#NetGalleyreader – Page 14 – Rosepoint Publishing

That Others May Live by Sara Driscoll – #BookReview – #TuesdayBookBlog

An FBI K-9 Novel, Book 8

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

A treat for dog lovers, this latest novel in the only mystery series that revolves around a K-9 search-and-rescue unit is gripping, timely, and “wonderfully readable” (Publishers Weekly), with a gutsy heroine and an authentic, harder edge that will appeal to fans of harder-edged mysteries.

There are situations that fill even the most seasoned FBI K-9 handlers with shock and horror. Meg Jennings is preparing for another work day when she gets words of a catastrophic scene in downtown Washington, DC. Part of a twelve-story condo building has collapsed, and the rest of the structure could soon follow. Every search-and-rescue worker and K-9 team is needed on-site immediately to find survivors—and assess the casualties.

Putting aside her fears for her firefighter fiancé, who’s already inside the unstable building, Meg turns to the task at hand. If anyone is still alive within the rubble, she and Hawk, working alongside other K-9 teams, must find them. Every hour, every moment counts—and a wrong move could trigger a deadly chain reaction for those buried beneath. But beyond the present danger is a deeper threat, as evidence indicates that this wasn’t a random tragedy, but an act of domestic terrorism. And identifying the culprit and motivation, in time to stop another attack, means taking on an enemy with terrifying skills—and nothing left to lose.

His Review:

The call came in and Meg and Cody, a canine disaster recovery team, were called in to put their rescue efforts to the test. How could a building just over 30 years old collapse? Talbot Terrace at the corner of I and 9^th streets collapsed.The event was so sudden that families getting ready for their days were trapped in the collapsed building. The 12-story building had collapsed into a little over three stories high.

Rescue teams were called in including some of the finest from all over the Eastern seaboard. Meg with her rescue dog Cody began at the top of the pile looking for survivors. It seemed impossible looking at the pile of rubble that anyone could have lived through the catastrophe!

Finding a young man near the top floor felt like a major accomplishment. The F.B.I. and other teams were called in because the smell of explosives gave away the cause of the collapse. Was someone trying to kill a high-level diplomat or someone else in the melee? Meg and Cody were able to find a few survivors but the less than four feet between floors left a grim cleanup.

Sara Driscoll writes with clarity and authority. I felt like this book gave me an introductory primer to the construction of high-rise buildings. The description of the building methodology made it seem that there was little chance of a collapse but the investigation pointed pretty quickly to sabotage.

Could it have been a foreign power or enemy of the United States? This book explains the investigative process and subsequent means of identifying the culprits. Enjoy! 5 stars – CE Williams

Note: I read Before It’s Too Late in June and love the Sara Driscoll series. The crunch of time had me reluctantly sharing this book with the CE. You can see he enjoys the K-9 series as much as I. vw

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

Book Details:

Genre: Terrorism Thrillers, Conspiracy Thrillers, Serial Killer Thrillers
Publisher: Kensington Books
ASIN: B0BZBK2PW1
Print Length: 352 pages
Publication Date: November 28, 2023
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Title Link(s): That Others May Live

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Sara Driscoll is the pen name of Jen J. Danna, coauthor of the Abbott and Lowell Forensic Mysteries and author of the FBI K-9s and the NYPD Negotiators. After over thirty years in infectious diseases research, Jen hung up her lab coat to concentrate on her real love—writing “exceptional” thrillers (Publishers Weekly). She is a member of the Crime Writers of Canada and lives with her husband and four rescued cats outside of Toronto, Ontario. You can follow the latest news on her books, including the FBI K-9s, at http://www.saradriscollauthor.com.

©CE Williams – V Williams

#TuesdayBookBlog

The Woman with a Purple Heart by Diane Hanks – #BookReview – #HistoricalWorldWarIIFiction

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

Based on the real life of Lieutenant Annie Fox, Chief Nurse of Hickam Hospital, The Woman with a Purple Heart is an inspiring WWII novel of heroic leadership, courage, and friendship that also exposes a shocking and shameful side of history.

Annie Fox will stop at nothing to serve her country. But what happens when her country fails her?

In November 1941, Annie Fox, an Army nurse, is transferred to Hickam Field, an air force base in Honolulu. The others on her transport plane are thrilled to work in paradise, but Annie sees her new duty station as the Army’s way of holding the door open to her retirement. But serving her country is her calling and she will go wherever she is told.

On December 7, Annie’s on her way to work when the first Japanese Zero fighter plane flies low over Hickam’s Parade Ground. The death and destruction that follow leave her no time to process what’s happening. She rallies her nurses, and they work to save as many lives as they can. But soon their small hospital is overwhelmed. Annie drives into Honolulu to gather supplies, nurses, and several women who will donate blood. However, the nurses are Japanese Americans, and the blood donors are prostitutes.

Under Annie’s leadership and working together in unexpected ways, they make it through that horrific day, when one of the Japanese American nurses and Annie’s friend, Kay, is arrested as a suspected subversive. As Hickam tries to recover, Annie works to find her friend and return Kay to her family. But Annie’s love for her country is put to the test. How can she reconcile the American bravery and resilience she saw on December 7 with the prejudice and injustice she witnesses just a few months later?

His Review:

Many of the people at Pearl Harbor during the Japanese attack saw an angel in their last moments. Lieutenant Annie Fox was a Canadian who volunteered during WWII and helped the wounded in France. Realizing that the wounded had no chance for survival, she held their hands and promised to write home to their parents.

She stayed with the U.S. Military and found herself at Hickam Field hospital near Pearl Harbor.

On December 7, 1941 the Japanese attacked the U.S. at Pearl Harbor and Hickam Field. Totally unprepared for the attack, over 2400 soldiers and sailors were killed and nearly 11,000 wounded in the melee. Lieutenant Fox was the last person many of them saw.

Lieutenant Fox was a Canadian who provided excellent nursing skills for the wounded during the war and was awarded the Purple Heart. However, she was not injured and so the award was rescinded in 1944 and replaced with a Bronze Star for meritorious service. Fox was the first woman awarded the Purple Heart. She retired in San Diego, California and died at the age of 93. She never married.

This story is extremely well written and reminded me of the wonderful nurses I met while stationed overseas in Japan and Taiwan. I also felt empathy for the Japanese who were sequestered in internment camps during WWII. Loyal Americans whose only crime was their ancestry. Read and enjoy this fabulous book. 5 stars – CE Williams

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

Book Details:

Genre: Biographical Historical Fiction, World War II Historical Fiction, Women’s Literature & Fiction
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
ISBN-10: ‎ 1728265118
ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1728265117
ASIN: B0BT8GTXTR
Print Length: 352 pages
Publication Date: November 7, 2023
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Diane Hanks has a BFA in Creative Writing from Roger Williams University and an MA in Professional Writing & Publishing from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts. A medical writer by day, she has written numerous screenplays and recently returned to her first love—writing novels. Diane also is a mentor for the Writers Guild Initiative, which makes the art of storytelling accessible to underserved populations. When not writing, she enjoys walking by the river near her home.

Rosepoint Recommended-5 Stars

Rosepoint Reviews – August Recap – Dog (or Puppy) Days of Summer

Rosepoint Reviews-August Recap

August is a roll of the dice here, the only thing you can really count on is the humidity.

A good month for the garden though; all of a sudden tons of tomatoes, and I’m thinking salsa! But salsa from little yellow pear tomatoes? They are so sweet! Unfortunately, also a good month for squash, not one of the CE’s favorites, but I haven’t resorted to sneaking any squash on my neighbor’s porches in the dead of night yet. Wasn’t really happy with the frozen results from last year, so yeah, no more squash. Not really good for melons and haven’t made pickles for a while so sticking to short season cool weather crops and starting round two of sugar pod peas and bush beans now.

Last month we were surprised by our daughter bringing us a puppy (though I’d vowed NO PUPPIES), a little female we named Cooper to the brother she kept. A Mini-Aussie/Jack Russell mix—probably a mixed breed only someone younger with more stamina should have even considered. These are high-energy dogs, even as an adult.

Frosty, our Bichon, was laid back, low key, easy and calm. Cooper bounces off the walls and has no off switch. You can’t help but love a puppy, but after a week, I was exhausted and yelling Uncle. As our son had indicated interest, I broached the subject to him and his wife again. They took her. Obvious from the beginning she was smarter than I, also became obvious to everyone else we have one very darling and precocious pup. Cooper While Cooper lives with our son and Mel, we get granddoggy rights and are looking forward to playing, walking, working on tricks and discipline with her—and then sending her home. I miss Frosty so much and our kids were both encouraging us to get another dog. We said no more dogs. Cooper is a handful–but so sweet—and I’m learning it’s great to be a granddog parent.

September will find us happily “on the road again.” (Celebrating another anniversary with our son.) No, not to Texas this time, but September will be an iffy month for reading and reviews. I have a few reviews scheduled, but it will not be a normal, or even, regular schedule. I need some down time and looking forward to riding my bike and playing with our granddog before winter hits.

A diminished month for books (we were busy with puppies!)—we read (or listened to) twelve books in August. These are still predominately from NetGalley as well as my local library with both audiobooks and digital. (As always, links below are to my reviews that include purchase info.)

Rosepoint Reviews - August Recap

The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer (audiobook)
Frank’s Shadow by Doug McIntyre (CE review)
Split by Alida Bremer
Sanctuary Motel by Alan Orloff (CE review)
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah (audiobook)
For All The World by Jean Grainger
Devil Makes Three by Ben Fountain (CE review)
Memory Man by David Baldacci (audiobook)
No Mistaking Death by Shelley Costa
Trial By Jury by Stephen Penner (CE review)
White House by the Sea by Kate Storey (audiobook)
The Rotting Whale by Jann Eyrich

These included historical fiction, literary fiction, legal fiction, biographical fiction, crime thrillers, and one new eco-mystery series.

Favorite Book of the Month

I couldn’t help but be caught up in The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah even as the story used a familiar trope but in an Alaska setting. I must issue a bravo, however, to Jean Grainger for her radical writing departure into a new series in which she built a unique “family” who holds no familial ties. I’m looking forward to discovering the path the author takes with these colorful characters.

Book of the Month for August—For All The World by Jean Grainger.

My Reading Challenges page… I have 100 books of a goal of 145 in Goodreads (at this point five books ahead of schedule) and still riding at a 97% feedback ratio in NetGalley. And **BIG** surprise, I’ve caught up the Reading Challenges page and discovered I’m woefully behind in both the audiobook and historical fiction categories. Whaaa? Two of our favs? How’d that happen?

Okay, I’ve had the chance to work on both the Instagram and the Twitter, BIG X, feed. I’m not sure what I did or how it happened, but got both feeds back and thank you for the helpful comments. Still, I’m frosted that there is no longer a free Tweetdeck. You’ll pay for the same privilege of scheduling tweets now and it’ll certainly be a “cold day in ….” before I’d throw my Social Security money at Musk. I see he’s messed with the twitter home page now and you know how we feel about change. Have you signed up? How do you feel about the loss of Tweetdeck? (Not sure who created this super graphic of the tweet bird impaled on the X and I must say it wasn’t I, although I thought it perfect for this discussion.) As for the new Dogecoin logo–I have yet to see it–a Shiba Inu? Huh?! Have you?

Welcome, as always, to my new subscribers and thank you to those who read and comment. I do appreciate you hanging in there with me!

The Rotting Whale by Jann Eyrich – #BookReview – #TuesdayBookBlog

A Hugo Sandoval Eco-Mystery Book 1

Book Blurb:

When a blue whale is struck by a research vessel off the north coast of California, San Francisco’s eccentric building inspector Hugo Sandoval is catapulted from his precious San Francisco waterfront nearly two hundred miles north to the headlands of a troubled sheep ranch in response to a call for help from his cetologist daughter.

This episode is set on the turbulent Mendocino Coast against the backdrop of a failing fishing fleet, illegal cannabis grows, and the struggling town of Fort Bragg. At the precarious Chicken Cove, he grapples with the connection between a red tag posted on the historic ranch and the decomposing marine mammal at the foot of its cliffs.

The new eco-mystery series tracks the collision of the man-made environment and nature while simultaneously charting Hugo’s own personal evolution as a husband, father, and native son.

A charming cast of secondary characters who revel in the unassuming man’s perceptive abilities, while overlooking his many idiosyncrasies, provide assists in solving the mysteries. We meet Carmen, his corporate lawyer ex-wife; T. Ray, his best friend and fellow sleuth; his intuitive assistant Mrs. Dunne who steers their office on Otis Street, as well as the many regulars who populate Sandoval’s San Francisco.

Immersed in the noir of The City, the resistant Hugo Sandoval is a media darling, reluctant bachelor, and people’s hero fighting the good fights in a modern era that—with each requested permit—attempts to eclipse the old San Francisco Sandoval loves.

My Review:

Ah, Fort Bragg, that little northern California coastal town has a special place in my heart as I remember those special summer camping trips to Wages Creek. Rustic campsites, cramped facilities, and freezing winds made for very uncomfortably frigid nights at the Pacific but so worth it for the fresh abalone that “the boys” dove for and pulled back up for dinner…an exotic and expensive “steak of the sea.”

So it didn’t take long for me to realize the setting of this novel is one of my favorite places on the California Pacific Ocean shoreline. Unfortunately, as noted in the narrative, Fort Bragg has seen more prosperous days.

The storyline follows a San Francisco building inspector called to the northern coastal area by his daughter to investigate a blue whale that washed up on the shoreline. Forensics shows the pregnant blue whale was hit by a boat and headed to shore but there is the question of how she ended up in that cove.

Hugo meets up with his daughter, camped on a long-established local ranch, and soon his ex arrives as well. His old buddy, T Ray joins them, all eclectic support characters with different agendas.

Difficult for me to invest in either the main character or support characters and I floundered a bit trying to figure out the main mystery as it seemed to blur a bit. Blue whales (their hearts the size of a small car) are a protected species but are not the entire focus of the plot.

Certainly I enjoyed the descriptions of the area and information regarding the whales and the clash between man and animals in their own habitat.

I was introduced to something called “sinkers” or “timber fishing” which is apparently logs dumped into the Pacific. Over time, this cargo being carried from the vast forests of northern California south that were dumped around the area became valuable.

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. It’s an interesting first installment and I’ll be looking for growth in relationships as well as more mystery.

Rosepoint Rating: Three point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Private Investigator Mysteries
Publisher: Sibylline Press
ISBN-10: ‎ 1736795430
ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1736795439
ASIN: B0C65Z3PXV
Print Length: 212 pages
Publication Date: September 26, 2023
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Author: Working as a hands-on, independent woman contractor in San Francisco for twenty years, Jann Eyrich resided in the legendary shacks of Telegraph Hill where the writer was gifted anchorage to the City, along with insight into the lives of the characters she continues to create. First as a documentary filmmaker, then as a screenwriter, Eyrich’s stories always seem to be set within an environmental footprint. Later, as a writer and an activist in Sonoma County, Jann heard about a real blue whale stranding itself on the Mendocino Coast in 2009 and, with that, the adventures and character of Hugo Sandoval were born.

#TuesdayBookBlog

Trial By Jury by Stephen Penner – #BookReview – #conspiracythrillers

A Rain City Legal Thriller Book 2

Book Blurb:

Murder is an art form. And this one is a masterpiece.

Attorney Daniel Raine has recently gone out on his own and now is struggling to make rent. So when he’s invited to a fundraiser gala at a downtown Seattle art gallery, he sees it as a chance to find some new clients among the city’s wealthy elite.

And it works in the most unexpected way – when a young artist is found dead in the women’s restroom.

The assigned detective declares it a suicide and the young woman’s parents promptly sue the gallery owner for driving their daughter to take her own life. Raine is hired to defend the lawsuit and embarks on a mission to exonerate his client.

He soon realizes that the Rain City art world is a hotbed of intrigue, treachery and secret deals and becomes convinced that the young artist was murdered. But why? And by whom?

Raine finds himself navigating an unfamiliar world peopled by rich collectors, starving art students, and the beautiful and beguiling director of a local art school. Can he piece together what really happened on that fateful night and save his client from ruin?

His Review:

A lovely young lady dies during the debut of her art at Finch Art Studios. The death is declared a suicide and the mystery begins. Raine is engaged to defend the owner of the studio against a lawsuit from the parents of the girl. The mystery begins with the question: Who would want to snuff out such a promising young life and career?

The parents sue the art studio owner for negligence and the lawsuit will likely bankrupt the studio’s owner.

The suit being brought, however, threatens both Raines’ payday and the livelihood of his client. And then the worst happens, another young woman and another suicide. Really?

Stephen Penner has put together a provocative tale of avarice and intrigue in the commercial business of art. The teacher and her students are simply trying to be recognized and possibly sell a painting but it can be a world of deception and treachery. I recommend this well-written story with a twist I did not see coming. 4 stars – CE Williams

The second in the series, this could work as a standalone. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. These opinions are my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four stars

Book Details:

Genre: Conspiracy Thrillers, Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Literary Fiction
Publisher: Inkubator Books
ASIN: B0CFM7NDV7
Print Length: 233 pages
Publication Date: August 23, 2023 – Just Released!
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Title Link(s): Trial by Jury [Amazon]

The Author: Stephen Penner is an author, artist, and attorney from Seattle, Washington. He has written over 25 novels and specializes in courtroom thrillers known for their unexpected twists and candid portrayal of the justice system. He draws on his extensive experience as a criminal trial attorney to infuse his writing with realism and insight.

Stephen is the author of several top-rated legal thriller series. The DAVID BRUNELLE LEGAL THRILLERS feature Seattle homicide D.A. David Brunelle and a recurring cast of cops, defense attorneys, and forensic experts. The TALON WINTER LEGAL THRILLERS showcase tough-as-nails Tacoma criminal defense attorney Talon Winter and her closest allies. And the RAIN CITY LEGAL THRILLERS deliver the adventures of attorney Daniel Raine and his unlikely partner Rebecca Sommers. Stephen is also the author of the MAGGIE DEVEREAUX PARANORMAL MYSTERIES, recounting the exploits of an American graduate student in the magical Highlands of Scotland, and several other stand-alone works.

In his spare time, Stephen enjoys painting, drawing, and spending time with his family. For more information, visit his website http://www.stephenpenner.com.

happy thursday!

No Mistaking Death by Shelley Costa – #BookReview – #TuesdayBookBlog

A Marian Warner Mystery–Book 1

Book Blurb:

When an old Jesuit Mission House in Carthage, Ohio, is nominated for National Landmark status, the committee sends a private investigator to get to the bottom of the hostile letters they’ve received. Arriving in Carthage is Marian Warner, a New York PI whose life was dented by the bombing death—years ago—of her radical boyfriend. The only man with any staying power in her life is Charlie Levitan, the editor of the Carthage newspaper, whose relationship with her includes a long personal history. The day before Marian arrives, an older man nobody in town recognizes turns up dead in the Mission House.

Soon Marian discovers that the identity of the murdered man implicates every key player in the fight over the fate of the Mission House. But for her it gets personal when Charlie’s lover, a local jazz singer, is found murdered on the property of a powerful landmark preservationist, Jack Girard. What connects the two deaths? Why is a key witness avoiding her? How can she discover the truth in a town where hostilities go public, but secrets are so closely guarded? When Marian finally unmasks a cunning killer, it’s at the expense of the defenses it’s taken her years to erect.

My Review:

Well, you can’t say this one wasn’t different! Marian Warner is a NY PI—been there, done that now for fifteen years, so she has no problem taking on an investigation into reasons for hostile letters against the nomination for the Jesuit Mission House in Carthage, Ohio for National Landmark status. And yeah, the place is a mostly unremarkable mess.

It’s no coincidence then that the only man still of close acquaintance is Charlie Levitan, the editor of the local Carthage newspaper. Unfortunately, the body of a man is found in the Mission House just before she arrives. It’s also no coincidence that the murdered man is linked to those associated with the Mission House. Further complications ensue when a second body turns up, Charlie’s lover.

The author definitely has some interesting prose and turns of phrase to keep the storyline interesting.

“…leaving Marian five minutes to throw on the brown velvet tank top and wheat silk trousers—the theory being, if it’s pleated, it’s dressy.”

Embroiled in the proof of deciding whether or not the first Jesuit mission in the Northwest Territories has historic significance necessarily includes the identity of the man and the later victim as well.

The plot goes rather convoluted and lost me a few times, not sure where it would pop up next. The narrative is intriguing, but baffling in trying to figure out the author’s dip into rambling. Not exactly a page turner, but still inexplicable enough to hold interest. And it is difficult to become engaged in the main character.

You can’t tune out but even tuned in can get you lost. She sprinkles in the twists and turns. There are compelling reasons to finish the book which has to be down to the author’s deft writing style, but you may be scratching your head at the conclusion.

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 own opinions and honest thoughts.

Rosepoint Rating: Three point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Private Investigator Mysteries, Amateur Sleuths
Publisher: Level Best Books
ASIN: B0C86N9TGR
Print Length: 311 pages
Publication Date: July 11, 2023
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: A 2004 Edgar nominee for Best Short Story, Shelley Costa is the author of You Cannoli Die Once (Agatha nominee for Best First Novel) and Basil Instinct. Practical Sins for Cold Climates (Henery Press, January 2016), is the first book in her exciting new mystery series featuring New York editor Val Cameron, who is sent to the Canadian Northwoods to sign a reclusive best-selling thriller writer. Murder ensues. Shelley’s stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, Blood on Their Hands,The World’s Finest Mystery and Crime Stories, and Crimewave (UK). Although she reads across the mystery genre, in her own work she especially likes writing an amateur sleuth with a lot of heart who investigates a murder – it’s so utterly outside the comfort zone. Shelley Costa is on the faculty of the Cleveland Institute of Art, where she teaches fiction writing. http://www.shelleycosta.com.

#TuesdayBookBlog

Devil Makes Three by Ben Fountain – #BookReview – #politicalfiction

Book Blurb:

From the award-winning, bestselling author of Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk comes a brilliant and propulsive new novel about greed, power, and American complicity set in Haiti

Haiti, 1991. When a violent coup d’état leads to the fall of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, American expat Matt Amaker is forced to abandon his idyllic, beachfront scuba business. With the rise of a brutal military dictatorship and an international embargo threatening to destroy even the country’s most powerful players, some are looking to gain an advantage in the chaos–and others are just looking to make it through another day.

Desperate for money―and survival―Matt teams up with his best friend and business partner Alix Variel, the adventurous only son of a socially prominent Haitian family. They set their sights on legendary shipwrecks that have been rumored to contain priceless treasures off a remote section of Haiti’s southern coast. Their ambition and exploration of these disastrous wrecks come with a cascade of ill-fated incidents―one that involves Misha, Alix’s erudite sister, who stumbles onto an arms-trafficking ring masquerading as a U.S. government humanitarian aid office, and rookie CIA case officer Audrey O’Donnell, who finds herself doing clandestine work on an assignment that proves to be more difficult and dubious than she could have possibly imagined.

Devil Makes Three’s depiction of blood politics, the machinations of power, and a country in the midst of upheaval is urgently and insistently resonant. This new novel is sure to cement Ben Fountain’s reputation as one of the twenty-first century’s boldest and most perceptive writers.

His Review:

Matt runs a dive shop and takes swimmers to the remote and gorgeous diving area called the Zombie Hole. He loves his job and the people that he introduces to snorkeling. A new government has taken over Haiti, however, and he is no longer welcome at his business or on the island. The criminal element has complete control of the island and people are dying in the streets.

Going into town for supplies is so dangerous he is taking his life in his hands. This story describes the frightening life of the common individual in Haiti. While reading the book, I became more distressed about the people and situation on this island.

Ben Fountain has a wonderful writing style but I found the book so disturbing that I could not continue to read. My heart goes out to the people of Haiti! 3 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 stars

Book Details:

Genre: Political Fiction, Historical Fiction
Publisher: Flatiron Books
ISBN-10: ‎ 1250776511
ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1250776518
ASIN: B0BPQS5X9P
Print Length: 544 pages
Publication Date: September 26, 2023
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Ben Fountain‘s novel BILLY LYNN’S LONG HALFTIME WALK received the National Book Critics’ Circle Award, the Los Angeles Times Book Award, the Flaherty-Dunnan First Novel Award, the PEN/New England Cerulli Award for Excellence in Sports Writing, and the Jesse Jones Award for fiction from the Texas Institute of Letters, and was a finalist for the National Book Award in both the US and the UK (international authors division). The film adaptation of BILLY LYNN, directed by three-time Oscar winner Ang Lee, was released in 2016 by Sony Pictures. Fountain’s short story collection BRIEF ENCOUNTERS WITH CHE GUEVARA received the PEN/Hemingway Award, the Barnes & Noble Discover Award for Fiction, and a Whiting Writers Award. Fountain’s short fiction has appeared in Harper’s, Zoetrope: All-Story, the Paris Review, Esquire, the Sewanee Review, DALLAS NOIR, and HAITI NOIR II, among other publications. His nonfiction has appeared in the New York Times, the New York Times Magazine, the Guardian, the Wall Street Journal, Le Monde, Texas Monthly, and elsewhere, and his reportage on post-earthquake Haiti was broadcast on the radio show This American Life. Fountain grew up in the tobacco country of eastern North Carolina, and is a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke University Law School. A former attorney in private practice, he has lived in Dallas, Texas for over thirty years. In September, 2018, Ecco/HarperCollins will publish Fountain’s nonfiction book BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY BURN AGAIN, which is based on his reportage for the Guardian of the US presidential campaign of 2016.

happy thursday!

Sanctuary Motel by Alan Orloff – #BookReview – #domesticthriller

A Mess Hopkins Novel

Book Blurb:

Mess Hopkins, proprietor of the seen-better-days Fairfax Manor Inn, never met a person in need who couldn’t use a helping hand—his helping hand. So he’s thrown open the doors of the motel to the homeless, victims of abuse, or anyone else who could benefit from a comfy bed with clean sheets and a roof overhead. This rankles his parents and uncle, who technically still own the place and are more concerned with profits than philanthropy.

When a mother and her teenage boy seek refuge from an abusive husband, Mess takes them in until they can get back on their feet. Shortly after arriving, the mom goes missing and some very bad people come sniffing around, searching for some money they claim belongs to them. Mess tries to pump the boy for helpful information, but he’s in full uncooperative teen mode—grunts, shrugs, and monosyllabic answers. From what he does learn, Mess can tell he’s not getting the straight scoop. It’s not long before the boy vanishes too. Abducted? Run away? Something worse? And who took the missing money? Mess, along with his friend Vell Jackson and local news reporter Lia Katsaros, take to the streets to locate the missing mother and son—and the elusive, abusive husband—before the kneecapping loansharks find them first.

His Review:

Mess has been charged with running the motel while his parents are seeing the world. Problem is, Mess has a heart of gold and no business sense. His benefactor realized this was the case and left a manager at the motel to keep Mess in line.

Mess hates to see abused women and is always trying to give them a place to stay to avoid abusive relationships. The abusers are not happy with his benevolence. Escaping the beatings and abuse is not easy for the victims and Mess is risking his own life at times to aid these unfortunates.

The Fairfax Motor Inn is not exactly the pride of Fairfax and a refuge for the desperate. His current charges are a battered woman and her son. The son, Kevin, is not happy with the situation and causes many problems but Mess decides that he will protect the mother and save her son.

The rub is that the mother does not want to be saved either. There are those who seem to feel that the two might be hiding a bag of cash and now both mother and son have disappeared. Things could get messy indeed.

C E Williams This book is a fun read about a do-gooder and a fifteen-year-old dropout. Anyone tasked with raising a fifteen-year-old never-do-well will identify! Enjoy! 4.5 stars – CE Williams

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

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Domestic Thrillers, Noir Crime
Publisher: Level Best Books
ASIN: B0C8BPCN5N
Print Length: 301 pages
Publication Date: October 24, 2023
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Author: Before Alan stepped off the corporate merry-go-round, he had an eclectic (some might say disjointed) career. As an engineer, he worked on nuclear submarines, supervised assembly workers in factories, facilitated technology transfer from the Star Wars program, and learned to stack washing machines three high in a warehouse with a forklift. He even started his own recycling and waste reduction newsletter business. Now he writes fiction.

Alan Orloff’s debut mystery, DIAMONDS FOR THE DEAD (Midnight Ink), was a 2010 Agatha Award Finalist for Best First Novel. He’s written two books in the Last Laff mystery series, KILLER ROUTINE and DEADLY CAMPAIGN (also from Midnight Ink), and writing as his darker half Zak Allen, he’s published three books: THE TASTE, FIRST TIME KILLER, and RIDE-ALONG. His novel, RUNNING FROM THE PAST, was one of the initial Kindle Scout selections.

His novel, PRAY FOR THE INNOCENT, won the 2019 ITW Thriller Award for Best E-Book Original.

His novel, I KNOW WHERE YOU SLEEP, was a Shamus Award Finalist for Best First PI Novel.

HIs YA thriller, I PLAY ONE ON TV, won both the Agatha Award and Anthony Award for Best Children’s/YA Mystery.

His short fiction has appeared in numerous publications, including JEWISH NOIR, Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, CHESAPEAKE CRIMES: STORM WARNING, Mystery Magazine, Black Cat Mystery Magazine, WINDWARD, SNOWBOUND, LANDFALL, SEASCAPE, and MASTHEAD (BEST NEW ENGLAND CRIME STORIES 2016 – 2020), THE NIGHT OF THE FLOOD, MYSTERY MOST GEOGRAPHICAL, GUNS + TACOS, and MICKEY FINN: 21st Century Noir, Volumes 1 and 3.

His flash fiction story, “Happy Birthday,” was nominated for a 2018 Derringer Award, and his story, “Dying in Dokesville,” won a 2019 Derringer Award.

His story, “Rent Due,” won the 2021 ITW Thriller Award for Best Short Story, and “Rule Number One” (SNOWBOUND, Level Best Books) was selected for the 2018 edition of THE BEST AMERICAN MYSTERY STORIES anthology, edited by Louise Penny.

He loves arugula and cake, but not together. Never together.

Alan can be followed/stalked on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/alanorloff) and Twitter (@alanorloff). For more info, visit http://www.alanorloff.com