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.
Briana Fox is the
wildest girl in school. She and Kyle have been close for a long
time…almost lovers. But Kyle is afraid that if he pushes her, he’ll
have his heart broken and lose his best friend. When Briana challenges
him to a swim across the lake, she’s injured in a horrific accident, but
she discovers a mysterious substance in an underwater cave that saves
her life. What seems to be a magical yet harmless “power drug” invokes
superhuman abilities, and Briana soon becomes dependent on it for her
very survival. When two government agents learn of the discovery, they
will stop at nothing to find the source and turn Briana into a human
experiment. Is Kyle willing to risk everything to protect his love?
Readers of all ages will enjoy this gripping, fast-paced story.
Book blogger reviews:
“Worth a serious read…incredibly gripping and heartwarming.” – Halinor Everdeen Cipriano, Assortments
“A fast, suspenseful thriller with an ending I never saw coming.” – Jessica Willis, The Tales Compendium
“Very exciting and gripping, leaves you wanting more.” – Becky’s Barmy Book Blog
“If anything, you should read it for the unique ending.” – Rachel’s Book Reviews
“You should give it a try. It’s really different and interesting.” – Brielle, Awesome Bookworm
Well, this is a fabulous twist on a story about amnesia. I’m loving it.
Wonderfully real characters, with all their good things and faults.
Her memories return, but the twist puts a different spin on amnesia and second chances.
“I was lost, but now I’m found,” I blurted out.
A heartbreaking and heartwarming love story that goes so much deeper than romance.
May have you asking, “What do I believe?”
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Secret Sister by Emelle Gamble.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
What if everything about you changed in an instant…
Nick & Cathy and Roxanne. Two best friends. One husband. An extraordinary twist of fate.
How much do you really know about your husband? Your best friend? Yourself? Cathy Chance knows she loves her husband, Nick, with the same passion she had when she married him seven years ago, and he adores her. She also knows that she and her best friend, Roxanne, are closer than most sisters. But on a sunny summer day, these three are hurled into an astounding new reality which forces each to reconsider everything they thought was true about themselves, and one another.
ABOUT EMELLE GAMBLE
From Goodreads: Emelle
Gamble was a writer at an early age, bursting with the requisite
childhood stories of introspection which evolved into bad teen poetry
and attempts at ‘real literature’ all copies of which she has since,
very sensibly, shredded. She took her first stab at romantic fiction in
an adult education writing class when her kids were in bed, taught by
fellow writer Carolyn Haines, in Mobile, Alabama. As M.L. Gamble, she
published several romantic suspense novels with Harlequin. She is now
contracted with Soul Mate Publishing for Secret Sister, summer of 2013,
and Dating Cary Grant, an early 2014 release.
Always intrigued by the words ‘what if’,
Emelle’s books feature an ordinary woman confronted with an
extraordinary situation. She most enjoys reading stories that surprise
and amaze her, and hopes her readers will enjoy the challenging and
exciting journeys her characters take.
Emelle lives in suburban Washington D.C.
with her husband, Phil, her hero of thirty years, and two orange cats,
Lucy and Bella. Her daughter, Olivia, and son, Allen, are happily
launched on their own and contributing great things to society, which
has always been their mother’s fondest wish.
Driving down a rocky road I saw the overgrown grass, weeds, and poison ivy overtaking the outer perimeter of the bushes. The smell of mildew permeated the air, along with the stench of animals killed by cars coming up from the ground along this dirt road. I could see the sadness on the faces in the cars behind me; I could feel the pain and sorrow. As I looked inside the cars and saw the faces of the drivers, I began to wonder what they were thinking, their thoughts and feelings as they traveled down life’s highway, maybe for the very last time.
What stories lay behind the faces behind the wheel of each oncoming car?
What stories were hidden?
Whose voices are now silenced?
Reviews:
“Unique, haunting, terrifying, incredibly moving: Fran Lewis’ SILENT VOICES is all that and more as people tell spell-binding stories of their lives – and their deaths – from beyond the grave. You won’t forget this one!” – R.G. Belsky, award-winning author of the Clare Carlson mystery series.
“Silent Voices is a shrewd, sensitive and scintillating collection of short stories that make us feel and think. Noted talk show host Fran Lewis proves herself to be as skilled a storyteller as she is a listener, adept at both tugging on our heart strings and exposing the raw emotion between the lines. Her tales reach beyond the grave in fashioning rich tapestries drawn on a sprawling landscape at once both rich in color and gray-toned. A can’t miss effort certain to live with you far beyond the turn of the final page.” -Jon Land, USA Today bestselling author
“Once again, Fran Lewis knocks it out of the park with the latest in the Silent Voices series. At once chilling, but also inspirational, these stories do not fail to entertain. They will also raise the goosebumps on your skin. Prepare to be thrilled.” Vincent Zandri, New Your Times bestselling Thriller Award winning author of The Remains and The Caretaker’s Wife
Book Details:
Genre: Horror, Suspense Published by: Southern Owl Publications, LLC Publication Date: June 10th 2019 Number of Pages: 51 ASIN: B07S75JPQW Series: Silent Voices Purchase Links:Amazon | Goodreads
Author Bio:
Fran Lewis taught for 36 years as a staff developer in reading and writing and a dean. She is the author of the Bertha and Tillie series and the author of the Faces behind the stones series as well as her books for caregivers on Alzheimer’s and mj magazine and mj network.
I am a super fan of Leine Basso and DV Berkom, since I read the first book, A Killing Truth. The character is a strong female and all I could ask for in a heroine that travels the world to take out the bad guys and save the innocents.
I have read all DV Berkom’s books and am super excited to see we have a new one coming out, Dakota Burn. GIMME! GIMME!
A Killing Truth
Leine Basso Thrillers Book 1
by DV Berkom
Genre: Thriller
Now available: the chilling start to the high-octane, can’t-put-it-down
Leine Basso thriller series.
A deadly assassin. A perpetual target. A double-cross she never saw coming…
They say the truth will set you free, but what if it kills you first?
Leine eliminates terrorists for a living. After a routine assassination
almost gets her killed, she chalks it up to a fluke. Her lover and
fellow assassin, Carlos, has another idea altogether. He thinks their
boss is setting them up for a fall.
When Carlos goes missing and a bombing thwarts another mission, Leine
suspects the stakes are far higher than she could ever imagine, and
wonders if the man in charge might have it in for her after all.
If you like no-nonsense heroines, page-turning plots, and twists you
won’t see coming, then you’ll love D.V. Berkom’s tension-filled
series.
Download A Killing Truth to find out how the story began…
“[Leine Basso] is a sassy, kick-arse, no-nonsense,
I’ll-eat-your-balls-for-breakfast type of woman. She simply rocks.
Berkom’s books are ones when you almost forget to breathe. They’re
fast-paced, taut with tension and sheer joy from start to
finish.” ~Cath’n’Kindle Book Reviews
“[A Killing Truth] introduces one of modern fiction’s deadliest
heroes…”~Reviewer Charles A. Ray
“This is my third Leine Basso, and like the others, the action never lets
up. Leine is the female Jack Reacher only she does it all without
being 6’5″ and weighing 265 pounds, so that makes her more
incredible. If you like page-turners, you’ll love this book.”~
Polly Iyer, bestselling suspense author
“A Killing Truth would make an excellent introduction to D.V. Berkom’s
writing…she’s one of my favorites… love how she just puts you
right in the pages and you just don’t want to end.”~Hornfan2
“The Leine Basso series by DV Berkom is jam-packed with action and
adventure and Leine Basso is one bad*** protagonist…”
Fundinmental Book Reviews
“As someone who has read all of the other current Leine Basso books
first, I can say that A Killing Truth had me in suspense the entire
time.” Maranda, Amazon Reviewer
“Non-stop twists and turns. An excellent thriller that pits Leine
against not only international criminals but her own boss.”
~USMC-Mike
“What the world needs now is more female characters like bad ass Leine
Basso. Bought the trio of books that follow this one because of how
much I enjoyed the plot and twists along the way.” ~shzann
A former assassin is drawn into the twisted game of a serial killer who
may be a grisly remnant from her past.
What happens when a reality show turns deadly?
Determined to leave her old life behind, retired assassin Leine Basso accepts
a job working security at one of television’s most popular reality
shows, Serial Date. When a contestant is found dead in the prop
closet, it appears the killer is one of the ‘bachelors’ on the show-
an ex-con billed as a serial killer- but the detective in charge of
the case isn’t so sure.
When Leine’s estranged daughter is abducted by a man claiming to be the
real killer, she’s forced to rely on old skills to find her. She soon
realizes the murderer may be a grisly remnant from her past and
she’ll need to use all of her cunning to stop him…
…and rescue her daughter.
If you like black humor, no-nonsense heroines, and heart-stopping
action, you’ll love Serial Date. Download it today!
“If you like fast-paced action, great lead characters, and don’t mind a
few F-bombs and the occasional gore, DV Berkom is the author for you.” ~
BloodWrites
“Serial Date has everything a mystery/thriller needs to be successful,
fast-paced and action packed, strong and memorable characters and a
story that will grab you from beginning to end…” ~ Confessions of a Reader
“Why should you read it? In a nutshell it’s a fast-paced, non-linear story
with some creepy elements mashed together with a splash of romance
and dark humour. What’s not to like?” ~Indie eBooks
Dangerous obsessions take center stage when a former assassin and a homicide
detective race against the clock to find a missing girl before she’s
sold to the highest bidder.
Identified as a person of interest in three cold case murders she didn’t commit,
and required to stay in L.A., retired assassin Leine Basso accepts a
temporary position as a security specialist for A-list actor Miles
Fournier. Soon, a woman contacts Miles, claiming to be his long-lost
sister. Her twelve-year-old daughter, Mara, has been abducted and
she’s desperate to get her back.
Leine learns from a contact that Mara escaped, but the traffickers are
determined to track her down and deliver her to their powerful
client. Running out of time, Leine must find Mara before they do, or
she will be lost forever.
“…I was thrilled with this book. I did not want it to end. I was on the
edge of my seat at the end! Seriously a nail-bitter!”
~ April Holgate, Amazon Top 50 Reviewer
“Tight dialogue and nonstop action marks a novel that establishes new
benchmarks for action thrillers. This is a solid five-star novel that
you won’t want to miss.” ~Ray’s Ramblings
“An intelligent thriller worthy of the Big Screen…” ~ BloodWrites
A retired assassin is called in when a celebration south of the border
turns into a nightmare.
Everything’s for sale…
Former assassin Leine Basso is
hired by a wealthy Beverly Hills power couple to find their missing
daughter, Elise, last seen partying with her boyfriend at a club in
Tijuana. At first, police believe the two teenagers are the victims
of a carjacking. But when Leine finds their missing vehicle with a
mutilated body inside, and the local cartel warns her away, she knows
if Elise isn’t already dead, she will be soon, or worse.
In the lethal world of organized crime, there’s always a worse.
As Leine races to uncover the reason behind Elise Bennett’s
disappearance, she must also battle the powerful interests fighting
to keep her from the truth.
Praise for the Leine Basso Thriller series:
“Now this, this is what thrillers are made of: grit, spunk, and
no-nonsense unputdownability…Quite simply: Brilliant ” ~
Cath ‘n Kindle Book Reviews
“…Ms. Berkom gives us a badass heroine that’s fun to root for. Once Leine
discovers what is happening, there is no stopping her…an edge of
your seat thriller that delivers!” ~ Night Owl Reviews
“Without a doubt one of the most engaging, complex and enthralling mysteries
that had me totally in its grip…” ~
Confessions of a Reader
“Taken fans will be overjoyed with this gritty thriller…following Basso as she
works her tradecraft is a pleasure…” ~ BestThrillers.com
“A really exciting heroine for action thriller fans everywhere, but a
long overdue tough and plausible literary role-model for women.”~
Ajoobacats Book Reviews
An adventurous young backpacker, captured and sold. A black market
merchant who will stop at nothing to amass the power he craves. The
one woman who can stop him before he destroys everything…
Haunted by memories of an op gone bad, former assassin Leine Basso
travels to Bangkok in search of a missing backpacker. With help from an old
contact, she discovers the man responsible for the girl’s
disappearance is connected to a violent Hong Kong triad and is the
linchpin of an extensive trafficking network—both animal and human.
Making enemies isn’t new for Leine, but making one in the triad is—she
soon finds herself a prisoner on board a cargo ship headed for
sub-Saharan Africa. To ensure her survival and to continue her hunt for the missing girl,
she must join forces with Derek, an ivory poacher who promises to
help her.
Ready to stay up all night? Everybody’s favorite assassin is back with a
vengeance in this high-octane, can’t-put-it-down espionage thriller.
Espionage.
Deception. A nation on the brink of war…
Just when former assassin Leine Basso thinks she’s free from the
business of death, a desperate call from a friend drags her back into
the dark world of espionage and arms dealers.
“Sucks you in on page one and doesn’t set you free until the end. Another
sure-fire winner in a spectacular series.”
~Tim Tigner, International Bestselling Author of the Kyle Achilles series
“D.V. Berkom has created one kick-ass heroine in Leine Basso–a woman who
can do it all in the dog-kill-dog world of international espionage.”
~ J. Carson Black, New York Times Bestselling Author
“Warning:
once started, The Last Deception is difficult to put down…[T]he
globe-trotting Leine uncovers acts of international espionage that
lead her on a desperate hunt for an elusive spy that could bring down
the world.” Midwest Book Review
A former assassin, battling her demons. A sinister enemy, determined to
destroy her. A wily street kid caught in the middle.
Former assassin Leine Basso is fresh off an assignment rescuing an American
teenager from a terrorist group in Libya when she thwarts the murder
of a street kid in Tripoli. Leine agrees to help the girl, but must
first visit a refugee camp to uncover the reason behind a rash of
mysterious abductions.
Leaving the camp, Leine comes under a surprise attack–but only a handful of
people knew her true mission. The more she discovers about the
abductions, the more of a target she becomes, forcing her to revisit
a dark and violent past she thought she’d left behind. But it’s
easy–too easy to fall back into her old ways.
And that could get her killed.
Will Leine be able to survive a dark return?
If you like gritty, fast-paced, can’t-put-it-down thrillers with an
action-packed story ripped from the headlines, then you’ll love Dark
Return. Download your copy today!
Praise for Dark Return:
“I couldn’t put it down. My entire Saturday has been spent reading
Dark Return.” ~Sharon Simms
“One of the best reads to come out in this genre in quite awhile. You
won’t want to put this book down.” ~Yvonne Reddy
“Excellent.
There is no other way to describe it. I read it in one go it was that
good. Leine is one hell of a badass.” ~Silver Surfer
“Dark Return was a thrill-a-minute, page-turning suspense that never lets
up with action and intrigue. The author, DV Berkom, is a master when
it comes to character development and the story line.” ~ Paula Lopez
“DV Berkom has honed her skills as writer to such a fine art that it is
indeed very difficult to tear yourself away from any of her books.”
~Manie Killian
“Fast paced and full of action, this book will keep you both entertained
and intrigued from start to finish. Highly recommended!!” ~Derek Williams
“This book will captivate you from the first paragraph to the last. It is
full of action and non-stop adventure…” ~txdoc
“Best book in the series, they just keep getting better and better!! Read
them from the first in the series or just jump in here. Brilliant
read.” ~ Sally Sanders
“Berkom has matured as a solid writer with similarities to Mark Greaney, Mark
Dawson (John Milton series), and a whisper of Barry Eisler.”
~Library Champion
Former assassin Leine Basso has severed ties with everyone she loves to keep
them safe while she hunts for the ruthless terrorist, Salome. There
are rumblings that the French-born assassin is planning another
attack and Leine’s determined to stop her before it’s too late.
Can Leine thwart her plans, or will Salome’s own twisted vengeance mean
the end for Leine and everyone she loves?
From London to Edinburgh to the City of Angels, Salome’s making a
comeback—and that comeback includes killing Leine.
A kidnapped girl. A ruthless criminal who preys on the innocent. Two
killers who will stop at nothing to bring him down.
Former assassin Leine Basso was supposed to be in sunny LA, watching the
first class of operatives graduate from the new anti-trafficking
academy. Instead, she’s in North Dakota in the middle of a brutal
winter, helping old friend Derek van der Haar track down and
eliminate a deadly group of criminals hell-bent on providing young
girls to the highest bidder.
The closer Leine and Derek get to the organization, the more dangerous
the mission becomes. Soon, it’s evident that the traffickers are
playing for keeps—and don’t care who they kill.
In a story ripped from the headlines, Dakota Burn reveals the dark
underbelly of the Bakken oil fields, where human life is a commodity
and outlaws still rule.
If you enjoy books by Mark Dawson, Barry Eisler, and Mark Greaney,
you’ll love D.V. Berkom. Download this gritty, action-packed
thriller today!
DV Berkom is the USA Today bestselling author of two action-packed
thriller series featuring strong female leads (Leine Basso and Kate
Jones). Her love of creating resilient, kick-ass women characters
stems from a lifelong addiction to reading spy novels, mysteries, and
thrillers, and longing to find the female equivalent within those pages.
Raised in the Midwest, she earned a BA in political science and promptly
moved to Mexico to live on a sailboat. Several years and many
adventures later, she wrote her first novel and was hooked. The Kate
Jones adventure thriller, Bad Spirits, was first published in 2010 as
an online serial, and was immediately popular with Kindle and Nook
fans. Dead of Winter, Death Rites, and Touring for Death soon
followed before she began the far grittier Leine Basso thriller
series in early 2012 with Serial Date.
DV currently lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, Mark, and
several imaginary characters who like to tell her what to do.
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.
Gerald Hammond is the
exception to the rule; an honorable spy, whose lofty principles have
brought him nothing but loneliness and isolation. With the war in
Europe at an end, Hammond returns to Washington only to find his unit
disbanded and his wife moved out of the marital home. Ostracized by
the Washington elite, publicly humiliated by an unfaithful wife, and
scorned by former friends and colleagues, he is forced to take a mundane
job with an insurance company. . . But then comes the call. The
State Department wants him to rescue a young woman, trapped in Soviet
East Germany. Should he succeed a plum job at The State Department
awaits. Desperate for deliverance from his humdrum existence, Hammond accepts the assignment. He
heads into enemy territory, unaware of the sinister force that
sponsored his mission or of the unseen dangers that lie in wait. He only
knows that he must somehow save the girl to save himself, but as his
enemies close in, and ever-more disturbing revelations come to light,
Gerald Hammond begins to wonder which poses the greatest threat. . . The
enemy he runs from, the friend he runs to, or the girl he was sent to
save?
“Fast paced thriller with lots of action – I couldn’t put it down!!” – Amazon Reviewer
“Delicious spy novel, bold and graphic.” – Amazon Reviewer
“A tremendous book – a definite page turner”- Amazon Reviewer
“This is the best spy novel I have read in quite some time” – Amazon Reviewer
“I purchased this based on the reviews, and it exceeded expectations” – Amazon Reviewer
“And
be warned, there’s bad language, sex, sadistic murders, regular
murders, etc. in this book. It’s a spy novel…stay out of the kitchen
if you don’t like this kind of heat.” – Amazon Reviewer
I love a good conspiracy now and then and The Folks at Fifty Eight sounded like it might foot the bill. Pretty good cover too. I added this to my TBR on 5.13.12. It averages 3.45 on Goodreads.
I am doing my best to finish up on overdue reviews and Duplicity by Sibel Hodge is one of those. I received the book back in October of 2016. Seems I really overdid things that year.
I will tell you that I gave Duplicity 5 Stars, so I have no excuses for not posting the review in a timely fashion. I think you may be able to relate to my problem, too many clicks and yeses. I just wanted to grab them all.
With a cover like Duplicity by Sibel Hodge, I just know there is some good stuff inside. I read Untouchable by Sibel Hodge and loved it, so I was eager to begin Duplicity.
Duplicity starts out ugly, making me think of Clarise in Hannibal…but severely damaged, twisted.
A terrible, abhorrent childhood with an abusive father, neglectful mother, screaming, yelling, isolation…I want to have sympathy…
I love this kind of book. I love to read about serial killers, psychopaths and sociopaths. To delve into their fictional, or true, mind fascinates me. No matter how much I understand it is not their fault they are what they are, they still make choices.
Psychopaths have no feelings, but are they all killers? They are smart, having to learn to fake all the emotions that ‘normal’ people have. Sometimes one pivotal moment can take someone down a path they never saw coming.
How do so many incompetents get high paying jobs that require knowledge and tact…which they don’t have? Does he have the skills to solve the case, to bring down a murderer? We shall see.
Twists! Turns! Surprises! I LOVE IT! OMG. Sure didn’t see that coming.
The writing and pacing, creativity, twists and turns, suspense and AHA moments kept me on the edge, glued to the pages, unable to stop reading, waiting for the next shoe to drop and who would drop with it. I don’t think there will be a happy ever after here.
As I flip through my notes, on paper and in my Kindle, I am even more upset with myself that I didn’t review this immediately. It is hard to express my emotions since it has been so long, but this is everything I love in a thrilling, chilling, creepalicious psychopath, and of course all the other characters. Sibel Hodge is definitely an author that will be at the top of my reading list.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Duplicity by Sibel Hodge.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
There are three sides to every story: Yours. Mine. And the truth…
Max
and Alissa have a fairy tale life—newlywed, madly in love and enviously
rich. Then Max is brutally stabbed to death at their home and Alissa,
miraculously, escapes with her life. But why was she spared?
The
hunt for the killer begins, uncovering a number of leads—was Max’s
incredible wealth the motive? Had his shady business practices finally
caught up with him? Or was it a stalker with a dangerous obsession?
Devoted
friends rally around gentle, sweet Alissa as she is left to mourn the
loss of her husband and pick up her life. But not everyone is who they
seem…Deep-rooted jealousies, secrets and twisted love lie just beneath
the surface, and not all fairy tales have a happy ending.
Duplicity is a suspenseful thriller from the bestselling author of Look Behind You and Where the Memories Lie.
ABOUT SIBEL HODGE
Sibel Hodge is the author of
the #1 Bestsellers Look Behind You, Untouchable, and Duplicity. Her
books have sold over one million copies and are international
bestsellers in the UK, USA, Australia, France, Canada and Germany. She
writes in an eclectic mix of genres, and is a passionate human and
animal rights advocate.
Her work has been nominated and
shortlisted for numerous prizes, including the Harry Bowling Prize, the
Yeovil Literary Prize, the Chapter One Promotions Novel Competition, The
Romance Reviews’ prize for Best Novel with Romantic Elements and Indie
Book Bargains’ Best Indie Book of 2012 in two categories. She was the
winner of Best Children’s Book in the 2013 eFestival of Words; nominated
for the 2015 BigAl’s Books and Pals Young Adult Readers’ Choice Award;
winner of the Crime, Thrillers & Mystery Book from a Series Award in
the SpaSpa Book Awards 2013; winner of the Readers’ Favorite Young
Adult (Coming of Age) Honorable award in 2015; a New Adult finalist in
the Oklahoma Romance Writers of America’s International Digital Awards
2015, and 2017 International Thriller Writers Award finalist for Best
E-book Original Novel. Her novella Trafficked: The Diary of a Sex Slave
has been listed as one of the top forty books about human rights by
Accredited Online Colleges.
Even though I have only read Book III, Killer in the Band, in the
Lovers in Crime Mystery Series, I had no trouble reading Book IV, The
Root of Murder. Lauren Carr’s books read as stand alones that have
recurring characters.
The title and cover were aptly chosen, as the bases of the murder
goes back to the beginning, or the root of the secret and all that comes
after.
Of course, Lauren Carr has some fabulous characters, people, villains and fur babies, that crack me up with their antics.
Poppy. I am so happy to read her story. She’s a good person, dealt a
bad hand, but nothing stops her from moving on. She will be a great
addition to the Thornton family.
Poppy’s faith and belief in things working out the way they are meant to be makes for a heartwarming, uplifting romance.
Gulliver, Ollie & Charley are unique characters with big
personalities, bringing plenty of smiles and chuckles to the story. Once
you meet them, I don’t think you’ll forget them.
Irving and Admiral are great manipulators and good for some chuckles at their antics.
Two murders with a spin that increases the suspect pool. And, of
course, all the things that need to be dealt with in the normal world.
Animals and people alike are great and I love visiting them all as their lives grow fuller, richer.
Well, another happy ever after filled with romance, murder and
intrigue, friendship and family, suspense and mystery, and characterless
that will filled my heart with uplifting moments and humor.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copyof The Root of Murder by Lauren Carr.
4 Stars
BOOK DETAILS
Book Title: The Root of Murder (A Lovers in Crime Mystery #4) by Lauren Carr Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 332 pages Genre: Mystery Publisher: Acorn Book Services Release date: March 20, 2019 Format available for review: print, Audible download, mobi, epub, PDF Will send print books out: USA & Canada Tour dates: September 9 to October 25, 2019 Content Rating: PG-13 (Lauren Carr’s books are murder mysteries, so there are murders involved. Occasionally, a murder will happen on stage. There is sexual content, but always behind closed doors. Some mild swearing (a hell or a damn few and far between). No F-bombs!
BOOK DESCRIPTION
Homicide Detective Cameron Gates learned long ago that there is no such thing as a typical murder case. Each mystery is special in its own right—especially for the family of the victim.The homicide of a successful executive, husband, and father seems open and shut when the murder weapon is found in his estranged son-in-law’s possession. The circumstantial evidence is so damning that when her step-son, J.J. Thornton, agrees to act as the defendant’s public defender, he assumes his first murder case will be a loss. Only the report of a missing husband proves that this case is not as open and shut as it seems. Strap on your seat belts for a wild ride in this mystery rooted in decades of deception that sprouts into murder. Fall in Love with These Other Lovers in Crime Mysteries:
Dead on Ice is the
first installment of Lauren Carr’s new series (Lovers in Crime)
featuring Hancock County Prosecuting Attorney Joshua Thornton and
Pennsylvania State Police homicide detective Cameron Gates.
Spunky
Cameron Gates is tasked with solving the murder of Cherry Pickens, a
legendary star of pornographic films, whose body turns up in an
abandoned freezer. The case has a personal connection to her lover,
Joshua Thornton, because the freezer was located in his cousin’s
basement. It doesn’t take long for their investigation to reveal that
the risqué star’s roots were buried in their rural Ohio Valley
community, something that Cherry had kept off her show business bio. She
should have kept her hometown off her road map, too—because when this
starlet came running home from the mob, it proved to be a fatal
homecoming.
When Homicide Detective
Cameron Gates befriends Dolly, the little old lady who lives across the
street, she is warned not to get lured into helping the elderly woman
by investigating the unsolved murder of one of her girls. “She’s
senile,” Cameron is warned. “It’s not a real murder.” Such is not
the case. After Dolly is brutally murdered, Cameron discovers that the
sweet blue-haired lady’s “girl” was a call girl, who had been killed in a
mysterious double homicide.
Meanwhile, Prosecuting Attorney
Joshua Thornton is looking for answers to the murder of a childhood
friend, a sheriff deputy whose cruiser is found at the bottom of a lake.
The deputy had disappeared almost twenty years ago while privately
investigating the murder of a local prostitute.
It doesn’t take
long for the Lovers in Crime to put their cases together to reveal a
long-kept secret that some believe is worth killing to keep undercover.
Summer has arrived! The Thorntons expect it to be a summer of change and change it does, but not in the way Joshua had expected.
Joshua’s
eldest son, Joshua Thornton Jr. (J.J.) has graduated at the top of his
class from law school and is returning home to spend the summer studying
for the bar exam. However, to Joshua’s and Cameron’s shock and dismay,
J.J. decides to move into the main house at Russell Ridge Farm, the
largest dairy farm in the Ohio Valley, in order to rekindle a romance
with Suellen Russell, the lovely widow twice his age.
The
May/December romance, bonded by a love for music, between the symphony
conductor and young musical prodigy had bloomed many years earlier.
The
move brings long buried tensions between the father and son to the
surface–not the least of which being J.J.’s inexplicable dislike for
his stepmother Cameron. But when a brutal killer strikes, the Lovers in
Crime must set all differences with Joshua’s son aside to solve the
crime before J.J. ends up in the cross-hairs of a murderer.
Meet the author:
With over forty years of writing and publishing experience,
international best-selling author Lauren Carr has played an active role
in the revolution of independent authors.
While studying for her
college degree in English and journalism, Lauren worked as an editor and
layout design artist with the federal government in Washington, DC. It
was there that Lauren learned the foundations necessary for book
publishing.
Lauren’s debut mystery, A Small Case of Murder was
a finalist for the Independent Publisher Book Awards. On the heels of
that success, she accepted an offer from a traditional publisher for A Reunion to Die For.
When
it came time to publish her third book, Lauren rejected offers from two
traditional publishers, choosing instead to independently publish It’s Murder, My Son,
which made it to #1 in sales on Amazon in cozy mysteries. She has never
regretted her decision to become an independent author.
Realizing
that she could use her experiences to help other writers achieve their
dreams to become published authors, Lauren established Acorn Book Services, offering professional services to independent authors.
The
international best-selling author of over twenty-five murder mysteries,
Lauren has gone on dozens of virtual blog tours (most with iRead Book
Tours!) and has seen first-hand that how an author publishes is
irrelevant to success. The key is exposure to potential readers. Virtual
blog tours are an excellent avenue for book promotion. Book spotlights,
reviews, author guest posts and interviews are forever, unlike
in-person book events, which become a memory as soon as they have
finished.
With her vast experience, it seemed only natural for
Lauren Carr to jump at the opportunity to join the iReads Book Tours
team. She lives with her husband, and two spoiled rotten German
shepherds on a mountain in West Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley.
A Might Rolling Thunder by Kerry Alan Denney is another one of those books that slipped through the crack. I finished reading it on 11.14.16 and loved it. Soooo…here we go.
A Mighty Rolling Thunder by Kerry Alan Denney starts out so nice…but it quickly turns into a run for her life for Livy…enter Conor, a guy with no memory…
At 17% it hit me…I have had those same thoughts. What would I do? How far would I be willing to go if the shit hit the fan? Lawlessness, fear, hunger, need desire…The Rapture…the people are gone, just vanished.
Could you imagine talking to your dog, yeah, I know you already do, but what if he really understood you…and talked back?
Victor, oh yeah, he’s the villain and he wants to rule the world and would do anything to make it happen. Power, he wants it.
Free will. Do you choose to share joy or sorrow? Hope or despair? Love or damnation?
I enjoy a desolate world with a cast of characters that must band together to survive. Throw in some magic (?), and I am in heaven. Too bad these guys weren’t, but it sure did make for a great story because of it.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of A Mighty Rolling Thunder by Kerry Alan Denney.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
The end of the world is just the beginning of the terror…
Spring,
2024: Two spirit hordes break through from another dimension, and make
half the world’s population vanish. The spirits possess the survivors,
dividing them into two groups: those who fight to retain their humanity,
and marauders who destroy everything in their paths.
Artist Livi
DeSilva is fleeing from possessed killers when she meets Conor McLain, a
man suffering from amnesia. Outnumbered and outgunned, Livi and Conor
team up and fight off homicidal lunatics and ruthless gangs, only to end
up cornered by their deadliest foe: billionaire Victor van Danz, a
psychopath who commands the new world’s dark forces. Victor craves
immortality, and kidnaps Livi. He believes that when he kills Livi in
front of her collection of canvases and absorbs her life energy, he will
transform into a god.
With only Conor, two amazing dogs, and a band of plucky children to aid her, Livi must harness the power of the spirits inside her and use it to defeat Victor — or die in the clutches of a madman.
Genre: Romantic Supsense Published by: Thomas Nelson Publication Date: September 10th 2019 Number of Pages: 336 ISBN: 0718085906 (ISBN13: 9780718085902) Purchase Links:Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
Read an excerpt:
Prologue
January 1990
St. Petersburg, Florida
Lisa ran to her Datsun Bluebird and jerked open the yellow door. Her pulse strummed in her neck, and she glanced behind her to make sure she wasn’t being followed. She’d tried not to show fear during the confrontation, but it was all she could do not to cry. She couldn’t face life without him.
She’d been on edge ever since yesterday.
Twilight backlit the treetops and highlighted the hanging moss. Instead of finding it beautiful, she saw frightening shadows and shuddered. She slid under the wheel and started the engine, then pulled out of her driveway onto the road.
She turned toward the Gulf. The water always calmed her when she was upset—and she had crossed upset moments ago and swerved into the scared zone.
Her belly barely fit under the wheel, but this baby would be born soon, then she’d have her figure back. She accelerated away from her home, a dilapidated one-story house with peeling white paint, and switched on her headlights.
The radio blared full of the news about the Berlin Wall coming down, but Lisa didn’t care about that, not now. She switched channels until she found Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’ ”playing, but even her favorite tune failed to sooth her shattered nerves. Could she seriously be murdered over this? She’d glimpsed madness in those eyes.
She pressed the brakes as she came to a four-way stop, but the brake pedal went clear to the floor. She gasped and pumped the pedal again. No response. The car shot through the intersection, barely missing the tail end of another vehicle that had entered it before her.
Hands gripping the steering wheel, she struggled to keep the car on the road as she frantically thought of a way to bring it to a stop that didn’t involve hitting another car or a tree. The baby in her belly kicked as if he or she knew their lives hung suspended in time.
“We’re going to make it, little one. We have to. I can’t leave you alone.” No one would love her baby if she died. Her mother couldn’t care for her child. She cared more about her drugs than anything else.
Lisa tried to tamp down her rising emotions, but she’d never been so frightened. The car fishtailed on the sandy road as she forced it back from the shoulder. Huge trees lined the pavement in a dense formation. Where could she drive off into relative safety? A field sprawled over on the right, just past the four-way stop ahead. If she made it through, it seemed the only place where they might survive.
Had the brakes been cut? What else could it be? She’d just had the car serviced.
Lisa approached the stop sign much too fast. The slight downhill slope had only accelerated the speed that hovered at nearly seventy. Her mouth went bone dry.
Colleen Coble is a USA TODAY bestselling author and RITA finalist best known for her coastal romantic suspense novels, including The Inn at Ocean’s Edge, Twilight at Blueberry Barrens, and the Lavender Tides, Sunset Cove, Hope Beach, and Rock Harbor series.
There’s a killer on the loose in Galveston, targeting law enforcement officials and using a fatal injection of snake venom to take them down. Authorities have reasons to believe the Veneno gang is behind the hits, and FBI Agents Leah Riesel and Jon Colbert team up to track down those responsible. Their best lead is an eyewitness who identifies a young man dumping the third body on a church doorstep. But their suspect has gone into hiding, and those closest to him are reluctant to reveal anything that might help investigators find him.
As Leah and Jon check connections among the victims and dig deeper into motives, they discover appearances may be deceiving. Someone is desperate to keep their secrets hidden, and Leah and Jon must face their greatest fears in order to stop the next fatal strike.
Book Details:
Genre: Romantic Suspense Published by: Tyndale House Publishers Publication Date: September 3rd 2019 Number of Pages: 400 ISBN: 1496427106 (ISBN13: 9781496427106) Purchase Links:Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound | Goodreads
Read an excerpt:
SPECIAL AGENT LEAH RIESEL scanned the headlines on her phone. A prosecutor from Galveston had been found murdered behind a construction site, the second apparent victim of gang violence in two days. Both deaths were caused by rattlesnake venom injections to the heart. Before she could pull up additional reports on the woman’s untimely death, Leah’s phone
rang.
“Riesel, hostage situation in Galveston,” the SWAT commander said. “Grab your gear. The chopper takes off in five.”
“On it.” She took a last lingering look at the half-eaten blueberry donut and coffee on her cubicle’s desk.
Could this have anything to do with the two murders in Galveston?
Before most of the city began the workday, Leah boarded a Little Bird helicopter beneath whirling blades and the pressure of a critical operation. Dressed in full camo and shouldering her sniper gear, she inhaled the rising temps. Feverish Houston. With the familiar air transport sounds ushering in memories of past missions, her adrenaline kicked in.
A pilot from the tactical helicopter unit lifted the chopper into the air for the twenty-minute ride to Galveston. She recognized him from previous assignments involving aircraft used to deliver SWAT and the elite hostage rescue teams to crisis incidents. This morning her focus eliminated any chitchat.
Leah grabbed sound-canceling headphones and contacted the SWAT commander already on the ground. “Riesel here. Special Agent in Charge Thomas briefed me on a home invasion that’s turned violent.”
The SAC would be watching the operation at the Crisis Management Operations Center.
“Negotiations have gotten us nowhere.” The SWAT commander’s voice rose above the chopper’s blade-snap. “Two unidentified men are holding two women and three children at gunpoint. Galveston PD estimates they’ve been inside the home for at least an hour. Demanding we leave the area after giving them five hundred grand and a gassed-up speedboat.
Clock is ticking with forty minutes max. We’ve backed off as far as they know.”
Leah swiped through pics taken with telephoto lenses and sent to her phone. Each ski-masked man held a child as a shield. Leah detested the savagery and the horrific emotions the hostages
must be feeling.
“We’re located on San Luis Pass Road on the western section of the island. Nearest house is five hundred yards away. Owners are in Europe. We’re in contact with the agency managing it.”
She didn’t need a key to access the home.
The SWAT commander continued. “One of the hostages is the owner of the home, Amanda Barton.”
“Is there a Mr. Barton in the picture?”
“Divorced. Lives in California.”
Unlikely the ex-husband was behind this.
“Agent Jon Colbert will be on scene shortly,” the commander said. “He had a deposition early this morning in Texas City and drove on to Galveston. Over the weekend, his SWAT partner had emergency knee surgery. Out for six weeks.”
And Leah’s partner had left the city yesterday on vacation.
The luck of the draw meant she and Jon would be working together. “I’ll contact you as soon as we land.”
Jon Colbert, a sniper who had excellent marksmanship and a stellar reputation, also worked organized crime. But she and Jon had never worked together. The idea of teaming up with an agent she barely knew made her uneasy. If a sniper mission required a partner, she preferred an established relationship where she would know how the person processed information.
Shoving aside her doubts, she narrowed her thoughts on what lay ahead. The precarious situation and local law enforcement’s inability to negotiate added up to why she and Jon had
been assigned to the case.
She grasped her backpack, lighter than usual with only a spotting scope, ammo, water, communication equipment, extra batteries, granola bar, and a handheld radio. Her Glock, as comfortable in her right hand as a toothbrush, found its spot in her back waistband. She touched her H-S Precision heavy tactical rifle.
The sooner she got to Galveston, the sooner she could provide intelligence and help neutralize the circumstances. Her priority was seeing the women and children freed from these ruthless men.
* * *
Jon received a text from Special Agent in Charge Thomas that Leah Riesel had left the Houston FBI office and was en route to Galveston. He’d met her a few times, and they’d qualified
together. Attractive woman—dark-brown hair, light-olive skin, New Yorker with the accent to prove it. Her professionalism in the violent crime division wavered between exceptional and extraordinary. A touch of toughness. Jon had heard not to make her mad—she had earned the nickname Panther for a reason. He remembered her stats—number three in the US for distance shots. Good thing he wasn’t easily intimidated.
Once the chopper landed, Leah would be transported in an unmarked car to a vacant house more than a quarter of a mile away from the Barton home. No point in making the two men more trigger-happy when they’d warned law enforcement to back off.
The SWAT commander spoke through Jon’s radio attached to his collar. “Thermal imaging confirms four adults and three children inside the Barton home. The men claim they’ll kill the
children first. We have fifteen minutes.”
In Galveston, Jon stopped at Broadway and Sixty-First Street. Tourists persisted in the middle of the thoroughfare, pushing strollers, riding surrey bikes, and enjoying the day. Some were dressed for the beach and others clutched what they needed for their excursion. All hindered his turn. Obstacles in his mission. If they knew the situation not far from them, they’d grab their loved ones and speed home. Each moment delayed his shot and shoved the hostages closer to death. A chilling composure took over his emotional, mental, and physical reactions. The busy street finally cleared. Jon turned west onto Seawall Boulevard and drove on to San Luis Pass. The hostage site was four and a half miles beyond there.
Were the two men inside the Barton home wannabes looking to make a name for themselves? Strung out on drugs? Was this a personal vendetta? No matter how this ended—either a surrender or he’d be instructed to take a shot— their moment in history would likely be the lead story on tonight’s news. His phone alerted him to an incoming call. He responded
before the first ring ended. “Colbert.” The chopper’s rhythmic whir reverberated through his phone.
“Riesel here. Landing in five at Galveston Island State Park. SWAT commander has given me a location on the west side of the Barton home.”
“I’ll be on foot by then. Taking a position on the east, beach side.”
“I’ll need seven minutes to get into place,” she said.
“Okay.” No need to remind her of the ticking clock.
He touched End and whipped his truck onto a beach-access road where police officers had instructed residents to shelter in place. He switched off the engine. Grabbing his gear, he bolted
down the beach. A Galveston police officer stopped him, and Jon handed him his ID. Seconds later, he moved toward his site.
A sultry breeze blew across the water, and he recalculated his shot.
Crouching low, he moved past police SWAT standing guard.
FBI SWAT held the position Riesel was headed for. They were racing against time, a commodity that stopped for nothing or no one. At any moment, one of the armed men could pull the
trigger on those inside the Barton home.
Restraint.
Control.
Tense muscles relaxed. His heartbeat slowed.
A clear head laid out the steps before the kill shot.
No mistakes.
Precision.
Accuracy.
A chance for the women and children to live another day.
Near a sand dune, he tuned out the occasional seagull and the waves rushing against the shore. After wiping the sweat from his hands on his pants, Jon set up his rifle and scope,
activated his radio, and spoke to the SWAT commander and Leah Riesel.
DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She weaves memorable characters with unpredictable plots to create action-packed, suspense-filled novels. DiAnn believes every breath of life is someone’s story, so why not capture those moments and create a thrilling adventure?
Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests.
DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. She is co-director of The Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference, Mountainside Marketing Conference, and the Mountainside Novelist Retreat with social media specialist Edie Melson where she continues her passion of helping other writers be successful. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country.
DiAnn has been termed a coffee snob and roasts her own coffee beans. She’s an avid reader, loves to cook, and believes her grandchildren are the smartest kids in the universe. She and her husband live in sunny Houston, Texas.
Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews, interviews, guest posts, and giveaways!
Enter To Win!:
This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for DiAnn Mills. There will be 2 winners each winning one (1) Gift Card (choice of Amazon or B&N). The giveaway begins on September 1, 2019 and runs through October 2, 2019. Void where prohibited.
