#Goodreads – Page 44 – Rosepoint Publishing

The Bark of Zorro (Gone to the Dogs Book 4) by Kathleen Y’Barbo – #BookReview – #TuesdayBookBlog

Valentine’s Day, aka National Singles Awareness Day

Book Blurb:

Who Is Spray Painting the Dogs in Brenham, Texas?

Cozy up with your favorite pooch and unwind with a small-town mystery in book 4 of the Gone to the Dogs series.

Strange happenings are afoot in Brenham, Texas, as dogs start showing up at the Lone Star Veterinary Clinic with a Z spray painted on them. The cops blame pranksters, while pet owners are blaming each other. Receptionist Cassidy Carter uses her social media expertise to try to get the culprit caught on camera, but Texas game warden, Justin Cameron, thinks online media attention is the last thing this case needs. It’s bad enough he’s currently being followed around by reality TV cameras. When Cassidy’s post goes viral, more dogs are found painted and her new home gets marked with a big Z too. How could her good intentions have backfired so badly?

Gone to the Dogs series:
Off the Chain by Janice Thompson
Dog Days of Summer by Kathleen Y’Barbo
Barking up the Wrong Tree by Janice Thompson
The Bark of Zorro by Kathleen Y’Barbo
Every Dog Has His Day by Janice Thompson
New Leash on Life by Kathleen Y’Barbo

My Review:

Once again I blundered into a series that is written by more than one author. I’ve read neither author before but thinking this is a good start, as I certainly enjoyed it.

It’s a sweet read, entertaining, and of course my big draw—dogs.

In this case, however, one is discovered having had a “Z” painted on the side of him. The main character, Cassidy Carter, is the Lone Star Veterinary Clinic’s office manager involved in the Second Chance Ranch Dog Rescue, all round gofer. So it is when the regular person in charge of taking an abandoned dog call is otherwise occupied, Cassidy goes to find the dog. She does and in hazardous conditions.

Later also involved is game warden Justin Cameron. Justin apparently has an unwelcome entourage—a television reality show in which he’s involved. I won’t call this inst-love, but it supplies the romance part of the cozy theme mystery.

I liked the dogs in the storyline as well as the inclusion of humorous highlights, not so much Justin. He bothered me as being too hovering, controlling, and for me the red flags popped up. Not so for Cassidy apparently as, of course, he is gorgeous, sexy, and studly.

In the meantime, there appears more than one dog sporting painted “Z”s on their furry sides and it’s time to zero in on the perp. I did have a little problem with the reveal—another of those who do not appear in the plot throughout the book. No way to have guessed who.

The pacing is fine and it’s wholesome. I liked Cassidy except for the CYA she issued more than once regarding her position being “just an office manager.” Maybe so, however, the setting is interesting, the characters (for the most part) engaging, and I’ll likely seek a second in the series.

I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author and publisher through @NetGalley that in no way influenced this review. These are my honest thoughts.

Rosepoint Rating: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Christian Mystery & Suspense Romance, Cozy Mysteries
Publisher: Barbour Publishing Inc

ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1636095178
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1636095172

ASIN: B0BFCFNG8S
Print Length: 256 pages
Publication Date: April 1, 2023
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: KATHLEEN Y’BARBO is a Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author of more than one hundred books with two million copies of her books in print in the US and abroad. A tenth-generation Texan and certified paralegal, she is a member of the Texas Bar Association Paralegal Division, Texas A&M Association of Former Student and the Texas A&M Women Former Students (Aggie Women), Texas Historical Society, Novelists Inc., and American Christian Fiction Writers. She would also be a member of the Daughters of the American Republic, Daughters of the Republic of Texas and a few others if she would just remember to fill out the paperwork that Great Aunt Mary Beth has sent her more than once.

Kathleen and her hero in combat boots husband have their own surprise love story that unfolded on social media a few years back. They make their home just north of Houston, Texas and are the parents and in-laws of a blended family of Texans, Okies, and three very adorable Londoners.

To find out more about Kathleen or connect with her through social media, check out her website at http://www.kathleenybarbo.com.

Who Killed Jerusalem? by George Albert Brown – #BookReview – #satire – Galbraith Literary Publishers Inc

A Rollicking Literary Murder Mystery Based On William Blake’s Characters & Ideas Updated To 1970s San Francisco

Book Blurb:

A seamless melding of (i) the intricate plotting of Umberto Eco in The Name of the Rose,

(ii) the side-splitting humor of John Kennedy Toole in A Confederacy of Dunces,

and (iii) the fabulous world of William Blake.

In 1977, Ickey Jerusalem, San Francisco’s golden-boy poet laureate (based on Blake), is found dead in a locked, first-class toilet on an arriving red-eye flight.

Ded Smith, a desperately unhappy, intelligent philistine with a highly developed philosophy to match, is called in to investigate the poet’s death. Thus begins a series of hilarious encounters with the members of Jerusalem’s coterie (updated amalgams of characters from Blake’s work).

Ded soon realizes that to find out what happened, he must not only collect his usual detective’s clues but also, despite his own poetically challenged outlook, get into the dead poet’s mind.

Fighting his way through blasphemous funerals, drug-induced dreams, poetry-charged love-making, offbeat philosophical discussions, and much, much more, he begins to piece together Jerusalem’s (Blake’s) seductive, all-encompassing metaphysics.

But by then, the attempts to kill Ded and the others have begun.

Before Ded’s death-dodging luck runs out, will he be able to solve the case, and perhaps, in the process, develop a new way of looking at the world that might allow him to replace his unhappiness with joy?

His Review:

Icky Jerusalem is found suffocated in the restroom of a 747! Could this have been a suicide? He seemed to be a little distraught with his decision to cease his life’s work of crafting metaphysical poetry, but would that have caused him to commit suicide? And how could his hands become tied behind his back? Nobody on the transcontinental flight noticed anything unusual in first class!

Being a poet laureate is a daunting responsibility. How does one continue to write prose when the karmic juices are not flowing? Ah, but there are certainly distractions in life that can fill the creative voids. One is the lovely Beulah who had been a professional female wrestler prior to developing hysterical blindness. Icky was her doorway to life’s experience through his magnificent verses. She was more than willing to repay his protection and kindnesses with gifts of her own.

Ded Smith is an Insurance Adjuster whose primary goal is to ferret out insurance claims that are suspect or fraudulent. The $20 million dollar policy taken out just prior to the death of Icky was his next assignment. Icky had a reputed fortune of nearly $350 million, so why take out a $20 million dollar life insurance policy on himself payable to the lovely Beulah? The home office wants to deny the claim!

Twists and turns abound in this frolic of the San Francisco lifestyle. So much to deduce within this novel that waxes metaphysical contemplation or argument amid the prose. I am glad the author brings it to a satisfactory conclusion but it could be considered overly long to do so. 3.5 stars – CE Williams

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

Rosepoint Publishing: Three point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Satire, Satire Fiction, Historical Mysteries
Publisher: Galbraith Literary Publishers Inc
ASIN: B0BJ7GDM7V
Print Length: 605 pages
Publication Date: February 6, 2023
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Title Link(s): Who Killed Jerusalem?

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: George Albert Brown, a graduate of Yale University and Stanford Law, started as a hippie in San Francisco’s Haight Ashbury and retired at age 40 after having co-founded a successful international finance company. Following stints thereafter as a humorous author (The Airline Passenger’s Guerrilla Handbook) and an angel investor in over a score of high-tech university spinouts, he built a catamaran in Chile and for more than a decade, cruised it across the globe with his significant other. Today, as a father of three grown children, a grandfather of four not-yet-grown children, and an involuntary lover of stray cats, he continues his peripatetic lifestyle by other means.

Who Killed Jerusalem? is the book that George, a life-long devotee of William Blake, had always wanted to write.

Enjoy Your Sunday!

Welcome Aboard by Jessie Newton, Tammy L. Grace, and six more – #BookReview – #TuesdayBookBlog

(Sail Away Series Book 1)

Book Blurb:

Set sail to new adventures and escapes with eight best-selling authors in the exciting new Sail Away series!

Pack your bags and get ready to set sail on a variety of cruise ships…all without leaving home! Experience the waves, the wind, and the call of the birds in the Sail Away series with a sneak peek of the Sail Away Series in this prologue novella. Each bestselling author will take you on a sea adventure filled with friendship, healing, some romance, and all the heartfelt storytelling you crave.

★ Don’t miss a Sail Away book! ★
Book 1: Welcome Aboard – prologue book
Book 2: The Sound of the Sea by Jessie Newton
Book 3: Uncharted Waters by Tammy L. Grace
Book 4: A Not So Distant Shore by Ev Bishop
Book 5: Caroline, Adrift by Kay Bratt
Book 6: Moonlight On the Lido Deck by Violet Howe
Book 7: The Winning Tickets by Judith Keim
Book 8: Lost At Sea by Patricia Sands
Book 9: The Last Port of Call by Elizabeth Bromke

My Review:

Yes, I thought I was finally getting in on the first book of a new series. Well, sorta, but not.

The Sail Away Series is actually made up of nine books by eight different authors and Book 1 provides the prologues to each of the books. While they are part of a series, a consistent theme, each is a stand-alone book that includes different characters, locations, and plots. The common thread, of course, is that each will result in a cruise.

Getting into the first prologue and realizing what the book consisted of, I was initially disappointed. Having read the first one, however, I was hooked, regained enthusiasm, and dove into the second prologue.

Having read the prologue though you want to continue with each and every book. They are all written by seasoned authors offering their own contemporary fiction stories with empathetic characters that quickly gains engagement.

Each story is different; the ladies are made up of different ages and circumstances. Some would prefer taking an enema rather than joining a cruise—absolutely NOT in their wheelhouse. Yet someone, or multiple love ones, see that they will go—whether or not kicking and screaming.

Some expect to find solace or peace, while others look forward to a new challenge or adventure. Something to reset their lives. The prologue provides the excitement and anticipation.

If you are feeling hesitant about signing up for nine different books, I’d urge you to take a good look at this one and then be prepared to set sail. Each of the backstories grip, set the stage, and provide the impetus for participating in the series. It’s going to be a delightful series to share on your lunch hour, on a vacation, or on your back porch enjoying the sun. It’s a fun, fast, and surprisingly entertaining Book 1. Then pack your bags.

I received a complimentary review copy of this book from one of the authors that in no way influenced this review. These are my honest thoughts.

Rosepoint Rating: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Family Life Fiction, Contemporary Women’s Fiction, Women’s Romance Fiction
ASIN: B09VJVBCCJ
Print Length: 126 pages
Publication Date: January 1, 2023
Source: Author contact

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Authors: Jessie Newton, Tammy L. Grace, Ev Bishop, Kay Bratt, Violet Howe, Judith Keim, Patricia Sands, Elizabeth Bromke

All That Is Mine I Carry With Me by William Landay – #BookReview – #legalthrillers – #Bantam

Book Blurb:

One afternoon in November 1975, ten-year-old Miranda Larkin comes home from school to find her house eerily quiet. Her mother is missing. Nothing else is out of place. There is no sign of struggle. Her mom’s pocketbook remains in the front hall, in its usual spot.

So begins a mystery that will span a lifetime. What happened to Jane Larkin?

Investigators suspect Jane’s husband. A criminal defense attorney, Dan Larkin would surely be an expert in outfoxing the police.

But no evidence is found linking him to a crime, and the case fades from the public’s memory, a simmering, unresolved riddle. Jane’s three children—Alex, Jeff, and Miranda—are left to be raised by the man who may have murdered their mother.

Two decades later, the remains of Jane Larkin are found. The investigation is awakened. The children, now grown, are forced to choose sides. With their father or against him? Guilty or innocent? And what happens if they are wrong?

A tale about family—family secrets and vengeance, but also family love—All That Is Mine I Carry With Me masterfully grapples with a primal question: When does loyalty reach its limit?

His Review:

Jane Larkin had been in love with Dan since high school. They had three lovely children with their youngest being Miranda in the seventh grade. The family did everything together with Dan being a very successful attorney. When Jane goes missing in November 1975, the family is frantic.

The police start an investigation into the disappearance and are unable to find anything regarding Jane’s whereabouts. The case lingers and the first suspect is Dan. There is no evidence to connect him with the crime but a dogged investigator, Mr. Glover, continues to investigate the whereabouts. Surely a loving mother like Jane Larkin would not simply leave and abandon her children.

This novel is very well structured and developed with a number of twists and turns. I developed a real empathy for the characters and their sudden loss of a very beloved mother. Would a devoted mother and wife suddenly decide that she can no longer stay with her husband and care for her family?

William Landay has written a very interesting novel about a family torn apart by the disappearance of the wife and mother and subsequent turmoil of ongoing suspicion. I found the novel disturbing and sad. 4.5 stars – CE Williams

[Note from V: When I listened to the audiobook Defending Jacob, I was blown away by the heart-pounding and gripping novel with that unbelievable twist at the end. Of course, the audiobook was narrated by one of my favorite authors, Grover Gardner. No question the author writes a chillingly hard domestic thriller.]

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: Legal Thrillers, Psychological Fiction
Publisher: Bantam
ASIN: B0B3HZQD1Z
Print Length: 336 pages
Publication Date: March 7, 2023
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: William Landay‘s latest novel is the New York Times bestseller “Defending Jacob.” His previous novels are “Mission Flats,” which won the Dagger Award as best debut crime novel of 2003, and “The Strangler,” which was an L.A. Times favorite crime novel and was nominated for the Strand Magazine Critics Award as best crime novel of 2007.

Visit the author at http://www.williamlanday.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/williamlanday

First Line Friday

I’ve seen this numerous times and often thought I’d like to participate but honestly can’t find the origin though it was apparently hosted at one time by Wandering Words and then The Anatomy of a Bookworm. I noticed it most recently on Carrie’s Reading is My Super Power.

It was intended to be a weekly feature for book lovers governed by this intro:

What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?

Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page.
Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first.
Finally… reveal the book!

Great! Because today I have a sweet read that will appeal to most YA readers, as well as Cozy Mystery, Christian Mystery and Suspense Romance, Mystery Romance, and Animal Fiction lovers. Notice that last one? Definitely hits one of my favorite genres!

“Valentine’s Day, aka National Singles Awareness Day

It was a dark and stormy night. No, really. It was.”

Sweet huh?

Are you hooked? (You are supposed to be, but me just say, it gave me a chuckle so I kept reading.)

▼

Cozy up with your favorite pooch and unwind with a small-town mystery in book 4 of the Gone to the Dogs series.

▼

Currently on pre-order. Will be released April 1, 2023. Find it at:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Goodreads

I think I’ve found a new fun cozy mystery series. It’s looking to be #pawsome!

Would love to know if you enjoy these posts and if so, I want to see your #FirstLineFriday, too. Drop me a line!

Have a great weekend!

FLF graphic thanks to Canva.

Hearts and Dark Arts (Mitzy Moon Mysteries Book 12) by Trixie Silvertale – #Audiobook Review – #TBT

Paranormal Cozy Mystery

Book Blurb:

When a disappearing dog leads to a decades-old feud, will this psychic sleuth settle the score?

Mitzy Moon is bending over backward to be a good big sister. Spending a day at the pet invention convention seems harmless enough. But when puppy love turns into vanishing canines and a vengeful ghost, she’ll have to bend a few laws before more furry friends are spirited away…

Ignoring the handsome sheriff’s warnings about evidence that cuts both ways, Mitzy’s desperation drives her to make daring decisions. Unfortunately, one crime leads to two and her carelessness puts Ghost-ma and her interfering feline in danger. And with her family threatened by dangerous powers, her dreams of a happy ending could become a ghastly nightmare.

Can Mitzy save the pooch and her grandmother, or will she be forced to make a deadly choice?

Hearts and Dark Arts is the twelfth book in the hilarious paranormal cozy mystery series, Mitzy Moon Mysteries. If you like snarky heroines, supernatural twists, and a dash of romance, then you’ll love Trixie Silvertale’s madcap caper.

My Review:

Intrigued with Book 1 a while ago, I then jumped into Books 2 and 3. So don’t ask me why this time I’d have jumped to Book 12—any rhyme or reason there? Then I discover it has a Valentine thread running behind it as is the next book I picked up, totally unaware it also has a Valentine thread. I wonder what the stars are trying to tell me? Should I have my cards read?

At least having gotten the beginning of the storyline and intro to the main characters, I can appreciate that Mitzy has relaxed a bit now with her newly acquired financial situation. She’s definitely a bit more confident if not still as clumsy, but enjoying her circumstances and the “new” family she’s inherited.

One new family member is step-brother Stellen. A youngster smitten with Yolo, he goes to a convention with Yolo where her pet aura photography invention goes awry with her fur baby inside. Obviously, the pet may be off in the ether somewhere and Stellen enlists the aid of Mitzy who also enlists the aid of Silas, an aging alchemist and Mitzy’s mentor.

But fixing the machine doesn’t solve all the problems as there is obviously a supernatural occurrence here that they failed to recognize and now realize it will get seriously more complicated when not only Pyewacket but her Ghost-ma also disappears.

Mitzy uses her growing sense of her paranormal sensibilities as well as those she gleans from Silas to work on returning Ghost-ma from an old enemy.

In the background is the blooming romance between her and Too Hot To Handle Sheriff Erik. You can’t fault her for the quick wit and willingness to share some of her riches where it will do the most good. She has no problem sharing. I enjoy the small quiet atmosphere of Pin Cherry Harbor and the inhabitants, going about their business rather oblivious to the paranormal maneuvering at the bookstore and her descriptive upstairs apartment. It’s magical, engaging, and very entertaining.

I downloaded a copy of this audiobook from my local well-stocked library. These are my honest thoughts.

Book Details:

Genre: Animal Cozy Mysteries, Paranormal Fantasy, Amateur Sleuth Mysteries
Publisher: Sittin’ On A Goldmine Productions LLC
ASIN: B0B7SQX6QC
Listening Length: 5 hrs 15 mins
Narrator: Coleen Marlo
Publication Date: February 9, 2021
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Link: Hearts and Dark Arts [Amazon]

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

The Author: USA TODAY Bestselling author Trixie Silvertale grew up reading an endless supply of Lilian Jackson Braun, Hardy Boys, and Nancy Drew novels. She loves the amateur sleuths in cozy mysteries and is obsessed with all things paranormal. Those two passions unite in her Mitzy Moon Mysteries, and she’s thrilled to write them and share them with you.

When she’s not consumed by writing, she bakes to fuel her creative engine and tends to her herb garden.

Visit her online at:
http://www.TrixieSilvertale.com

Good Dog, Bad Cop (K Team Novels Book 4) by David Rosenfelt – #BookReview – #TuesdayBookBlog

Rosepoint Rating: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

For the K Team, playing “good dog”, “bad cop” is all fun and games… until there’s a body on the scene, in the next K Team Novel by bestselling author David Rosenfelt.

The K Team enjoys investigating cold cases for the Paterson Police Department. Corey Douglas, his K-9 partner Simon Garfunkel, Laurie Collins, and Marcus Clark even get to choose which cases they’d like to pursue. When Corey sees the latest list of possibilities, there’s no question which one to look into next.

Corey’s former mentor, Jimmy Dietrich, had his whole identity wrapped up in being a cop. When Jimmy retired three years ago, his marriage quickly deteriorated and he tried–and failed—to get back on the force. Jimmy was left to try to adjust to life as a civilian.

Not long after, two bodies were pulled from the Passaic River. A local woman, Susan Avery, and Jimmy Dietrich. With no true evidence available, the deaths went unsolved and the case declared cold. This didn’t stop the whispers: an affair gone wrong… a murder-suicide committed by Jimmy.

Corey never believed it. With this case, the K Team has the opportunity to find the real murderer, and clear Jimmy’s name. Bestselling author David Rosenfelt returns in Good Dog, Bad Cop, where there’s little to go on, but that won’t stop Paterson, New Jersey’s favorite private investigators from sniffing out the truth.

My Review:

It’s not true that I request these books because there are dogs on the cover. Of course, that doesn’t hurt as it’s easy to see both dogs are sweet as they can be. I’ll hug the Golden Lab, you can hug the GSD (if he’ll let you). I was happy to jump on this spin-off of the Andy Carpenter series as I’d devoured just about all in that series I could at the time.

In this series, Corey Douglas and his K-9 partner Simon Garfunkel, are the main characters with Andy’s wife, Laurie, and several of the Carpenter team also in this team. They are quasi-working with the local police in an unofficial capacity looking into cold cases.

In this case, he’ll opt for looking into Corey’s former mentor, Jimmy Dietrich. But never let it be said that these are cut and dried, find out what happened to Jimmy, one and done. No, this series, as with the Carpenter series manages to run into sub-plots, and plots behind that, and become seriously complicated so it’s necessary to pay attention.

Over the course of the series, I’ve seen a change in Corey and I like it. He’s settling down somewhat, not due in small part to his SO, Dani. She’s an independent lady and hasn’t pushed toward that nasty “M” word that even Corey has been tossing around lately. It’s not all due to her, however, in that the seriousness of the well-plotted and paced storylines has loosened a bit, allowing for just a little of the snark I’d grown to love in the Carpenter series. Somewhere in there all the time was that sense of humor and that easy, happy relationship between he and Dani.

If you are so inclined, you might want to set up a spreadsheet with all the background characters as they come and go in this one, adding one twist after the other and setting the reader’s head to spinning. ACK! But don’t get too excited, you won’t get lost. It’s not a real problem to float in the narrative and just enjoy the ride. In the meantime, there’s a character for everyone including Simon who gets to do his fur missile thing—which he is very good at—by the way.

Don’t need to start with Book 1, although you might just to get the flavor of this particular team. This book is quite capable of being a fun and fast novel as a standalone.

I listened to Book 3 Citizen K-9 (audiobook) in March last year and can also recommend the audiobooks narrated by Fred Berman. I have found each entry to the series more enjoyable as they settled into their own cast of solid characters and storyline.

I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author and publisher through @NetGalley that in no way influenced this review. These are my honest thoughts.

Book Details:

Genre: Animal Fiction, Private Investigator Mysteries
Publisher: Minotaur Books
ASIN: B09Y46PTQ4
Print Length: 288 pages
Publication Date: March 14, 2023
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: DAVID ROSENFELT is the Edgar-nominated and Shamus Award-winning author of more than twenty Andy Carpenter novels, including One Dog Night, Collared, and Deck the Hounds; its spinoff series, The K-Team; the Doug Brock thriller series, which starts with Fade to Black; and stand-alone thrillers including Heart of a Killer and On Borrowed Time. Rosenfelt and his wife live in Maine with an ever-changing pack of rescue dogs. Their epic cross-country move with 25 of these dogs, culminating in the creation of the Tara Foundation, is chronicled in Dogtripping.

The Drift by C J Tudor – #BookReview – #psychicsuspense

Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Book Blurb:

Hannah awakens to carnage, all mangled metal and shattered glass. Evacuated from a secluded boarding school during a snowstorm, her coach careered off the road, trapping her with a handful of survivors. They’ll need to work together to escape—with their sanity and secrets intact.

Meg awakens to a gentle rocking. She’s in a cable car stranded high above snowy mountains, with five strangers and no memory of how they got on board. They are heading to a place known only as “The Retreat,” but as the temperature drops and tensions mount, Meg realizes they may not all make it there alive.

Carter is gazing out the window of an isolated ski chalet that he and his companions call home. As their generator begins to waver in the storm, something hiding in the chalet’s depths threatens to escape, and their fragile bonds will be tested when the power finally fails—for good.

The imminent dangers faced by Hannah, Meg, and Carter are each one part of the puzzle. Lurking in their shadows is an even greater danger—one with the power to consume all of humanity.

His Review:

Could mankind be destroyed by a new disease? This novel explores an apocalyptical era where Earth’s inhabitants die from an extremely toxic and rapidly spreading disease. Those who do not die from the disease are changed into people with bad breathing problems. The dying easily pass on the disease.

The government sets up compounds where those afflicted can be quarantined. Old ski lodges are used for this purpose. A good portion of the story centers around survivors being stuck on a chair lift around 250 yards from the ski lodge. Those stuck in the gondola are trying to make it to the lodge but the cables have problems. They are stuck in the air one thousand feet above the ski slope.

The characters are well-developed and the novel points out the selfishness and avarice that people exhibit trying to save themselves. Killing is random and the more selfish of the group tend to become survivors.

I’ve read several books by this author including A Sliver of Darkness and was not quite prepared for the heavy side of horror and apocalypse. It was well-written and paced but was just a little too much blood and guts for me. 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: Psychic Suspense, Horror Suspense, Psychological Thrillers
Publisher: Ballantine Books
ASIN: B09Z91SS77
Print Length: 337 pages
Publication Date: January 31, 2023
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: C. J. Tudor lives with her partner and young daughter. Her love of writing, especially the dark and macabre, started young. When her peers were reading Judy Blume, she was devouring Stephen King and James Herbert.

Over the years she has had a variety of jobs, including trainee reporter, radio scriptwriter, dog walker, voiceover artist, television presenter, copywriter and, now, author.

Her first novel, The Chalk Man, was a Sunday Times bestseller and sold in thirty-nine territories.

Have a Great Sunday