#bookreviewers – Page 5 – Rosepoint Publishing

One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day – #BookReview – #DomesticThriller

Book Blurb:

Could this reunion be the death of them?

The Precipice is a legendary, family-owned hotel on the rocky coast of Maine. With the recent passing of their father, the Bishop sisters–Iris, Vicki, and Faith–have come for the weekend to claim it. But with a hurricane looming and each of the Bishop sisters harboring dangerous secrets, there’s murder in the air– and not everyone who checks into the Precipice will be checking out.

Each sister wants what is rightfully hers, and in the mix is the Precipe’s nineteen-year-old chambermaid Charley Kelley: smart, resilient, older than her years, and in desperate straits.

The arrival of the Bishop sisters could spell disaster for Charley. Will they close the hotel? Fire her? Discover her habit of pilfering from guests? Or even worse, learn that she’s using a guest room to hide a woman on the run.

With razor-sharp wit, heart, thrills, and twists, Jamie Day’s ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY delivers a unique brand of summertime suspense.

His Review:

The Maine coast can be one of the most dynamic areas in America. Gulls float effortlessly over the water looking for a quick meal. The Precipice is a remote hotel on the coastline with unmatched views. Papa ruled with an iron thumb and each of his children were beyond spoiled and entitled. They grew up working at the hotel with various chores. Father was determined not to allow his offspring to be spoiled.

Sadly, Papa has passed and the family congregates at the hotel for a reading of the will. Faith is recently out of prison and Brea, Vicki and Iris are all thinking of how their lives will change when they sell the relic! The oldest sister, Vicki, has decided that she will take over and run the place and the others will receive a monthly stipend from the rents.

The family is fighting and trying to liquidate the property and Vicki will hear none of it. People start dying or disappearing. A hurricane slams into the Maine coastline and the hotel is on the track of the storm. Are the deaths accidents or is someone trying to eliminate the potential heirs?

This read made me very happy that I was not raised with this family. No love is lost between these siblings and accidents seem to be around every corner. The storm worsens and the property is boarded up to protect from blowing debris. Who will remain after the storm to take over the property? If the property is still there. 4.5 stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. These opinions are my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Domestic Thrillers, Murder
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
ASIN: B0CGS1QT8G
Print Length: 384 pages
Publication Date: July 16, 2024
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: No bio listed

Rosepoint Reviews – February Recap – Welcome March (and spring?)!

Rosepoint Reviews-February Recap

Much as I bad-mouth this area (California it’s not!), I must admit that February wasn’t all that bad. Little of that cold white stuff and temps that ranged up to 74-75 degrees. In this area, anything above 50 is t-shirt weather, so February was pretty nice with the exception of a few throwback days to below freezing temps. Can’t wait to see what March will bring, besides winds and rain, the other problem with this area—wind. Chicago isn’t called “the Windy City” for nothing and the wind always wreaks havoc when trying to ride (whether bicycles or motorcycles).

February is also a month for getting everything caught up on the blog; still wrestling with that and doing the necessary yearly appointments. The CE volunteers with our son at the annual AARP tax service for seniors at a farming community library which gives him a nice outside interest for a short while and he always enjoys. Slows down his reading services though!

I’m always excited about March–Reading Ireland Month—that and my birthday—a big one last year. I am, however, increasingly dismayed at the treatment service people extend to seniors. I would argue that some gray hair does not always mean a loss of brain cells. (And no—not something I’ll just get used to without some blow-back.)

With all that and continuing to work with the little Pomeranian (now with us almost five months), we managed to provide reviews for twelve books. As always, links on titles are to our reviews that include purchase or source information.

February Recap

Death in the Ozarks by Erik S Meyers (CE review)
Where Butterflies Wander by Suzanne Redfearn
Being Henry by Henry Winkler (audiobook)
The Great Gimmelmans by Lee Matthew Goldberg
Someone Else’s Shoes by Jojo Moyes (audiobook)
The Wager by David Grann (audiobook)
The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger (audiobook)
Rich Justice by Robert Bailey (CE review)
The Longmire Defense by Craig Johnson (audiobook)
The Lost Pope by Glenn Cooper (CE review)
The Millionaire by Keenan Powell
Flight of Dreams by Ariel Lawlon (audiobook)

Favorite Book of the Month

Several great books in February caught our attention. Clyde loved The Lost Pope, while I gave five stars to both Henry Winkler’s book, Being Henry, and The Wager. I didn’t read The Lost Pope and feel Henry enjoyed professional and brilliant collaboration on his. So I have to give The Wager the nod for February. I didn’t want to shut down the audiobook and listened while grocery shopping, cooking, and cleaning. Okay—not vacuuming—I couldn’t hear it.

Book of the Month for February—The Wager

My Reading Challenges page… I’ve worked on the Reading Challenges page but am not completely up-to-date yet, nor have I been able to incorporate the Goodreads Challenge banner. Always a work in progress.

Miscellaneous Comments

Update on Punkin adopted the first week of October last year. At almost five months with us still prefers her crate to human companionship, but she is beginning to seek us out sometimes. We think she wants company or to play but has no idea how to do that. We’ve been trying to find ways to engage her. Still doesn’t want toys, doesn’t respond well to treats, or games. Being ever vigilant, we are catching her potty habits more often. Now if only we could tie those successes with her initiating the desire to go out.

I’ll be posting a list of books and activities tied to Reading Ireland Month shortly. Still getting that gathered and organized. Spoiler alert: Includes a Michael Connelly audiobook, of course.

Welcome to my new subscribers! I appreciate all my followers and love your likes and comments.

The Lost Pope by Glenn Cooper – #BookReview – #Suspense

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

In this action-packed thriller, a Harvard theology professor uncovers religious and papal history—and plenty of conspiracy.

Cal Donovan, a theology professor at Harvard, receives an urgent message from a former graduate student, Samia Tedros. Now a museum conservator in Cairo, Samia has discovered a miraculous fragment of papyrus with three unknown lines from the Gospel of Mary Magdalene so explosive that a wealthy man is willing to kill to ensure no one ever sees it.

At the Vatican, another drama is developing. The new Pope has defied centuries of tradition and appointed a nun, Sister Elisabetta Celestino, as his secretary of state. Powerful insiders are outraged that a woman now sits as the second most influential person at the Vatican, and they plot to destroy her.

When Samia shows up at Cal’s doorstep in the dead of night, he is drawn into a deadly competition to possess a papyrus with the power to rescue Sister Elisabetta and change the course of Christianity.

His Review:

There have been a number of gospels not accepted by the church as part of the canon of the church. The Gospel of Mary is one such example. Depending on which book you read, Mary Magdalene was either a harlot or a casual follower of Christ. Some books maintain she was a consort of his.

This book maintains that she was the wife and ardent follower of Simon Peter and ardent follower of Jesus the Christ. She was very instrumental in preaching the gospel and message of Christ. She was possibly a disciple similar to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Another early proponent of the faith was the Apostle Paul. He was struck with his faith on his way to persecute and bring to trial early Christians preaching the teachings of a Rabii who was tried and crucified on a cross.

The Nicene Council in 324 was more interested in keeping the teachings of Paul and the four primary gospels. Mary was shuffled to the side and her teachings considered heretical. However, an old funerary mask discovered contains a snippet of the Gospel according to Mary, which would point her out as being the second pope after Simon Peter. Neither the church nor any of the current hierarchy within the church will recognize her teaching as being legitimate.

The piece of her teachings found in the mask historically alters the Nicene Council’s edicts and infuriates some current day Catholics. Those interested in maintaining the status quo want to disavow the piece of papyrus by radiocarbon dating and historical analysis. Remarkably some of those historians and scholars working on the project wind up dead! This entire book is mesmerizing! I suggest reading this book and making up your own mind. 5 stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. These are my own opinions.

Book Details:

Genre: Suspense, Suspense Thrillers, Literature & Fiction
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
ISBN:1538721260
ASIN: B0BHHGPNZQ
Print Length: 385 pages
Publication Date: June 6, 2023
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

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

The Author: Glenn Cooper is an internationally bestselling thriller writer. His books have been translated into 31 languages and have sold over 6 million copies. To date Cooper has written seven novels all of which have become top-ten international bestsellers.

His Library of the Dead trilogy, is currently being adapted as a TV series by Pioneer Pictures.

Cooper’s novels are suspenseful intellectual, conspiratorial thrillers characterized by multiple interlacing time shifts which are often rooted in real historical events. In addition each of his books spotlights a large philosophical theme: fate and predestination, the nature of evil, conceptions of the afterlife, resurrection, and the interface between science and faith.

Cooper graduated from Harvard University, Magna Cum Laude, with a B.A. in Archeology. He attended Tufts University School of Medicine then practiced internal medicine and infectious diseases in hospitals, clinics, and refugee camps in conflict zones before joining the biotechnology industry where he was the CEO of several publicly traded companies. He is currently the chairman of Lascaux Media, a diversified media company which produces thrillers and horror films.

Rosepoint Recommended-5 Stars

Rich Justice by Robert Bailey – #BookReview – #TuesdayBookBlog

Jason Rich Book 3

Book Blurb:

In this twisty thriller from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Robert Bailey, a disgraced attorney’s mistakes come back to haunt him when he’s tried for a murder he didn’t commit.

Once the flashy, successful lawyer known for his in-your-face billboards—IN AN ACCIDENT? GET RICH—Jason Rich has fallen from grace, his reputation scrubbed of its glitz and his life stripped of the people he cares about. All thanks to meth kingpin Tyson Cade.

But when Cade is shot and killed in the heart of his territory, things go from bad to worse for Jason as he is charged with his murder.

To clear his name, Jason seeks help from an unlikely source: Shay Lankford, an old adversary and attorney almost as disgraced as Jason himself. Now Jason and Shay have even more to lose—their lives—as they dig into the dangerous truth behind Tyson Cade’s murder.

Neither time nor evidence is on their side, but after everything he’s lost, Jason is determined to save his future from the mistakes of his past—no matter the price.

His Review:

Small towns in Alabama are often one-horse towns. Guntersville is a very good example of this fact. The control of the town rests on a former US Army Colonel named Chuck Tonidandel. Everything in the town and immediate environs is controlled by Chuck and his three sons. Everyone else in the burg answered to the Colonel or his three sons.

Jason Dean was raised by the Colonel and everything he did was to please the Colonel. People who crossed the Colonel or his family wound up in various stages of dead. The local gendarme pointed out that Jason was responsible for the killings in the area. He lost his law license due to malfeasance and is in limbo waiting for a two-year suspension of said license.

This book is well written with the exception that it has too many murders. Anyone who seemed to cross the Colonel or Jason Dean wound up dead. There are simply too many deaths pointing back to the Tonidandels and their father, nor does the author leave the fairer sex out of the mix. Dating any lady in Guntersville could be a quick trip to a three-by-six-by-six future. I enjoyed the book but found the number of killings over the top. Read to see if you agree. 4 stars – CE Williams

[Note: It’s been a while since we read a Bailey book, Legacy of Lies, that one in 2020 that I read from a different series and thoroughly enjoyed. VW]

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Sibling Fiction, Legal Thrillers
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
ISBN: 1662516630
ASIN: B0C62FWRL2
Print Length: 515 pages
Publication Date: May 7, 2024
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon | 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.

Wintertime Books and Reviews

Death in the Ozarks by Erik S Meyers – #BookReview – #TraditionalDetectiveMysteries

A Sally Witherspoon Mystery

Book Blurb:

A cross between Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple and a Cheers bartender, Sally Witherspoon, a 50-something accountant turned biker-bar owner, loves solving puzzles. Up to now, she has focused on helping neighbors and friends find lost jewelry, lost pets, and lost loves.

But when she finds her best friend and business partner, Bill Arnold, dead in a dumpster behind her bar on a Saturday night, she needs all her wits and grit to find out who did it.

And she won’t stop until she does.

His Review:

Berry Springs is a small Ozark town and is usually very peaceful. However, all that changes with a sudden spate of unexplained deaths. Sally Witherspoon owns a club called “Sally’s Smasher.” Some evenings a large profit is made which then has to go into inventory for continued operations. Also, Sally envisions herself as a detective who can augment the local overworked police department.

When someone close to her and associated with Sally’s Smasher is suddenly and brutally killed, she feels that she is the one to assist the local law enforcement professionals. The town of Berry Springs has a very close-knit community and Sally cannot think of anyone who could be culpable, however, the culprit had used an unusual method of murder.

The local police department considers Sally’s investigation of the crime meddling. She is reminded that she may be charged with impeding an ongoing investigation. She volunteers what information she has gathered and the police chief grudgingly shares some of the department’s findings with her. The victims begin to mount up though and they are all people associated with her establishment.

Meddling in police work and crime investigation can be very dangerous as Sally soon finds out. Can she solve the mystery or will she become the next victim? Read and enjoy this thriller. 4.5 stars – CE Williams

The first in a new series with promise for compelling characters and location. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Traditional Detective Mysteries, Amateur Sleuth Mysteries
Publisher: Level Best Books
ASIN: B0CKWT4FY2
Print Length: 298 pages pages
Publication Date: December 12, 2023
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Erik S Meyers - author — Erik S Meyers – author

The Author: Currently in Austria, I’m an American abroad for years and years who has lived or worked in six countries on three continents, the longest in Germany. I’m an award-winning author and communications professional with 25 years of expertise in a variety of corporate roles, including a broad range of communications disciplines, technical writing and translation, and corporate strategy. Reading and writing are my passions, when I’m not hiking one of the amazing trails in Austria or elsewhere. My motto is “fight the hype” and I enjoy taking a unique, perhaps unorthodox, view of the current topics and trends.

https://www.erikmey.com

Rosepoint Reviews – January Recap – Frigid February – Let’s Read!

Rosepoint Reviews-January Recap

Ugh, January is downright dreary and February promises to be dreary and freezing. It’s a good time to curl up with a good book, hot chocolate or mocha, and a fire. Well, I don’t have the fire, but the CE makes a super mocha and I have a nice preliminary list of books.

Update on the little Pom we adopted (skip if your eyes glaze over at the mention of a rescue dog): No big progress. Her winter coat has apparently settled in and she approaches the CE now—even going so far as to jump against his side of the bed in the morning to get him up. Now at four months with us though, still prefers her crate to human companionship. What in the world happens to a little dog kept as a breeder?!

February is shaping up to be a good reading month with several great books I’m excited to get to—SOON—I hope! (I’ll mention those below.) For January we barely managed ten books. Links on titles are to our reviews that include purchase or source information.

January Recap

To Slip the Bonds of Earth by Amanda Flower
Bayou Beloved by Lexi Blake (audiobook)
Nothing But the Bones by Brian Panowich (CE review)
Everyone Here is Lying by Shari Lapena (audiobook)
Payback in Death by J D Robb
The Fury by Alex Michaelides (CE review)
Netflix Series All the Light We Cannot See vs eBook by Anthony Doerr
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon (audiobook)
The Mongol Ascension by Andew Varga (CE review)
The Gem of Ireland’s Crown by Jean Grainger

Favorite Book of the Month

I loved both All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr as well as The Frozen River but was crushed by the climax of the former, so the nod has to go to The Frozen River.

Book of the Month for January—The Frozen River

My Reading Challenges page… I’ve discovered I’ll work on the challenge but am really terrible at reporting the results–not only with the host (and I apologize for that) but for updating the page as well. For 2024, I’ll begin by sharing the logo and the link. Unfortunately, I have not been able thus far to find the link to the 2024 Historical Fiction Challenge. If you know the link, would you share, please?

In an effort to change up the blog a bit, I’ve enlarged fonts and added a new page I call Netflix vs Book listing the posts made comparing either the movie or series with the original book. Check it out to see what you missed!

Also, just a quick Sneak Peak into what’s coming up in my February TBR:


Where Butterflies Wander by Suzanne Redfearn. I was quite taken by the story of the river witch–I’ll bet you would be too.	Being Henry by Henry Winkler. A memoir and didn’t we all love the Fonz? But this guy, as so many of the actors do, will surprise you.

Welcome to the New Year to my new subscribers! I appreciate all my followers and always appreciate your likes and comments.

Hello, Winter!

The Mongol Ascension by Andrew Varga – #BookReview – #YAFairyTale

A Jump in Time Novel, Book Three

Book Blurb:

MISSION: SAVE THE WORLD

DESTINATION: ANCIENT MONGOLIA

Seventeen-year-old Dan Renfrew leads a normal high school life full of all the usual challenges: homework, bullies, and the baffling world of dating. It would be enough for most teens, but Dan has a secret. He’s a time jumper, a member of a clandestine cadre tasked with journeying to the past to repair glitches in history that imperil subsequent events. This responsibility alone is daunting, but it’s even more crucial now. A band of rogue time jumpers is bent on taking over the world, and Dan can’t find any allies to join him in the fight to stop them.

In a last-ditch effort to foil the conspiracy, Dan and his partner Sam plunge into history together. Landing on the steppes of Mongolia in the year 1179, they meet a brave Mongol teen on a courageous quest to rescue his kidnapped wife. But Dan and Sam soon discover that there’s far more at stake than a stolen bride. They’re thrust into a desperate race against time to save the Mongol Empire—and the future of the entire world.

His Review:

As a child, I often dreamt of skipping through time and space. What a thrill it would be to watch the Roman legions march through the known world and conquering every foe. Or possibly being at the Roman Forum with a meeting of the Senators would fulfill my fantasies. Ah, if this were only possible!

Dan is a young high school student who has a strange ability. He belongs to a group that can skip back and forth in time with the use of a strange transmitter. The only problem is he could wind up dead on any of these time jumps. His goal is to correct glitches in time that may alter the future by altering the past. He and his friend Sam (Samantha) have the same devices and travel together. The device also assists in adjusting speech and other communications into understandable language.

Dan’s father died on one of the time jumps, so he learns to defend himself at the hands of Roman Gladiators among other professional fighting groups. One key to winning in battle is getting the upper hand or jump on the enemy. He has the opportunity to display this to a high school bully which gains him quite the reputation.

A time glitch has occurred during the 5^th to 7^th centuries and he and Sam decide to go back to save humanity and fix the glitch. The issue is: will they die trying or will they actually meet the group they need to help? This particular glitch centers around Gengis Khan! Gengis is considered one of the premier historical figures of all time. As history tells us, Gengis spent his life in battles; both in Asia and in Europe. How can a teenager from the 21^st Century become one of the Khan’s trusted allies?

This book moves well and seems historically accurate. I warn every reader to be sure they have time to devote to the book. You won’t want to put it down! 5 stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Teen & Young Adult Fairy Tales & Folklore, Teen & Young Adult Fantasy Action & Adventure, Teen & Young Adult Sword & Sorcery Fantasy
Publisher: Imbrifex Books
ISBN-10: ‎ 1955307040
ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1955307048
ASIN: B0CL7QLTHS
Print Length: 297 pages
Publication Date: September 3, 2024
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

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

Andrew Varga - author — Andrew Vara – author

The Author: I am a YA historical fiction author who takes great pains to ensure historical accuracy in my books, while still ensuring that I tell a great story. Although I enjoy reading and writing about all history, I have a particular fondness for European history from Greco-Roman times until the crusades.

I hope you enjoy my stories.

Relax, it's Sunday

The Fury by Alex Michaelides – #BookReview – #suspensethrillers

in Murder Thrillers (Hardcover)

Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense (Kindle)

Book Blurb:

This is a tale of murder.

Or maybe that’s not quite true. At its heart, it’s a love story, isn’t it?

Lana Farrar is a reclusive ex–movie star and one of the most famous women in the world. Every year, she invites her closest friends to escape the English weather and spend Easter on her idyllic private Greek island.

I tell you this because you may think you know this story. You probably read about it at the time ― it caused a real stir in the tabloids, if you remember. It had all the necessary ingredients for a press sensation: a celebrity; a private island cut off by the wind…and a murder.

We found ourselves trapped there overnight. Our old friendships concealed hatred and a desire for revenge. What followed was a game of cat and mouse ― a battle of wits, full of twists and turns, building to an unforgettable climax. The night ended in violence and death, as one of us was found murdered.

But who am I?

My name is Elliot Chase, and I’m going to tell you a story unlike any you’ve ever heard.

His Review:

A mentally disturbed playwright is marooned on an island with the cast of his play. He is egocentric and his world revolves around his plays and the actors that bring them to life. He has fallen in love with the leading lady but unfortunately, she has another love interest. Why does this feel like a Greek tragedy?

The main character is an artist and a great writer in his mind. His narrative develops as the play progresses. All of the characters are involved in his play and as the work develops he becomes detached from reality. He writes the dialogue as the changes to the play develop.

Although the leading lady loves another, he is sure she will learn to love him if she just gives him the chance. The other man, however, seems to hang on and always spoils his plans. What can he do to become the leading man in her life?

I found this book to be slow at times and a little Edgar Allen Poe-ish in some of the scenes. He talks to himself and the reader as the plot develops and it does, indeed, defy the reader to keep up with the twists. 4 stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Suspense Thrillers, Psychological Thrillers
Publisher: Celadon Books
ISBN-10: ‎ 125075898X
ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1250758989
ASIN: B0BXTB6HSN
Print Length: 295 pages
Publication Date: January 16, 2024
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Alex Michaelides was born and raised in Cyprus. He has an M.A. in English Literature from Trinity College, Cambridge University, and an M.A. in Screenwriting from the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. The Silent Patient was his first novel, debuting at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list, and has sold more than 6.5 million copies worldwide. The rights have been sold in a record-breaking 51 countries, and the book has been optioned for film by Plan B. His second novel, The Maidens, was an instant New York Times bestseller and has been optioned for television by Miramax Television and Stone Village.