Blessed Mayhem by Sue Coletta @SueColetta1

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Sue Coletta writes some fabulous thrillers that blow me away and I am so happy to have a copy of Blessed Mayhem. This serial killer reminds me of Hannibal Lector, but without the penchant for eating his victims.

Look at that fabulous cover done by EJR Digital Art

Woo Hoo…Here I go, on another wild ride with Sue Coletta.

Publisher: Tirgearr Publishing

Blessed Mayhem

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

The cat burglar and the serial killer collided in a most unexpected way. HE took it as a challenge…and with Shawnee, it certainly will be. He is looking forward to breaking her will, but Shawnee bends for no one.. Sparks fly whenever she is around and I love the snarky dialogue. She is a risk taker. She’s not a cop, but she works for them, running their cyber crime unit. If you get on her bad side, she would just as soon kick your ass as look at you.

Sue Coletta has taken a different route with Mr Mayhem and Shawnee Daniels. I love it! I find it very refreshing and challenging, and exciting, because I don’t know where she’s going to take me.

And…What’s up with the crows? That is a whole ‘nother issue.

Shawnee walks through a nightmare, at times the past and present merging together, making it hard for her to pull herself back from the brink of insanity. She guards her secrets closely, but sooner or later she is going to have to explain Maggie…and Jessup.

She tries more than Levaughn’s patience with her antics. He works as a detective for the police department. He knows about her burglaring, but thought she had given it up. I think she is hooked on the adrenaline high, and a safe, normal life won’t work for her.

She’s like an M&M, hard on the outside, soft on the inside. Her love for Berkley, her sleeping pill is his purr. Her motto, she’d face Lucifer himself to save a child. And she can’t say no to Levaughn, needing him to hold her, love her, when life becomes unbearable.

I can see Mr Mayhem’s resemblance to Hannibal Lector. I can see Shawnee’s resemblance to Clarice. I love that Sue Coletta took Blessed Mayhem so far out there, I had to reign myself in after the last page was read.

I don’t know if it is just me, but I wanted to be ‘shown’ more. Shawnee is so hard on the outside, I wanted to be ‘shown’ more of her love for Levaughn, her best friend and lover. I also wanted to be ‘shown’ more of the badass side and the evil that befalls her in her battle with Mr Mayhem. I wanted to get lost inside their heads. Maybe I just wasn’t ready for the story to end. If I did half stars, I would rate this 4.5, but seeing I don’t, I round up…5 Stars it is.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Blessed Mayhem by Sue Coletta.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

2017 Winner of Readers’ Choice Award in Mystery/Thriller, hosted by Rosie’s Book Reviews!!

A chance encounter …a deadly predicament …a lethal decision.

The infamous Mr. Mayhem is not your average serial killer. Reminiscent of the beloved Hannibal Lecter, minus his thirst for flesh—because eating humans is just plain rude—Mr. Mayhem storms on the scene with style, grace, elegance, and a zest for life unlike any other. Impeccable manners also help. He may commit murder, but there’s no reason to be impolite about it.

Accompanied by his loyal crow companions, Poe, Allan, and Edgar, his crimes strike fear in the hearts and minds of folks across Massachusetts’ North Shore. When Shawnee Daniels—cat burglar extraordinaire and forensic hacker for the police—meets Mayhem in the dark, she piques his curiosity. Sadly for her, she leaves behind an item best left undiscovered. Or is it serendipity by design?

Color him curious, but he yearns to examine the psychology behind her life choices, tough girl routine, witty banter, and unique double-life. In a different time and place they may even become friends. But unfortunately, their predicament defines the risk.

The stakes are too high to stop now.

For reasons authorities cannot fathom, these seemingly unrelated murders will go down in history as the most impressive killing regime of all time. His coup de grace, if you will. Even if it means permanently erasing Ms. Daniels from the equation. All the pieces are there if the authorities look hard enough. The question is, will they? The only new wrinkle is Shawnee Daniels, and she may be his toughest opponent yet …if she’s clever enough to play the game.

ABOUT SUE COLETTA

Sue Coletta

ABOUT SUE COLETTA   Member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers, Sue Coletta is an award-winning, multi-published author in numerous anthologies and her forensics articles have appeared in InSinC Quarterly. In addition to her popular crime resource blog, Sue co-hosts the radio show “Partners In Crime” on Writestream Radio Network every third Tuesday of the month from 1 – 3 p.m. EDT/EST (see details at www.suecoletta.com). She’s also the communications manager for the Serial Killer Project and Forensic Science, and founder of #ACrimeChat on Twitter. She runs a popular crime website and blog, where she shares crime tips, police jargon, the mind of serial killers, and anything and everything in between. If you search her achieves, you’ll find posts from guests that work in law enforcement, forensics, coroner, undercover operatives, firearm experts…crime, crime, and more crime.   For readers, she has the Crime Lover’s Lounge, where subscribers will be the first to know about free giveaways, contests, and have inside access to deleted scenes. As an added bonus, members get to play in the lounge. Your secret code will unlock the virtual door. Inside, like-minded folks discuss their favorite crime novels, solve mindbender and mystery puzzles, and/or relax and chat. Most importantly, everyone has a lot of fun.   Sue lives in northern New Hampshire with her husband, where her house is surrounded by wildlife…bear, moose, deer, even mountain lions have been spotted. Course, Sue would love to snuggle with them, but her husband frowns on the idea.  

Website * Facebook Author Page * Facebook * Twitter * PinterestGoogle+ * Youtube * Amazon * Goodreads

MY REVIEWS FOR SUE COLETTA

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Friday 56 #156 – A Map of the Dark by Karen Ellis @KatiaLief

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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.

~~~

I got a copy of A Map of the Dark by Karen Ellis from Net Galley, thought I have been trying hard to stay away from it until I have read and reviewed all the books I am behind. Needless to say, when I saw Karen’s Searcher series, I couldn’t resist. Let’s take a look at the first in the series A Map of the Dark.

A Map of the Dark (The Searchers #1)

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

BOOK BEGINNINGS

She likes the feel of the ground underfoot and so so she toes off her sneakers and carries them, swinging loosely from her fingertips. But after a couple of minutes she steps on something sharp and changes her mind. She drops her book bag i a pool of shifting shadows. Sits on it. Ties her left sneaker, then plants that foot on the ground and cantilevers over a bent knee to tie the other one. She feels tired. tired from all the things on her agenda this week. All the shoolwork piling up. Yawning, she stands and continues walking slowly, vaguely, in the direction of her high school.

MY 56

She was on her way to school. She missed the bus. She was walking. And then. And then.

(56% on Kindle)

GOODREADS BLURB

A girl, missing
A woman, searching
A killer, planning…

FBI Agent Elsa Myers finds missing people.
She knows how it feels to be lost…

Though her father lies dying in a hospital north of New York City, Elsa cannot refuse a call for help. A teenage girl has gone missing from Forest Hills, Queens, and during the critical first hours of the case, a series of false leads hides the fact that she did not go willingly.

With each passing hour, as the hunt for Ruby deepens into a search for a man who may have been killing for years, the case starts to get underneath Elsa’s skin. Everything she has buried – her fraught relationship with her sister and niece, her self-destructive past, her mother’s death – threatens to resurface, with devastating consequences.

In order to save the missing girl, she may have to lose herself…and return to the darkness she’s been hiding from for years.

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
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  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
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Giveaway – Beach Blanket Homicide by Maria Geraci @MariaGeraci @dollycas

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Beach Blanket Homicide
(Whispering Bay Mystery)
by Maria Geraci

About the Book

Beach Blanket Homicide (Whispering Bay Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Independently Published (November 27, 2018)
Paperback: 268 pages
ISBN-10: 1790435722
ISBN-13: 978-1790435722
Digital ASIN: B07K6WXBG8

The first book in a fun, quirky chick-lit mystery series featuring Lucy McGuffin, world’s best muffin maker and amateur sleuth.

Everyone agrees that Lucy McGuffin bakes the best muffins in Whispering Bay, but she’s got another talent, one that she’s tried her whole life to hide. Lucy can always tell when a person is lying or telling the truth. Being a human lie detector isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Especially when you don’t really want the answer to the universal question: Does this dress make my butt look too big?

When Lucy is hired to cater the grand opening celebration of the city’s new community center, she stumbles across the dead body of Abby Delgado, a prominent member of the Sunshine Ghost Society. Lucy’s brother, Father Sebastian, a local priest, is the last person to have seen Abby alive. Convinced he’ll be breaking a confidence, Sebastian refuses to cooperate with the police, forcing Lucy to put her skills to the test to save her brother’s good name.

Enter the town’s new hotshot deputy, Travis Fontaine. Travis doesn’t want an amateur like Lucy snooping around his turf, so he offers her a deal. He’ll stay out of her kitchen if she’ll stay away from his crime scene. But Lucy isn’t about to let her brother’s fate rest in the hands of an arrogant cop. Good thing she has her best friend Will and her new little rescue dog, Paco, to back her up, because its up to Lucy to figure out what everyone in the quaint little beachside town is hiding.

About the Author

Author Maria Geraci. (Photo by Chris Kridler/ChrisKridler.com)

Maria Geraci writes quirky, fun, romantic women’s fiction and cozy mysteries. She’s a two time RITA® Finalist, as well as a finalist in the National Readers’ Choice Awards and Romantic Times’ American Title Contest. She lives in central Florida and is always on the lookout for the perfect key lime pie recipe (but not the kind they served on Dexter).

Author Links

Website – http://mariageraci.com/

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/MariaGeraciBooks

GoodReads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2869532.Maria_Geraci

BookBub – https://www.bookbub.com/authors/maria-geraci

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/authormariageraci/

Purchase Link – Amazon 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

March 6 – Sneaky the Library Cat’s Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

March 6 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

March 6 – Valerie’s Musings – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

March 7 – Baroness’ Book Trove – REVIEW

March 7 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT

March 8 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

March 8 – View from the Birdhouse – SPOTLIGHT

March 8 – My Reading Journeys – GUEST POST

March 9 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT

March 9 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

March 10 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

March 10 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

March 10 – Laura’s Interests – GUEST POST

March 11 – The Montana Bookaholic – REVIEW

March 11 – I’m Into Books – SPOTLIGHT

March 11 – Readeropolis – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

March 12 – Books Direct – SPOTLIGHT

March 12 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW

Giveaway – Trust Me Series by Amy Romine @AmyJRomine @SDSXXTours

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Serenity Lost
Trust Me Book 1
by Amy Romine
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Their brief heated meeting one fateful night had singed itself into their minds. Not knowing of the other’s identity, but unable to forget, had sealed their fate. The fire smoldered quietly in each of them as they tried to move on with their lives.
Eric Stiles was in the middle of chaos, searching for a killer.
Hunted by an obsessed psychopath, Rebecca Gailen was trying to be strong.
The world stopped for a moment as they looked up and saw the other standing just feet away.
His heart lurched, her armor shattered and the world started again as Eric’s brother, Charlie, appeared to take her hand.
Family loyalty isn’t a choice. When Rebecca’s stalker rages out of control, Eric’s decision haunts him and he struggles to stay away. Can he remain loyal to his brother, even if it means abandoning Rebecca when she may need him the most?
**On Sale for only $1.99 at eXtasy Books HERE!!**
Veiled Deception
Trust Me Book 2
She had become his prey. His plaything. The one he desired the most, but someone wanted her more.
Her resilience fading, Rebecca fights to remain strong against the man trying to destroy her mind and her life. Without the solace of Eric’s arms, Rebecca’s will to recover from the relentless blows wanes as she begins to break.
Eric, forced to face his own choices, races to end the nightmare before the woman he loves is completely torn apart.
Just when they think the worst is over, the game and the stakes change.
**On Sale for only $1.99 at eXtasy Books HERE!!**
Jaded Promises
Trust Me Book 3
Eric Stiles has everything to lose and no matter how hard he fights he can feel his life slipping away.
Rebecca Gailen thinks that the love of her life is dead and only the vigor of revenge keeps her fighting to survive.
When a secret reveals more than anyone expected, it changes Eric and Rebecca’s lives forever. The devastating truth puts the couple at odds. Can they overcome their clashing conclusions and learn to trust each other again? Or will they let it rip them apart?
**On Sale for only $1.99 at eXtasy Books HERE!!**
Amy Romine has always wanted to be one of the good guys. From playing Charlie’s Angels in the backyard of her Macungie, PA home as a child to the pages of her unending projects, Amy has always dreamed of adventure and romance. Her need to make the characters truly deserve their happiness takes us on many a twisted journey. From serial killers to demons, Amy holds nothing back in the name of true enduring love.
A mother of three, Amy has spent the past sixteen years working in Operations for Ricoh America’s Corporation. She is an avid movie fan and enjoys books, television, theater, her dog Pip and all things romance.
Follow the tour HERE for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!
  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
  • I am an Amazon affiliate/product images are linked.
  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

The Girl Next Door – Her by Britney King @britneyking_

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Britney King writes some fantastic thrillers, with serial killers that walk a twisted line. I love her work, so I was happy to get my hands on Her!

Britney King did the book cover and I love it in all its simplicity. Sometimes less says more.

HER: A Psychological Thriller

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Britney King loves to deliver a twisted, psychological thriller that makes it almost impossible to put down. Her is another fantastic addition to my reading list and I can hardly wait for more.

The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off. Joe Klaus

With an opening like that, I grit my teeth and clench my hands tightly around my ereader, anticipating another fabulous psychological thriller from Britney King…and I was not disappointed.

When I read the Prologue, I thought, “I wonder what she is setting me up for.”

Britney King is very creative when it comes to her villains. Many times she has me rooting for them, making me love them and wanting things to work out for them.

Be careful thinking the grass is greener on the other side. It may be infested with evil.

Sadie…she is finding out that once you are in, you are never out. Now, how can I turn my back on her. I am bopping along, at a steady pace, watching her be manipulated, twisted, and perverted into keeping some nefarious secrets.

Secrets, betrayal…how can she live like that?

Britney King has a way of taking a normal neighborhood and with her casual air creates a location of danger and death. Somehow her imagination comes up with way of surprising me, jerking me out of an I know this attitude.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Her by Britney King.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Star

GOODREADS BLURB

“After four, I quit counting. What’s the point if you know it isn’t going to stop?”

Sadie is jealous. Why wouldn’t she be? Her life is falling apart. Meanwhile, her new neighbor is everything she is not.

Ann is perfect—the kind of woman everyone loves to hate—and a best friend to die for. She hosts over-the-top dinner parties, takes parenting to an entirely different level, and makes ambition look sexy as hell.

Sadie learns quick: the best way to cure jealousy is to befriend it. She also learns there’s more to her new friend than meets the eye. She’s patient, she’s kind, and possibly a serial killer.

It isn’t until Ann’s proclivities hit a little too close to home that Sadie has to ask herself how much she’s willing to overlook in the name of getting what she wants.

Exquisitely paced, Her is an unnerving and electrifying psychological thriller about jealousy, passion, and the dangerous places desire can take you. Full of enough tension and twists to make even the most seasoned suspense reader break out in a cold sweat, it keeps you guessing until the very last page.

ABOUT BRITNEY KING

Britney King

Britney King writes psychological, domestic, and romantic thrillers set in suburbia. She is currently writing three series and several standalone novels.

The Bedrock series (psychological/domestic/romantic thriller) features an unlikely heroine who should have known better. Turns out, she didn’t. Thus she finds herself tangled in a messy, dangerous, forbidden love story and face-to-face with a madman hell-bent on revenge. The series has been compared to Fatal Attraction, Single White Female, and Basic Instinct.

The Water Trilogy (psychological/domestic/romantic thriller) follows the shady love story of an unconventional married couple– he’s an assassin–she kills for fun. It has been compared to a crazier version of Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Also, the hit series Dexter.

Around The Bend, is a heart-pounding standalone (romantic suspense/domestic/psychological thriller), which traces the journey of a well-to-do suburban housewife, and her life as it unravels, thanks to the secrets she keeps. If she were the only one with things she wanted to keep hidden, then maybe it wouldn’t have turned out so bad. But she wasn’t.

The With You series (romantic suspense/contemporary romance) is a coming of age, friends to lovers, second chance (plus a few) love story about unlikely friends who travel the world; trying to find themselves, together and apart. It has been compared to Love, Rosie.

Britney lives in Austin, Texas with her husband, children, two dogs, one ridiculous cat, and a partridge in a pear tree.

She enjoys hearing from readers and would love it if you would connect with her at britneyking.com or the plethora of social media accounts she posses.

To receive an email whenever the author releases a new title, sign up for the VIP newsletter at britneyking.com/subscribe-to-new-rele… copy and paste into your browser).

To get more– grab two books for free, by subscribing to her mailing list at britneyking.com or just copy and paste bit.ly/britneykingweb into your browser.

Her characters may be hard to pin down, but she’s not. She loves talking to readers, so feel free to email her at britney@britneyking.com—she does her best to respond to everyone.

Happy reading.

Connect here:  Website  /  Instagram  /  Facebook  /  Twitter

MY BRITNEY KING REVIEWS

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
  • I am an Amazon affiliate/product images are linked.
  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Giveaway – House of Madness by Sara Harris @SaraHarrisBooks @SDSXXTours

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House of Madness
by Sara Harris
Genre: Paranormal Thriller
Can You Ever Truly Put the Past Behind You?
Tim and Adelaide Smithfield are haunted by memories of loss too raw to forget, and too painful to remember. Their 11-year-old daughter, Michaela, has her own set of sensory processing challenges, not to mention an overwhelming sense of guilt that she might be at the root of her parents’ problems.
The sprawling ranch house on the outskirts of the quaint West Texas town of Big Spring promises a fresh start for a young family on the verge of collapse.
But the house is haunted by memories of its own… and a guilt that West Texas’ famed thunderstorms can’t wash away.
Sara is a mother of four, animal lover and advocate, and conservationist. Little House on the Prairie, Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman, and Lonesome Dove are among her favorite shows/movies and books. Sara holds her B.A. in History and is the author of the historical romance series, An Everlasting Heart, from 5 Prince Publishing and recently debuted into the children’s book realm with Chunky Sugars (5 Prince Kids), written for her own chunky baby.
Follow the tour HERE for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!
  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
  • I am an Amazon affiliate/product images are linked.
  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Release Day for Her by Britney King @britneyking_ @EJBookPromos

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Britney King writes some fantastic thrillers, with serial killers that walk a twisted line. I love her work, so I was happy to get my hands on Her!

Britney King did the book cover and I love it in all its simplicity. Sometimes less says more.

HER: A Psychological Thriller

Amazon / Goodreads

GOODREADS BLURB

“After four, I quit counting. What’s the point if you know it isn’t going to stop?”

Sadie is jealous. Why wouldn’t she be? Her life is falling apart. Meanwhile, her new neighbor is everything she is not.

Ann is perfect—the kind of woman everyone loves to hate—and a best friend to die for. She hosts over-the-top dinner parties, takes parenting to an entirely different level, and makes ambition look sexy as hell.

Sadie learns quick: the best way to cure jealousy is to befriend it. She also learns there’s more to her new friend than meets the eye. She’s patient, she’s kind, and possibly a serial killer.

It isn’t until Ann’s proclivities hit a little too close to home that Sadie has to ask herself how much she’s willing to overlook in the name of getting what she wants.

Exquisitely paced, Her is an unnerving and electrifying psychological thriller about jealousy, passion, and the dangerous places desire can take you. Full of enough tension and twists to make even the most seasoned suspense reader break out in a cold sweat, it keeps you guessing until the very last page.

ABOUT BRITNEY KING

Britney King

Britney King writes psychological, domestic, and romantic thrillers set in suburbia. She is currently writing three series and several standalone novels.

The Bedrock series (psychological/domestic/romantic thriller) features an unlikely heroine who should have known better. Turns out, she didn’t. Thus she finds herself tangled in a messy, dangerous, forbidden love story and face-to-face with a madman hell-bent on revenge. The series has been compared to Fatal Attraction, Single White Female, and Basic Instinct.

The Water Trilogy (psychological/domestic/romantic thriller) follows the shady love story of an unconventional married couple– he’s an assassin–she kills for fun. It has been compared to a crazier version of Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Also, the hit series Dexter.

Around The Bend, is a heart-pounding standalone (romantic suspense/domestic/psychological thriller), which traces the journey of a well-to-do suburban housewife, and her life as it unravels, thanks to the secrets she keeps. If she were the only one with things she wanted to keep hidden, then maybe it wouldn’t have turned out so bad. But she wasn’t.

The With You series (romantic suspense/contemporary romance) is a coming of age, friends to lovers, second chance (plus a few) love story about unlikely friends who travel the world; trying to find themselves, together and apart. It has been compared to Love, Rosie.

Britney lives in Austin, Texas with her husband, children, two dogs, one ridiculous cat, and a partridge in a pear tree.

She enjoys hearing from readers and would love it if you would connect with her at britneyking.com or the plethora of social media accounts she posses.

To receive an email whenever the author releases a new title, sign up for the VIP newsletter at britneyking.com/subscribe-to-new-rele… copy and paste into your browser).

To get more– grab two books for free, by subscribing to her mailing list at britneyking.com or just copy and paste bit.ly/britneykingweb into your browser.

Her characters may be hard to pin down, but she’s not. She loves talking to readers, so feel free to email her at britney@britneyking.com—she does her best to respond to everyone.

Happy reading.

Connect here:  Website  /  Instagram  /  Facebook  /  Twitter

MY BRITNEY KING REVIEWS

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
  • I am an Amazon affiliate/product images are linked.
  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Oh No…Spiders – My Hungry Friend by Daniel Barnett #DanielBarnett

The cover wasn’t the only thing that had me eager to read David Barnett’s My Hungry Friend. The title makes me wonder…Who’s hungry and who will be eaten. LOL

Does the cover or title make you curious?

My Hungry Friend

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Running the gauntlet of the homeless that are collected on the block, he makes the biggest mistake of his life.

“Everything’s got a price,” she said.

And he was going to pay it!

Is it real, or all in his head?

Will he take anyone down with him?

I wondered.

Spiders…one of the creepiest critters to crawl the face of the earth. Just thinking of, writing about them, makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck and chills run up and down my spine. That is the kind of scary I like. Not Jason coming at me with a chain saw.

The subtle creepiness and anticipation of what is to come gives me plenty of time to watch his world crumble.

The writing is great and the story is haunting.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of My Hungry Friend by Daniel Barnett.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
3 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

When Mike Roberts kicks over a homeless woman’s cup of change, she whispers a cryptic warning:

“Mind the cracks . . .”

Now the Boston he knows and loves is unraveling around him. But his life is not the only thing at stake. His mother, a once acclaimed writer lost in the late stages of Alzheimer’s, depends on him to have a home. And then there’s her caretaker, Cassie, who might want something more from Mike than the friendship they’ve long shared.

As his city balances on a razor’s edge, Mike will have to hunt down the daughter of the woman he wronged and uncover their terrible family secret . . . or be plunged into a world of crawling horrors and unspeakable hunger.

A world from which no one has ever returned.

ABOUT DANIEL BARNETT

Daniel   Barnett

Daniel Barnett lives in Portland, Oregon and is a lover of stories–especially ones where things go bump in the night. His work has appeared in Crowded Magazine, and his short story The Sadie Hawkins placed in the top 6 for the 2015 Aeon Award. When he isn’t writing or reading, he’s discussing fiction with others. Whether they want to or not.

Goodreads

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
  • I am an Amazon affiliate/product images are linked.
  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Friday 56 #155 – Strong As Steel by Jon Land @jondland

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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.

~~~

Jon Land has been one of my must read authors for a long time now, way before I started blogging, so I am very excited to share his latest Caitlin Strong novel, Strong As Steel.

Strong As Steel (Caitlin Strong #10)

Amazon / Goodreads

BOOK BEGINNINGS

The liman reisi of the Port of Ordu watched the freighter crest the currents, alerted to its presence by the fact it was gaining speed instead of reducing it as the ship approached its apportioned pier. He stopped short of sounding the alarm because he recognized her as the Dolunay, captained by Aykan Talu, one of the most experienced in the region. No doubt Talu had yet to slow his engines to better negotiate the unusually stiff currents a larger freighter would have sliced through in effortless fashion.

Uh oh. I see a problem.

MY 56

“Ranger, I know this is gonna sound crazy, but he didn’t have a face. It’s like it was somebody else’s face and he was wearing it,” the man continued. “Like he sewed it on in strips. He wore a hat tilted low over his brow to disguise it as best e could. But when he was checking out, the light hit him just right and I thought maybe Halloween came early.

(56% on Kindle)

GOODREADS BLURB

1994: Texas Ranger Jim Strong investigates a mass murder on a dusty freight train linked to a mysterious, missing cargo for which no record exists.

The Present: His daughter, fifth generation Texas Ranger Caitlin Strong, finds herself on the trail of that same cargo when skeletal remains are found near an excavation site in the Texas desert. She’s also dealing with the aftermath of a massacre that claimed the lives of all the workers at a private intelligence company on her watch.

These two cases are connected by a long buried secret, one that men have killed and died to protect. Caitlin and her outlaw lover Cort Wesley Masters must prove themselves to be as strong as steel to overcome a bloody tide that has been rising for centuries.

MY JON LAND REVIEWS

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Sleeper Agents – The Expired by B P Smythe #BPSmythe

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Sleeper Agents – do you believe it is possible? I sure do, and so does B P Smythe in this complex political thriller.

THE EXPIRED

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Sir Geoffrey…no conscience, no morals, self preservation, not someone I would want in my circle of friends. But I do love a good bad guy. LOL

Is there an honest person in government? Is there anyone that doesn’t have their own devious agenda, willing to go to any lengths to get what they want? I do love conspiracies, so I was looking forward to diving into this one.

Sleeper agents. Man-made assassins. Covert programs. Secret agendas. Betrayals.

Francis…

Think Manchurian Candidate.

Drugs. Terrorism. Flat out murder.

B P Smythe has created some despicable characters, but to counter the bad, we need to have the good. There is tons of action and characters that have their individual stories, and they come together the story becomes clear.

Though it didn’t rate high on my thriller list, The Expired by B P Smythe was an interesting and enjoyable read that fed my conspiracy reading need.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
3 Star

GOODREADS BLURB

‘The Expired’ is a psychological thriller masterpiece showing how vulnerable people can be brainwashed to become sleepers (Manchurian Candidates) and used by corrupt politicians to further their own ends. ‘The Expired’ shadows true accounts of government sleeper programmes set up during the Korean War and the East West Cold War.

Commander Gregory Potting is a former head of MI6 Intelligence and the governments most trusted Senior Adviser for Internal Affairs.

His position is put to the test in 1973 when a bizarre psychological plot unfolds that is inextricably linked to a London terrorist attack, a cocaine drug scam, a homosexual called Francis Hodder who suffers from schizophrenia and changes from time to time to Roxanne – a transvestite prostitute who robs and murders his clients.

Francis Hodder is a transsexual who preys on gay men. As a child he is abused by his father who is head of government security. Francis becomes an embarrassment to MI6 because of his gender leaning. He is brainwashed to become a Sleeper assassin triggered by code words to kill personnel who threaten government security. Francis becomes a manipulated pawn, who by mistake during a sexual encounter with a Black September terrorist, uncovers plans for a deadly attack on a densely crowded popular sports event to kill thousands of people to further the cause of EL Fatah and Black September.

ABOUT B P SMYTHE

I studied engineering at Carshalton College and eventually became a member of the Institute of Quality Assurance.

My engineering career took on many roles including toolmaking and being a technical writer for an artificial limb manufacturer. However, I’ve always enjoyed putting pen to paper while raising quality manuals and writing reports. I also write tennis articles for my local county magazine and relax reading crime and horror fiction. This, coupled with my technical writing career, partly influenced my transition into creative writing.

Wanting to expand my writing knowledge, I obtained a Level 3 / NCFE Certificate / PI410 creative writing diploma.

Sow And You Shall Reap – http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/145677171X is my first self- published novel. However, I have submitted numerous short stories for internet competitions including, winning £100 as first prize for my A Rose Without a Thorn for the www.spinetinglerspublishing online magazine and winning £50 first prize for my We’ll Meet Again in the http://dark-places.co.uk online magazine.

Two of my other short stories, Love Me Do and My Secret Place, have also been published in the printed Litro Magazine – Issue 140 – ISBN 978-0-9554245-5-7 http://www.litro.co.uk/2015/02/litro-140-diaries/

Near the end of 2015 I fortunately obtained a three book deal contract with Bloodhound Books www.bloodhoundbooks.com to publish a trilogy of macabre/thriller collected short stories. My first book titled – ‘From a Poison Pen’ is the first book of the trilogy and highlights from the stories – What happens when a member of the Hitler youth ends up in a concentration camp? How does a beach side cocktail get in the way the way of one woman’s scheming? What leads a teenage girl to reign down fire and brimstone? When a doctor buries his mistake, can he get away with it?

This collection of dark, humorous and macabre tales explores the disturbing side of human nature.

When I read The Manchurian Candidate by Richard Condon, I was fascinated while exploring true accounts of government sleeper programmes set up during the Korean war and the east west cold war. This inspired me to write ‘The Expired’, a psychological thriller showing how prospective candidates can be brainwashed to become sleepers and used by corrupt politicians to further their own ends.

Website

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
  • I am an Amazon affiliate/product images are linked.
  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!