt me.”
“Nobody’s going to hurt you,” she assured him. “You’re safe. It was just a dream. Look, you’re safe in your bedroom.”
At this, Adam pulled away from her a little to study the dimly lit
bedroom. Maybe they should get a different nightlight. She had never
realized how spooky that hippo light made everything look.
“There were trees,” Adam said, “and a river. She was playing in the river.”
Caitlin stiffened. Adam noticed it and looked up at her. She smiled at him.
“It was just a dream,” she said, as much to reassure herself as him. “It wasn’t real.”
There were lots of rivers out there, and wasn’t Adam just watching a
cartoon show with cute animals that had to get across a river? That was
probably where that detail came from. Plus, she reminded herself, it
hadn’t been a river. It had been a creek. She wasn’t sure Adam knew the
difference between a river and a creek, though. But a little girl
playing in a river? No, wait, was that what he had said? He said only
“she.” For all Caitlin knew, this she could have been a girl river
otter. Maybe he had been having a cute dream about river creatures.
And a “bad boy,” she reminded herself. She remembered his
bloodcurdling screams. There was nothing cute about the dream he had.
Still, she clung to the “bad boy” detail. Was he talking about a child?
If so, then the river was just a coincidence. She wanted to ask him more
about the bad boy, but this was the worst thing she could do. He was
already starting to calm down, starting to forget the details of his
nightmare. She couldn’t go dredging things back up again.
“Mommy, can I sleep in your room?” Adam asked.
#
Lance was fully awake and in bed when Caitlin returned with Adam in her arms.
“Hey there, champ,” Lance said. “Have a bad dream?”
“Daddy, he hurt her,” Adam said. “He hurt her head. She was bleeding.”
Her son’s tiny body stiffened again in Caitlin’s arms, and she gave
Lance an exasperated look as she set Adam down in the middle of the bed.
“We’d already gotten past that,” she said in a whispered hiss.
“Obviously,” Lance said with a roll of his eyes, “which is why he’s sleeping in our bed. Again.”
She slid into the bed beside Adam and adjusted the covers, ignoring
her husband. She petted Adam’s head and made soft, soothing noises.
“Remember, that wasn’t real, just make believe, like a movie.” She
didn’t want him to get himself worked up again talking about the dream,
but it wasn’t just that. She didn’t want to hear any more details from
the nightmare because the bit about the bad boy hurting the girl’s head
and the blood felt a touch too familiar.
She stroked his face, and his eyelids slowly drooped closed. He looked so calm and peaceful when he slept.
“I thought we said we weren’t going to do this anymore,” Lance said.
Even whispering, his voice was too loud. She held her finger to her
lips. He continued more quietly, “I’m just saying, I think it would be
better for him if he sleeps in his own bed.”
“It’s already after three,” she said. “It’s only for a few hours.”
“That’s not the point,” Lance said. “He’s nearly five years old. We can’t keep babying him.”
It was like the school argument all over again, and Caitlin didn’t
want to get into it. Not now. She was still tired and groggy and needed
more sleep.
“I want to get him a new nightlight,” she said to change the subject. “The one he has makes these creepy shadows.”
“A new nightlight,” Lance repeated in a skeptical voice. “Sure, that will solve everything.”
“The important thing,” she said, “is that we have to remind him that
his dreams are not real. That they’re make believe. We have to be united
on this.”
Lance made a dismissive noise and lay back down on his pillow,
turning his body away from her and Adam. He muttered something, but his
voice was muffled by the pillow.
“Lance, this is important,” she said. “We have to make it clear that his dreams are not real. He has to know they aren’t true.”
He sighed. “What kind of moron do you think I am? Do you really think
I’m going to start telling him his dreams about boogeymen are real?” He
squirmed around and pulled the covers up in an attempt to get
comfortable. She thought he was done, but he stopped shifting around
long enough to add, “It’s not exactly like you’re the foremost expert in
dreams.”
***
Excerpt from Up the Creek by Alissa Grosso. Copyright 2021 by Alissa Grosso. Reproduced with permission from Alissa Grosso. All rights reserved.
Author Bio:
Alissa Grosso is the author of several books for adults and teens.
Originally from New Jersey, she now resides in Bucks County,
Pennsylvania.
If they expected silence, they hired the wrong woman.
This latest romantic legal thriller by bestseller Cara Putman shines a light on the shadowy world of scientific secrets and corporate vendettas—and the ethical dilemmas that plague the place where science and commerce meet.
Book Details:
Genre: Mystery/Suspense Published by: Thomas Nelson Publication Date: January 12, 2021 Number of Pages: 336 ISBN: 0785233318 (ISBN13: 9780785233312) Purchase Links:Amazon | Barnes & Noble | ChristianBook.com | Goodreads
Read an excerpt:
Caroline shifted in the high-backed chair. The massive conference room table made her feel more petite than usual. Quentin Jackson, the man propelling Praecursoria through its rapid growth, vibrated with energy as he studied her.
“We are on the cusp of amazing developments and a transition from the lab to trials. We have a few CAR T-cell therapies in early stages now with more in our pipeline.”
She racked her mind for the importance of T cells, and he gave a hearty laugh.
“Don’t worry if the science overwhelms you. We’ll have you up to speed in no time. All you need to know right now is that T cells are one of the two cells that make up white blood cells. The treatments we’re working on could be the difference between life and death for young cancer patients. We need your legal expertise and quick mind to synthesize the science with the map to market.”
“I’ve overseen several court trials related to patents, which should help with that process.” It had been an unforeseen aspect of her days clerking for Judge Loren. She swallowed against the lump in her throat that still welled up when she thought about his untimely death from pneumonia. A month ago she couldn’t imagine interviewing for a job somewhere else, even if a part of her knew that she should stretch her wings.
“When can you start? Today?”
She felt rooted to the chair. Everything was moving so fast. Could she really transition her experience managing clerks for a judge into managing patents and contracts for a start-up? While Praecursoria had been around for a decade as a cancer research lab, about eighteen months ago Quentin sold off its lucrative genetic testing branch to focus exclusively on the development of cutting-edge CAR T-cell therapies. Starting over that way was a bold if risky move.
She lifted her chin and forced a smile that didn’t waver. “If that’s what you need. First we have a few details to work out.”
He laughed. “I like the way you tackle issues head-on. That will be key in this role. I know how to steer the ship, and my chief scientist can navigate the research, but you’ll keep us on the legal straight and narrow.” He tapped his pen against the legal pad in front of him. Then he picked up her résumé and named a salary that pressed her against the chair. “There will be performance bonuses tied to the successful conclusion of trials. We want to look into stock options as well. That will be one of your assignments in conjunction with HR.” He slapped his hands on the table and she jumped. “My enthusiasm gets away from me sometimes.” He shrugged but never wavered as he examined her. “Let’s start with a field trip. The best way for you to understand why we’re doing this work and research is to show you.”
***
Excerpt from Lethal Intent by Cara Putman. Copyright 2021 by Cara Putman. Reproduced with permission from Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Author Bio:
Cara Putman is the author of more than twenty-five legal thrillers, historical romances, and romantic suspense novels. She has won or been a finalist for honors including the ACFW Book of the Year and the Christian Retailing’s BEST Award. Cara graduated high school at sixteen, college at twenty, completed her law degree at twenty-seven, and recently received her MBA. She is a practicing attorney, teaches undergraduate and graduate law courses at a Big Ten business school, and is a homeschooling mom of four. She lives with her husband and children in Indiana.
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Enter To Win!:
This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Cara Putman. There will be three (3) winners of one (1) physical copy of Lethal Intent by Cara Putman (US ONLY). The giveaway begins on January 11, 2021 and runs through February 7, 2021. Void where prohibited.
Amanda Steel had lost her reason for living. She lost her husband and her child to a drunk driver. Since then, her life has been a series of one night stands and a loss of her desire to follow in her father’s footsteps, becoming a police chief. It takes a sleeping pill for her to get any rest. Becky, her best friend, is her salvation.
When the man responsible for her family’s death ends up dead himself, she is allowed to investigate, under the direction of her new partner, or so they say. That is the only thing I didn’t like about the book. Maybe it would happen in real life, maybe not, but Carolyn Arnold’s books are so realistic, that it stuck with me.
At times I was sure I knew where Carolyn and Amanda were taking me…then there would be a curve in the road, leading me to who knows where. Only Carolyn Arnold knows…until YOU read the story yourself.
Amanda Steele’s past comes back to haunt her, though, in truth, it never left her.
Carolyn Arnold is an amazing author, creating complex stories and characters that keep me reading until the last page is turned. I want to know, I have to know. I do hope Amanda Steele can find the life she is meant to live.
Some serious issues arise, like murder, alcoholism, death, sex trafficking, and Amanda Steele, Carolyn Arnold, and I are on the case.
Two doozies at the end of the story have me salivating, thirsting for the next book.
I voluntarily reviewed and ARC of The LIttle Grave by Carolyn Arnold.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Detective Amanda Steele stops just inside the doorway, recognizing the victim’s face instantly. He seems so vulnerable in death; soft, human, even harmless. But she can never forget the evil he has inflicted. Her heart is hammering as she remembers her precious daughter, with her red curls and infectious laugh, and how she was lowered into that little grave…
It’s been five years since Detective Amanda Steele’s life was derailed in the path of an oncoming drunk driver. The small community of Dumfries, Virginia, may have moved on from the tragic deaths of her husband and daughter, but Amanda cannot. When the driver who killed her family is found murdered in a motel room, she can’t keep away from the case.
Fighting her sergeant to be allowed to work an investigation with such a personal connection to her, Amanda is in a race to prove that she can uncover the truth. But the more she digs into the past of the man who destroyed her future, the more shocking discoveries she makes. And when Amanda finds the link between a silver bracelet in his possession and the brutal unsolved murder of a young exotic dancer, she realizes she’s caught up in something darker than she ever imagined and suspects that more girls could be in danger.
But as Amanda edges toward the truth, she gets closer to a secret as personal as it is deadly. Amanda has stumbled upon a dangerous killer, and she must face some terrible truths in order to catch this killer – and save his next victim as she couldn’t save her own daughter…
A gripping, page-turning thriller full of mystery and suspense. Perfect for fans of Rachel Caine, Lisa Regan and Robert Dugoni.
ABOUT CAROLYN ARNOLD
CAROLYN ARNOLD is an international bestselling and award-winning
author, as well as a speaker, teacher, and inspirational mentor. She
has four continuing fiction series—Detective Madison Knight, Brandon
Fisher FBI, McKinley Mysteries, and Matthew Connor Adventures—and has
written nearly thirty books. Her genre diversity offers her readers
everything from cozy to hard-boiled mysteries, and thrillers to action
adventures.
Both her female detective and FBI profiler series have been praised
by those in law enforcement as being accurate and entertaining, leading
her to adopt the trademark: POLICE PROCEDURALS RESPECTED BY LAW
ENFORCEMENT™.
Carolyn was born in a small town and
enjoys spending time outdoors, but she also loves the lights of a big
city. Grounded by her roots and lifted by her dreams, her overactive
imagination insists that she tell her stories. Her intention is to touch
the hearts of millions with her books, to entertain, inspire, and
empower.
She currently lives just west of Toronto
with her husband and beagle and is a member of Crime Writers of Canada
and Sisters in Crime.
WOW…I mean…WOW. Each story in Michaelbrent Collings Stranger series keeps getting better and better, but seeing my rating system only goes to 5…I have a full page of notes and I think that means I’ll be doing some editing. Don’t want to give away too much…only want to teeeeease you. 🙂
Not everyone that Legion seeks out dies, but you better be on your best behavior. If he has any doubts….
Legion is one of those characters I fall in love with and never want to lose, never want his story to end, even though I wonder how it will. He reminds me of Dexter, meting out his own version of vigilante justice. How can his ending be a good one? I don’t see it, yet I want it. Like all people, he is neither all good or all bad. Where his journeys are taking him, I don’t think even he knows, but there is a destination he seeks.
Warning…Set aside some time. Once I began, I couldn’t stop. Listening to him talk to Fire, Water and The One had my head spinning, at times. Each individual voice has it’s own personality. But…something is changing. He doesn’t know what, but he feels it all the same.
There are discriminating, racist, sexist, gangs, white supremicist elements, but isn’t that like real life? A mother trying to save her and her son, a Wolf after revenge…and Legion. Even with all the danger and violence…no punches are pulled… in Michaelbrent Collings Stranger series, there are moments of levity.
Michaelbrent Collings Stranger series is at the top of its class. Love, love, love Legion. He is such a tortured, complex individual. I don’t know how Michael takes each story to a new level of breath taking suspense and so many book surprises, they even last until the last page. I am desperate for more!
What a fabulous TV series The Stranger stories would make!!!! I’m sure it would do fantastic as movies, but I am a TV addict. Is anyone listening? Who would you choose to play the lead? I’m going to have to think on that.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Stranger Danger by Michaelbrent Collings.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
He will teach you the lesson… … he knows you’re dying to learn.
Legion is a teacher. An avenging angel. A murderer.
A madman.
Raised
in the underground hideout of an insane father, he searches for those
who keep secrets and sins. Then he teaches them how to leave those
mistakes behind. Even if it means killing them to do it.
Because sometimes murder is the cost of a proper education.
That’s why, when he comes to a neighborhood in the grips of a vicious gang war, he knows the time has come to teach.
Soon
Legion – and his imaginary brothers, Water and Fire – are caught in the
middle of a vicious fight for control of the Downs, the worst part of a
city on the verge of anarchy.
Legion is facing enemies on all sides. Hundreds of men will stop at nothing to capture or kill him.
Legion will teach the lessons. And the students will never forget, no matter how long – or short – their lives may be.
The students are ready.
And the teacher will never stop.
ABOUT MICHAELBRENT COLLINGS
Michaelbrent Collings is an internationally-bestselling novelist,
multiple Bram Stoker Award nominee, produced screenwriter, and one of
the top indie horror writers in the United States.
He hopes someday to develop superpowers, or, if that is out of the question, then at least to get a cool robot arm.
Michaelbrent
has a wife and several kids, all of whom are much better looking than
he is (though he admits that’s a low bar to set), and also cooler than
he is.
Michaelbrent also has a Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/MichaelbrentC…
and can be followed on Twitter through his username @mbcollings.
Follow him for cool news, updates, and advance notice of sales. You
will also be kept safe when the Glorious Revolution begins!
Books from the Backlog is a fun way to feature some of those
neglected books sitting on your bookshelf unread. If you are anything
like me, you might be surprised by some of the unread books hiding in
your stacks.
Lila Carmichael, outrageous, bawdy comedienne, is a rich and powerful woman in television. But, it’s not enough she has everything she desires; for fifteen years she has been obsessively orchestrating payback to five unsuspecting, former schoolmates—“friends” who played a nasty trick on her, and now it’s her turn for revenge.
Under the flattering auspices of a cozy college reunion, these unsuspecting classmates arIe invited to Lila’s private island for a weekend from hell where Lila forces them to play a vicious parlor game—a psychological “Ten Little Indians,” where one by one Lila’s guests are figuratively killed-off. Yet, revenge turns bittersweet when the weekend is over and one guest is dead.
A psychological spinoff of Agatha Christie’s “Ten Little Indians” that Publisher’s Weekly calls “A page-turning thrill ride that will have readers holding their breaths the whole way through.”
I added Innocent Little Crimes by C S Lakin to my Goodreads TBR on 10.30.12. I must have won it and the author/publisher sent me an ebook. Amazon says the book is unavailable, but I see where she has a lot of books about writing, so she is still around. I will most likely read this because #1 the cover. Have to know….and I do love when a character takes care of a problem themselves. Psychological thrillers can have that little something extra we are all looking for. Ya know, a little bit of vigilante justice is sometimes in order. What do you think about taking the law into your own hands? Could you do it?
Jane Blythe writes some fabulous suspense/thrillers and I am always eager to read whatever she writes. So…buckle up, because I am sure this will be a bumpy ride.
Woo Hoo. Another romantic suspense novel for the Broken Gem series by Jane Blythe and I am super excited to share it with you.
Marigold was jealous of Emerald Hatcher, her cousin who is getting married, and she hates herself for it. Emerald deserves to be happy after all she has been through. Sure, love and life hasn’t worked out for Marigold…but Emerald and her sisters had been sold to traffickers and Marigold wants to be a part of their lives.
Of course, there is a hunkalicious piece of eye candy that catches her eye. I’m just wondering what’s going to happen to her for there to be a need to save her. Enter Jonah Jagger. He loves being a part of the Hatcher sister’s lives and wants a woman to love and cherish for himself. Jonah had filed for divorce because he was in love with the idea of love, not his wife, but she doesn’t accept it. How far will she go to TRY and get him back?
When the characters MEET…lips to lips…he cannot help himself. Nor could she. Marigold Vaile was there to change her life. Why not start with Mr Hottie? Seems all the girls want the cops that work with Sapphire, to her chagrin.
Marigold has a twin, Lavender. She had expected her to show up for the wedding. After all, she was the one that convinced Marigold to come in the first place. Marigold is the sensible one and Lavender has a devil may care attitude, but Marigold knows that something is very wrong when she doesn’t show up or answer her cell phone. A call to Sapphire and help is on the way. The sisters know what’s important in life and vow to make it happen.
WOW! That’s a direction I didn’t see going and the twists keep on coming, from one nightmare to another. AND, now, the suspense really ramps up. If you think you know where this romance suspense novel is going, you may be half right, because I know Jane Blythe will be adding a branch here and there on this family tree. I am waiting…for the other shoe to drop. How will it happen? When will it happen? I knew the moment was here when I wanted to take a two by four and smack Jonah up side the head. What a sap!
Jane Blythe’s writing is so wonderful and exciting with her happy ever afters that have me eagerly picking up each book with anticipation. She has never failed me, so I felt confident setting aside time. I know I won’t be putting the book down until the last page is read.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Salvaging Marigold by Jane Blythe.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
She’s been used by men her whole life what makes him any different?
Marigold Vaile has a bad track record when it comes to men, but she is determined to start the new year by making some changes. When her twin fails to show up for their cousin’s wedding she’s going to have to trust her one night stand to get her sister back alive. Is he different than all the others or will her heart be broken all over again?
Jonah Jagger moved to get away from his ex-wife after the disintegration of their marriage. When a stunning redhead catches his attention the two celebrate New Year’s Eve by tumbling into bed. What was only supposed to be one night quickly becomes more when he promises her cousin he’ll look after her as they hunt for her missing twin. Only a killer might not be all the couple has to contend with as his persistent ex circles closer.
ABOUT JANE BLYTHE
Jane
has loved reading and writing since she can remember. She writes dark
and disturbing crime/mystery/suspense with some romance thrown in
because, well, who doesn’t love romance? She has one completed series,
Detective Parker Bell, and one new series, Count to Ten.
When she’s not writing Jane loves to
read, bake, go to the beach, ski, horse ride, and watch Disney movies.
She has a black belt in Taekwondo, and a 200+ collection of teddy bears.
She has the world’s two most sweet and pretty Dalmatians, Ivory and
Pearl. Oh, and she also enjoys spending time with family and friends!
A Sweet, Soft Glow Joshua Magnotta Publication date: December 15th 2020 Genres: Adult, Thriller
In the ten years since John Malley lost his wife and daughter, he has slowly faded into obscurity in a rural Pennsylvania town. He spends his days at the local bar and tries to numb the pain of his loss. That is, until Ted’s Dead Rose Tavern becomes the home of the biggest mass killing in the history of the town. John, the lone survivor of the killing-spree, is forced on the run. He heads north where he hopes to hide out at his brother’s house.
Meanwhile, in New York City, young Melanie Parker investigates a disturbing new trend she discovered online. From what she has learned, metallic black bands worn along the forearm are responsible for some form of mind control. Skeptical of this theory, Melanie embarks on a night time excursion that places her in the middle of a riot in the middle of the city. Melanie fights for her life as chaos spreads throughout the city.
As John witnesses the events in New York, he is compelled to take action. But once in the city, John is forced to confront his past.
He felt a soft, cool touch on his arm. He opened his eyes, and to his right, standing next to him in the rain was Elly. Tears streamed down her cheeks, her hands outstretched toward her father. John let go of the gun and rushed to her. He swept her off her feet and held her close. Her small arms squeezed him around his neck like they always had. She was here; he could feel her heart beating against his chest as he held her tight to him.
“Elly,” he cried, his tears fell into her locks of golden-brown hair.
“Daddy,” she said.
Her arms still tightly around his neck, Elly leaned back so John could see her face. Her bright blue eyes shone back at him. And there it was, that smile he missed so much. Her face was bright, ebullient as always.
Then she was gone. John’s arms were still locked in her embrace, but she was no longer there. When he blinked, he could see her like the image on a polaroid coming into focus except in reverse. Each time he blinked, she became a little less. His head was numb, and he suddenly felt lightheaded.
Author Bio:
Josh Magnotta has been a resident of northern Pennsylvania for most of his life. Throughout his early life and teenager years he was an avid writer but during college drifted away from the passion as work and other priorities took precedence. In 2014 he graduated from college and soon began working swing shift in a factory. It was here, during off shifts where Josh would read during the night to stay awake, that his passion for writing was rekindled. After leaving the factory-life behind Josh went back to college and began work on his first novel, A Sweet, Soft Glow. He has since been writing ever since.
Labyrinth of the Dolls is book two in Craig Wallwork’s Tom Nolan series. I loved the first one, so it was a no brainer grabbing this one when Craig asked me if I would like a copy.
I loved the first book of the Tom Nolan series, Bad People, by Craig Wallwork, so when I got the chance to get my hands on Labyrinth of the Dolls, Book II, there was no hesitation.
Pam Bollen was in a great mood as she set off to work. Every Wednesday, at 6:00 AM, she headed to the home of Joanna Harcourt to clean her house. The grisly sight awaiting her was the macabre body of Joanna.
Enter MIT, the Murder Investigation Team, and Tom Nolan. He had joined the team with the specific purpose of chasing down his nemesis.
The past converges with the present as Tom Nolan hunts for what the media has labeled the Dollmaker. Tom has a knack for finding serial killers and it will take all his resources to put the past to bed once and for all.
I love that Tom is not a GQ kind of guy, though there is nothing wrong with that. LOL In fact, I love them too. But Tom feels like a realistic character. He’s a bit on the chunky side with an overbite, but there is someone for everyone, isn’t there? Will we have a little romance on the side?
The Ragman is his boogieman, that comes in the dark doing evil things. Only he knows why he does what he does, but Tom is pretty darn good at getting into his head.
The Tom Nolan series is one of those that keeps on giving. In fact, I think it got better with Labyrinth of the Dolls. As I sit, watching Criminal Minds, I feel as if Craig Wallwork could have been one of the writers. His books are filled with human evils, frailties, weaknesses and strength.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Labyrinth of the Dolls by Craig Wallwork.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
EVIL HAS A NEW FACE
It’s been one year since the horrific murders of Stormer Hill,
and the events of that time continue to resonate with Detective
Constable Tom Nolan. In an attempt to find the second killer, known only
as the Ragman, Nolan joins West Yorkshire’s Murder Investigation Team.
Partnered
with Jennifer Morrison, a straight-talking detective with her eye on
promotion, the two officers are assigned to track down a new killer
whose victims are all found dressed like human dolls. As the
investigation progresses, Nolan becomes an intricate piece in the
killer’s grand vision that puts his life in danger.
But with the
body count rising daily and the pressure to find who the media is
labelling the Doll Maker increasing, Nolan discovers more than just a
series of grisly murders…
Within the human dolls, the answers he has sought for nearly a year may finally be found.
ABOUT CRAIG WALLWORK
Craig Wallwork is the author of the novels, Bad People, and The
Sound of Loneliness, as well as the short story collections,
Quintessence of Dust, and Gory Hole. His stories have been nominated
three times for the Pushcart Prize, many of which feature in various
anthologies and magazines both in the U.K. and U.S. He currently lives
in England.
The Trapdoor by Hal Glatzer was originally published in the 80s and I think it would have been a realistic, frightening look at the computer world. I still enjoyed the book and remember those early years of computers and see how this would have people believing it could really happen….because it has.
Hackers put in trapdoors, so they can easily access a forbidden computer system and do what they will.
The Lightning is a hacker and his name is Joe. Of course, he is a nerd. 🙂 Anyone seeing him would recognize that about him. He loved his pocket protector and wore it everywhere, carefully choosing the pens. Even before he ever touched a computer, he loved to tinker with electronics, whether it was his electric train or the family’s television.
He makes his living taking from others, but gets in way over his head. There is a heart stopping moment or two, as his life is put on the line.
The Trapdoor is a great introduction into the world of computer hacking. It took half the book for me to get involved, but I would recommend meeting Joe and seeing what the repercussions are for crossing the line.
Hal Glatzer used his knowledge of computers to take us into his world and I enjoyed visiting it with him.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Trapdoor by Hal Glatzer.
3 Stars
AMAZON SYNOPSIS
Originally published as a paperback in 1986, The Trapdoor was one of the first novels to be set in the underground digital world of cyber-thievery and online pornography. In the book, a hacker gets into trouble with organized crime, and has to hack his way out. The title refers to a sinister technique for theft; but it also alludes to the risk of falling into one’s own trap! A forerunner to today’s notorious hackers, such as “Anonymous,” the protagonist of The Trapdoor is Joe (alias “The Lightning”), a techie nerd who lives quietly in a small apartment, surrounded by computers. Secretly stealing money online – as much for the thrill as for the money – is a flirtation with danger to which many of the earliest hackers were addicted. But Joe is drawn into a wider digital underworld until he’s not safe anymore. Suddenly he has enemies. And it’s bad enough when they try to kill him; but it’s worse when they steal his secret hacker identity. Progress in computer technology was once front-page news. In 1983, TIME magazine – for the first time ever – didn’t name a “Man of the Year.” Instead, the editors named the personal computer “Machine of the Year.” Computer entrepreneurs like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs were just getting noticed; and magazines were launched to help people use those new “machines”. At first, noisy modems slowly dialed computers over telephone lines; data storage was limited to mere kilobytes, on easily-damaged floppy disks. But technologies were constantly surging forward, and illegal computing activities surged right along with them. Readers of The Trapdoor will get a glimpse of that early time, when anything seemed possible, and the shadowy side of high-technology was just coming into view. And readers of a certain age, who were intrigued by computers in the ’80s, will enjoy The Trapdoor as a fond nostalgic trip back in time. So The Trapdoor has now been re-issued in the most up-to-date form for a novel: the e-book.
ABOUT HAL GLATZER
Hal Glatzer wrote his first piece of fiction in elementary school. He submitted The Mysterious Island to his third-grade teacher, who handed it back with this critique: “Great imagination. Terrible handwriting.” Perhaps that is what led, years later, to his embrace of computerized word processing! Visit his WEBSITE to learn more.
Conserving the
Radio Spectrum (Sams, 1984). Glatzer was one of the founders of the
Computer Press Association, a virtual press club for fellow
writers and editors in the field. He served as its vice president, and
for six years chaired the committee that created and presented the
annual Computer Press Awards for excellence in high-tech journalism.
Glatzer
has subsequently had more mystery novels published; but his first was
The Trapdoor. “Considering how far information technology has
progressed since the early ‘80s,” he says, “I want to give the computer
users of today a good idea of what life was like when the computer
revolution began, and give people like me, who were there, then, a trip
into the past. And the best way to bring that vintage paperback to
today’s tech-savvy readers is to turn it into an e-book.”
