GoodReads – Page 38 – Rosepoint Publishing

Front Line: A Domestic Spy Espionage Terrorism Thriller (Phantom Force Tactical Book 3) by Jessica James – a #BookReview

A domestic-military thriller review by the CE.

Rosepoint Publishing: Five of Five Stars

Book Blurb:

Special operators work against the clock to stop a radical extremist from detonating a dirty bomb during a Monday night football game near Washington, DC. in this award-winning domestic terrorism thriller.

Phantom Force Tactical’s Nicholas “Colt” Colton thought the radical extremist he captured years ago was locked away for good. Unfortunately, a new classified mission reveals that the threat is still very real, and corruption within the U.S. government runs deep.

Task Force 2 agent Josephine “Joey” Summers has been working her own angle, trying to figure out where the terrorist leader will strike next. She’s come up with a very plausible—and terrifying—theory, but doesn’t know who she can trust. After teaming up with a retired Navy SEAL, she discovers the plot is even bigger than she’d imagined—and the consequences much more alarming.

When the stakes are this high, promises must be kept. And when thousands of people could die, sacrifices must be made. Only by letting go of their pasts will they have any hope of stopping the chaos. But courage and commitment—plus a pledge—fuse to create an outcome that is both unpredictable and unimaginable.

All books in this series can stand alone.

His Review:

This is a fast-moving framework for espionage at the highest level. Jessica James has written a quick moving tale of treason at the highest level of government. Former Navy Seal Nicholas Colton is working with an off the books’ agency called Phantom Force. Working directly with the President and carrying the highest security clearance available, Nick helps to defuse a well devised terrorist plot.

Josephine is a chance encounter who turns into a valuable asset in the enterprise. Both Nick and Josephine are widowed and do not want to be involved or hurt again. The author handles this relationship with understanding and comfort.

Government intelligence sometimes gets in its’ own way. A highly placed foreign operative whose goal is chaos at a major sporting event that would foul a major metropolitan area adds to the plot.

Highly placed government officials want to bring down the United States and teach it a lesson for interfering in other countries business. A dirty bomb may be the way to cause this catastrophe. Can Nick and his team accomplish this task? The novel could be a playbook for the current situation in Washington. Can Nick and his group stop the plot to cause a major international event similar to the bombing of the twin towers? Infiltrators at the highest level of the US government are involved in planning and executing the plot.

The overall book is a fast read and very satisfying. I feel the author may have had some of these experiences herself. She handles the entire situation with sympathy and understanding. I appreciated the slow and tentative road to intimacy in this novel. Rather, it is two adults getting to know each other while both are reeling from past experiences and that is refreshing. Read and enjoy! 5 stars CE Williams

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from BookBub. These are my honest thoughts.

Book Details:

Genre: Domestic Thriller, Military Thriller, Terrorism Thriller
Publisher: Patriot Press
ASIN: B06WD4YPH1
Print Length: 340 pages
Publication Date: March 27, 2017
Source: Direct author request
Title Link: Front Line [Amazon]
Find the book at these locations:
Barnes and Noble
Kobo

The Author: Jessica James‘ award-winning novels are inspired by her love of the land, her belief in everlasting love, and her curiosity about the past. She enjoys transporting readers back in time with complex characters and stories that stir deep emotion.

By weaving the principles of courage, devotion, and dedication into each book, James attempts to honor the unsung heroes of the American military–past and present–and to convey the magnitude of their sacrifice and service. Her novels appeal to both men and women and are featured in library collections all over the United States including Harvard and the U.S. Naval Academy.

James is a four-time winner of the John Esten Cooke Award for Southern Fiction, and has won more than a dozen other literary awards, including a Readers’ Favorite International Book Award and a Gold Medal from the Military Writers Society of America.

Get your choice of one of two books when you sign up for her newsletter (or get them both, if you can’t decide). The first one is From the Heart: Love Stories and Letters from the Civil War. The other is a bestselling romantic suspense novel Protecting Ashley. Sign up today!

Penned In (A Farm-to-Fork Mystery) by Lynn Cahoon a #BookReview #cozymystery

“’Should we wake up the others?’ Felicia glanced around the table. The remaining guards looked shell shocked.”

Book Blurb:

Angie Turner, chef at Idaho’s finest farm-to-table restaurant, has organized a team-building event at a haunted prison, only to find a real-life murderer in their midst. . . .

Contented employees make for a successful restaurant, which is why the County Seat’s crew goes on a quarterly out-of-office meeting. This time, the location is the Old Idaho Penitentiary near the Boise Foothills, a prison brimming with ghostly lore. The lock-in features actors role-playing as guards, fascinating prison stories . . . and an unscripted murder.

Who sentenced one of the faux guards to a very authentic death? Angie, her boyfriend, and the County Seat gang are locked in with a killer—excellent motivation for a little sleuthing. Between ghostly apparitions and flesh-and-blood suspects, Angie’s plate is full, but will her luck, and her life, hold out until the gates reopen at dawn?

My Review:

Yes, I love when a book location is one of my old stomping grounds and in particular this spine-chilling old penitentiary in the foothills of Boise. My WOW® motobuddies and I took the years’ ride-in-mascot to the prison for some very special shots of the facility with the mascot (and us in prison stripes).

In this Halloween themed novella, Angie Turner and her County Seat restaurant crew have scheduled a 24 hr stay in the haunted prison as a team-building exercise. (Sorry—no way would I want to be locked in that place overnight, particularly with no cell phone. So many stories about that place and it does give off creepy vibes.)

Anyway, in addition to the team, there are four “guards” (actors) as well as other guests. Angie is allowed to include Dom, her trusty St Bernard. It’s a cozy. Someone is gonna die. And it’s a prison after all…

I’m not sure how much team building actually got done, although we got to be privy to some support character personalities and their work together as they solved the whodunit. The fun part (for me) was the paranormal element—that of the story of a female ghost (so many stories there). The ghost and Angie communed and Angie (with the help of her crew) followed the clues. There can’t be that many suspects—right? But it won’t be as easy as you think to solve.

This is a great setting for a Halloween mystery. It’s has some interesting characters and the mystery moves along. A fast read and fun cozy.

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. These are my honest thoughts.

Add to Goodreads — https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48763879-penned-in

Book Details:

Genre: Two-Hour Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Short Reads, Fiction Short Reads

Publisher: Lyrical Press

ASIN: B07ZPKM799

Print Length: 92 pages

Publication Date: August 4, 2020

Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Rosepoint Publishing: Four of Five Stars

The Author: Get a free story at http://www.lynncahoon.com.

Lynn Cahoon is the author of the NYT and USA Today best-selling Tourist Trap cozy mystery series. She also pens the Cat Latimer series available in mass https://www.amazon.com/Lynn-Cahoon/e/B0082PWOAO/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0market paperback. And, because she can’t help telling stories, she also writes the Farm to Fork series. Romance novels are published under the pen name, Lynn Collins. She lives in a small town like the ones she loves to write about with her husband and three fur kids. Sign up for her newsletter at http://www.lynncahoon.com

NB: This is the first post using WP’s new block editor. I voted it down last time. Apparently, I do not have that choice this time. So, it being rather crude, it’s obvious there’s a learning curve and not easy for this old dog. Please forgive.

TV Netflix Series vs Audiobook – Walt Longmire Mysteries – by Craig Johnson

“There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact”
Sherlock Holmes

Wahoo! One of my favorite Netflix series and lots of audiobooks (as well as ebooks) at my local well stocked library. We binged right through the Longmire series, even trying to discipline ourselves to three episodes per night, so of course when I discovered the audiobooks at my library I grabbed the first that wasn’t on a waiting list. And whadda know, it’s about bike week—Sturgis! (which, coincidentally, was last week). I doubt there is few around the globe that hasn’t heard of Sturgis, and no, that’s one rally I didn’t go to (just a little too nutsy for me), although that is me on my Kawi in the background of the blog banner getting ready to pull off the road.

An Obvious Fact-Book Blurb:

In the 12th novel in the New York Times best-selling Longmire series, Walt, Henry, and Vic discover much more than they bargained for when they are called in to investigate a hit-and-run accident near Devils Tower involving a young motorcyclist.

In the midst of the largest motorcycle rally in the world, a young biker is run off the road and ends up in critical condition. When Sheriff Walt Longmire and his good friend, Henry Standing Bear, are called to Hulett, Wyoming – the nearest town to America’s first national monument, Devils Tower – to investigate, things start getting complicated. As competing biker gangs; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms; a military-grade vehicle donated to the tiny local police force by a wealthy entrepreneur; and Lola, the real-life femme fatale and namesake for Henry’s ’59 Thunderbird (and, by extension, Walt’s granddaughter) come into play, it rapidly becomes clear that there is more to get to the bottom of at this year’s Sturgis Motorcycle Rally than a bike accident. After all, in the words of Arthur Conan Doyle, whose Adventures of Sherlock Holmes the Bear won’t stop quoting, “There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact”.

Audiobook

This is Book 12, so while the protagonist or his major support characters are not wholly fleshed, they don’t need to be—they are whittled out of casual remarks, innuendo, description. Walt Longmire is the sheriff of Absaroka County, Wyoming. The wild west. Two other main characters, Henry Standing Bear (Native American) and Vic (Victoria Moretti), his (female) deputy—a Philadelphia transplant. Walt is often accompanied by Dog, (of dubious parentage) who needs no further description. Walt’s daughter is not notably featured in this episode.

Walt received a call from another county about a motorcyclist run off the road near Devil’s Tower and his mother shows up to ask again for Walt’s help. The mother is Lola, the mother for whom Henry named his classic T-Bird. Yes, it’s “the” Lola.

Unsurprisingly, it won’t be a simple hit-and-run and while the young man languishes in the hospital not expected to recover, Walt soon discovers bad-ass motorcycle gangs and multitudes of despicable conspiracies.

I love the scenes, so beautifully laid out you can smell the landscape, and the banter between Walt and (Henry Standing) Bear and his undersheriff, who by the way, is a great deal more profane than she appears on Netflix. Also appreciated the motorcycle lingo; been awhile since I’ve participated. Almost non-stop action, the multi-plotted storyline getting more complex with fast-turning pages. I love the tidbits of knowledge about the area, the people and culture and in this case, of course, motorcycles.

The narrator, George Guidall, did one heckava outstanding job creating a down-to-earth narrative and understated conversational quality to the written words. He wasn’t just reading it. He made it come alive. It’s drugs, money, and mayhem and I can’t wait to tear into the next episode that becomes available. 4.5/5 stars

Netflix Longmire Series

I loved this series of the modern Western crime scene. The TV drama series began on A&E but was picked up by Netflix and developed by John Coveny and Hunt Baldwin somewhere around the fourth season. It ran for six seasons and is still streaming on Netflix after the sixth season ended in 2017. Popular? Oh, yes…what is not to love?

Despite amazing viewership numbers, A&E felt that the demographic was primarily older Americans—the horror of it all! Thanks to a huge fan uproar (think Star Wars), it was picked up by Netflix.

The cast is perfect: Australian Robert Taylor as Walt, Katee Sackhoff as Vic, and American Filipino Lou Diamond Phillips as Henry. Also, it was filmed in New Mexico (not Wyoming). While it doesn’t follow each book of Johnson’s series per se, there is crime fiction we’ve come to expect including bank robberies, murder investigations, and prominently featured conflicts with the local Cheyenne Indian reservation.

The series became so popular they began a yearly July festival in Buffalo (WY). (Absaroka County is fictional), according to Wide Open Country.

If there was a revival, Season 7, I’d be tuning in. Hollywood version Americana but well written and immensely engaging and entertaining. 5 enthusiastic stars

Overall Impression

I don’t think you can go wrong with either the Netflix series and that outstanding cast, gripping installments, and immersive episodes or the books. (Of course, I’m among that older demographic that had A&E dumping it.) While the audiobooks, the character Vic being more profane, might alienate a few of that older demographic, the descriptive storyline, natural and often humorous dialogue, and the narrator’s excellent delivery make it a winner. I’m a solid fan looking for my next audiobook. Wholly recommended.

Rosepoint Publishing recommended

Book Details:

Genre: Native American Literature, Western Fiction
Publisher: Recorded Books
ASIN: B01K23ZXCE
Listening Length: 7 hrs 50 min
Narrator: George Guidall
Publication Date: September 13, 2016
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Link: An Obvious Fact [Amazon]

The Author: Craig Johnson is the New York Times bestselling author of twelve Walt Longmire mystery novels, which are the basis for Longmire, the hit Netflix original drama. The Cold Dish won Le Prix du Polar Nouvel Observateur/Bibliobs. Death Without Company, the Wyoming Historical Association’s Book of the Year, won France’s Le Prix 813, and Another Man’s Moccasins was the Western Writers of America’s Spur Award Winner and the Mountains & Plains Book of the Year. The Dark Horse, the fifth in the series, was a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year and Junkyard Dogs won The Watson Award for a mystery novel with the best sidekick. Hell Is Empty, selected by Library Journal as the Best Mystery of the Year, was a New York Times best seller, as was As the Crow Flies, which won the Rocky for the best crime novel typifying the western United States. A Serpent’s Tooth opened as a New York Times bestseller as did Any Other Name and Wait for Signs, Johnson’s collection of short stories. Spirit of Steamboat was selected by the State Library as the inaugural One Book Wyoming and included visits to sixty-three libraries. Johnson lives in Ucross, Wyoming, population twenty-five.

The Narrator: George Guidall is a prolific audiobook narrator and theatre actor. As of November 2014, he had recorded over 1,270 audiobooks, which was believed to be the record at the time. Wikipedia

The Night Drop by Ian D Wright – A #BookReview – #historicalthrillers #TuesdayBookBlog

“The remote marshland villagers did not want them, but if their mission failed, the Allies could lose the war!”

A book review by the CE.

Book Blurb:

A WW2 Historical thriller – Resistance in the Marshlands

The summer of 1943 and Jack Ross, a talented young recruit to the British special forces, was flown into a marshland village near St-Omer, France, along with Roland Keene, an Irish-American volunteer to the British forces. Their mission was to find out how successful the Allied bombing raids had been on the massive V2 flying bomb installations, which had been built under a giant concrete dome near St-Omer. The Nazi V2 project could have had a devastating effect on England and changed the future of the war.

Jack and Roland joined with the local Resistance cell and quickly established a good working relationship. But incidents occur that point to a mole in the ranks. Two feuding brothers, one in the Resistance, the other with the Partisans, make identifying the traitor almost impossible.

Jack’s primary source of information was Sofia, a young girl who was one of the most active members of the group. She was brave, smart and tireless, and Jack found himself falling in love.

Twenty years later, in 1965, and one of the suspects decides to go back to the village to clear his name. His arrival immediately triggers a murder. Two investigative journalists agreed to help Jack tackle the job of finding the real mole but find themselves in a battle with a group of fanatical Nazi sympathisers.

His Review:

Investigating war crimes can be dangerous business. Jack Ross goes back to the place where he was dropped during the height of WW II. The year is 1965 and he is assisting Steve, an investigative journalist and his wife Emily to write an account of the area during Nazi occupation in 1943. Working on the story becomes fraught with danger as the story develops.

Retrospectively I have often wondered what the world would have been like if the Nazis had prevailed. This book paints a picture of grudges that develop even within families during a war. Do you side with the occupiers who have your country under marshal law or fight in a resistance that tries to overthrow your occupiers? During such conflicts there will always be winners and losers.

During times of war, food is always hard to get. Helping the enemy may provide some food or other assistance that otherwise would be unavailable. Occupied France was no exception. Jack Ross is parachuted behind enemy lines to find the location of V-2 rocket launch sites and get that information back to the British. His mother was French and his father English and his spoken French sounds like a native.

Sofia is a young teenage girl who can get around the occupied area on a bicycle. She is almost invisible and therefore able to gather information. Jack joins the resistance and she becomes very helpful in obtaining updates on the location of the launch facilities and also a production factory. Every day is fraught with danger as the British start bombing the facility and begin to suspect a mole is giving secret information to the enemy.

The Audomorais Marshes in France are poorly defended and the Nazi troops are spread thin. However, who is actually loyal to whom? As the invasion nears and the attacks on the rocket facility increase, the Nazis look for the leak. Brothers with a long running feud are highlighted. One of the brothers is grabbed and executed by the Nazis. His contact was Jacks’ wife Sophie. Suddenly she becomes a target for the German occupiers.

Who is the mole who identified Sophie and thereby Jack? The invasion is about two months away and suddenly they must go underground. Later in 1965 they are trying to solve the riddle of who the mole might have been. Anyone harboring allied pilots or servicemen are summarily shot upon identification and capture.

The list of suspects included the local butcher, the parish priest and the feuding brother. Unraveling the answer is an integral part of this well-developed novel. One of the suspects is found hanging in a tree and danger is rampant, even in 1965! I found the book keeping me up nights with my search for the answer. History buffs and WW II aficionados will find this read compelling. My only quibble was that the thread between the war and 1965 was at times scattered and elusive. 4/5 stars CE Williams

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. These are my honest thoughts.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four of Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Historical Thrillers, Historical British Fiction, Military Thrillers
ASIN: B086JZDY8K
Print Length: 251 pages
Publication Date: March 29, 2020
Source: Direct author request
Title Link: The Night Drop [Amazon]

The Author: My passion for writing goes back to a Christmas present I received when I was seven years old. It was a John Bull printing outfit that inspired me to produce a newspaper for my family to read. By the time I finished the first edition, several weeks had passed, and the stories were long-forgotten events.

I was encouraged at school by my English teacher, and he suggested that I should write a newsletter about school activities. It was handwritten and pinned to the notice board. The encouraging words he wrote on my school report then enabled me to get of job in the publicity department of a large engineering company. This introduced me to the luxury of the typewriter, which I still think is an amazing invention.

As the years went by, I happily wrote anything that I was given; brochure copy, advertisements, press releases, speeches for other people, scripts for industrial films, videos, and copy for websites. In 1988 I started my own media company, which I ran until retiring a few years ago.

My only venture into fiction was in my early twenties writing teen romance stories for Jackie magazine. It was just a part-time addition to my real work, but it taught me how to build characters in as few words as possible and how enjoyable writing fiction can be. I always promised myself that when I had the time, I would return to fiction again. Just over two years ago, I started on my first novel, Murders of Consequence, which was followed by Murders of Necessity and Murders of Misfortune. They are all available in eBook and paperback on Amazon.

All three books are set in the nineteen-sixties when the UK was going through a significant transformation of social outlook. Young people were making their views known in fashion, music, attitudes, and public protests about the many different causes that concerned them. The reasons were not frivolous; all they were asking was for nuclear disarmament and world peace.

I live in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, with my wife Sheilah, who is editor, proof-reader, and critic of my work. We are both avid readers, enjoying mainly thrillers.
I also love music, particularly jazz. When I was young, I played tenor sax in a rock/blues band, and more recently, Sheilah and I formed a Jazz duo to raise money for charity. We both enjoy traveling, watching cricket, and football.

Hawthorn Woods by Patrick Canning – a #BookReview – #Mystery #Thriller

Rosepoint Publishing: Five of Five Stars

Book Blurb:

Seeking to rediscover herself after a divorce, a detective-minded woman embarks on solving the small mysteries of a Midwest neighborhood, only to learn the secrets hidden there are more horrifying than she could have ever imagined.

Summer, 1989. Reeling from a catastrophic divorce, Francine Haddix flees San Francisco for a two week stay at her sister’s house in Hawthorn Woods, Illinois. The quaint neighborhood of shady trees and friendly neighbors seems like the perfect place for her to sort through her pain and move on with her life.

But Francine quickly discovers the “idyllic” neighborhood is hiding a number of disturbing mysteries. Behind every door and window there’s marital strife, simmering grudges, and a secret so terrible, someone will kill to keep it quiet.

Francine rewrites her prescription from relaxation to investigation. If she can remember how to trust herself, she might discover what’s hidden in Hawthorn Woods. She might even be able to believe the future can be good again, assuming she stays alive long enough to be in it…

My Review:

Well, here I go again with one of Patrick Canning’s books. This author writes such off-the-wall stuff you know going in it’ll be a ride. The question is just how crazy will this roller-coaster be? Answer: Subtle, confounding, twisty, and who can you trust?

Francine is reeling from a devastating divorce in 1989 in San Francisco when her sister Ellie suggests a child/housesitting stay at her home in Hawthorn Woods, Illinois while they take a European vacation. It certainly looks benign enough, quaint, friendly, and attractive. A nice getaway when she needs one.

A bon voyage-welcome party turns a bit ugly, however, when one of the guests throws a drink in Francine’s face. True, you never know what goes on behind closed doors and there are certainly enough neighbors here to offer a variety of single and married, tempers, secrets, and fears. Her sister’s best friend Laura Jean is a strong ally and there are a number of interesting support characters. When Francine discovers the death of Brownie (a goat), she decides it’s time to start investigating the neighbors more deeply.

And what a smorgasbord of characters there are! You are not meant to like them all. Hers is not the only temporary stay in the hood and it is Bruno that brings a special light to Francine’s eyes as they collaborate together in his own secret research.

Francine is fragile and easy to invest in; Bruno a history teacher smothered in cliché right up to his bow tie and brown corduroy trousers and I really liked them both. Obvious red herrings, teenage boy, nasty HOA lady, ex-Marine. It’s a slow burn but weirdly compelling. What IS going on here? Are you confused yet?

The conclusion brings a shock you never saw coming and a head-shaking surprise you can’t compute. Yes, yes, you knew the one answer, but… I loved the little questionnaire questions her ex left with her at the beginning of each chapter setting your nerves to jangling and the tension rising.

“In most marriages, one or both partners are unhappy. [x] True [ ] False.
“I often think: ‘I wish I were a child again.’ [x]True [ ] False.
“I am so touchy on some subjects that I can’t talk about them. [x] True [ ] False.

The author’s writing style is beguiling, clever, and wily fun. Keep reading and watch his mind twist you in the wind. I’ve read one of his books before, The Colonel and the Bee back in July, 2018 and if I didn’t recognize that signature…um, just wait…of his, I wouldn’t know it was the same author–and I really enjoyed that one. This is a suspense thriller that leaves you shaking your head, just shy of a book hangover. A mystery thriller you shouldn’t miss. Totally recommended.

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. These are my honest thoughts.

Book Details:

Genre: Amateur Sleuths, Women Sleuths
ASIN: B08CS2RK9S
Print Length: 283 pages
Publication Date: August 4, 2020
Source: Direct author request

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Author: Patrick Canning was born in Wisconsin, grew up in Illinois, and now lives in California with his dog, Hank.

He is primarily focused on turning coffee into words, words into money, money back into coffee.

Find him at patrickcanningbooks.com

Save Her Soul (Detective Josie Quinn Book 9) by Lisa Regan – a #BookReview – Police Procedural

“An absolutely unputdownable crime thriller and mystery novel.”

Book Blurb:

Josie flinches as she takes in the faded blue sports jacket wrapped around the girl they just pulled from the water. Josie knew someone who’d once owned that jacket. He had died in her arms five years ago.

Heavy rain pours on the small town of Denton causing the riverbanks to break and the body of a young girl to float quietly to the surface. With no crime scene to examine, the odds are against Detective Josie Quinn and her team. Mercifully, the victim’s body is perfectly preserved, right down to the baseball patch on the jacket she was wearing. Josie can’t hide her devastation—her dead ex-husband, Ray, owned one just like it.

Following the trail back to her high school, Josie identifies the girl as Beverly Urban, a troubled student rumored to have been dating Ray before she left town for good. It looks like a tragic accident until the autopsy reveals a bullet in her head and the heart-breaking secret she was keeping.

Josie visits the salon where Beverly’s mother used to work, believing she was at the heart of a terrible scandal around the time her daughter’s life was taken. With the Denton wives remaining tight-lipped, Josie’s only hope is a secret meet-up with a terrified woman willing to talk. But she is murdered moments before giving Josie crucial information. It’s clear that someone is prepared to keep on killing to stop the truth from getting out.

Digging deep into memories of her own past with Ray is the only advantage Josie has on this twisted killer… but at what cost?

Another jaw-dropping crime thriller from an Amazon, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author that will have you absolutely gripped from page one. Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Robert Dugoni and Rachel Caine.

My Review:

The ninth book in the series, Save Her Soul ramps up the drama with Detective Josie Quinn and her partner, Detective Gretchen Palmer. The little town of Denton PA is flooding. Rain has been relentless and out on a raft performing rescue efforts finds an old woman whose home is being wept away in the flooding waters. A body, wrapped in a tarp, pops up shortly behind her.

The body turns out to be an old classmate of Josie’s. But worse, the body is wearing Josie’s high school boyfriend/ex-husband’s (now deceased) letterman jacket. A cold case no one knew was a case thinking the girl and her mother had moved—vanished. Beverly was a bully living with a disabled mother with whom she’d been known to have major disagreements.

If the weather isn’t bad enough, Josie takes on the cold case, anxious to know the relationship between the girl, Beverly, and her ex, Ray. Score one for Josie, I appreciated the way she went about the investigation, with help from the team, but occasional flashbacks to her high school years without preamble would have me going back a page or two to get some continuity.

As the storyline increased in complexity, so too did details about Josie’s childhood increase—elevating her from damaged protagonist to almost basket-case levels dealing with one revelation after another that threw more than one-two punches. What a tangled web this one becomes!

The readers get to know more about her partner, her grandmother, her new boyfriend (live-in), Noah. I’m warming up to Noah; love Misty and her son. Enjoyed the writer’s style more so than the first book I read in the series, The Bones She Buried (that review here). The plot is fast-paced with twists and red herrings, weeding out minutiae, but always making progress to the climax. But the climax doesn’t conclude the story. There is still more complications behind that one with one final and soul-crushing surprise. I loved the built-in shock-block giving rise to blood pressure, anticipation, and adrenaline:

“…like the blinking of an eye. Blink. Marisol’s finger depressed the trigger. Blink. The concussive boom of a gunshot shook the air around them. Blink. Gretchen lunged toward Connie. Blink. Josie fired at Marisol. Blink. Another crack blistered through the air. Blink…”

While I seriously enjoyed the mystery and the characterizations of the rich ladies’ clique and their thoroughly catty and believable dialogue, I’m also seriously tired of the damaged protagonist trope and (if/then) continue to worry about the state of mind of our detectives. Also, the clichés have me rolling my eyes. Pul-leeze don’t hit me with another “let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.”

While I may get tired of the oft and over-used clichés and tropes, I’ll come back every time to good writing style and intriguing characters. Not wholly investing in Josie won’t keep me from being engaged in the next one. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review an advance copy of this one.

Book Details:

Genre: Organized Crime Thrillers, Serial Killer Thrillers, Police Procedurals
Publisher: Bookouture
ASIN: B0891453FH
Print Length: 379 pages
Publication Date: To be released August 12, 2020
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five of Five Stars

The Author: Join Lisa’s mailing list to get news about new releases –> https://tinyurl.com/skzufbs
Facebook –> https://www.facebook.com/LisaReganCrimeAuthor/
Website –> https://lisaregan.com/
Instagram –> https://www.instagram.com/lisareganauthor/
Twitter –> https://twitter.com/Lisalregan

Lisa Regan is the USA Today & Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Detective Josie Quinn series as well as several other crime fiction titles. She has a Bachelor’s degree in English and a Master of Education degree from Bloomsburg University. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, and Mystery Writers of America. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband, daughter, and Boston Terrier named Mr. Phillip.

Find out more at her website: http://www.lisaregan.com

Paw and Order (A Dog Club Mystery Book 4) by V M Burns – a #BookReview #cozymystery

Book Blurb:

Dog-loving divorcée and amateur sleuth Lilly Echosby is not the only one who wants her new foster poodle. Some are willing to kill to have him . . .

Lilly’s best pal Scarlett “Dixie” Jefferson has done it again! She’s convinced eccentric poodle-loving billionaire Archibald Lowry to sponsor a grand fundraiser for the Eastern Tennessee Poodle Rescue. Tragically, it’s too late to rescue Lowry, who is murdered at the event. His pet poodle is now orphaned, so Dixie begs Lilly to foster the adorable pup. Of course, she already has a poodle—her beloved Aggie, named after Agatha Christie. Fortunately, Aggie seems to like the new addition to the family, whom Lilly renames Rex, after her second favorite mystery author, Rex Stout.

But she’s barely welcomed Rex into her home when there’s an attempted poodle-nabbing, foiled with Aggie’s help. As desperate characters try to get their hands on the canine cutie, Lilly turns to Dixie’s dog training class to help her sort through a litter of suspects. Ultimately, she may have to unleash Rex as bait to collar the killer . . .

My Review:

Lillie Ann Echosby moved from Indiana to a new life in Chattanooga,TN. She became involved in a local poodle rescue having one of her own she calls Aggie (after Agatha Christie). She’s a little thing but feisty and full of heart and personality. Lillie is thrilled to be hosting an event for the local poodle rescue at the museum where she’s employed when a tiny poodle shuts down the event after he leads the curious back to his murdered owner, who it turns out is the billionaire sponsor for the event. Lillie is asked to foster the little thing until they can square away the details of the deceased. Of course, Lillie falls in love with him and promptly renames him Rex (after Rex Stout).

The two canines get along just fine but there are ensuing attempts to dognap Rex. In the meantime, Lillie’s daughter Stephanie comes for an impromptu visit. Lillie has a cadre of great friends and support that lend a sleuthing effort to solve the canine caper, and the reader is introduced to both Stephanie and Lillie’s romantic interest, Joe and Red, both in law enforcement.

Lillie is a great character surrounded by additional strong support characters, including Dixie, dog show judge and trainer and owner of a dog castle RV, and there are interesting tidbits of dog speak, which I always enjoy.

My first experience with this series, albeit not the author, and the storyline moves at a cozy pace while including the mystery with the appealing friend associates. There are details that bother me, including whipping around in an RV for errands (at 6-7 mpg) and the conclusion that I found a bit contrived wrapping up a few loose threads but not all.

Receiving this digital ARC download from the publisher and NetGalley did not affect my opinion of the book or the content and this is my honest opinion. Recommended for all who enjoy cozy mysteries, especially including dogs.

Book Details:

Genre: Cozy Culinary, Cozy Craft and Hobby Mysteries
Publisher: Lyrical Press
ASIN: B07ZPK3DCJ
Print Length: 225 pages
Publication Date: To be released August 11, 2020
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Rosepoint Publishing: Four of Five Stars

The Author: V.M. Burns was born and raise in the Midwestern United States. She received a Bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University, a Master’s degree from the University of Notre Dame and a Master of Fine Arts degree from Seton Hill University. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Dog Writers Association of America, Thriller Writers International and a lifetime member of Sisters in Crime. She is the secretary of her local chapter of Sisters in Crime (The East Tennessee Smoking Guns) and the Education Grants Coordinator for the national Sisters in Crime. She currently resides in the warmer area of the U.S. with her two poodles. Readers can visit her website at http://www.vmburns.com

Flash Point: The Final Conspiracy by Thomas A Whitmire and Jacob D Miller – A #BookReview – Political Fiction

“Everybody knows there is a conspiracy.” It is the story for our times.

Rosepoint Publishing: Five of Five Stars

Book Blurb:

“Everybody knows there is a conspiracy.”

Flash Point is a timely conspiracy suspense/thriller that takes a deep dive into the zeitgeist, examining conspiracy-culture, media manipulation, encroaching authoritarianism, and historic cycles—all in service to a fun and compelling storyline. Here’s the setup:

“Conspiracy enthusiast and vigilante media activist Eric Anderson lands an inside job with a shady southern Senator. When national tragedy catapults him into the spotlight, Eric’s very beliefs, motivations, and ambitions are called into question as he navigates competing power players, manipulative propaganda, and sinister tendrils of the deep state. Along the way he encounters a mysterious homeless man whose prophetic insights help Eric confront the forces seeking to silence them both forever.”

FLASH POINT: THE FINAL CONSPIRACY holds a mirror to the national psyche and issues a provocative challenge: Who really runs the show? What choices remain in these unprecedented times? How can we know what needs to be done?

It is the story for our times.

His Review:

Can the masses be manipulated so cunningly? Senator Shelby Lamb, the long-time Georgia U.S. Senator, seemed to think so. Winning at politics means being in the public eye at all times. Winning also means keeping federal funds coming into your state. Senator Lamb was a master of both.

This novel is almost a playbook for the events occurring with the Covid-19 Pandemic controls being put into place. Stop large gatherings of people and restrict transportation and movement. Recognizing this in the current political arena sent chills down my spine. Add to that the large-scale rioting by a small portion of the population and you have a receipt for disaster. Another method is a massacre in a mall killing many people and wounding even more.

The two main protagonists in this book, Eric Anderson and Phil Kappa, are using social media to expose this manipulation by the senator. The philosophy of “keep your friends close and your enemies closer” is one of the senator’s primary tactics. He hires Eric to prepare election videos for his upcoming campaign. Eric sees this as his opportunity to expose the senator while expanding his web site’s popularity.

Freedom of religion is a basic tenet and foundation of our constitution. By shutting down church groups to no more than 50 people, using social distancing and other germ control measures, you reduce the number of people who will discuss and figure out your measures.

Free speech is tangentially restricted by reducing the right of free assembly. This is used to fine tune the flow of rhetoric in the direction you want it to flow. It is used effectively in the story. Social media is controlled by restricting the information that can be put on the internet and restricting or taking down this information as soon as it is posted. Another common method is simply pulling the plug on the device posting information you do not want disseminated.

This novel made me think of the tactics currently being used by both political parties to sway voters and drive the outcome in the coming election. Eric is hired by the senator who then keeps him very close. Realizing the situation, Eric enlists the help of two friends to get the word out of the senator’s objectives and tactics.

The 2020 election is a prime example of the methodology utilized to affect the outcome of the next Presidential Election. Curtailing religious freedom, vilifying the statements of protestors, and even the President and restricting freedom of movement are currently being employed. Many very newsworthy events are not being reported upon because these events do not fan discontent.

I applaud the authors for their analysis of the way society is manipulated. This book could work as their primer to educate those they wish to employ to further their goals. I suggest that everybody become aware of these methodologies and recognize them for what they are. The end result is a book well thought out and written.

We received this digital download directly from the authors and greatly appreciated the opportunity to read and review this hard-hitting debut novel. Perfect timing and totally recommended. Bravo! CE Williams

Book Details:

Genre: Metaphysical Fiction, Metaphysical and Visionary Fiction, Political Fiction Thriller
ASIN: B08BTFSKV9
Print Length: 288 pages
Publication Date: June 20, 2020
Source: Direct author request
Title Link: Flash Point: The Final Conspiracy [Amazon]

Find the book at these additional locations:

Barnes and Noble
Kobo

The Authors: THOMAS A. WHITMIRE is a media producer, teacher, and mystic. Current alchemical endeavors involve exploring the interrelationship of spiritual development, economics, institutional culture, and multifocal healing. He often lives in North Carolina.

Growing up on a Christmas tree farm in South Carolina, I never felt that my life was typical. After my parents sold the farm, I entered a footloose phase, roaming to Italy, South Korea, and Philadelphia, before ending up back in North Carolina. In the intervening years, interests have been myriad, but the wellspring areas are mysticism and metaphysics, media production (video, audio, writing), poetry, economics, history, travel, healing, and education.

Creative expressions cycle between music and writing, although at this point I have developed writing to a larger degree. Looking back, I see that writing runs in my family, and I fondly recall sprawling stories dating back to my third-grade teacher, who inspired me. My first novel, Flash Point: The Final Conspiracy, is really just a fusion of my interest areas, tapped into the same vein of storytelling that got me going all those years ago. Future writing most likely will trend toward non-fiction, including relationship books, mysticism, healing, mindfulness, and travel.

My overarching goal is to provoke and stimulate our spiritual awakening and personal/social healing. I hope my writings can contribute in some small way. Regardless, it’s all holographic. In the meantime, enjoy the read!

Jacob D Miller - author JACOB D. MILLER is an intuitive data scientist and stalwart badass, devourer of knowledge, seeker after wisdom, husband, father, mentor, and lover of humanity for and despite all its glories and its flaws. He pursues his myriad interests from his family homestead in South Carolina. –This text refers to the paperback edition.