#CosmicTrap – Rosepoint Publishing

September was a very busy month with finishing up the garden (early this year), temps turning cool, and fewer sunny days. I know many of you love the fall colors and relief from summer high temperatures, but for me it’s a herald of the coming winter–NOT something I look forward to.

My big bookish news, of course, was the achievement of the 500 reviews badge from NetGalley. That required a concentrated effort this year after I determined I could achieve the badge this year. Having done so, I can relax a little now and get back to more diversity.

Together we read or listened to seventeen books in September from NetGalley, as well as audiobooks and a couple author requests.

Rosepoint Publishing September reads

The Double Agent by William Christie (CE review)
The Italian Daughter by Soraya Lane (CE review)
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett (audiobook)
Half Notes from Berlin by B V Glants (CE review)
Ellis River by Nicki Ehrlich (5* CE review)
Painting with Fire by Amanda Hughes (5*)
Dancing in the River by George Lee
The War Librarian by Addison Armstrong (audiobook)
The Last Dollar Princess by Linda Bennett Pennell (CE review)
The Ways We Hide by Kristina McMorris (5* CE review)
The Quarryman’s Girl by Melanie Forde (5*)
Dog Friendly by Victoria Schade (audiobook)
Cosmic Trap by Matt Cost (author request-CE review))
Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout (CE review)
What Divides Us by Jean Grainger (author request)
The New Neighbor by Karen Cleveland (audiobook)
The Keepsake by Julie Brooks

YAY! The CE and I both had two books that we felt warranted five stars—a first. My stars went to two of my favorite authors, Amanda Hughes and Melanie Forde. I love the books by these ladies and highly recommend them (my review links above). And I must mention again the audiobook read by Tom Hanks, The Dutch House (link to my review above). The entertainment value!—my gosh—the man can read!

Have you read any of the above? Agree with us?

Reading Challenges

My challenges—behind again. My challenges for 2022 are all listed and linked in the widget column on the right. Hopefully can get them caught up soon. You can always check out their progress by clicking the Reading Challenges page. I’m now at 82% of the Goodreads Challenge of 180 books at 149 and achieved my Audiobook Challenge of 30, the Historical Reading Challenge of 25, and the NetGalley Challenge of 75.

The upper Midwest—*deep and heavy sigh*—an ecosystem of its own–turning cool enough by the middle of September to warrant at least a sweater. Bye-bye summer, it was way too short and sweet this year.

Welcome to my new followers and as always I appreciate those who continue to read, like, share, and comment—especially comment! How are you doing with your challenges? Let me know if you saw something above that got your interest.

Happy Autumn Weekend to you from Rosepoint Publishing

Book Blurb:

From award-winning author Matt Cost comes a thrilling mystery about Unexplained Aerial Phenomena (UAP) spotted in the skies over Port Essex, Maine.

The man—about forty, forearms like small oak trees, with a thick beard—told the bartender at the Pelican Perch, “It came right up out of the ocean, hovered just above the water for about ten seconds, and then was gone.”

When Clay Wolfe and Baylee Baker are hired as the local liaisons for a government task force investigating the recent UAP sightings, things get complicated at lightspeed.

They’re also hired to find the missing Alice Smith, whose disappearance increasingly appears to have something to do with the UAPs—the source of which might just be a governmental defense contractor named Seagull Aviation.

But the more they investigate, the more questions pop up. Who is the assassin gunning for Wolfe and Baker? Who is the mysterious man code-named Arrow? When each witness who has seen one of the UAPs is reported missing, the stakes become sky-high.

His Review:

Weird things are happening off the coast of Maine. Bert Snow is heading out to place some lobster traps when a strange electrical phenomenon caused him to collapse. He told his buddies it was a box-like apparatus that seemed transparent and seemed to shimmer and then disappear. Bert was known to enjoy a cocktail or two at the local watering hole and so the entire event was dismissed.

But then additional sightings without any clear description of the object cause concern among the people of this harbor town. The local private detective, Clay, and his sidekick Baylee are called and contracted to investigate these mysterious occurrences. State and federal bureaus become involved which muddies the waters around Maine even further. What is this mysterious object and why aren’t there pictures to confirm the existence of same?

Local inhabitants involved in the search wind up missing or dead. A body found in a stainless steel suitcase leads everyone to consider foul play and the possibility of alien involvement. Every attempt to solve the mystery is thwarted by the state, federal police, and F.B.I. And soon, Clay and Baylee also appear to have become a target.

The author has again wrapped his novel in a shroud of mystery. Every lead turns into a dead end or a coffin. Everyone who investigates these strange occurrences can wind up dead. The closer the investigation, the greater the danger.

As the disappearances and sightings escalate, the mystery deepens and there is a very interesting twist in this novel. The author develops a frightening theory, ramps the tension, and provides a satisfying, engaging, and entertaining novel. Read and enjoy. 4.5 stars – CE Williams

We’ve read several books in this series including most recently Mind Trap and Wolfe Trap before that, each unique, well-paced, thought-provoking and entertaining. This one can be read as a standalone. Many thanks to the publisher and author for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. Currently on pre-order.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

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Book Details:

Genre: Private Investigator Mysteries
Publisher: Encircle Publications

ISBN-10: ‎ 1645994252
ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1645994251

ASIN: B0BDM8B9KT
Print Length: 306 pages
Publication Date: December 21, 2022
Source: Direct author request
Title Links: Cosmic Trap [Amazon]
Barnes & Noble

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

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

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

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

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

V Williams