Rosepoint July Reviews Recap–Hello Hot August Nights!

Rosepoint Reviews - July Recap

Here’s hoping that wherever you are in this world, you are yours are successfully handling this extended global pandemic.

Statistics are not looking good for this CoVid thing, now projecting to intensify this winter into next August before there is a vaccine. Granted, in our area we’ve become just a bit more lax in our shopping while still wearing mask and gloves, but limiting shopping mainly to groceries. Seems as soon as something gets opened, it manifests a confirmed case of the stuff and closes back up. We’ve yet to really discern the line between real and padded stats.

The gardens are doing okay with the rain but not with the wildlife. Either the deer or the bunnies have eaten the corn and beans and this year decided they like tomatoes. Beets, lettuce, kale, carrots, and swiss chard are eaten to the ground and the raccoons and squirrels are cleaning out the bird feeder. Squash and cucumbers are everywhere and I’m giving it away–go figure. (Where’s a raccoon when you need one?)

Okay, between mowing, weeding, and cultivating, I’ve read some amazing books this month, a number from my favorite go-to authors. The CE has stepped up again reading the action-adventure, military novels. There seem to be a spate of WWII books coming out again. I did a post on a Netflix series versus the audiobooks and want to follow up with several more in that vein as well, securing books from my local library–still closed–but doing just fine with online borrowing. Hopefully, I can get them read in two weeks! (Link below to my reviews.)

Audiobook review of The Atlantis Stone by Alex Lukeman

The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis

Exit Strategy by Jen J Danna (a CE review)
Muzzled by David Rosenfelt
Out of Her Mind by T R Ragan
A Mother’s Lie by Jo Crow (a CE review)
Goodnight Moo by Mollie Cox Bryan
The Atlantis Stone by Alex Lukeman
Storm Rising by Sara Driscoll
Lineage Most Lethal by S C Perkins
The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis (a CE review)
Playing Nice by J P Delaney
Hanging Falls by Margaret Mizushima
The Hooligans by P T Deutermann (a CE review)
TV Netflix Series vs Audiobooks (Virgin River) by Robyn Carr
Night Shift by Annelise Ryan

Many of the above are from NetGalley or BookBub, and audiobooks are from my library. I’m beginning to discover free books from Audible.

The challenges: Audiobooks, almost at Stenographer level 10-15–I have 13. Eleven towards my NetGalley count giving me 58 in a challenge of 75. I need one more to achieve 10 for my Renaissance Reader level in the Historical Challenge and still at a loss as to how to upload to Mr. Linky on that one. Goodreads–I’m now four books behind schedule at 95 of 170 or 55% of that challenge.

Because the Murder Mystery Bingo Challenge became so overwhelming, I jumped at the Summer Bingo! Challenge created by Lynne at Fictionophile and won the first Bingo! I’m one of those who never win, but I’ll happily accept virtual as a win. The contest started on the first of June and will continue through August. SIMPLE and fun! If I can do this one, so can you! Fun Cards! To follow my progress on all the challenges, click on my Reading Challenges page.

I was invited to join the Vine Voice at Amazon and I’m thinking that and $5 would buy me a cuppa, maybe not at Starbucks, but hoping that would give me another small boost to credibility. Wish I had a badge for that, but alas, authors, you’ll have to be happy with that little designation next to my review now. Yay me.

In the meantime, blogger buddies, authors, and readers, take care, stay safe. I so appreciate your likes and connects!

Raccoon photo attribute: Deposit Photos

HIDING CRACKED GLASS BY JAMES J. CUDNEY- #CoverReveal

An ominous blackmail letter appears at an inopportune moment. The recipient’s name is accidentally blurred out upon arrival. Which member of the Glass family is the ruthless missive meant for?

Series Name: Perceptions of Glass

Happy Saturday! I’m thrilled to be part of the cover reveal brought to you by Digital Reads and Reviews of the new book by James J. Cudney, Hiding Cracked Glass, his second book in Perceptions of Glass series. Check out the book details and cover in this post.

Book #1 Name: Watching Glass Shatter

Book #2 Name: Hiding Cracked Glass (cover reveal for this one)

Publication for Book #2:

Next Chapter, October 8th, 2020

PreSale / Amazon Link: Pending from Publisher

Hiding Cracked Glass by James J Cudney

About the Book

An ominous blackmail letter appears at an inopportune moment. The recipient’s name is accidentally blurred out upon arrival. Which member of the Glass family is the ruthless missive meant for?

⇓

TA DA!

In the powerful sequel to Watching Glass Shatter, Olivia is the first to read the nasty threat and assumes it’s meant for her. When the mysterious letter falls into the wrong hands and is read aloud, it throws the entire Glass family into an inescapable trajectory of self-question. Across the span of eight hours, Olivia and her sons contemplate whether to confess their hidden secrets or find a way to bury them forever. Some failed to learn an important lesson last time. Will they determine how to save themselves before it’s too late?

Each chapter’s focus alternates between the various family members and introduces several new and familiar faces with a vested interest in the outcome. As each hour ticks by, the remaining siblings and their mother gradually reveal what’s happened to them in the preceding months, and when the blackmailer makes an appearance at Olivia’s birthday party, the truth brilliantly comes to light.

Although everyone seemed to embrace the healing process at the end of Watching Glass Shatter, there were hidden cracks in the Glass family that couldn’t be mended. Their lives are about to shatter into pieces once again, but this time, the stakes are even higher. Someone wants to teach them a permanent lesson and refuses to stop until success is achieved.

About the Author

Background

James J Cudney - author James is my given name, but most folks call me Jay. I live in New York City, grew up on Long Island, and graduated from Moravian College, an historic but small liberal arts school in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, with a degree in English literature and minors in Education, Business and Spanish. After college, I accepted a technical writing position for a telecommunications company during Y2K and spent the last ~20 years building a career in technology & business operations in the retail, sports, media and entertainment industries. Throughout those years, I wrote some short stories, poems and various beginnings to the “Great American Novel,” but I was so focused on my career in technology and business that writing became a hobby. In 2016, I refocused some of my energies toward reinvigorating a second career in reading, writing and publishing.

Author

Writing has been a part of my life as much as my heart, my mind and my body. At some points, it was just a few poems or short stories; at others, it was full length novels and stories. My current focus is family drama fiction, cozy mystery novels and suspense thrillers. I think of characters and plots that I feel must be unwound. I think of situations people find themselves in and feel compelled to tell the story. It’s usually a convoluted plot with many surprise twists and turns. I feel it necessary to take that ride all over the course. My character is easily pictured in my head. I know what he is going to encounter or what she will feel. But I need to use the right words to make it clear.

Reader & Reviewer

Reading has also never left my side. Whether it was children’s books, young adult novels, college textbooks, biographies or my ultimate love, fiction, it’s ever present in my day. I read 2 books per week and I’m on a quest to update every book I’ve ever read on Goodreads, write up a review and post it on all my sites and platforms.

Blogger & Thinker

I have combined my passions into a single platform where I share reviews, write a blog and publish tons of content: TRUTH. I started my 365 Daily Challenge, where I post about a word that has some meaning to me and converse with everyone about life. There is humor, tears, love, friendship, advice and bloopers. Lots of bloopers where I poke fun at myself all the time. Even my dogs have had weekly segments called “Ryder’s Rants” or “Baxter’s Barks” where they complain about me. All these things make up who I am; none of them are very fancy or magnanimous, but they are real. And that’s why they are me.

Genealogist & Researcher

I love history and research, finding myself often reaching back into the past to understand why someone made the choice he or she did and what were the subsequent consequences. I enjoy studying the activities and culture from hundreds of years ago to trace the roots and find the puzzle of my own history. I wish I could watch my ancestors from a secret place to learn how they interacted with others; and maybe I’ll comprehend why I do things the way I do.

Websites & Blog

Website: https://jamesjcudney.com/

Blog: https://thisismytruthnow.com

Amazon: http://bit.ly/JJCIVBooks

Next Chapter Pub: https://www.nextchapter.pub/authors/james-j-cudney

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/james-j-cudney

Social Media

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jamescudney4

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

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

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

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jamescudney4/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamescudney4/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/jamescudney4

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamescudney4

Genres, Formats & Languages

I write in the family drama and mystery genres. My first two books are Watching Glass Shatter (2017) and Father Figure (2018). Both are contemporary fiction and focus on the dynamics between parents and children and between siblings. I’m currently writing the sequel to Watching Glass Shatter. I also have a light mystery series called the Braxton Campus Mysteries with six books available.

All my books come in multiple formats (Kindle, physical print, large print paperback, and audiobook) and some are also translated into foreign languages such as Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and German.

Goodreads Book Links

Watching Glass Shatter (October 2017)

Father Figure (April 2018)

Braxton Campus Mysteries

I listened to the first book on audio called Watching Glass Shatter. If you missed my review you can check it here. I enjoyed the unusual premise and unique storyline of the Glass family drama and I’m excited about the curves, twists, and simmering domestic histories as they push forward from Book 1. You MUST check out this book and see for yourself!

Night Shift (A Helping Hands Mystery Book 2) by Annelise Ryan – a #BookReview

“The awesome and mighty power of dog love at work.”

Book Blurb:

When social worker Hildy Schneider commits to an after-hours side job, she finds herself drawn into the darker side of small-town Sorenson, Wisconsin—and the twisted mind of an unnamed killer . . . Strange things have been happening since Hildy started moonlighting with local police, but a desperate late-night call involving a former patient from Sorenson General Hospital tops the list. Although Danny Hildebrand has been tormented by hallucinations for years, he swears he’s being haunted for real by the victim of a grisly murder . . . The rambling ghost story seems like another delusion. But after a body turns up in a neglected farmhouse crawling with secrets, Hildy and the magnetic Detective Bob Richmond rush to explain Danny’s knowledge of the incident. As the crime-solving partners unwittingly grow closer while examining a series of eerie leads, they realize that surviving past sunrise means shedding light on a criminal willing to do whatever it takes to stay in the shadows . . .

My Review:

I do appreciate humor included in a novel, especially a cozy, where no one should take too seriously the serious stuff. It’s not meant to be dark and this narrative stays rather on the light side due in part to MC Hildy Schneider. She’s a social worker newly committing to a second job (maybe I missed why, but the usual is m o n e y) with the Sorenson Police Department. At any rate, there were several details missed in her job description when she signed on, one of which is that as a trial program with the police called Helping Hands, she’ll ride along with the night shift cop.

This could be a good thing using golden retriever Roscoe, a trained therapy dog, and her general experience with the hospital where she’s based as the social worker.

Her first night sees a homicide victim that manages to tie into one of her patients with schizophrenia who is obviously off his meds. Something is really wrong here–she knows he wouldn’t have done the deed–meds or no.

The author has peppered in a variety of damaged and unusual support characters along with the usual–one of my favs is PJ, the (autistic) teen who walks Roscoe. I’m still trying to make heads or tails of Detective Bob Richmond, but that’s a thread that will be further explored in the next series entry. The sense of humor manifests with some weirdly funny analogies producing a soft chuckle or two.

“…his room has all the ambience of a medieval dungeon and one neon yellow pillow isn’t going to fix that. That pillow is like a random piece of corn in the middle of a giant turd.”

WHOA!

“He might be a cam bolt shy of being fully assembled.”

The mystery is not that difficult and the perp is rather obvious early on with the motive by mid-book. Some twists meant to throw the reader off-track, don’t. The storyline is easy to follow and the characters add depth and a little fun to the narrative.

However, another damaged protagonist, while quite engaging is getting tiresome. There are repeats of conversations (wait…didn’t I just read that?) and commonly repeated descriptions.

The very real problem of a possible conflict of interest pops up that might lead to an in-depth discussion of which job comes first, takes precedent, and where should her allegiance lie? A situation that will surely force a resolution.

I’ve read this author before in one of her other series (Dead Ringer review here), thought I’d try this one. I tripped over a few quibbles, but basically enjoyed a well-plotted and easy-paced cozy read with characters I grew to invest in. Recommended.

Receiving this digital download free from the publisher and NetGalley did not affect my opinion of the book or the content and this is my honest opinion.

Book Details:

Genre: Amateur Sleuth Mysteries, Medical Thrillers
Publisher: Kensington Books
ASIN: B07ZPLB14V
Print Length: 266 pages
Publication Date: July 28, 2020
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Rosepoint Publishing: Four of Five Stars

The Author: Annelise Ryan is the USA Today bestselling author of the popular Mattie Winston mystery series and a pseudonym for Beth Amos, who also writes the Mack’s Bar Mystery series under the pseudonym Allyson K. Abbott. Beth is a real life emergency room RN living in Wisconsin. She believes laughter is the best medicine, and with the Mattie Winston series she is hoping to “medicate” the masses.

For more Mattie Winston fun and to keep up with the latest news, visit http://www.mattiewinston.com

TV Netflix Series vs Audiobook – The Virgin River Series – by Robyn Carr — What Happened?

…The romances and friendships of this small California town from #1 New York Times bestselling author Robyn Carr. Now a Netflix Original Series!”

Noting the series is based on Robyn Carr’s books, I went searching and listened to three (well, almost) audiobooks. They were definitely not the saccharine-based Hallmark narrative I was expecting.

The Netflix Series

“Searching for a fresh start, a nurse practitioner moves from LA to a remote northerrn California town and is surprised by what–and who–she finds.”

Season one of the Virgin River released in 2019 starring Alexandra Breckenridge, Martin Henderson, and Tim Matheson. Promised a second season of a ten-episode run tentatively assumed to release around August but has not yet been scheduled. There is, however, rumors of a third season in the offing.*

As my followers know, I’m not big on romance–don’t generally read them unless it’s a glimmer in a mystery, historical fiction, or action thriller of some kind. But this Netflix series, yes, although a romance, is contained within a gorgeous mountainous location that hits several of my nostalgia buttons. Whether or not I could actually live there isn’t the issue. So scenic, so quiet, so bucolic–and oh, so closed. Like trying to penetrate an Appalachian village where the newcomer has been established over twenty years. Still, it conjures the hunting, the fishing, the fresh smell of the redwoods and the hidden odor of illegal pot farms. (Okay, now I’ve gone too far. You can’t smell anything over the redwoods.)

We loved it, the CE and I, binge-watching until the entire season was quickly consumed (you can’t watch just one). The characters are very likable, even the ones thought not supposed to be, although I have a tendency to think the male and female leads are more than a few years apart in age. The town busy-body is OCD in all things Virgin River and she’s great in the part. And the surprise? (Or maybe not–since he created the character in The Heart of Dixie.) The old town doctor–slow to relinquish the reins–much less to a nurse/midwife. Is this a rip-off the HOD? I don’t think so–this being so atmospheric, with well-developed characters, albeit locale oriented. And granted, I never watched The Heart of Dixie, so you tell me.

But is this really Robyn Carr? Based on her books, it’s obviously rewritten for a wider audience and adapted to episode limitations. Carr says of the experience:

“… there’s a lot going on, a lot of adventure. It’s contemporary, and it deals with a lot of military and ex-military people. And it’s a small town that’s so isolated and remote that they really have to depend on each other. It’s a landscape and a setting that demands something of the characters. it’s not an easy place to live.”

Two Audiobooks of the Virgin River Series

Book Blurb of Whispering Rock:

Virgin River became a safe haven for Sacramento prosecutor Brie Sheridan after she nearly lost her life at the hands of a crazed criminal. Though tough and courageous, she has some fears she can’t escape—but now she has someone who wants to show her just what it means to trust again.

A decorated marine reservist, LAPD officer Mike Valenzuela was badly wounded in the line of duty. When he agrees to become Virgin River’s first cop, he does so knowing it’s time he settled down. Twice divorced and the lover of too many women, he secretly longs for the kind of commitment and happiness his marine buddies have found—a woman who can tie up his heart forever.

Mike will do anything to help Brie free herself from painful memories. Passionate, strong and gentle, he vows to give back to her what she’s so selflessly given him—her heart, and with it, a new beginning.

Book Blurb of A Virgin River Christmas:

Last Christmas Marcie Sullivan said a final goodbye to her husband, Bobby. This Christmas she’s come to Virgin River to find the man who saved his life and gave her three more years to love him.

Fellow marine Ian Buchanan dragged Bobby’s shattered body onto a medical transport in Fallujah four years ago, then disappeared as soon as their unit arrived stateside. Since then, Marcie’s letters to Ian have gone unanswered.

Marcie tracks Ian to the tiny mountain town of Virgin River and finds a man as wounded emotionally as Bobby was physically. But she is not easily scared off. As Marcie pushes her way into his rugged and reclusive life, she discovers a sweet but damaged soul beneath a rough exterior.

Ian doesn’t know what to make of the determined young widow who forces him to look into the painful past and, what’s worse, the uncertain future. But it is, after all, a season of miracles and maybe, just maybe, it’s time to banish the ghosts and open his heart.

Overview Impression

Both blurbs attracted my attention, sounding like an interesting and plausible plot device and made me want to hear more. And boy howdy did I get an ear full. I also listened to a newer one out (the two above very early releases of her series) of a standalone called Sunrise on Half Moon Bay.

These multi-plotted books carry the MCs as well as the current focus of the book characters which varies widely and can include some very sensitive topics–not my fav.

The women appear needy, hormonal, and selfish; the men all willing to provide just want they needed (wink, wink), and they certainly seem to need a lot of that. This went beyond romance straight to sex and some of it more graphic than I was willing to listen to. Too much going on, rehashing and overhashing, sappy men, horny women, terrible histories made forgettable by moving to Virgin River and then succeeding with perfect lives and pregnancy. (Gag me) At one point I just shut off my audiobook and started something else. This series as written by Robyn Carr is just not for me. (Sorry–not sorry)

Book Details:

Whispering Rock Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Recorded Books – Audible
Whispering Rock – ASIN: B002IFLWNY
Listening Length: 11 hrs 39 mins
Narrator: Thérèse Plummer
Publication Date: July 21, 2009
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Link: Whispering Rock
Whispering Rock Goodreads Link

A Virgin River Christmas Genre: Holiday Fiction, Holiday Romance
Publisher: Recorded Books – Audible
A Virgin River Christmas – ASIN: B004NNG2HU:
Listening Length: 9 hrs 10 mins
Narrator: Thérèse Plummer
Publication Date: February 14, 2011
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Link: A Virgin River Christmas
A Virgin River Christmas Goodreads Link

The Author: Robyn Carr is a RITA® Award-winning, eleven-time #1 New York Times bestselling author of almost sixty novels, including the critically acclaimed Virgin River Series. The fifth novel (THE COUNTRY GUESTHOUSE) in her fan-favorite series, Sullivan’s Crossing, will be released in January 2020. Robyn’s latest women’s fiction novel (released May 2019), THE VIEW FROM ALAMEDA ISLAND, appeared on four bestseller lists: New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly and Wall Street Journal. Robyn is a recipient of the Romance Writers of America Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award 2016 and in 2017, VIRGIN RIVER was named one of the HarperCollins 200 Iconic Books of the past 200 years. Netflix has taken notice of Robyn’s success and is producing a 10-episode series based on her fan-favorite bestselling Virgin River Series. The Netflix series will be released in late 2019. Robyn lives in Las Vegas, Nevada. You can visit Robyn Carr’s website at http://www.RobynCarr.com.

*What’s on Netflix

Carr quote by Rachael Ellenbogan at ibtimes.com

The Hooligans (P T Deutermann WWII Novels) by P T Deutermann – a #BookReview #TuesdayBookBlog

Happy Release Day!

Rosepoint Publishing: Five of Five Stars

A Review by the CE.

A gripping and authentic World War II naval adventure by a master storyteller

The Hooligans fictionalizes the little-known but remarkable exploits of “The Hooligan Navy” that fought in the Pacific theatre of World War II. Loosely-organized in fast moving squadrons, PT (patrol torpedo) boats were the pesky nemesis of the formidable Japanese navy, dubbed “the mosquito fleet” and “devil boats” for their daring raids against warships, tankers, and transport ships.

After the Pearl Harbor raid plunges America into war, young surgical resident Lincoln Anderson enlists in the Navy medical corps. His first deployment comes in August 1942 at Guadalcanal, when after a brutal sea battle and the landing of Marines on the island, Anderson finds himself triaging hundreds of casualties under relentless Japanese air and land attacks.

But with the navy short of doctors, soon Anderson is transferred to serve aboard a PT boat. From Guadalcanal to the Solomon Islands to the climactic, tide-turning battle of Leyte Gulf, Anderson and the crew members of his boat confront submarines and surface ships, are attacked from air by the dreaded Kawanishi flying boats, and hunted by destroyers. In the end, Anderson must lead a division of boats in a seemingly-impossible mission against a Japanese battleship formation—and learn the true nature of his character.

Informed by P. T. Deutermann’s own experience as a commander of a patrol gunboat in Vietnam, The Hooligans is first-rate military adventure fiction.

His Review:

The Solomon Islands are a very strategic point between Australia and the Japanese islands. Placed there to protect the shipping lanes to Australia was a small fleet of PT boats and contingents of the US Nary and Marine’s as well as US Army. Doctor Eric Andersen is attached to this flotilla for the purpose of giving support to the medical needs of the detachment. He is a fourth-year surgical resident who joins after Pearl Harbor. This puts him in poor stead with his superior officers who feel he should not be doing any type of surgeries. Problem is that during war time avoiding surgery is simply not an option.

Guadalcanal is one of the islands in the Solomon Island archipelago and the fighting and casualties were horrendous. Doctor Andersen is thrust into this melee. His ability as a surgeon is quickly learned in these field hospitals. He quickly attains the reputation of being a “Superman” when dealing with catastrophic bodily injuries. He even does some artery relocations! The brass in more traditional hospital situations are aggravated by this skill.

The description and miserable facilities in the field hospitals is colorfully documented. Bomb shelters are constructed by U.S. Navy Seabees in record time. Japanese bombers called “Bettys” continually harass the entire staff of PT sailors. The PT’s attack during the night under cover of darkness and continually harass Japanese troop ship movements and disrupt their supply chains. The boats also supply defense and anti-aircraft batteries to protect our shipping and logistics in the area. The Japanese are tenacious fighters and every inch of real estate taken is with blood and sacrifice.

As each island is finally liberated from the Japanese, the ports and bases inch slowly northward. The skippers of the PT boats soon learn the value of their attached doctor. Throughout this book the flavor of war is everywhere. People 1500 miles away from the actual theater of action think they “know” how the war should be fought. The preponderance of arm chair fleet operators reminds me of my navy days. They were only slightly less aggravating than the enemy. Logistics and supply resources are usually controlled by these bureaucrats who haven’t even seen combat.

As the Japanese are pushed back from this island chain, the casualties mount and experiential learning takes over. HM1 and other enlisted personnel soon become strategic to the survival of the wounded. Dr. Andersen recognizes their abilities and utilizes them to the best of his ability. Comical relief is added with the presence of military scrounges whose mission is to keep the detachment supplied, particularly with medical equipment. Their exploits are enlightening and certainly devious. Requisitions in military theaters can go terribly slow and actually halt operations. The black market and bartering certainly bypass this backlog.

The relentless progress to Japan through Okinawa and Taiwan is fairly accurately portrayed. I recommend it as entertaining and enlightening reading for anyone who is a history buff. Understanding how some of the bunkers were built and the speed and efficiency of the navy’s Seabees is worth reading the book for. Enjoy the experience.

We received this uncorrected digital galley from the publisher through NetGalley and the receipt of the copy gratis does not affect my opinion of the book or the content. These are my honest opinions and I’m happy to highly recommend. 5 stars C.E. Williams

Book Details:

Genre: Historical World War II Fiction, Historical Thrillers
Publisher: St Martin’s Press
ASIN: B0818Q5Y8G
Print Length: 298 pages
Publication Date: Happy Release Day! July 28, 2020
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Peter Deutermann was born in Boston in 1941. His father was in the Navy, so he subsequently lived all over the United States and also in Argentina. He graduated from the naval academy in 1963 and served in the navy for 26 years, rising to the rank of Captain. While in the navy, he published one textbook on naval operations and several professional articles in navy-oriented journals. He held three commands: a Swiftboat in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam, a guided missile destroyer in the Atlantic Fleet, and a destroyer squadron based in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. His last tour of duty was as the division director for chemical, biological, and radiological weapons arms control negotiations on the staff of the Joint Chiefs in Washington, DC.

He retired from active duty in 1989 and began his fiction-writing career. He has published twenty novels since 1992, all with St. Martins Press, including the just-released World War II navy novel, entitled The Commodore, and the Washington thriller, The Red Swan. He has completed his 21st novel, entitled The Iceman, a World War II navy submarine story, scheduled for publication in August, 2018. See all the books on his website at http://www.ptdeutermann.com

In addition to a BS in naval engineering, Mr. Deutermann holds an MA in public administration from the University of Washington in Seattle, WA. He is also a Member of the Royal College of Defence Studies in London. He is married and has two children. Mr. Deutermann and his wife of 50 years live in Rockingham County, in the Piedmont of North Carolina, on their family pony farm.

Hanging Falls: A Timber Creek K-9 Mystery by Margaret Mizushima – a #BookReview

Rosepoint Publishing: Five of Five Stars

Book Blurb:

Murder stalks the rugged Colorado high country–and sends Mattie Cobb on a quest to uncover the darkest secrets from her past in the sixth gripping installment of Margaret Mizushima’s Timber Creek K-9 mysteries

A deluge has flooded the high ground near Hanging Falls–but heavy rains aren’t the only menace descending on Timber Creek. While on a scouting mission to pinpoint trail damage, officer Mattie Cobb and her K-9 partner Robo stumble upon a body floating at the edge of a lake. Robo catches human scent, which leads to an enigmatic forest-dweller who quickly becomes suspect number one.

With help from veterinarian Cole Walker, Mattie identifies the victim, and discovers an odd religious cult whose dress and manners harken back to the 19th century. As the list of suspects grows, an unexpected visit from members of Mattie’s long-lost family sheds new light on her childhood as they help Mattie piece together details of the fateful night when she was abducted at age two.

The tangled threads of the investigation and family dynamics begin to intertwine–but darkness threatens to claim a new victim before Mattie and Robo can track down the killers.

My Review:

Not content to wait closer to release, I had to jump to my new Mizushima book. I am always so delighted by each in the wonderful series that features the awesome GSD Robo, a well-trained service dog. Always a late bloomer, I discovered the series at Book 3, read each since, and really enjoyed them all.

The K-9 series features Robo as a brilliantly, intuitive service animal–the stories do not breach anthropomorphic levels–they stay authentic. Robo is a large powerful animal and is treated with respect while carefully kept to his manners. His handler, Mattie Cobb works with local law enforcement and in this narrative finds a DB (dead body) washed downstream and caught in a tree snag off the trail in the flood of the high country she and wildlife manager, Glenna Dalton, are scouting. The wild mountains of Colorado and Timber Creek are dangerous and unpredictable, but this is obviously a homicide.

Mizushima’s books always run a strong sub-plot and this story dealing with the issue of family pushes her backstory to the foreground. Her own family was torn apart resulting in an abusive childhood and many unanswered questions. She is carefully cultivating a relationship with the local veterinarian, Cole Walker, and his family that appears to be progressing.

Investigating the death of the young man on the mountain, they discover a new “family” that has moved to their area, a cult. There is a subsequent death which Mattie and Robo also discover and all leads continue to swerve back to the cult where there appears to harbor a smoldering discontent. Cole is introduced to the members through a visit to investigate a split hoof on one of their farm animals where he notes a girl about his oldest child’s age with her own beautiful GSD.

While the team continues to investigate the two deaths, obviously related at this point, they begin to ferret out more and more details and discover a new vet in the area tied to a pharmaceutical rep adding an additional layer to the mystery.

In the meantime, Mattie has been contacted by her long-lost sister and nervously awaits a visit by Julia and her grandmother. As she was raised in the foster care system, she is hoping to finally answer questions about her abduction and the disappearance of her mother. Oh, yes, this is a thread that will weigh heavily in the next episode.

Meanwhile, the duo-protagonists, Mattie and Robo, bring the mystery to a successful but nail-biting conclusion. I love that dog. My review of Hunting Hour here, Burning Ridge here, and Tracking Game here. Each can work as a standalone, but you might wish to catch up on this remarkable series and go back to Book 1. Which one did I love best? The one I was then reading.

Receiving this digital download free from the publisher and NetGalley did not affect my opinion of the book and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read and review. Anyone who enjoys a good mystery with an immersive, atmospheric setting, impressive animals, and their skillful handlers will find this series fully engaging and entertaining.

Book Details:

Genre: Amateur Sleuth, Traditional Detective Fiction
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
ASIN: B082H2KD9H
Print Length: 288 pages
Publication Date: To be released September 8, 2020
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Pre-Order Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Margaret Mizushima is the author of the award-winning and internationally published Timber Creek K-9 Mysteries. Active within the writing community, Margaret serves as president for the Rocky Mountain Chapter of Mystery Writers of America, was elected the 2019-2020 Writer of the Year by Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, and is also a member of Northern Colorado Writers and Sisters in Crime. She lives in Colorado on a small ranch with her veterinarian husband where they raised two daughters and a multitude of animals. She can be found on Facebook/AuthorMargaretMizushima, Twitter @margmizu, Instagram at margmizu, and her website at http://www.margaretmizushima.com.

Playing Nice by JP Delaney – a #BookReview – Psychological Thriller

“People said it took a village to raise a child, but I didn’t even have a cul-de-sac.”

Book Blurb:

Pete Riley answers the door one morning and lets in a parent’s worst nightmare. On his doorstep is Miles Lambert, a stranger who breaks the devastating news that Pete’s son, Theo, isn’t actually his son—he is the Lamberts’, switched at birth by an understaffed hospital while their real son was sent home with Miles and his wife, Lucy. For Pete, his partner Maddie, and the little boy they’ve been raising for the past two years, life will never be the same again.

The two families, reeling from the shock, take comfort in shared good intentions, eagerly entwining their very different lives in the hope of becoming one unconventional modern family. But a plan to sue the hospital triggers an official investigation that unearths some disturbing questions about the night their children were switched. How much can they trust the other parents—or even each other? What secrets are hidden behind the Lamberts’ glossy front door? Stretched to the breaking point, Pete and Maddie discover they will each stop at nothing to keep their family safe.

They are done playing nice.

My Review:

Dang but I do pick a douzy when I try a new (to me) author and this book had me spinning. The premise is that two babies are swapped at birth, both preemies, both showing up at a time when the hospital is short-staffed. It could happen…haven’t we heard of that happening?

Journalist Pete Riley and his partner Maddie get that rude awakening one morning when Miles Lambert and his wife Lucy show up at their door to explain the situation and seek an amicable solution. But swap them back? It’s been two years. How could they?

Talk about a shock! It takes a toll, has them both reeling. Theo is not their son?

Pete is Theo’s stay-at-home dad, his major caregiver. Maddie has the better paying position. The Lamberts on the other hand appear very well off. Have provided extremely well for their son David, who has been determined to be “slow.” Maddie and Pete had been cautioned that under the circumstances of their son’s birth, he may have sustained some brain damage. And Theo is not the easiest child–now a terrible two–gave it the name and is having problems adjusting to his nursery care situation exhibiting some aggression towards another child who wants to take his toy.

The Lambert’s boy is painfully slow, quiet, and fortunately, Lucy has help with him in the form of a nanny while Miles goes off to his high paying position. While their initial meetings appear to be successful and the couples have made what seem a mutual agreement, Miles begins to push boundaries and there are times when that harmonious ambiance begins to slip, the environment turns icy, and they are soon embroiled in a lawsuit that goes from contentious to a living hell.

This is one of those books that hooks you at the outset, sets you on a crash course with two POVs (Pete’s and Maddies) and Court Case Numbers and Exhibits. Just when you don’t think it could get any worse, it does. The high-powered legal team hired by Miles, the attorney procured by Pete and Maddie by taking out a second mortgage each interpreting the law until the reader is so bewildered the situation looks impossible.

“…the psychopathic spectrum–that is, they score low on tests for remorse, conscience, and moral judgment, and high for fearlessness, quick thinking, and cold-bloodedness.”

Interesting little tidbits of tidy information laid so quietly and carefully, perhaps you didn’t notice in the avalanche of emotions of the DNA finding–perhaps you skipped right over it, huh! No, not the part about proving the parents…and then there were the arguments of nature vs nurture.

All the characters exhibit some flaws, Peter being almost dangerously easy and naive; Miles just dangerous. Nor is Lucy or Maddie particularly devoid of their little secrets, one of which I’d suspected but clouded for me just a tad following the conclusion. The climax has the reader holding their breath and reading faster, dripping with sweat. There is tension, wildly crazy legal ramifications, twists, turns, and the exhausting parental turmoil caused in dealing with “special” children.

Receiving this digital download free from the publisher and NetGalley did not affect my opinion of the book or the content and I fully appreciated the opportunity to read and review this novel. Totally recommended.

Book Details:

Genre: Psychological Thriller, Psychological Fiction
Publisher: Ballantine Books

ISBN-10:0593213335
ISBN-13:978-0593213339
ASIN: B0818Q3JWK

Print Length: 418 pages
Publication Date: To be released July 28, 2020
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Pre-Order Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five of Five Stars

The Author: JP Delaney is a pseudonym for a British writer of psychological suspense who has previously written best-selling fiction under other names. THE GIRL BEFORE was an instant New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller and was published in over 40 countries. The follow-up, BELIEVE ME, was also an international bestseller. THE PERFECT WIFE will be published summer 2019. For more information, go to http://www.jpdelaney.co.uk or follow @jpdelaneywriter on Facebook.

Blood on the Chesapeake by Randy Overbeck – #BlogBlitz – a #paranormal mystery #RABTBookTours

Today I’m excited to present my spot for the Book Blitz of Blood on the Chesapeake by Randy Overbeck as presented by RABT Book Tours and PR.

The Haunted Shores Mysteries, Book 1

Paranormal Mystery

Date Published: April 10, 2019

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

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A Murder Mystery, a Ghost Story, and a Dangerous Romance all combine to
make Blood on the Chesapeake a Suspense Thriller That You Just Cannot Put
Down.

Wilshire, Maryland seems like the perfect shore town on the Chesapeake
Bay—quiet, scenic, charming—and promises Darrell Henshaw a new
start in life and a second chance at love. That is, until he learns the town
hides an ugly secret. A thirty-year-old murder in the high school. And a
frightening ghost stalking his new office. Burned by an earlier encounter
with the spirit world—with the OCD scars to prove it—he does NOT
want to get involved. But when the desperate ghost hounds him, Darrell
concedes. Assisted by his new love, he follows a trail that leads to
the civil rights movement, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and even the Klu Klux
Klan. Then, when two locals who try to help are murdered, Darrell is forced
to decide if he’s willing to risk his life—and the life of the
woman he loves—to expose the killers of a young man he never
knew.

Second Book in The Haunted Shores Mysteries Just Released!!!

Crimson at Cape May

The Haunted Shores Mysteries, Book 2

Release Date: July 20, 2020

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

No matter how far you run, you can never really escape a haunted
past.

Darrell Henshaw—teacher, coach, and paranormal
sensitive—learned this lesson the hard way. Now, with his job gone and
few options, he heads for Cape May to coach a summer football camp. The
resort town, with gorgeous beaches, rich history and famous Victorian
mansions, might just be the getaway he needs. Only, no one told him Cape May
is the most haunted seaport on the East Coast.

When a resident ghost, the Haunted Bride, stalks Darrell, begging for his
help, he can’t refuse, and joins forces with Cassie, another sensitive. As
Darrell and the street-wise teen investigate the bride’s death, they uncover
something far more sinister than a murder. Can Darrell and Cassie expose
those behind the crimes before they end up becoming the next victims?

Purchase from Amazon

About the Author

Dr. Randy Overbeck is a veteran educator who has served children for more
than three decades as a teacher and school leader, winning national
recognition for his work. Over that time, he has performed many of the roles
depicted in his fiction, with responsibilities ranging from coach and
yearbook advisor to principal and superintendent. An accomplished writer, he
has been published in academia, the popular press and, more recently, in
better bookstores. His first novel, Leave No Child Behind, won the 2011
Silver Award for Thriller of the Year from ReadersFavorite.com. His second
novel, Blood on the Chesapeake, a ghost story/mystery released this year by
the Wild Rose Press, has earned 5 STAR REVIEWS from RaeadersFavorite.com,
Long and Short Reviews, Literary Titan and Chanticleer Book Reviews. It also
garnered national awards, the GOLD AWARD from Literary Titan and Honorable
Mention from Readers View. Blood is the first in a new series called the
“Haunted Shores Mysteries.” Dr. Overbeck is a member of the
Mystery Writers of America and an active member of the literary
community.

Contact Links

Purchase Links