2021 Reviews – Page 6 – Rosepoint Publishing

Silent Island: (Detective Abby Pearce Book 2) by Dana Perry – #BookReview – #TuesdayBookBlog

Book Blurb:

Nancy Lavelle lies still on the floor. With her eyes looking towards her children’s rooms, her hands are clasped in prayer, as if the last thing she wished for was her children to be saved…

When Detective Abby Pearce is called to the Beach House, a holiday home in the most affluent part of Martha’s Vineyard, she finds five bodies. An entire family has been killed in a frenzied attack… all except one. Fifteen-year-old Karin is the only survivor. Sitting in the house, surrounded by her family, she stares into the distance and doesn’t say a word.

When Karin’s grandparents fly in to take her home, Abby’s investigation takes a shocking turn. Taking one look at the traumatised girl, they recoil—the girl curled up in a hospital bed isn’t their granddaughter. So who is she? And where is the real Karin Lavelle?

Abby fears the missing girl is in serious danger, and with local residents worried that the killer is still on the island and the press questioning her every move, she’s under pressure to solve both crimes fast. But when she uncovers a link between Thomas Lavelle’s New York office and her previous job at the NYPD, she begins to fear that these brutal murders are a sign… and that she’s next. Can she find the killer before another life is taken, or is she walking into a trap?

His Review:

A family of five is brutally murdered on a vacation retreat on Martha’s Vineyard! Abby Pearce is the lead investigator on the case. Abby is a former awarded crime investigator from New York City. She decided to join the police force on the island and regain her roots on Martha’s Vineyard. Her boss is not the least bit pleased with her and the snail’s pace that solving the case is taking.

Her partner, Tommy Ferraro, was killed during a crime investigation in New York. Abby feels responsible for his death despite the fact that there was nothing she could have done. She is often accosted with the memory and doubt she carries. There is always the guilty idea she could have done more to save her partner.

Cedar Cliffs, a small hamlet on Martha’s Vineyard is Abby’s current job site. Her partner is a no-nonsense fellow detective named Teena. One member of the family massacred on the island is still alive and missing, the fifteen-year-old daughter. She is the subject of an island wide manhunt. Could she have done this brutal crime?

Dana Perry winds through many scenarios of the crime. Being investigated for the actual crime seems to put a target on the person being sought. The police chief at Cedar Cliffs continues to be unhappy with the progress of the case. Every time there is a news-briefing he gets more and more agitated with his lead investigator, and each time the investigation follows a particular path, the person being investigated seems to wind up dead!

The solution at the end was a clever twist to the story. I appreciated the twists that Dana put me through to get to the conclusion. I also wanted the investigation to move faster as at times it seemed to drag (and I had to agree with the police chief). Still, this is an entertaining and absorbing tale. 4 stars – CE Williams

We received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author and publisher through NetGalley that in no way influenced this review. These are his honest opinions.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Organized Crime Thrillers, Serial Killer Thrillers, Police Procedurals
Publisher: Bookouture
ASIN: B09BCV8SW1
Print Length: 269 pages
Publication Date: October 5, 2021
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Title Link: Silent Island [Amazon]
Barnes and Noble
Kobo

The Author: I am a New York City author who writes mystery thrillers under the pen name of Dana Perry – as well as my real name of R.G. Belsky. My new Dana Perry book is called THE SILENT VICTIM, the first in a series about newspaper reporter Jessie Tucker.

Contact me at DanaPerryAuthor@yahoo.com

Facebook: @danaperryauthor

Ravens In The Rain: A Noir Love Story by Christie Santo and Jeff Santo –#BookReview – Hard-Boiled Mystery

Book Blurb:

Ravens In The Rain centers around Pru and Carney, she’s a woman with a past, and he’s a man with no future. Down on luck and down on love, they meet over a game of chance at an off-strip Vegas casino, and Carney wonders if Pru’s sparkle is what he needs to lift him from his darkness. He doesn’t even mind that she swiped a hundred-dollar bill from an old cowboy. It excites him.

While Pru, disillusioned by her sparkle, is now accustomed to the cynical disposition of vagabond life. She’s not looking for a one-night stand; she’s looking for survival and sizing Carney up as a comfortable solution, for the moment. When she finds out who he really is, she’ll ante up for the game of her life.

This romantic noir is a turbulent flight; like dating in the 21st century, it’s dangerous and daring.

My Review:

Carney McMorris is a down on his luck ex-child star of a successful actor parent. His life was carefully choreographed through the teen acne that scarred him for life and all but ended his career. He stayed in the Hollywood scene, however, writing or directing when he had the opportunity, living on the legacy left by his dad. Now he has cigar-stomping cronies that he meets regularly at the bar, but these guys could hardly be classified as friends.

Prudencia (Pru) Romiti was abandoned early, surviving by her wits and cashing in on a beauty and sex appeal that opened doors. Largely living out of her car, sleeping on a couch provided by chance, she’s found staying mysterious keeps her fairly safe.

As luck would have it, they meet by chance at a craps table in Vegas. She survives by avoidance and disappears but he can’t get her out of his mind and she later manages to arrange another “chance” meeting. There is a significant age gap as well as social status, life experiences, and histories, but Carney is intrigued enough by her “dangerous” persona that he joins the games she employs.

When he takes her on a motorcycle ride, an accident results in a serious leg injury and he takes her into his home to insure she is nursed back to health.

The basic plot is a good one although the story is written strongly by tell not show. She likes to play games, which become tiresome, and although grateful for the care and the roof over her head and food, remains enigmatic. His infatuation seems to hinge on her desirability (broken leg or not) and her puzzling background, fed by tiny bits and pieces. (He must know more.) The narrative begins dark and doesn’t stray from the noir vibe.

His life intrudes more darkly on their tale than hers resulting in a death implied by her hand. Could be or not—she is not exactly beyond stealing and her history hints at a deadly side.

It’s a debut novel. I had a problem with a couple plot holes, need for additional editing, and my inability to engage with any of the characters. Both so suspicious of each other, it’s difficult to see a continuing relationship especially in view of the seriousness of the possible murder. A motorcycle accident as described would have whacked the bike so hard there is no way the driver could not have lost control (destroyed the fiberglass bag and her leg but still allowed him to pull over safely? Nah—takes less than that to knock a bike out from under you.)

A good effort in the noir vane and captured an essence of the Hollywood underbelly not usually dissected but pushed the relationship disbelief a bit far. The characters come off strong, not wholly likeable, and was surprised by the conclusion. Interesting first effort, though I’d recommend additional eyes on the manuscript.

I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author and publisher and these are my honest thoughts.

Rosepoint Rating: Three point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Noir Fiction, Hard-Boiled Mysteries
Publisher: Santo Films
ISBN: 109836967XASIN: B09GHH49V5 (Audiobook)
Publisher: BookBaby

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B095HYQ3YM (Kindle edition)

Print Length: 248 pages
Publication Date: September 22, 2021
Source: Author request
Title Link: Ravens in the Rain [Amazon]

The Authors: Christie Santo has published short stories and poetry and has freelanced as a ghostwriter. She received her BA in creative writing from California State University Long Beach and has over a decade of independent filmmaking experience in writing, editing, producing, and acting. Ravens In The Rain: A Noir Love Story is her debut novel. She lives in Burbank with her husband and two Boston Terrier dogs.

Jeff Santo is a screenwriter/director and has over 25 years of indie filmmaking experience. He’s a member of both the WGA and DGA and Ravens In The Rain is Jeff’s debut novel. He lives in Burbank, California, with his wife, Christie, and their two Boston Terriers.

The Cure for What Ales You: A Sloan Krause Mystery (Book 5) by Ellie Alexander –#BookReview – #TuesdayBookBlog

Book Blurb:

After a long cold winter, spring is beginning to bloom in the alpine village of Leavenworth, Washington, where craft brewer Sloan Krause and her partner in crime Garrett Strong are putting the finishing touches on their bright and refreshing Lemon Kiss ale. They’ll be debuting their new line at the Maifest celebration, which will bring visitors from near and far to dance around the Maipole and shop at the outdoor flower markets.

Despite the festive spirit in the air, Sloan is brewing over her past. She’s spent months following leads that have turned into dead ends. But when she spots a woman who strongly resembles Marianne—a long lost contact who may be her only connection to piecing together her story—she hopes that things might be taking a turn in her favor. That hope is quickly smashed when Marianne is involved in the murder of a local housekeeper. To make matters worse, Marianne issues a dire warning that Sloan and her entire family are in danger. If Sloan can’t figure out who the killer is and what happened in her past, she won’t find any hoppy endings.

My Review:

The fifth in the Sloan Krause Mystery series, I’ve been captivated by the characters, the little town of Leavenworth WA, the incredible story of craft beers and I’ve greatly enjoyed them all.

Sloan Krause is a partner in a start-up craft brewery with partner Garrett. They are excited to introduce their new spring time release, Lemon Kiss, just in time for the annual Maifest parade and the onslaught of the tourists who enjoy the quaint Bavarian-esque village in the heart of the Northern Cascades. Besides people, there will be tons of flowers, lights, German foods, music, and craft beers. Nitro’s biggest competition is Der Keller in which she also owns a small share—with the family of her soon to be ex.

Sloan is a foster child and has only had glimpses of her birth background, but in this entry to the series, an aunt makes herself known with the plea that Sloan and her extended family may be in grave danger and need to flee. A sub-plot occurs in which the body of a maid turns up that either may or may not be related to the unknown dangerous person.

The mystery curls around the development of the festival, the costumes, sights and sounds of such a picturesque village that the reader feels the need to visit in person. I’m not a beer person, but some of the recipes even sound good to me.

The series, however, fully revolves around the characters who have grown so real they are developing a need to stay in touch. Sloan has grown but is beginning to have feelings for her business partner. I’m still loving the Krause family, the mom and pop who envelope her as their own daughter, Hans (the brother-in-law), and even the soon to be ex—rooting for he and Sloan to get back together. The characters are amazing.

In the meantime, Sloan is working on who killed the hotel housekeeper, thinking there might be a link while trying to keep her son and the others safe. The aunt comes off as being a bit touched—or maybe Sloan really IS in all that danger? We are finally getting the low-down on Sloan’s background and I was having a tough time swallowing it for most of the narrative. (Still am.)

The conclusion wraps up the whodunits and once the can of worms is opened spills a lot of secrets and history. Okay. But…love the series, just not thrilled with the wrap up of this one.

I’ve read this series as well as a couple in the Bakeshop Mystery series, but keep coming back to this series, including Without a Brew, Beyond a Reasonable Stout, and The Pint of No Return. Sloan has come a long way and the prose is sweet. I suppose you could read as a standalone, but then you might wonder how she got to this point in her life and you’d be missing the build-up. Wanna take an armchair vacation? I recommend this series, currently on pre-order.

I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley and these are my honest thoughts.

Rosepoint Rating: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Cozy Culinary Mystery, Cozy Culinary Mysteries, Amateur Sleuth Mysteries
Publisher: Minotaur Books
ISBN: ‎ 1250781450
ASIN: B08R2KKS1Z
Print Length: 280 pages
Publication Date: October 5, 2021
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: ELLIE ALEXANDER is a Pacific Northwest native who spends ample time testing pastry recipes in her home kitchen or at one of the many famed coffeehouses and breweries nearby. When she’s not coated in flour, you’ll find her outside exploring hiking trails of Southern Oregon and trying to burn off calories consumed in the name of research. She is the author of the Bakeshop Mystery Series and the Sloan Krause Mysteries. Follow her on social media to learn more about her books, see her recipe videos, and participate in fun giveaways!

Find out more about Ellie and her books by visiting her here:

Website: https://www.elliealexander.co/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellie_alexander

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/elliealexanderauthor

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elliealexanderauthor

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@elliealexanderauthor

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/ellielovesbooks

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/elliealexanderauthor

Mind Trap (A Clay Wolfe/Port Essex Mystery Book 2) by Matt Cost – #BookReview – #privateinvestigatormysteries

Book Blurb:

“You say your daughter is missing?” Clay Wolfe asked. The man in front of him was slightly disheveled. Red eyes. Fear creased his features.

What is the End Game?
It was as close to ecstasy as the woman had ever been in her life. It was enlightenment. She was no longer Martha Abbott. She was a warrior of Marduk engaged in a war of purity.

What is going to happen on Leap Day?
“We have allowed sin to fill our homes, and it is our divine labor to cleanse that filth from our streets.” Marduk’s voice boomed through the cavernous temple.

Something evil is lurking in the streets of Port Essex. A missing girl. Violent attacks. It is up to Clay Wolfe, his partner Baylee Baker, and a colorful assortment of friends to get to the bottom of these odious occurrences before it is too late.

His Review:

Could a splinter group plan to poison an entire community? Twelve disciples are involved in an attempt to control civilization. Their leader is a man considered the “Chosen One” who was a pre-Messiah nearly two centuries before Christ. He had four women who were helping him and were designated as whores of the group.

Marduk is the self-proclaimed savior whose group will enter into the end times and he will shepherd them into heaven. He has engaged seventy-two disciples to assist in this evolution. His followers have elevated him to demi-god status and follow him blindly in whatever goal he sets.

Mr. Abbott is a confirmed wife beater. He engages Clay Wolfe, a private detective, to find his teenage daughter. The beating and mistreatment of his wife is well documented. His daughter is in hiding to avoid her father. He really never divorced his wife but just went off with another woman.

Marduk is grooming Mrs. Abbott to become one of his high priestesses. The transformation of Mrs. Abbott is dramatic. She shaves her hair and uses wigs, loses around thirty pounds and becomes attractive and self-assured. The end game is to make a very profound statement regarding the perceived degradation of society. They know their rights under the constitution and inform the police that they have no right to stop them or even arrest them. They simply walk past the police and go about their business.

The goal is to make a very powerful political statement. Like David Koresh and the Branch Davidians, they will commit group suicide to enter heaven. They are the ones who will determine the end times. A town of 16,000+ individuals are on their path to heaven.

Matt Cost writes a very convincing tale of debauched demi-gods. It is sad that this event has actually occurred in our past. The mistreatment of a wife and cruelty by a mean husband leads the woman to find fulfillment and appreciation elsewhere and splinters the family. It’s a sad commentary, well written, engaging and realistic. Currently on pre-order. 4.5 stars – CE Williams

This reviewer also reviewed the first novel in this new series, Wolfe Trap, in June and greatly enjoyed it. We’ve also read his Mainely Mystery series as well. Each one grows in intensity, strength of narrative, and character. We received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author that in no way influenced this review. These are his honest opinions.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Small Town & Rural Fiction, Private Investigator Mysteries, Suspense
Publisher: Encircle Publications
ASIN: B09H3X6RBR
Print Length: 313 pages
Publication Date: October 6, 2021
Source: Direct author request
Title Link: Mind Trap [Amazon]
Barnes and Noble

The Author: Matt Cost was a history major at Trinity College. He owned a mystery bookstore, a video store, and a gym, before serving a ten-year sentence as a junior high school teacher. In 2014 he was released and began writing. And that’s what he does. He writes histories and mysteries.

“Love in a Time of Hate” is the third historical by Cost. “Joshua Chamberlain and the Civil War; At Every Hazard”, was published in 2015, in which Emmett Collins grows into manhood during the Civil War. “I am Cuba; Fidel Castro and the Cuban Revolution” was published in 2020. It was recently awarded the silver award for historical fiction from Kops-Fetherling.

Cost has also published the Mainely Mystery series including “Mainely Power” (the MHC Read ME fiction book of the year), “Mainely Fear”, and “Mainely Money”. The fourth book in the series, “Mainely Angst”, will be published in January of 2022.

He has begun the Clay Wolfe/Port Essex Trap series with “Wolfe Trap”. “Mind Trap” will be published in October of 2021 and “Mouse Trap” in the spring of 2022.

Cost now lives in Brunswick, Maine, with his wife, Harper. There are four grown children: Brittany, Pearson, Miranda, and Ryan. A chocolate Lab and a basset hound round out the mix. He now spends his days at the computer, writing.

Look Twice (Ingrid Skyberg Book 8) by Eva Hudson – #BookReview – Women’s Detective Fiction

Book Blurb:

A double agent. A double cross. This time, Ingrid is in double trouble.

When Special Agent Ingrid Skyberg discovers an undeveloped roll of film left behind by her predecessor in the FBI, she isn’t sure what to make of the strange photos he took. A map of Scotland, an out-of-print book, a rare bird, a cluster of Post-It notes, an office party… do these images have something to do with crimes he committed as a Russian double agent known as ‘Skylark’?

Ingrid starts digging and becomes convinced that – far from being a traitor – her predecessor was just another victim of the mysterious Skylark who has killed many times to protect his identity. When a case file she has been using is suddenly deleted from the system, Ingrid knows that Skylark is now watching her… and the race is on to find him before she becomes his next victim.

Look Twice is a high-octane spy thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat, flipping the pages to find out if Ingrid can survive her most ruthless opponent yet.

His Review:

Running for your life with a friend is brutal. Outrunning you best friend is survival. Ingrid had only been a teenager when she and her best friend were running from a killer. She had outrun her friend Megan and now Megan is dead. Guilt still lingers after twenty years. She had only seen a face in the dark and couldn’t identify the killer.

Andy Scott is on trial for killing a number of young women. Could he be the killer? Her mother, Svetlana, is convinced she should know the killer’s face, even after twenty years! He was the potential candidate for Prime Minister and now is on trial for twelve murders. Svetlana calls at the most inopportune times during investigations. An ignored call is a personal affront from a bad daughter.

Being a successful and efficient FBI agent requires a strong support team. The team goes up and down from your position. Ingrid is very well organized but keeps having her effective assistants transferred from her. Administering her position requires her to keep a constant eye on her support staff. Zeke, her newest assistant, is enduring yet another epileptic seizure. Triggers for epileptic seizure can be something as simple as a faulty electrical connection.

An envelope of old photographs found in the ceiling is a clue to the killer. They refer to a person named Skylark! Who is this unidentified Skylark? The hunt for the identity of Skylark takes many twists and turns. Meanwhile, Svetlana gets more irritated by her daughter’s lack of attention to her phone calls. Can the case against Andy Scott be fully investigated in spite of Ingrid’s distractions?

An entertaining novel that will keep you guessing at every turn. 4.5 stars – CE Williams

We received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author and publisher through NetGalley that in no way influenced this review. These are his honest opinions.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Women’s Detective Fiction, International Mystery & Crime, Espionage Thrillers
ASIN: B099NXP3NQ
Print Length: 375 pages
Publication Date: September 6, 2021
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Title Link: Look Twice [Amazon]

The Author: Eva Hudson was born and grew up on a south London council estate. Before she started writing full time, she worked as a local government officer, singer, dotcom entrepreneur, portrait artist, project manager, graphic designer, web designer and content editor.

In 2011, her first novel – The Loyal Servant – won the inaugural Lucy Cavendish fiction prize from Cambridge University. She published the first of her chart-topping Ingrid Skyberg Thrillers in 2013 and never looked back.

ABOUT INGRID SKYBERG

One of the toughest Special Agents ever to come out of Quantico Ingrid Skyberg is tenacious, resourceful, virtually indestructible and just a tiny bit out of control. Assigned to the US embassy in London, Ingrid is on the case when an American citizen gets into trouble… or winds up dead… or is accused of a crime they didn’t commit. Whether she needs to wear combat fatigues or a cocktail dress, Ingrid Skyberg always gets the job done.

She’s a strong female protagonist, perfect for fans of action-packed thrillers with a twist.

[NOTE: Eva Hudson died in 2015 of cancer. Her books, this protagonist, this series is being continued by Jo Monroe. Please see her sweet, emotional testimonial at EVA HUDSON.]

Traveller Probo: Traveller Book 2 (Traveller Series) by Rob Shackleford–#BookReview – #TimeTravelScienceFiction

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Sunday, Sept 12, I introduced Traveller Probo, Book 2, of the Traveller series and included a quick review of Book 1, Traveller Inceptio along with my first installment of a multi-part review of Book 2. Please join me as I review the third (and final) installment of this master journey.

Book Blurb:

Would you survive if sent one-thousand years into the past?
Development of the Transporter saw highly trained researchers, called Travellers, successfully sent one-thousand years back in time to early medieval Saxon England.
Traveller Missions now mean enormous national prestige and the recovery of priceless lost artefacts and knowledge, so nations vie for the use of the Transporter and more daring Traveller missions are planned. Politics and power soon come into play.
To study lost peoples and civilisations, Special Forces researchers have to be even better trained, equipped and prepared to put their lives on the line.
While Michael Hunter continues to build a life in Saxon England, the tragically injured Tony Osborne finds his resurgence in a mission to ancient Byzantine Turkey, a mission Professor Adrian Taylor joins to better outmanoeuvre his calculating academic colleagues.
From the misty shores of New Zealand to the shining splendour of the ancient Byzantine Empire, it is proved how sending modern researchers into the past carries enormous rewards and tragedies.

Book 2 – Part 2 – (Redux my review)

Following the explosion of interest from many nations with the bucks to pay for a mission with the Transporter, decisions are made for a mission to be made to the Byzantinium Empire, with back-up missions to the Ukraine/Russia and the Mississippi (near St. Louis, Missouri) in the US.

Still keenly aware of the disastrous mission to New Zealand, new cautions, men, and equipment are set to monitor the safety of the Travellers. Unfortunately, the Ukranians that were fully vetted have managed to steal the Transporter assigned to them along with the kidnap of several of the Travellers amid the outcry of the Russians.

The main characters again shift slightly to those who will be sent to the new locations and periodically reverts to the continuing story of Michael Hunter of the original Traveller mission to Saxon Aengland. He is chafing over the continued invasion of the original purpose of the mission to the shift of military and political goals.

Book 2 – Part 3 (my review)

Hunter is deeply settled in Giolgrave with his pregnant native wife, Tatae. The traditions and superstitions of her people regarding the process of childbirth is examined in detail, culminating in the birth of their daughter. Separately, it is requested that he lead a training mission in the woods surrounding the village that he deeply opposes.

There is a strong rift of subterfuge in the background with most of the teams’ participants being the unwiser, the professor delighted in the wealth of history and storied leaders seeing little beyond his academic interest. The latter third of the novel discloses the ugly inhumane treatment of persons with stomach-turning descriptions of torture.

As many of the Traveller teams appear to become pawns in a game of monstrous profits, maneuvering, and power, the narrative continues to examine the moral rightness of invading peoples of a millennia in the past. The original goal of no interference, contact, or involvement is thrown out of the window in the rush to gain new objectives.

The conclusion ends with shocking developments in the Byzantium Traveller mission as well as the revelation of an introduction to 1^st Century Judaea. It is an obvious cliff-hanger to the next installment. The research and writing style as well as the characters, both loathsome and pleasant, make this a totally immersive novel, one that obviously has more roads to travel. The storyline is engaging, non-stop action, fascinating historical detail combined with hapless but sincere characters. Who is real antagonist? The reader is just beginning to get a glimpse—and it’s not pretty.

I would suggest your starting with Book 1, but if this grabs you (and it should), it could actually work as an immersive standalone.

I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author and these are my honest opinions. This is an extended adventure into time-travel you won’t want to miss. Highly Recommended.

Book Details:

Genre: Time Travel Science Fiction, Time Travel Fiction, Science Fiction Adventure
ASIN: B0938K6MKP
Print Length: 506 pages
Publication Date: April 22, 2021
Source: Direct author request

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: An English-born Australian, Rob Shackleford has lived in New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, with a varied career that has included Customs Officer, Scuba Instructor, College Teacher and management roles in too many places.

With degrees in the Arts and Business, he is mad keen on travel, Scuba diving, Family History, martial arts, astronomy, and playing Djembe and Congas. Despite that, he is actually not that boring.

Rob is father of two and has made his green escape with his lovely lady into Australia’s Gold Coast hinterland.

Happy Thursday!

Fatal Solutions (A Crossword Puzzle Mystery Book 3) by Becky Clark – #BookReview – #cozycrafts

Rosepoint Rating: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

1 ACROSS: HUMAN REMAINS

Creating crossword puzzles for the Chestnut Station Chronicle won’t allow Quinn Carr to quit her diner waitress job any time soon. But it does provide an outlet for her organizational OCD, and also lets her leave subtle hints for police chief Myron Chestnut, an avid puzzler, when his investigations need some direction. Some mysteries, though, leave even Quinn stumped—like the property deed she finds in her grandfather’s old desk. The document lists Quinn’s mother as the owner of some land on the outskirts of Chestnut Station, but Georgeanne refuses to discuss it.

8 LETTERS, STARTS WITH “S”

Quinn visits the site, located near a World War II Japanese internment camp that’s since been turned into a museum. There she unearths a weathered Japanese doll…and a skeleton. Before she can uncover a killer, she has to identify the victim. Was it an inmate trying to escape? A guard? Or someone closer to home? As Quinn fills in the blanks, she finds an unexpected link between her family and Chief Chestnut’s—one that could spell more deadly trouble…

My Review:

The third in the Crossword Puzzle Mystery series and these just keep getting better.

Quinn and her best friend Loma find an old skull on a piece of property that Quinn was checking out. The property is by a WWII Japanese Internment Camp in Colorado turned museum.

The author has created fully developed and very unique individuals and we get an additional perspective of the support characters as Quinn go about quietly trying to solve several puzzling problems. Who did the skull belong to? Why was it there? And what of the Daruma doll found nearby? Why does her mother deny the property?

I get a kick out of the imaginative, quirky characters Ms Clark has crafted—so real, including her mother with the outrageous food recipes, police chief Chestnut, and the old boys at the diner where Quinn waits tables. Now there’s a bunch to draw to!

Quinn struggles with several problems. First, she has OCD. Not just the kind where you straighten objects, or check something twice. I’m talking real, classic, debilitating OCD and she creates crossword puzzles for the local paper on the QT. Once she’s given a puzzle, such as the bones on the property her mother is denying, and the Daruma doll she is beyond compelled to answer the questions. The sessions with her therapist are always fun as well.

There is a strongly connected sense between she and the support characters. They know one another, like, appreciate, and enjoy each other. I enjoy the author’s wacky sense of humor and turn of phrase.

I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley and these are my honest thoughts. (Crossword puzzles and her mom’s crazy recipes at the back.) I was also given the opportunity to read the first two and thoroughly enjoyed Punning With Scissors as well. Currently on pre-order and I recommend you do so.

Book Details:

Genre: Cozy Crafts & Hobbies Mystery, Cozy Craft & Hobby Mysteries, Amateur Sleuth Mysteries
Publisher: Lyrical Press
ASIN: B08Z65YYV3
Print Length: 208 pages
Publication Date: November 9, 2021
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Becky Clark is the seventh of eight kids, which explains both her insatiable need for attention and her atrocious table manners. She likes to read funny books so it felt natural to write them too. She surrounds herself with quirky people and pets who end up as characters in her books. Her stout-hearted dog keeps her safe from menacing squirrels, leaves, and deer, but not plastic bags. Those things are terrifying.

Readers say her books are “fast and thoroughly entertaining” with “witty humor and tight writing” and “humor laced with engaging characters” so you should “grab a cocktail and enjoy the ride.” They also say “Warning: You will laugh out loud. I’m not kidding,” and “If you like Janet Evanovich, you will like Becky Clark.”

Becky won the 1st place “Best in Category” Mystery & Mayhem Award from the Chanticleer International Book Awards for Fiction Can Be Murder, book one in the Mystery Writer’s Mystery series.

Visit http://www.BeckyClarkBooks.com for all kinds of fun. While you’re there, be sure to subscribe to her “So Seldom It’s Shameful” newsletter. You’ll hear about new releases, get the chance to win fabulous prizes, find out about book promotions from her and others, read interviews from new-to-you authors, and more. (As you might have gleaned from the title, she won’t inundate your inbox, either.)

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The Silent Witness: (Detective Amanda Steele Book 3) by Carolyn Arnold – #BookReview – #noircrime

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

It’s 4 a.m. when her mom shakes her awake. “Get up baby, we’re going to play hide and seek.” The little girl presses back into the dark space, holding her breath as she hears the shots ring out. She knows she’s next…

When the bodies of a local family are discovered on a quiet street in the small town of Dumfries, Virginia, Detective Amanda Steele takes charge of the case. Brett and Angela Parker were shot three times each, leaving no hope of survival, and their tidy suburban home has been ransacked. But there is no sign of their beloved six-year-old, Zoe.

Zoe is the same age as Amanda’s daughter was when she died, and Amanda can’t bear the thought of another little girl in danger. She’s organizing a search for the child, when she notices something strange about the ottoman at the foot of the Parkers’ bed. She opens it to find Zoe, mute and traumatized, but alive.

With Zoe completely uncommunicative, Amanda must find another way to untangle what destroyed this seemingly perfect family. It’s clear that the killer is searching for something the Parkers had, and until she has this monster behind bars, Amanda fears that he may return for Zoe. When she learns that Brett Parker cut short the family’s recent lakeside vacation, she wonders why. What happened at that lake house, and did it ultimately get them killed?

Amanda heads out to Lake Chesdin on the feeling it might be key to the case, and when she finds a cell phone in the murky waters next to the Parker cabin, she knows she’s made a breakthrough. But then terrible news reaches her from Dumfries; Zoe has been taken from her school playground.

Someone wants to silence the Parker family for good, can Amanda catch them before the little girl she’s desperate to protect pays the price?

His Review:

Brett, Angela and their daughter were in the wrong place at a bad time. How could their first family vacation turn out so wrong? Brett loved to take pictures but the pictures he took that fateful morning should not have happened. Frantically he had the women in his life hide in their master bedroom.

Amanda Steele is a first-rate detective who loves her job. One of the down sides of the job is investigating horrific crimes. Her working relationship with her office is basically great except for her boss. For some unknown reason her boss seems to hate her and puts her down every chance she gets

Investigating the murder scene Amanda notes they are a young couple with a child nearly the age of her own. The couple is killed by apparent professionals and the little girl is nowhere to be found. Was she staying with relatives or had she been away for a weekend with a friend? The child named Zoe is found in a storage ottoman in the dead couples’ bedroom.

The killings had occurred quickly and efficiently, but why? Thankfully her mothers’ last act was to hide the child in the ottoman. Terrified she did not make a sound and stayed totally still. The killers had overlooked her. Can Amanda keep the child safe while investigating the crime?

Ms. Arnold builds a strong case for methodical investigative tactics. Her heroine is hobbled by the responsibility to keep young Zoe safe while investigating the deaths. She is aggravated by the fact that the papers in their zeal to report sensational crimes mentioned that the child was the only one to escape the massacre.

This tale develops at a fast clip and I found it hard to put the book down. The total lack of compassion or sympathy toward the two victims and their daughter raised a deep wish for revenge against the killers. How can someone kill a young mother in the same room as their daughter with no worries about the future of the child?

Amanda had lost her own daughter in a tragic accident in which she also lost her husband! She is torn between placing the child in Child Protective Service and possibly adopting her. Zoe is her daughter’s age.

The book is compelling and I applaud the author for her skill in story telling. 5 stars – CE Williams

Certainly not the first book reviewed for this author. I also enjoyed a few of the last, including Book 1 of this series, The Little Grave. We received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author and publisher through NetGalley that in no way influenced this review. These are his honest opinions.

Book Details:

Genre: Noir Crime, Serial Killers, Organized Crime Thrillers
Publisher: Bookouture
ASIN: B09236T3JF
Print Length: 324 pages
Publication Date: September 24, 2021
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Title Link: The Silent Witness [Amazon]
Barnes and Noble
Kobo

The Author: CAROLYN ARNOLD is an international bestselling and award-winning author, as well as a speaker, teacher, and inspirational mentor. She has several continuing fiction series and has many published books. Her genre diversity offers her readers everything from cozy to hard-boiled mysteries, and thrillers to action adventures. Her crime fiction series have been praised by those in law enforcement as being accurate and entertaining. This led to her adopting the trademark: POLICE PROCEDURALS RESPECTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT™.

Carolyn was born in a small town and enjoys spending time outdoors, but she also loves the lights of a big city. Grounded by her roots and lifted by her dreams, her overactive imagination insists that she tell her stories. Her intention is to touch the hearts of millions with her books, to entertain, inspire, and empower.

She currently lives near London, Ontario, Canada with her husband and two beagles.