#bookseries – Page 3 – Rosepoint Publishing

Solid Gold Murder by Ellen Byron #AudiobookReview #cozymystery

Golden Motel Mystery #2

Book Blurb:

Dee Stern’s Golden Motel-of-the-Mountains promises a tranquil getaway for outdoor lovers in the scenic Californian village of Foundgold. But when Dee accidentally triggers a modern gold rush, she suddenly turns her peaceful retreat into a hotspot for mayhem and murder . . .

With the summer season looming, former Hollywood sitcom writer Dee Stern has one small goal—scrubbing her motel’s unflattering moniker as the “Murder Motel.” Dee and ex-husband-turned-business-partner Jeff Cornetta are excited to introduce a family-friendly panning activity complete with fool’s gold just in time for the peak tourist months. Except neither could have anticipated the discovery of a real gold nugget or the ensuing social media frenzy. In a flash, the viral sensation draws grizzled prospectors, wide-eyed adventurers, and trend-chasing thrill seekers to the abandoned mines scattered around the woods . . .

The instant popularity proves great for business, but it also attracts a group of out-of-touch Silicon Valley techies with dreams of striking it rich—again. Dee finds herself particularly annoyed by the insufferably smug Sylvan Burr, a retired CEO who sold his startup before age 30 and won’t let anyone forget it. But things take a sinister turn when Sylvan meets a grim fate at the bottom of a mineshaft, leaving Dee at the center of a deadly mystery that could end her days as a motelier. And while Sylvan had plenty of enemies, Dee suddenly faces adversaries rooting against her own success. Now, with her life and the future of the Golden Motel hanging by a thread, Dee must unearth a minefield of suspects and outwit a greedy killer before she finally digs herself too deep . . .

My Review:

Another new series in which I managed to pick up in Book 2, but read it like a standalone. In this installment, Dee and ex-husband Jeff motel partner have successfully concluded their brainstorming session with the idea of having a gold panning experience.

Touted as a family-friendly experience and expecting to salt the sluice with some fool’s gold for fun, their brilliant idea turns viral when a real gold nugget is discovered.

Hoping the whole panning idea would smother the nickname of “Murder Motel,” the place suddenly swarmed with paying motel guests also attracting the wrong kind of tourists. When one is found dead, it definitely doesn’t help their rep. Especially when the death is obviously not a natural one.

Some of her guests are serious gold hunters, while others just want to soak up the tree-dotted mountainscape, the clear pine air, the quaint tiny town of Foundgold and Goldgone. Goodness, a lovely cross-section of characters, including Bud the bear, and an old hound dog named Nugget, left behind by the late owner.

It’s an easy, laid back mystery, as much character driven as mystery plot, the characters and setting accounting for much of the charm of the book, particularly the conversations, dialogue between the exes. There are bits of humor interwoven through the plot. Of course, the deceased was a nasty guy with lots of people who’d want to see him at the bottom of an abandoned mine and not moving.

There are twists and turns and lots of theories bantered around, all designed to throw you off the trail. Enjoyable little cozy escape from the everyday, and includes the requisite denouement you may not have seen coming.

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

Rosepoint Publishing: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Amateur Sleuth Mysteries, Cozy Mysteries
Publisher: Tantor Media
ASIN: B0DVMHQQ3L
Listening Length: 7 hrs 23 mins
Narrator: Amy Melissa Bentley
Publication Date: August 5, 2025
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Links: Amazon-US
Amazon-UK
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

Ellen Byron - author — Ellen Byron – author

The Author: Ellen is the USA Today bestselling, award-winning author of the Vintage Cookbook Mysteries, Cajun Country Mysteries, and Catering Hall Mysteries (under the pen name Maria DiRico). Her mysteries have won multiple Agatha Awards for Best Contemporary Novel and Lefty Awards for Best Humorous Mystery Lefty awards from the Left Coast Crime conference. Bayou Book Thief, her first Vintage Cookbook Mystery, was also nominated for an Anthony award. A Very Woodsy Murder, debuting in July 2024, will be the first book in her new Golden Motel Mystery series, which is inspired by her former career as a sitcom writer.

Ellen’s TV credits include Wings, Just Shoot Me, and Fairly Odd Parents; she’s written over 200 magazine articles; her published plays include the award-winning Graceland and Asleep on the Wind. She is a native New Yorker who lives in Los Angeles and attributes her fascination with Louisiana to her college years at New Orleans’ Tulane University. She also worked as a cater-waiter for Martha Stewart, a credit she never tires of sharing. Have an early copy of Martha’s first book, ENTERTAINING? Ellen’s standing right next to her in the group shot.

Happy Thursday

Rosepoint Reviews – August Recap – #Audiobooks #LiteraryFiction #LegalThriller #HistoricalFiction

Rosepoint Reviews-August Recap

Well, we certainly started out like it was August, but August petered out and started acting like Fall halfway into the month. Cool enough temps to warrant a sweater—it’s a cool wind that blows off those Great Lakes.

Still, some warm days and cool nights along with a couple gully washers produced an abundance of cucumbers and cantalopes, followed immediately by a surplus crop of cherry tomatoes. (I started adding cantaloupes to the cucumber juice—pretty good!) Not sure what happened to the Early Girl tomatoes, but hopefully we can dry enough cherry tomatoes to make several days of candy—so sweet and good. Also, in the crop this year, purple bell peppers and Japanese eggplant. I’ve started a second crop of peas and beans in the hope they’ll be ready to harvest prior to the end of the season—but realize I’m pushing my luck.

The August book pick at the Y Book Club was The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. I’d read it years ago for a library book club in 2020 and opted to listen to the audiobook this time. I enjoyed both but this application was to refresh my memory for the Y book club.

Book Club at the Y - August

Once again, I love the insight brought to the novels by the participants. Most of us had never been aware of the “blue” people prior to reading the novel. While I voted 4.5 stars this time, I was surprised to see the average at four stars. Looking back at the vote for the same book by the earlier book club, was further surprised to see the average was the same. Four stars.

We reviewed thirteen books in August—half of those in audiobook form. The source of our books is our library, NetGalley, author and publisher requests. As always, the links on titles are to our reviews that include purchase information.

Rosepoint Reviews - August Recap

Wild Instinct by T Jefferson Parker (CE review)
False Witness by Phillip Margolin
The Other Side of Now by Paige Harbison (5 stars-audiobook)
Lowdown Road by Scott Von Doviak (CE review)
Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry
The Arrangement by Kiersten Modglin (audiobook)
Her Cold Justice by Robert Dugoni
Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing (5 stars-audiobook)
The Proving Ground by Michael Connelly (5 stars)
Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping by Jesse Q Sutanto (audiobook)
The River is Waiting by Wally Lamb (audiobook)
Two Audiobooks Mini-Reviews by Freida McFadden
The Housemaid’s Secret
The Boyfriend

Favorite Book of the Month

This is a tough one as I believe I set a record at three books with five stars in August, only one of those by a favorite author, the other two being new to me. I love Michael Connelly’s books, but really, have to give the nod this month to Alfred Lansing and his book Endurance. I’ve set the CE to reading Mark Twain by Ron Chernow. If you know anything about that masterful historical writer, you know his books are seldom under 700 pages. The CE will be reading it for awhile. (evil grin)

Favorite for August – Endurance by Alfred Lansing

My Reading Challenges page…I’m behind again and doubt I’ll catch up in September as we will be taking a short vacation.

The Goodreads landing page shows 132 of a goal of 150 or 88%. I suspect I’m doing well in the audiobook challenge as well, but can’t vouch for the NetGalley goal. May have to reassess those goals.

As always, it’s your visits and comments that keep me going and I appreciate them all. Kids are back in school (they don’t wait for Labor Day around here) and now’s the time we enjoy a short trip.

Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man) by Jesse Q Sutanto #AudiobookReview #cozymysteries

A Vera Wong Novel, Book 2

Editors’ pick Best Books of the Year So Far 2025

Book Blurb:

Vera Wong is back and as meddling as ever in this follow-up to the hit Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers.…

Ever since a man was found dead in Vera’s teahouse, life has been good. For Vera that is. She’s surrounded by loved ones, her shop is bustling, and best of all, her son, Tilly, has a girlfriend! All thanks to Vera, because Tilly’s girlfriend is none other than Officer Selena Gray. The very same Officer Gray that she had harassed while investigating the teahouse murder. Still, Vera wishes more dead bodies would pop up in her shop, but one mustn’t be ungrateful, even if one is slightly…bored.

Then Vera comes across a distressed young woman who is obviously in need of her kindly guidance. The young woman is looking for a missing friend. Fortunately, while cat-sitting at Tilly and Selena’s, Vera finds a treasure trove: Selena’s briefcase. Inside is a file about the death of an enigmatic influencer—who also happens to be the friend that the young woman was looking for.

Online, Xander had it all: a parade of private jets, fabulous parties with socialites, and a burgeoning career as a social media influencer. The only problem is, after his body is fished out of Mission Bay, the police can’t seem to actually identify him. Who is Xander Lin? Nobody knows. Every contact is a dead end. Everybody claims not to know him, not even his parents.

Vera is determined to solve Xander’s murder. After all, doing so would surely be a big favor to Selena, and there is nothing she wouldn’t do for her future daughter-in-law.

My Review:

I love that we are beginning to see more and more mature protagonists in mysteries as capable and intelligent. Add to the cozy equation, an MC of a minority.

Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping by Jesse Q Sutanto — Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping cover – US

So much to learn in the culture and that’s one of the things I enjoyed in this novel. While tiring of culinary cozies, I both enjoyed the names and descriptions of the foods offered continually in the narrative, but also remembered there were a number of spices and ingredients I would not have been so crazy about. Not everyone is going to go bonkers for everything she cooks.

Not having read Book 1, I wasn’t sure what I was in for, but quickly came to appreciate the energetic and curious sixty-one-year-old. Yeah, I got a bit weary of Vera calling herself an old lady when I didn’t think of myself as that until the last couple of years. Of course, some of that helpless old woman act was a ploy for distraction so she could penetrate new layers of information.

Apparently the experience from Book 1 of the successful solving a murder committed in her tea house endowed Vera with a new prospective. For one, that encounter introduced her to a new world, some of which will remain in the form of a possible wife for her son and the hope for grandchildren.

The characters include a diverse cross-section of the area and neatly captured themes of family (not by blood), relationships, food, culture, and tea—some formulas ancient but effective. I enjoyed the character of Millie.

Vera goes about investigating the death of a participant in the dark world of human trafficking—but not for what you might have imagined—and something certainly I never thought of. There are twists and turns and the storyline is well paced.

Okay, thinking maybe I missed something by starting with Book 2, I’m going back to Book 1 and check it out. Not the first time I’ve done it backwards. The narrator bothered me a bit, but I’m opting for another in audiobook form so I can multi-task as usual. Plus, I like the covers.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Asian American & Pacific Islander Literature, Women Sleuth Mysteries
Publisher: Penguin Audio
ASIN: B0DCGR3CN9
Listening Length: 10 hrs 35 mins
Narrator: Eunice Wong
Publication Date: April 01, 2025
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Links: Amazon-US
Amazon-UK
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

The Author: Jesse Q. Sutanto is the author of adult, YA, and children’s middle grade books. She has an MSt in Creative Writing from Oxford University and a BA in English Lit from Berkeley, though she hasn’t found a way of saying that without sounding obnoxious. The film rights to her women’s fiction, Dial A for Aunties, was bought by Netflix in a competitive bidding war. Her adult books include Dial A for Aunties, its sequel, Four Aunties and a Wedding, and Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers. Her YA books include The Obsession, The New Girl, and Well, That Was Unexpected. Her MG books include Theo Tan and the Fox Spirit and its sequel, Theo Tan and the Iron Fan. Find her on Twitter @thewritinghippo and on Instagram @jesseqsutanto.

Woman cooking dinner while listening to an audiobook. — AI photo generated by Gemini.Google.com

The Proving Ground: A Lincoln Lawyer Novel by Michael Connelly #BookReview #LegalThrillers

Lincoln Lawyer Book 8

Rosepoint Rating: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Michael Connelly, the Lincoln Lawyer is back with a case against an AI company whose product may have been responsible for the murder of a young girl.

Following his “resurrection walk” and need for a new direction, Mickey Haller turns to public interest litigation, filing a civil lawsuit against an artificial intelligence company whose chatbot told a sixteen-year-old boy that it was okay for him to kill his ex-girlfriend for her disloyalty.

Representing the victim’s family, Mickey’s case explores the mostly unregulated and exploding AI business and the lack of training guardrails. Along the way he joins up with a journalist named Jack McEvoy, who wants to be a fly on the wall during the trial in order to write a book about it. But Mickey puts him to work going through the mountain of printed discovery materials in the case. McEvoy’s digging ultimate delivers the key witness, a whistleblower who has been too afraid to speak up. The case is fraught with danger because billions are at stake.

It is said that machines became smarter than humans on the day in 1997 that IBM’s Deep Blue defeated chess master Garry Kasparov with a gambit called “the knight’s sacrifice.” Haller will take a similar gambit in court to defeat the mega forces of the AI industry lined up against him and his clients.

My Review:

Does it get much better than the Lincoln Lawyer? I love these books and devour any new installment that comes up in print, digital, or Netflix.

Even better, this one tackles AI, a current hot topic, a novel that grapples with so many moral questions over the legal. Haven’t we been talking about our children watching violent cartoons? Now with computer games the kids of eight years up are playing, do we have any clue what kind of intelligence they are dealing with?

AI generated by Gemini

What about the mind of a sixteen year old? Who has written the code for the chatbot he calls Wren? And who is to blame when that sixteen year old violently acts on a suggestion from Wren?

I love the character of Haller. He has left criminal law for civil. The narrative examines in detail the question: who is ultimately responsible for games coded with possible explosive code? We’ve all heard of GIGO. Garbage in, garbage out, “bad programming, programming contradictory to the purpose of the app?”

The Proving Ground by Michael Connelly — Lincoln Lawyer cover-US

That is the supposition of this extremely complex legal thriller. The storyline boils over with tension, almost from the beginning. All your favorite Haller characters are included, though I never warmed up to a new character who provided deep intel on AI while gathering journalistic juice. A layered plot from main to sub, each adding depth, creating a fully rounded story from professional to personal, those of his family and close associates.

I love the way the writer mentions or includes characters, including Harry Bosch, from his other series in his current narrative, consolidating the Haller world. In his world, he is up against a multi-billion dollar corporation, and he’ll have his work cut out for him.

He has his flaws but he brings an intelligence to the legal science of law that is downright compelling. He has wit, energy, and charisma you can’t beat. And, by the way, I enjoyed the author’s little humorous zinger by naming the judge in the case, Judge Ruhlin. RUHLIN? Funny, Mr. Connelly.

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

PS: No AI was used in writing this review. (Or perhaps that’s obvious. )

Book Details:

Genre: Police Procedurals, Legal Thrillers, Murder Thrillers
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
ISBN: 978-0316563840
ASIN: B0DZ24GYPN
Print Length: 400 pages
Publication Date:
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

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

The Author: Michael Connelly is the bestselling author of more than forty novels and one work of nonfiction. With over eighty-nine million copies of his books sold worldwide and translated into forty-five foreign languages, he is one of the most successful writers working today. A former newspaper reporter who worked the crime beat at the Los Angeles Times and the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, Connelly has won numerous awards for his journalism and his fiction. His very first novel, The Black Echo, won the prestigious Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award for Best First Novel in 1992. In 2002, Clint Eastwood directed and starred in the movie adaptation of Connelly’s 1998 novel, Blood Work. In March 2011, the movie adaptation of his #1 bestselling novel, The Lincoln Lawyer, hit theaters worldwide starring Matthew McConaughey as Mickey Haller. His most recent New York Times bestsellers include The Waiting (2024), Resurrection Walk (2023), Desert Star (2022), The Dark Hours (2021), The Law Of Innocence (2020), Fair Warning (2020), and The Night Fire (2019). Michael is the executive producer of Bosch and Bosch: Legacy, Amazon Studios original drama series based on his bestselling character Harry Bosch, starring Titus Welliver and streaming on Amazon Prime/Amazon Freevee. He is the executive producer of The Lincoln Lawyer, streaming on Netflix, starring Manuel Garcia-Rulfo. He is also the executive producer of the documentary films, “Sound Of Redemption: The Frank Morgan Story’ and ‘Tales Of the American.’ He spends his time in California and Florida.

#TuesdayBookBlog

Two Audiobooks Mini-Reviews – The Housemaid’s Secret and The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden #psychologicalthrillers

Two Audiobooks Mini-Reviews by Freida McFadden

Well, I’m not sure how, but I seem to be caught up in Freida McFadden books, this time The Housemaid’s Secret, a Goodreads Choice Award Winner released February 20, 2023, and The Boyfriend a #1 Amazon Best Seller in Crime Thrillers released October 1, 2024. (Links on individual covers are to Amazon.)

Member of Goodreads since March 2012, McFadden is a #1 New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Publisher’s Weekly, and Amazon Charts bestselling author Freida McFadden is a practicing physician specializing in brain injury who has penned multiple Kindle bestselling psychological thrillers and medical humor novels. She lives with her family and possessed cat in a centuries-old three-story home overlooking the ocean, with staircases that creak and moan with each step, and nobody could hear you if you scream. Unless you scream really loudly, maybe. [Goodreads]
https://www.freidamcfadden.com/

The Housemaid’s Secret

ASIN: B0BSVFGW4M
Date Released: February 20, 2023
Narrator: Lauryn Allman
Publisher: Hachette UK – Bookouture
Three point Five Stars

My Thoughts

Okay, wait a minute. Haven’t I read this before? Or certainly something very similar. But this one is definitely written in McFadden style.

Millie has definitely come up in the housecleaning world, securing employment for an uber rich couple in a penthouse apartment in the Upper West Side of New York. It’s a good trick if you can do it as you know in your heart that Millie has some secrets that must be kept mum for now.

Douglas is not too bad for a super rich guy, but wife Wendy keeps to herself and her room is off-limits. Douglas relays anything that Wendy needs or wants and except for a few meals, the sources for which are pretty darn exclusive, and odd bits of uh ohs, it’s not a bad gig.

Needless to say, whether or not she’s been told to leave Wendy alone to rest peacefully, she just can’t seem to do it, and it gradually flips the plot to one you no doubt saw coming. I only thought I did, but remember, this is a McFadden novel.

So yes, the twists will kick in. Maybe it’s a good thing that Millie has a hot Italian groundskeeper on the side with an even more super hot boyfriend, rich lawyer type guy that’s crazy about her. I don’t know what circles she was in when their paths crossed, but he’d love to have her move into his sweet apartment by Central Park and take good care of him.

Are you following along?

It’s that final twist that finally got me and I had to throw my hands up. Talk about not seeing that coming! Well, after that, you have to try another just to see if this one was a fluke, yes? So, I did.

The Boyfriend.

The Boyfriend

ASIN: B0D3QNT4T2
Date released: October 1, 2024
Narrators: Victoria Connolly, and Robb Moreira
Publisher: Hollywood Upstairs Press
Four Stars

My Thoughts

Oh my goodness, the characters in this book! How many times did I want to slap the FMC, Sydney, up the side of her head? Is it possible to be that obtuse? Then the other POV in this one, Tom, reaches back to the birth of his problem with women. How could he be that fake with Sydney and she not see through that façade?

Tom, supreme creep that he is, really keeps the storyline moving, doesn’t he? Something fascinating about a truly sick and twisted individual that the reader has to keep reading to confirm just how nutsy he is. Not like his teen years were filled with academic accolades. He was head over heels in love with Daisy and his best friend’s name is Slug, if that gives you any clues. I must say, however, that Slug had such significant character development that little vignettes that included him were enough to turn your stomach.

Meanwhile, poor little Sydney plods along in her own little world, just adrift and off course. So frustrating to be forced along on some of her dumber decisions and then watch her crash and burn. Of course, that hasn’t taught her anything, so she gets to hit the repeat button.

Yeah, it’s twisty. And just crazy enough that it edged over The Housemaid’s Secret for me. Also, glad I listened to the audiobook and didn’t read it. Those voices gave it quite the spice.

Frieda McFadden fan? Then you may enjoy this one. I’m not sure—there appears to be quite the division of opinion, but you can’t fault it for being both engaging and entertaining.

Many thanks to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to these audiobooks. Any opinion expressed here is my own.

Have a good one

Her Cold Justice by Robert Dugoni #BookReview #TuesdayBookBlog

Keera Duggan Book 3

Book Blurb:

To save a client accused of murder, defense attorney Keera Duggan must fight a complex web of corruption in a riveting novel of suspense by New York Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni.

In a quiet South Seattle neighborhood, a suspected drug smuggler and his girlfriend are murdered in their home. When a young man named Michael Westbrook is accused of the brutal double homicide, his uncle JP Harrison turns to Keera Duggan to defend him. JP is Keera’s trusted investigator, and he desperately needs Keera to save his nephew against escalating odds.

The evidence is circumstantial—Michael worked with one of the victims, drugs were found in his possession, and he bolted from authorities. Ruthless star prosecutor Anh Tran has gotten convictions on much less. With the testimony of two prison informants, the case looks grave. But Keera never concedes defeat. To free her client, she must dig deep before Tran crushes both of them.

As the investigation gets more twisted with each new find, Keera is swept up in a mystery with far-reaching consequences. This case isn’t just murder. It’s looking like a conspiracy. And getting justice for Michael could be the most dangerous promise Keera has ever made.

My Review:

The CE doesn’t get to have all the fun! I got Book 3 of the Keera Duggan series, Her Cold Justice and Book 2, Beyond Reasonable Doubt. Between the two of us, however, we’ve read a number of Dugoni’s books, particularly Tracy Crosswhite, his last, A Dead Draw, early this year.

Keera was a chess champ as a girl, often played with her dad, who taught her the strategies of the board that could parallel her work as an attorney, facing off in high-stakes cases with equals in court room drama. She followed in her father’s legal footsteps, now often recognized as the daughter of the “Irish Brawler,” known for his unexpected and swift courtroom gotchas.

No question Michael Westbrook has all the circumstantial evidence stacked against him, made more credible by a few small omissions he failed to divulge until the twists caught up with him. Still, it appeared he was an innocent pawn in a game of power, broken justice, and weak kings.

You might guess that the plot gets complex, sussing out conspiracy, secrets, and an end game you might not have imagined. The plot is well paced.

No question I’m a fan of the author and feel all his books are great, with varying degrees of great, of course. I’ve come to love the Keera Duggan series, the characters relatable with complicated personal lives. This series hints at the possibility of a blooming relationship between Keera and Rossi, a good thing.

If this were read as a standalone, I’d wish for more character development of Keera, whereas we got a clear and definitive picture of Kim Tran, described beautifully down to the cold, impervious stare. There may have been a deeper dive into Keera and family in Book 1, but the CE caught that one, and I came into the series with Book 2.

As the book weaves its way through the twists and revelations, the storyline moves smoothly into the conclusion with, at this point, some predictability. Any reader who enjoys legal thrillers, though, will certainly appreciate the Dugoni writing style. It’s intelligently written, gripping, and entertaining.

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

Rosepoint Rating: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Legal Thrillers, Murder Thrillers
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
ISBN: 978-1662524646
ASIN: B0DFZ47Z2B
Print Length: 380 pages
Publication Date: January 27, 2026
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble

The Author: Robert Dugoni is the critically acclaimed New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and #1 Amazon bestselling author of the Tracy Crosswhite police series set in Seattle, which has sold more than 10 million books worldwide. He is also the author of The Charles Jenkins espionage series, the David Sloane legal thriller series, the Keera Duggan legal thriller series, and several stand-alone novels including the literary novel, The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell – One of Newsweek Magazines Best Books of All Time and Suspense Magazine’s Book of the Year. Dugoni’s narration won an AudioFile Earphones Award. He has also written critically acclaimed historical novels based on true events: The World Played Chess a coming of age story and the Vietnam War; Hold Strong an untold story of WWII; and A Killing on the Hill, about a 1933 killing and trial in Seattle. HIs nonfiction exposé The Cyanide Canary, was a Washington Post Best Book of the Year. His novels have been optioned for movies and television series. Dugoni is the recipient of the Nancy Pearl Award for Fiction and multiple awards for best novel set in the Pacific Northwest. He has also been a finalist for many other awards including the International Thriller Award, the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction, the Silver Falchion Award for mystery, and the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award.

Robert Dugoni’s books are sold in more than forty countries and have been translated into more than thirty languages.

Visit his website and follow him on Amazon, Goodreads, twitter, Facebook, Tik Tok and other social media sites.

#TuesdayBookBlog

The Arrangement by Kiersten Modglin #AudiobookReview #ThrowbackThursday

Arrangement Novels Book 1

Book Blurb:

Ainsley Greenburg is a fixer. It’s what she prides herself on.

So when Ainsley realizes her marriage is at its breaking point, she makes a decision to repair it, no matter the cost. Approaching her husband to propose the arrangement is supposed to be the hard part, but Peter agrees to the salacious plan almost immediately.

The rules are simple:

They will each date someone new once a week.
They will never discuss what happens on the dates.

Soon, though, the rules are broken, turning terrible mistakes into unspeakable consequences.

When the only person they can count on to keep their darkest secret is each other, new questions and deceits surface. Can they truly trust the person they share a life with, or will the vicious lies that have mounted over the years destroy everything they’ve built?

Once, Peter and Ainsley vowed to stand together forever, but as they push boundaries of deception, suspicion, and temptation, each begins to wonder if ’til death do us part may come sooner than they’d intended.

My Review:

Maybe I don’t get out that much and apparently not in the loop, didn’t realize “open marriages” were still a thing (just plain old affairs now?). Back in the Navy, they called them “key clubs,” something the CE and I never would have subscribed to. We’ve been married much longer than Peter and Ainsley and wouldn’t have given a key club any consideration even then.

In this case, it’s an online dating service, proposed by Ainsley (which also surprised me). She explained “the rules” she created to Peter and he agreed. She thought the whole thing would work to light a fire under their sadly fading excitement with each other. They have three children, for heaven’s sake, and they couldn’t work out a date night for the two of them? You’ve no doubt read something about this in the blurb. But aren’t rules meant to be broken?

My first experience with this author, so I wasn’t prepared for the lengths she’d go to for twists.

This book is short and fairly fast paced, so after an introduction to the main characters and the reason for their perceived predictament, the plot pace ramped up pretty quick. I must admit that I was caught off-guard more than once, hitting a new level of surprise.

How could this simple idea go so far off the rails? I did appreciate the character of Peter, not so much Ainsley. But then Peter gets caught up in Ainsley’s drama and things go a little nuts. Or a lot nuts. Just suspend belief. I was left with questions, no answers, and now I realize it was Book 1. Duh.

Definitely not a plot I’ve read very often and certainly not quite this wild. You can’t say the characters aren’t engaging, the idea entertaining, until it gets to the creepy point. Maybe I’m easily entertained, but it did keep me listening to two talented narrators. It’s one you might enjoy as well, although I’m vacillating on reading Book 2.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Psychological Thrillers, Suspense Thrillers
Publisher: Dreamscape Media, LLC
ASIN: B091BDFT57
Listening Length: 5 hrs 42 mins
Narrators: George Newbern, Sarah Mollo-Christensen
Publication Date: June 29, 2021
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Links: Amazon-US
Amazon-UK

The Author: KIERSTEN MODGLIN is a #1 bestselling author of psychological thrillers. Her books have sold over two million copies and been translated into multiple languages. Kiersten is a member of International Thriller Writers, Novelists, Inc., and the Alliance of Independent Authors. She is a KDP Select All-Star and a recipient of ThrillerFix’s Best Psychological Thriller Award, Suspense Magazine’s Best Book of 2021 Award, a 2022 Silver Falchion for Best Suspense, and a 2022 Silver Falchion for Best Overall Book of 2021. Kiersten grew up in rural western Kentucky and later relocated to Nashville, Tennessee, where she now lives with her family. Kiersten’s readers across the world lovingly refer to her as “KMod.” A binge-watching expert, psychology fanatic, and indoor enthusiast, Kiersten enjoys rainy days spent with her favorite people and evenings with her nose in a book.

#ThrowbackThursday

Red Shadows at Saugatuck by Randy Overbeck #BookReview #ParanormalFantasy

The Haunted Shores Mysteries Series Book 4

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

Darrell Henshaw hoped he was past it all. After all, no ghosts had visited him for years. Instead, he learns his five-year-old-son, Leo, has inherited his “gift.”
Now, they both can see ghosts.
Upon his parents’ insistence, Darrell drives his young family 800 miles to celebrate his aunt Gertrude’s 80th birthday. But, once they arrive in the resort town of Saugatuck, Michigan, their participation gets derailed by the spirit of a Native teen who went missing weeks earlier. When he and Leo inquire about the girl, the locals dismiss their concerns—”Those girls run away all the time.” Still, as questions pile up and threats grow, Darrell senses they may have stumbled onto something far worse and even more evil than one missing teen.
Can Darrell continue to pursue justice for the girl if it places his wife and son in danger?

His Review:

The main characters include a father who has just discovered on a trip to Michigan with his family that his five-year-old son apparently has the same “gift” he has with seeing ghosts. They are being summoned by the ghost of a Native teen but realizing that trying to help her plight may gravely endanger his own family. The writing is gripping, emotional, sensitive, and pocked with twists that’ll keep the reader on the edge of their seat.

Many young Native American women go missing each year. Many of the young women leave to gain a better quality of life. The belief is that they run away from home in their early teens and are never heard from again. The actual reason is much more sinister. The plight of Native Americans is the breaking of treaties by the government and displacement of the tribes into some of the poorest areas and non-arable soils in our country.

Randy Overbeck has written a very fine exposé on the actual reason that they seem to be missing. The resulting crimes are neither investigated nor prosecuted! C E Williams This story made me angry because of the lack of attention to this matter by any governmental group. Shame on our country for not protecting these people and prosecuting the criminals. Read the story and see if you don’t agree. 5 stars – CE Williams

[Note: We’ve both been given the opportunity to read installments in the Haunted Shores Mysteries series, including Blood on the Chesapeake and Crimson at Cape May. Read one and you’re hooked. This can be read as a standalone, but each is a treat and we can heartily recommend. V Williams]

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

Book Details:

Genre: Paranormal Fantasy
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press, Inc.
ASIN: B0F89DGNMF
Print Length: 361 pages
Publication Date: July 23, 2025
Source: Author

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble

The Author: Dr. Randy Overbeck is an award-winning educator, author, speaker and podcaster. As an educator, he served children for more than three decades and has mined that experience to create captivating fiction, authoring two series, the bestselling series, “The Haunted Shores Mysteries,” and the award-winning series, “Lessons in Peril.” His novels have won critical acclaim and garnered national awards including Mystery of the Year (ReaderViews) Best Book Award (Chanticleer Books and Reviews) and the Gold Award (Literary Titan) and amassed hundreds of 5-star reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. Dr. Overbeck also hosts the popular podcast, “Great Stories about Great Storytellers,” which reveals the unusual and sometimes strange backstories of famous authors, directors and poets and can be heard wherever listeners get their podcasts. He is a speaker in considerable demand, sharing his popular presentations about ghosts and the world of book publishing with hundreds of audiences all over the U.S.

As a member of the Mystery Writers of America, Dr. Overbeck is an active member of the literary community, contributing to a writers’ critique group, serving as a mentor to emerging writers and participating in writing conferences such as Killer Nashville and the Midwest Writers Workshop.

When he’s not researching, writing, speaking or podcasting, Randy enjoys traveling with his wife Cathy and visiting both his far-flung family and the scenic locations around this country, often in search of inspiration for his next great story.

Have a good week!