Rosepoint Publishing

Wanna Get Lucky? by Deborah Coonts #BookReview #GeneralHumorousFiction #TuesdayBookBlog

The Lucky O’Toole Vegas Adventure Series

Book Blurb:

Everyone Has a Hidden Talent

For Lucky O’Toole it’s murder…solving it.

Surviving in Sin City takes cunning, a pair of five-inch heels, and a wiseass attitude. Lucky has mastered them all and has a pair of legs she uses to kick butt and turn heads.

As the Chief Problem Solver for the Babylon, Las Vegas’s most over-the-top destination, mischief is in her job description.

She’s good at her job.

She’s less good at life. But who has time for a life when there’s a killer on the loose?

WANNA GET LUCKY?

A woman falls from a tour helicopter to the horror of the 8:30 Pirate show crowd.

Was it suicide? An accident? Could she have been pushed?

Lucky’s day began with the invasion of the Adult Video Awards and Trade show convention.

It got more hectic when the spouse-swapping annual event checked in.

And if adding a body to the mix wasn’t enough, Lucky’s got a new suitor. Her best friend, Teddie, a female impersonator who is pressing to take their relationship to the next level.

Can she really date a man who looks better in a dress?

What happened to the woman over the pirate show?

Will her sleuthing skills catch the killer and save her job?

A light, funny, romantic mystery providing a Vegas escape appropriate for anyone looking for a good laugh. Pick up a copy now and start your adventure.

My Review:

Oh good grief! In my bid to find a romance book that wasn’t too gooey, graphic, or musical level corny, I downloaded this one. Gees, can I pick’em or what?! No suggestions, on my own, so this is what happens.

You know that old saw about “what happens in Vegas…” In case you haven’t been, you might be aware that this is actually pretty close, especially if you still wear an apron while cooking (with nothing underneath the apron). Vegas is crazy and I’ll grant you, could spin a whole boatload of off-the-wall stories. This could be one of them.

So, yes, it might start off with an interesting hook and look for all the world like a standard crime thriller. But don’t be fooled.

Lucky is a unique MC. She is the head of customer relations at the Babylon megacasino. She’s young but street smart and can handle herself very well. Mentored under the tutelage of The Big Boss, she’s made a few mistakes, but knows everyone, who they are, what they do, and what is going on in the city.

“Vegas rule number one—you can’t make any money if you can’t keep it in the house.”

Busy dealing with the upcoming adult film industry’s annual awards, spouse-swapping convention, and ElectroniCon, she’s distracted by the death of a young woman who took a header into the Pirate Lagoon of Treasure Island. Circumstances link to the Babylon and maybe not a suicide—something she’ll look into.

So why would you like this one? Is it really a romance? Well, sorta. As the blurb says, she’s got feelings for the female impersonator that tends to short-circuit her brain and spark like a dying bulb. He is quite engaging as a support character.

The overall feel of the book is one of snarky attitude (think the Finlay Donovan series by Elle Cosimano). It’s rife with innuendo, this side of explicit, bordering on raunchy, particularly nearing the end of the narrative. I’m one who was surprised at the graphic nature of the last Robyn Carr novel I ventured into, so will say this one doesn’t get that visual. It’s chock full of familiar analogies though.

“She feasted on men like a lioness on baby gazelles—hungry, but indifferent.”

The descriptions of Las Vegas depict “the Strip” pretty well. It’s bright, flashy, loud 24 hours/day and easy to lose your shirt and the horse you rode in on pretty quick. Not my thing, but readers who enjoy non-stop action, mystery, and romance may very well find this a fun Valentine’s read.

This is Book 1 of what looks like an eleven-book series. I could see where it might be heading, as Lucky set herself up for a hit (no doubt) in Book 2.

Many thanks to my favorite library for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Rating: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: General Humorous Fiction, Mystery Romance, Women Sleuths
Publisher: Chestnut Street Press
Publication Date: June 14, 2015

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Deborah Coonts swears she was switched at birth. Coming from a family of homebodies, Deborah is the odd woman out, happiest with a passport, a high-limit credit card, her computer, and changing scenery outside her window. Goaded by an insatiable curiosity, she flies airplanes, rides motorcycles, travels the world, and pretends to be more of a badass than she probably is. Deborah is the author of the Lucky O’Toole Vegas Adventure series, a romantic mystery romp through Sin City. Wanna Get Lucky?, the first in the series, was a New York Times Notable Crime Novel and a double RITA™ Award Finalist. She has also penned the Kate Sawyer Medical Thriller series, the Brinda Rose Humorous Mystery series, as well as a couple of standalones. Although often on an adventure, you can always track her down at www.deborahcoonts.com or https://www.goodreads.com/deborahcoonts

AN INTERVIEW WITH DEBORAH COONTS

Why did you decide to write humor?

I’m not sure I decided to add snark to the Lucky books, specifically to Lucky’s own voice, it just happened that way. When I was a kid, my mouth always got me into trouble. Finally, I’ve found a way to harness the sarcasm for the Forces of Good—or at least in a way not to anger my grandmother. And when Lucky started talking to me, she had a strong dose of sass in her.

The Lucky O’Toole Vegas Adventure series is hard to categorize. Is that by design?

When I set out to write Wanna Get Lucky?, I knew I wanted to write a romp through Las Vegas. I had the characters and the setting but no real understanding of narrative drive. So, I threw a young woman out of a tour helicopter into the middle of the Pirate Show and let the story unfold. A bit of murder to keep the plot moving, some wisecracking and Vegas mischief to make you laugh, and some romance to keep it interesting. A bit of a mash up, but it works.

The Mediator by Robert Bailey – #BookReview #legalthrillers #NetGalley

Max Ringo Book 1

Book Blurb:

From the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Rich Justice and The Boomerang comes a gripping thriller about a disgraced lawyer facing the legal battle of her life as she tries to redeem herself—and save her son.

Max Ringo was once a courtroom star at an elite law firm. Then a car accident left her addicted to painkillers, and her life dissolved into shambles. Now fresh out of rehab and making a comeback as a mediator, she gets her shot at redemption when she is appointed to handle a high-stakes divorce.

But as Max begins negotiations between the two notorious power players, the trap is already sprung. The husband kidnaps her teenage son, Nathan, and gives her a chilling ultimatum: settle the case on his terms…or the boy dies.

Over three relentless days, Max must resolve a cutthroat legal battle while pursuing a covert mission to rescue Nathan. She’ll risk everything—her career, her freedom, her life—to beat a ruthless adversary at his own game. Even when a shadowy syndicate enters the fray and bodies start to drop, only one thing matters. She must bring her son home, whatever the cost.

His Review:

Max Ringo has been a top negotiator while working with litigators and others to settle estates and other businesses. This story points out the difficulty of settlement as the estates become larger and the stakes for the parties’ life-changing outcomes are impacted. The amounts are enormous and those who have the largest stake are the ones least willing to give up their position.

A multi-billion-dollar estate is the key issue in this story. Drugs and crime take center stage as the participants balance personal problems with financial greed. Winning and losing may mean a castle or a shack. None of the litigants in this conflict is willing to concede! The most recalcitrant is Dagger Richardson who helped to take a fledgling company into a multi-billion-dollar concern. Can there be a meeting of the minds and a resolution to this issue?

My last novel by this author, Rich Justice, is the third in the Jason Rich series read and reviewed last year. This book kicks off the new Max Ringo series and is well-paced action with a somewhat lower body count. The story is a prime example of how the wealthy keep their wealth. Read and try to understand the dynamics of the situation. 4.5 stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. Any opinion expressed here is my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Legal Thrillers, Conspiracy Thrillers
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Publication Date: May 12, 2026
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble

The Author: Robert Bailey is the bestselling author of the McMurtrie and Drake Legal Thrillers series, which includes The Final Reckoning, The Last Trial, Between Black and White, and The Professor. The first two novels in the series were Beverly Hills Book Awards legal thriller of the year winners, and Between Black and White was a finalist for the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year.

For the past nineteen years, Bailey has been a civil defense trial lawyer in his hometown of Huntsville, Alabama, where he lives with his wife and three children. For more information, please visit http://www.robertbaileybooks.com.

Have a great Week! — Graphic by Canva templates

Want to Know a Secret? by Freida McFadden #AudiobookReview #psychologicalthrillers #ThrowbackThursday

Book Blurb:

YouTube baking sensation April Masterson knows the secret to the perfect gooey brownies. Or how to make key lime squares that will melt in your mouth. But if you keep watching her offline, you may find out some other secrets about April; secrets she’d rather you didn’t know – like where did her son go when he snuck out of the house? What was she doing with the local soccer coach behind fogged windows? And what’s buried in her backyard?

Everyone has secrets. Some are worse than others. April’s secrets are enough to destroy her. I’ll make sure of that.

My Review:

I’ve been flipped again. Misdirected. Unashamedly misled.

And why was that a surprise? I’ve read this author before, the most recent being The Intruder. At this point, aren’t you expecting another twist, one last zinger? The one you didn’t see coming. Or did you?

Here we have the typical small town, the gossip (because what is there to do other than that in a small town?) and the new family to the hood. Are they suspicious? The POV of the main character is that of baking sensation April Masterson—on the periphery of the “in-crowd”, possibly by virtue of her apparently successful YouTube channel that includes a “secret” in her recipes. They are all delicious!

The problem is, as possibly often happens, the face on the camera and the face at home may not be the same. The first time she pulled a switch in a demonstration of how to get her new neighbor’s child into the proper school should have been a big red flag.

The fun part begins when April starts getting scary little texts. But from whom? Dang, is she beginning to get some of her own medicine?

Big switch!

Try to keep up. If you got past a slightly slow start, this is your reward. Crazy twisty. Can you trust no one? You aren’t supposed to love these characters (I don’t think), so switch of POV…go with it. I didn’t love the epilogue, the ending, but the novel on the whole is wildly entertaining, page-turning turmoil that just keeps getting crazier.

McFadden fan? Then you no doubt will enjoy this one.

Well plotted and paced. Okay, ignore those points of disbelief. Is it entertaining? Engaging, keeps you reading?

Yes. And isn’t that the point?

Many thanks to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Psychological Thrillers, Suspense
Narrator: Alyson Krawchuk
Release Date: December 30, 2021

Title Links:

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: #1 New York Times, Amazon Charts, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Sunday Times, and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author Freida McFadden is a physician who has penned multiple bestselling psychological thrillers and medical humor novels. Freida’s work has been selected as one of Amazon Editors’ best books of the year, she is the winner of the International Thriller Writers Award for best paperback, and she is a Goodreads Choice Award winner. Her novels have been translated into 40 languages.

Freida lives with her family and cat in a centuries-old three-story home overlooking the ocean, with staircases that creak and moan with each step, and nobody could hear you if you scream. Unless you scream really loudly, maybe.

To hear Freida talk about herself more in the third person, check out her website freidamcfadden.

audiobooks — Graphic courtesy combination Canva and Freepik.com

June Baby: A Novel by Shannon Garvey #BookReview #ComingofAgeFiction #NetGalley

Part of: Thousand Voices

Book Blurb:

Some summers never leave you.

In this moving debut novel, set over the course of one transformative summer in the lush, beachy enclave of Block Island, a young woman reckons with love, loss, and the choices she must make to move forward.

At seventeen, Ruth lost her mother to cancer, and her father, unable to handle his grieving daughter, shipped her off to Block Island with nothing but a name scribbled on the back of a receipt: Diana Beckett. Diana, a renowned photographer, took Ruth in for the summer, and Block Island became Ruth’s refuge, a place of beauty and creativity, a place where she could nurture her dreams of being a writer, a place where she could fall in love for the first time—with Diana’s nephew, Charlie.

Now, at twenty-seven, Ruth has spent the last ten summers living and working among the lucky few who get to vacation in this wealthy beach town, and the rest of the year just scraping by, yearning to return to the place where she feels safe and unburdened. But then Ruth’s world is upended by tragedy again. Desperate for an anchor, she reaches for the person she’s been pining for since she met him—Charlie—who has his own startling revelation to share. And when another surprise comes in the form of a box left to Ruth by Diana, its contents raise questions about just how well she knew the two women who raised her. Torn between what to believe about her past, and what her future might hold, Ruth is faced with another choice: does she dare to rewrite her story entirely?

Both a heartfelt coming-of-age story and a tender exploration of love and grief, set against a backdrop of golden dunes and seaside sunsets, June Baby shows us what it might look like to embrace a life shaped not by loss, but by possibility.

My Review:

The pace begins rather slowly and sets the tone for the duration of the novel. I was not successful getting into Ruth’s head, didn’t really like her, and had I met her in real life would have run—not walked away.

Ruth returns to Block Island following the death of Diana Beckett. She had been sent to live with Diana following the death of her mother and her father, lacking the ability to deal with his own grief, falls far short of supporting his daughter in hers.

It’s on Block Island that first summer that she meets Charlie. Ten years later, now at the age of twenty-seven, she returns to clean up Diana’s home and studio but finds herself no better capable, adjusted to depression, loss, and unrequited love than where she left off. She learns that Charlie is engaged, which throws her into another tail spin. She exhibits obsession and intense longing, but receives little more than banal interest from Charlie. In the meantime, she fends off the suitor who loves her almost with the same intensity she exhibits for Charlie.

So the whole novel begs the question: Will she or won’t she? Is the remaining crush of loss over her mother still weighing her down to the extent she can’t, won’t ever, move forward? Can she finally get over the final loss of Charlie? Will she try to write again or continue waitressing the rest of her life?

Are you kidding me?

A waste of time? Hers and mine. I hate what she does with Charlie. Later she is actually presented with opportunities that she puzzles over. Puzzles over? Would you? Or jump with both feet immediately. Will she always be this damaged? ARGH!

The writer intentionally builds tension but unfortunately, not the kind that drives you with morbid curiosity, as it finally kills any feelings for the MC you harbored that might have remained.

I’m not sure I could recommend this book, unless you appreciate slow-moving, deeply angst ridden, novels of persons lost. Deeply lost in mind and spirit–can you see a way out for this person or might it damage you as well?

This was an Advanced Reader’s Copy from NetGalley and the publisher and I appreciate their providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Rating: Three Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Coming of Age Fiction, Women’s Literary Fiction, Mothers & Children Fiction
Publisher: Random House
Publication Date: May 12, 2026
Source: NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Shannon Garvey is the author of the debut novel June Baby. Born in Rhode Island, Shannon now lives on the New Hampshire coastline. She received her MFA from the University of New Hampshire where she taught undergraduate classes. Shorter work of hers has been published by The Saturday Evening Post.

Rosepoint Reviews – January Recap – Is February a Good Month for a Romantic Getaway?

#Rosepoint Reviews - January recap

January kicked off the new year with frigid temps in NWI and appears to be continuing the trend into February. Not excited about any more snow and I might be thinking of heading south except the unusual record-breaking weather appears to be just as big a surprise there as here.

My little Frosty dog would have turned 20 on the 24^th. I still miss her so much! In the meantime, I’ve been trying to capitalize on a few of Punkin’s natural movements by training her with “down” and “gimme 5.” She performs those just fine in the office when she wants more treats. Otherwise, she acts like my words are no more than blah, blah, blah.

Unhappy surprise with Goodreads stats — ChatGPT

The first of a new year always brings the additional chores of opening new folders, adding categories, tags, checking and signing up for challenges, installing new links, and updating the menu. It’s a chore I’ve always struggled through and usually end up making irreversible mistakes: Like accidentally eliminating challenge pages.

In working on that and studying the stats, I noticed a general uptick in views the last six months of 2025 and certainly January was on a track to be my best month ever. That started a quest to figure out why—what was triggering it? I’d noticed before an email noting they had “indexed” that page. You may remember when I went on an SEO campaign last year. And no, I really didn’t understand the advantage of being indexed and didn’t subscribe to anything.

Great, but that got me started trying to figure out why or how to get indexed by Google, as I’ve labored all this time apparently without that benefit. Too late to go back to school for all this stuff and expensive to boot, it’s a big learning curve. Thought I needed a SiteMap for Google (maybe not). Now, I’m hopeful that I’ll see some real organic benefit soon, as I have little confidence in the over 23k views for the month of January and 93M views since I opened the website. While I’ll freely admit that although I started the blog in February 2012 for my grandfather’s books, it wasn’t until 2017 that I really switched into more of a read/review blog.

The CE and I reviewed a total of eleven books in January. As always, the major source of our books is the library (audiobooks as well as ebooks). We also find books in NetGalley and enjoy author and publisher requests. The links on titles are to our reviews that include purchase information.

#RosepointReviews, #JanuaryRecap,

The Bone Garden: A Novel by Tess Gerritsen (audiobook)
Worse Than a Lie by Ben Crump (CE review)
Before She Was Helen by Caroline B Cooney (audiobook)
The Widow by John Grisham (audiobook)
The Last Post by Jean Grainer
Wild by Cheryl Strayed (audiobook – bookclub)
Phoenix Rising by Michael Reit (CE review)
Heartwood by Amity Gaige
Midnight on the Potomac by Scott Ellsworth (audiobook)
The Hunted by Steven Max Russo (CE review-5 stars)
The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club by Martha Hall Kelly (audiobook)

Favorite Book of the Month

I really enjoyed The Widow by John Grisham but the CE loved The Hunted by Steven Max Russo, so this month, I’ll bow to his five-star read.

Favorite for January – The Hunted by Steven Max Russo

My Reading Challenges page…This year I’m keeping my goal for Audiobooks at Marathoner level—50 and Goodreads at 175, but changed Historical Fiction to Ancient History at 25 (though I have a good start on that with five already and reducing NetGalley to Silver–25 .

I’ve updated my Reading Challenges page to install the new 2026 goals and pushed 2025 down one. It’s still not completely right but after awhile I get tired of the struggle. Bored with the whole format, but apparently limited to this theme now unless I upgrade. You know what they say about old dogs. Woof!

You can see the challenge widgets in my sidebar and each include the links for you to sign up as well. Now’s the time!

I’m looking for romantic book suggestions for February—yes, me. Would love to see your recommendations—drop me a quick comment, please!

To all my dear readers, I do so appreciate your visits and comments and look forward to seeing your new content each day.

The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club: A Novel by Martha Hall Kelly #AudiobookReview #ThrowbackThursday #histfic

Book Blurb:

2016: Thirty-four-year-old Mari Starwood is still grieving after her mother’s death as she travels to the storied island of Martha’s Vineyard, off the coast of Massachusetts. She’s come all the way from California with nothing but a name on a piece of paper: Elizabeth Devereaux, the famous but reclusive Vineyard painter. When Mari makes it to Mrs. Devereaux’s stunning waterfront farm under the guise of taking a painting class with her, Mrs. Devereaux begins to tell her the story of the Smith sisters, who once lived there. As the tale unfolds, Mari is shocked to learn that her relationship to this island runs deeper than she ever thought possible.

1942: The Smith girls—nineteen-year-old aspiring writer Cadence and sixteen-year-old war-obsessed Briar—are faced with the impossible task of holding their failing family farm together during World War II as the U.S. Army arrives on Martha’s Vineyard. When Briar spots German U-boats lurking off the island’s shores, and Cadence falls into an unlikely romance with a sworn enemy, their quiet lives are officially upended. In an attempt at normalcy, Cadence and her best friend, Bess, start a book club, which grows both in members and influence as they connect with a fabulous New York publisher who could make all of Cadence’s dreams come true. But all that is put at risk by a mysterious man who washes ashore—and whispers of a spy in their midst. Who in their tight-knit island community can they trust? Could this little book club change the course of the war . . . before it’s too late?

My Review:

As mentioned before, I do enjoy dual timelines—and it would seem, the older one. It appears to me that sometimes the more detailed development of characters occurs in the past characters, while the more contemporary characters barely get fleshed out enough to count as a character.

That said, I really enjoyed the characters of 1942, particularly sixteen-year-old Briar, who cried wolf once too often regarding the sighting of German U-boats. I did wonder, however, why the older girl determined she’d hide the fella washed ashore and his too convenient connection to the US.

On the whole, while a bit of a slow burn to get off the ground, it was a cute, almost cozy, narrative and often led right down the road expected. Descriptions of the island and the inhabitants, history, are fun; just wish the pace was more evenly distributed.

It won’t make classic Potato Peel Pie level book club, but it is a sweet story and weaves in a variety of appealing characters. Interspersed in the novel are Cadence’s columns that she writes for the local Vineyard Gazette, which eventually leads to greater writing possibilities.

I must admit to being caught off-guard by the mystery, as it was reading so benign, it snuck up on me, I didn’t see a dark side coming to the war time story that sees their brothers and others off to war with the devastation when they don’t return. The plot builds with added hooks including our own soldiers who arrive to set up coastal military training.

The denouement gives a satisfying close to the story and manages to come up with solutions to any remaining threads.

On the whole, a sweet read, well plotted. You’ll no doubt enjoy it if you like timeline switches, historical WWII life, and well-crafted characters in the setting.

Many thanks to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: World War II & Holocaust Historical Fiction, Women’s Fiction
Publisher: Random House Audio
Narrators: Martha Hall Kelly, Mary Elizabeth Kelly, Mia Hutchinson-Shaw, Imani Jade Powers, EJ Lavery

Title Links:

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Martha’s debut novel LILAC GIRLS, about socialite Caroline Ferriday and her fight to help a group of concentration camp survivors, became an Instant NY Times bestseller in 2016 and went on to sell over two million copies. Once the paperback stayed on the NYT list for fifty-four weeks, and became published in fifty countries she wrote two more novels: LOST ROSES about Caroline’s mother, and SUNFLOWER SISTERS about her great grandmother, which also became Instant NY Times best sellers. Her latest novel, THE GOLDEN DOVES, which returns to WWII, arrives in bookstores April 18th, 2023.

Martha grew up in Massachusetts and now splits her time between Connecticut and New York City.

You’ll find more info about the incredible, true stories behind all of her books at her website: http://www.marthahallkelly.com, on Instagram: @marthahallkelly, Facebook.com/marthahallkelly, Twitter: @marthahallkelly and on her ever-changing Pinterest page.

#Audiobooks

Submarine graphic courtesy clipart.com

Five Blogger Favorites for 2025 – Was This Book Also One of Yours?

Blogger's Favorites of 2025 — AI graphic courtesy ChatGPT

Remember that favorite book invitation I included in my December Recap?

It’s not easy to pick out one book of all the books you loved last year, but there were a number of you who offered to answer that question.

Amazingly two favorites were for the same book. Or…as in the case where I answer on my phone it sends as “anonymous” it may have been the same person answering twice. (Could be possible.)

Links on titles are to Goodreads. Thumbnails are links to Amazon listings both US and UK if different from US cover.)

In any case, here are the results, one or more that I hope will interest you:

Julia, at Julias Bookshelves noted Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid as her “Undisputed Favorite” in her 2025 Notable Reading Highlights. (Hope it was okay that I borrowed from your blog, Julia!)

Fiction Fan at Fiction Fan’s Books Reviews said she preferred Venetian Vespers by John Banville.

Anonymous quipped, “Geesh! If pressed I guess I would pick “The Names” by Florence Knapp (and no, it was not a new genre for me). However, it was SO close to Chris Whitaker’s “All The Colors Of The Dark” that it was really to close to call…”

Anonymous

I get that Anonymous—I’ve had a few also too close to call!

Next, I got another vote for The Names by Florence Knapp. This one from Davida Chazan at The Chocolate Lady’s Book Review Blog who reported that “It beat out My Friends by Fredrik Backman by a whisker.” Thank you, Davida!

Next, I heard from Amanda Hughes (one of my favorite go-to authors), who sent me her choice, The Sultan’s Harem by Colin Falconer.

If you get a chance, might also check out Amanda’s books. I love her “Bold Women” series!

And then in my previous disclosure from my December Review Recap, I finally settled on Endurance by Alfred Lansing as I struggled to decide whether or not Shacktletons Incredible Voyage would win over The Women by Kristin Hannah.

Was one of these a favorite of yours also? Banville is always a favorite and March is coming—a great suggestion for Reading Ireland Month 2026. And for book cover lovers, quite a difference in covers for the same book, huh?

To those responding with your favs–thank you!

Happy Reading!

The Hunted by Steven Max Russo #BookReview #militarythrillers

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

Ophelia Harris, a former CIA analyst who went to work for a private intelligence and security firm working in Afghanistan, has been trying hard to stay under the radar.

What seems like a lifetime ago and a world away, she disappeared from the sandbox after a raid on an insurgent money laundering operation went terribly wrong. Every operator on the team was killed save one.

Ophelia escaped. And she got away with two suitcases filled with cash.

Gerhard Mueller runs Grendel Security Group and is Ophelia’s former employer. He knows a traitor set up the ambush that killed his team and he believes he knows who that traitor is.

He wants Harris found – and he wants her dead.

Austin Medford, a former Army Ranger, is sipping a beer at an airport lounge when he runs into a woman he believes he’s seen before during his deployment overseas. A woman running from trouble.

Soon Harris and Medford find themselves being brutally hunted by forces known and unknown trying to take them off the board.

The rules of the game are simple – run, fight, or die.

His Review:

The job of a paid killer for the government has many drawbacks. One is that when you have completed your mission you are expendable.

Ophelia Harris worked in Afghanistan as an interrogator for the Central Intelligence Agency and killed one of the people she was interrogating to establish her validity. Refuse to talk and you would take all of your secrets to the grave. Once our involvement in country was completed there was a national vendetta against her.

Her boss realized that what she was doing was illegal and against US policy and punishable with death or life in prison. She was acting under his orders and he would attempt to eliminate her and do away with any threat to him. Thus’ this story illuminates the down side of working for clandestine government agencies. She moved away and established a new life after her contract with the agency was completed.

Having someone who can testify to the ruthlessness of these agencies is not in our government’s best interests. Her handler engages some of his best operatives to eliminate the threat she poses to his agency and the US government. This story will educate the reader to the underside of government service. Enjoy! 4.5 stars – CE Williams

Well developed characters and well plotted that is rooted in suspense and builds into thriller. Eye-opening and hard to put down. Many thanks to the author for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. Any opinion expressed here is my own.

Book Details:

Genre: Military Thrillers, Murder Thrillers
ASIN: B0GDMHNDYM
Print Length: 2342 pages
Publication Date: January 1, 2026
Source: Author