#NewBook – Page 6 – Rosepoint Publishing

Downstate: A Novella by Jeffery Deaver #BookReview – Kindle Singles: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Special Agent Constant Marlowe Book 2

in Mystery

Book Blurb:

Special Agent Constant Marlowe pursues a lead to rural Illinois and finds a hornet’s nest of conspiracy in a pulse-pounding novella by New York Times bestselling author Jeffery Deaver, where nothing is what it seems.

Special Agent Constant Marlowe is in pursuit of “Mr. X,” a key player in organized crime. Her mission is to collar him and flip him into a cooperating witness. The only problem? Marlowe doesn’t know who he is or even what he looks like. It doesn’t help that the trail has led her to a farming community in the nether land of Downstate, those stretches of Illinois where endless fields of late-season corn block the truth…and any sign of coming threat. When Marlowe stumbles on a teenage boy’s convenience store robbery, she suddenly finds herself in the crosshairs of a conspiracy that shatters the illusion of a sleepy small town.

His Review:

Rows of corn over 6 feet high as far as the eye can see. This is the location Constant Marlowe finds herself in. She wants to transport a criminal from Plains, Illinois to Chicago. The sheriff of the county does not want his prisoner to leave Plains but has other plans for him. Therefore, he rejects Constant Marlowe’s transfer request.

Tyson Barth was a local gangster that Constant Marlowe wanted to bring down. One of his warehouses gave Constant a lead to the town of Plains. Could this be the repository site for illegal drugs coming into the state and particularly into the greater Chicago area? And did it seem a larger than normal number of young ladies seemed to disappear periodically from the Plains area?

Constant arrests a young Hispanic male after he steals some gift cards and leaves a convenience store with a blatant disregard for authority. She is aware the young man is also connected with some gangsters in Northern Illinois but the local sheriff insists the arrest is his and should be attributed to his office. The obvious facts in the case do not seem to matter!

This tome has some very interesting twists and also points to unlawful activities in downstate Illinois. The plot is interesting and the book is well written. 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. Any opinion expressed here is my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Kindle Singles: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Crime Fiction, Mystery
Publisher: Amazon Original Stories
ASIN: B0DBW2V11C
Publication Date: January 14, 2025
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK

The Author: Jeffery Deaver is an international number-one bestselling author. His novels have appeared on bestseller lists around the world. His books are sold in 150 countries and translated into over twenty-five languages. He has served two terms as president of Mystery Writers of America, and was recently named a Grand Master of MWA, whose ranks include Agatha Christie, Ellery Queen, Mary Higgins Clark and Walter Mosely.

The author of over forty novels, three collections of short stories and a nonfiction law book, and a lyricist of a country-western album, he’s received or been shortlisted for dozens of awards. His “The Bodies Left Behind” was named Novel of the Year by the International Thriller Writers association, and his Lincoln Rhyme thriller “The Broken Window” and a stand-alone, “Edge,” were also nominated for that prize. “The Garden of Beasts” won the Steel Dagger from the Crime Writers Association in England. He’s also been nominated for eight Edgar Awards by the MWA.

Deaver has been honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention, the Strand Magazine’s Lifetime Achievement Award and the Raymond Chandler Lifetime Achievement Award in Italy.

His book “A Maiden’s Grave” was made into an HBO movie starring James Garner and Marlee Matlin, and his novel “The Bone Collector” was a feature release from Universal Pictures, starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie. Lifetime aired an adaptation of his “The Devil’s Teardrop.” NBC television recently aired the nine-episode prime-time series, “Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector.”

You can find out more about Jeffery on his website http://www.jefferydeaver.com, Facebook page facebook.com/JefferyDeaver, and follow him on Twitter @JefferyDeaver.

Have a good week!

I’ll Have What She’s Having by Chelsea Handler #BookReview #TuesdayBookBlog

Book Blurb:

In hilarious and tender essays, #1 New York Times bestselling author Chelsea Handler shares her unforgettable story of becoming the woman she always wanted to be.

There’s a woman I want to become, Chelsea Handler thought as a child. She’ll be strong and confident. She’ll light up a room and spread that light to make others feel better. She’ll make a living being herself. She’ll be a survivor.

At ten years old, Chelsea opened a lemonade stand and realized she’d make more money if the drinks were spiked. So she added vodka to her recipe and used her earnings to upgrade herself to first-class on a family vacation—leaving her parents and siblings in coach. She moved to Los Angeles and got fired from her temp job when she admitted she didn’t know how to transfer calls. She’s played pickleball with the scions of an American dynasty. She’s sexted a governor. She shared psychedelics with strangers in Spain. When she accidentally ended up at dinner with Woody Allen, she was not going to leave the table without asking him a very personal pointed question. She went on national television and talked about having threesomes. She’s never been one to hold back.

But this life of adventure and absurdity is only part of her story. Chelsea knows what it is to truly show up for her family—canine and human, biological and chosen. She’s discovered how to spend time with herself, how to meditate, how to be open to love, and how to end a relationship with dignity. She is a sister to the many women who rely on her.

Surprisingly vulnerable and always outrageous, Chelsea Handler captures the antic-filled, exhilarating, and joyful life she’s built—a life that makes the rest of us think, I’ll have what she’s having.

My Review:

You know the name. So do I. And I opted for this book anyway, assuming I’d get what I expected.

You know what you get when you assume?

And, yes, I got some a lot of that. And I also got a surprising number of revelations. Not just about her. But also about me. Gees, after reading some of her childhood, I kept wondering why in the world was she so screwed up? Why did she require years of therapy to make a breakthrough in understanding who she was and how she got there?

This from a narcissist:
“When I see a bird, I’m not thinking about what that bird is thinking about. I’m thinking about how well rounded I am that I’m paying attention to birds…The bird is always about me; it’s never just a bird.”

My first book by this author almost turned me off when she began talking about Jane Fonda. (Remember, we spent years in the military during ‘Nam when Fonda made that infamous trip to North Vietnam, still earning her blistering traitor comments. How could anyone take advice from someone who created such hatred from our guys?)

Still, the heart-to-heart struck a chord with Chelsea, and giving it much thought began a turn-around in her attitude. Known for her open dislike of the male gender and children, it’s amazing she could find so many men with whom to have relationships. She was looking for “the one.” As it was observed, however, women appeared to expect men to change while men expected a woman not to. Yeah, funny, and isn’t it the truth? But there were a lot of quotables, funny observations nestled in all those life lessons and chapter-length discussions on how to be a better person.

“…recognize that instinct is a knowing feeling, and impulse is acting on an emotion.”

My eyes might have occasionally glazed over when the lectures of what she discovered and how she turned it around went on rant page after page. Sometimes it felt like the point was not just made but then pounded in with a jackhammer. And all this from a woman readily discussing her drug and alcohol use, sheets of LSD. Was she writing “on the influence?” I had that feeling more than once. Were I at a cocktail party and she was on a soap box, I’d be finding another group to listen in on.

“Dependable, kind, munificent, free. These are the words I want people to use when describing me.”

But she made her point, one that keeps being stuck over and over: Kindness. You never know what someone else is going through.

I loved her account of the children she’s worked with, the love she has for her nieces and nephews, and her own dogs. When she’s on a mission to learn more about parenting, whether human child or pup, she dives in up to her chin and has the wherewithal to pay for the best tutorage.

“I was finally grasping the idea that all children are all of our responsibilities.” (Yes, it takes a neighborhood, a mantra when I was growing up.)

So, yes, I’m torn. An interesting and unexpected book. I suspect I might have greatly enjoyed an audiobook version, but this gave me the opportunity to peek into the life of the woman proclaiming her freedom, apparently from everything deemed appropriate for a successful woman supporting herself in grand style by being herself. If you’re a Chelsea fan, then you’ll no doubt love this book. My generation, though, grown before burning bras was the thing might still find some disclosures TMI.

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: Celebrity & Popular Culture Humor, Humor Essays,
Publisher: The Dial Press
ASIN: B0DDSK9TJR
Print Length: 320 pages
Publication Date: February 25, 2025
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

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

The Author: Chelsea Handler is an accomplished stand-up comic and actress, as well as the bestselling author of My Horizontal Life. She is the star of her own late-night show on E!, Chelsea Lately; was one of the stars of Girls Behaving Badly; has appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Late Night with David Letterman; and has starred in her own half-hour Comedy Central special. Chelsea makes regular appearances in comedy clubs across America and lives in Los Angeles.

You Never Know: A Memoir by Tom Selleck #AudiobookReview #Rich & Famous Biographies

Best Biographies & Memoirs

Book Blurb:

There are many miles from the business school and basketball court at the University of Southern California to 50 million viewers for the final episode of a TV show called Magnum P.I. Tom Selleck has lived every one of those miles in his own iconoclastic and joyful way.

Frank, funny and open-hearted, You Never Know is an intimate memoir from one of the most beloved actors of our time, the highly personal story of a remarkable life and thoroughly accidental career. In his own voice and uniquely unpretentious style, the famed actor brings listeners on his uncharted but serendipitous journey to the top in Hollywood, his temptations and distractions, his misfires and mistakes and, over time, his well-earned success. Along the way, he clears up an armload of misconceptions and shares dozens of never-told stories from all corners of his personal and professional life. His rambunctious California childhood. His clueless arrival as a good-looking college jock in Hollywood (from the Dating Game to the Fox New Talent Program to co-starring with Mae West and escorting her to black-tie social functions). What it was like to emerge as a mega-star in his mid-thirties and remain so for decades to come, an actor whose authenticity and ease in front of the camera connected with audiences worldwide while embodying and also redefining the clichés of onscreen manhood.

In You Never Know, Selleck recounts his personal friendships with a vivid army of A-listers, everyone from Frank Sinatra to Carol Burnett to Sam Elliott, paying special tribute to his mentor James Garner of The Rockford Files, who believed, like Selleck, that TV protagonists are far more interesting when they have rough edges.He also more than tips his hat to the American western and the scruffy band of actors, directors and other ruffians who helped define that classic genre, where Selleck has repeatedly found a happy home. Magnum fans will be fascinated to learn how Selleck put his career on the line to make Thomas Magnum a more imperfect hero and explains why he walked away from a show that could easily have gone on for years longer.

Hollywood is never easy, even for stars who make it look that way. In You Never Know, Selleck explains how he’s struggled to balance his personal and professional lives, frequently adjusting his career to protect his family’s privacy and normalcy. His journey offers a truly fresh perspective on a changing industry and a changing world. Beneath all the charm and talent and self-deprecating humor, Selleck’s memoir reveals an American icon who has reached remarkable heights by always insisting on being himself.

My Review:

You might get the impression by the length of the blurb that this gets a little on the verbose side? Well, possibly.

I waited for my turn on the library audiobook and it was worth the wait. I was interested to see what he thought important and given that his years with Magnum PI ran into minute detail on specific episodes, the rewriting of each, and the next season’s problems, I’d guess that was where his heart is.

The man was a head-turner, no question, but have to say when Magnum ran (December 11, 1980 to May 1, 1988), I was busy with a three and five-year-old and if I had time to watch TV was probably too exhausted to remember tuning into much of the Magnum seasons.

Oh, wait! “But I have to say” and “I gotta tell you” were repeated so many times I wondered why the editor didn’t cut a few. But anyway, I gotta tell you, he read his book to me. Or it seemed like it. Well, he didn’t just read it. The book was spoken in an easy, comfortable and conversational tone. I just needed the overstuffed easy chair with a glass of Moscato.

I didn’t get to ask questions though, and if I had, I might have asked about the blanks in his story—more on his early childhood—his marriages. More…personal stuff. And, maybe more about Blue Bloods. Eegods—that was longer running than Magnum (fourteen seasons) as opposed to seven on Magnum. Actually, I was really surprised by all his credits—a much longer list than I had any clue. (After all, the man’s been involved in the industry fifty years.)

It appears he was incredibly lucky, this was certainly not a path he was originally set on. Serendipity worked for him more than once, with the possible exception of his loss of the role that Harrison Ford got in the Raiders flicks.

He was divorced from first wife Jackie when he met Jillie Mack who was playing in Cats in London. It has to be Jillie that kept him coming back to see that one (eight times!?). I snoozed through a large part of it.

I did enjoy many of the thoughtful memories, the stories of the locations, the one in Yugoslavia in particular. They did have too much fun! I wondered sometimes if his generous and considerate memories of the many men and women he was associated with were paving a story for the picture of a loving and sweet hero or was that really who he is? There was an obvious change from his humble beginnings as he got more popular during Magnum to his exertion of more power. And how could you not? He’d had a lot to learn and obviously learned it very well.

He dropped a lot of names, including Princess Di, but I particularly loved his friendship with James Garner, always one of my favorites. Memories were kept on the charitable side followed by the story of his 63 acre ranch located in Ventura County, California when he retired from Blue Bloods. That’s a beautiful area, my brother born there back when there were more acres of orange groves than houses. Before the drought hit California, his ranch was a thriving avocado farm.

If you enjoy celebrity memoirs, you’ll enjoy this one, particularly because it’s narrated by the author. If you are looking for trash on all his associates, you might not. I’d recommend it, however.

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

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Rich & Famous Biographies, Biographies & Celebrities & Entertainment Professionals, Actor & Entertainer Biographies
Publisher: HarperAudio
ASIN: B07QPQF4DB
Listening Length: 15 hrs 27 mins
Narrator: Tom Selleck
Publication Date: November 19, 2024
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Link: You Never Know – Amazon-US
Amazon-UK
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

The Author: Tom Selleck, born in Detroit, Michigan on January 29, 1945. Tom Selleck is an American actor, film producer, and California Army National Guard veteran. He is most known for starring as private investigator Thomas Magnum in the television series Magnum, P.I. (1980–1988), as Peter Mitchell in the comedy film Three Men and a Baby, and as NYPD Commissioner Frank Reagan in Blue Bloods on CBS since 2010. (Goodreads bio)

Thomas William Selleck is an American actor. His breakout role was playing private investigator Thomas Magnum in the television series Magnum, P.I., for which he received five Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, winning in 1985. (Wikipedia–short bio and portraits)

Happy Holiday week!

Nothing Left of Me by Alex Walters #BookReview #NoirCrime

Book Blurb:

After a stakeout turns deadly, Detective Sergeant Jack Mellor’s life spirals out of control. Struggling with guilt, he quits the force and retreats to the remote northern Highlands, seeking seclusion. But peace is hard to find.

When he’s hired to investigate the disappearance of a young woman, Mellor is reluctantly drawn back into a world of corruption, crime, and deceit. As disturbing secrets emerge, his new life begins to unravel. Complicating matters, his ex-partner Maddie reappears, and a potential new romance is shattered. As Mellor digs deeper, he uncovers a horrifying operation—with shocking connections to those he thought he could trust.

Betrayed and disillusioned, Mellor faces the darkest moments of his life. But as his world crumbles, will a glimmer of hope emerge? And in the hauntingly beautiful Highlands, with only a loyal dog for company, can Mellor overcome his demons and bring the guilty to justice?

His Review:

Retiring from the Scottish police force in Glasgow, Mellor, a former police officer settles in the remote Scottish Highlands. He meets a lovely lady named Lorne and they are immediately smitten with each other. His near-death experience at the hands of a local thug, however, leaves him scarred and paranoid. When she is killed before their date, he disappears to his remote cabin in shock again and wonders why he seems to be a target.

The Highlands are remote but murders seem to happen all around him. Will he be the next candidate? Powerful people seem to be at play here, and when an ex-partner suddenly shows up, he’s left wondering why, and whether or not he can trust her. The storyline turns darker and it’s clear there are disturbing complications to his investigation of a missing person. The outlook is bleak.

Although a rather slow burn start, the plot line turns complex with fully-developed characters. This well-written story reveals that even Northern Scotland is not immune to greed and the violence rampant throughout our planet. 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 thoughts are my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Noir Crime, Private Investigator Mysteries, Murder
Publisher: Bloodhound Books
ASIN: B0DN1CRHN1
Print Length: 336 pages
Publication Date: December 18, 2024
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

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

The Author: Alex has worked in the oil industry, broadcasting and banking and has run a consultancy working mainly in the criminal justice sector including police, prisons and probation.

As Michael Walters, he published three crime thrillers set in modern-day Mongolia, now re-published as by Alex Walters in completely new, re-edited versions. As Alex Walters he has written two thrillers set in and around Manchester featuring the undercover officer, Marie Donovan, Trust No-One and Nowhere to Hide. Late Checkout was the first in a series of crime thrillers featuring, alongside Marie Donovan, the rather distinctive DCI Kenny Murrain, who has subsequently appeared in four more books, Dark Corners, Snow Fallen, Stilled Voices and Life Remains. Alex is also the author of the DI Alec McKay series set in and around Scotland’s Black Isle, which currently comprises five books, Candles and Roses, Death Parts Us, Their Final Act, Expiry Date and For Their Sins, published by Bloodhound Books, with a sixth book coming in 2022. He had also written a standalone historical thriller called Winterman, also published by Bloodhound Books. His latest series is set in the Peak District and features DI Annie Delamere. The first three books in the series, Small Mercies, Lost Hours and Bad Terms, are available now from Canelo.

Alex lives in the Black Isle in the Scottish Highlands where he runs the Solus Or Writing Retreat with his wife, occasional sons and frequent cats.

He can be contacted at: mike@whitmuir.com

Website:https://www.alexwaltersauthor.com/

Twitter: @mikewalters60

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/alexwaltersauthor/

Details of the Solus Or Writing Retreat can be found at: http://www.solusorwritingretreat.co.uk

Happy Holidays--Have a great Sunday!

Random in Death by J D Robb #BookReview #policeprocedurals

In Death, 58 (of 60)

Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Book Blurb:

In this crime thriller from #1 New York Times-bestselling J.D. Robb, a small and easily concealed weapon wreaks havoc, and the killer is just a face in the crowd.

Jenna’s parents had finally given in, and there she was, at a New York club with her best friends, watching the legendary band Avenue A, carrying her demo in hopes of slipping it to the guitarist, Jake Kincade. Then, from the stage, Jake catches her eye, and smiles. It’s the best night of her life.
It’s the last night of her life.

Minutes later, Jake’s in the alley getting some fresh air, and the girl from the dance floor comes stumbling out, sick and confused and deathly pale. He tries to help, but it’s no use. He doesn’t know that someone in the crowd has jabbed her with a needle―and when his girlfriend Nadine arrives, she knows the only thing left to do for the girl is call her friend, Lieutenant Eve Dallas.

After everyone on the scene is interviewed, lab results show a toxic mix of substances in the victim’s body―and for an extra touch of viciousness, the needle was teeming with infectious agents. Dallas searches for a pattern: Had any boys been harassing Jenna? Was she engaging in risky behavior or caught up in something shady? But there are no obvious clues why this levelheaded sixteen-year-old, passionate about her music, would be targeted.

And that worries Dallas. Because if Jenna wasn’t targeted, if she was just the random, unlucky victim of a madman consumed by hatred, there are likely more deaths to come.

His Review:

Frances is by far the smartest young man in his age group. At 16 he was given his own chemistry lab by his wealthy father. He has already developed some of his own chemical products and is able to synthesize and reproduce others. He is at the top of his class in everything he tries. Problem is, he is only 5’6″ and none of the girls in his exclusive schools will have anything to do with him.

He begins to develop a hate for the obviously inferior females who snidely dismiss him whenever he is around. He decides to make them pay for consistently rejecting him. He perfects the delivery system for poisons he will administer to make them pay for their rejections. Any sixteen-year-old girl will do and a function where most of his classmates will attend is his perfect venue.

He plans the situations meticulously and his escape routes are previewed. All goes well until his third victim screams when he administers the tonic and he is barely able to escape. Eve Dallas is a detective vowing to end his killing spree. This novel hooked and is fast paced. Putting it down will not be easy. Enjoy! 4.5 stars – CE Williams

A library loan provided me the opportunity to read and review this book. All opinions are mine own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Police Procedurals, Women Sleuths
Publisher: St Martin’s Press
ISBN-10: ‎ 1250336554
ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1250336552
ASIN: B0C1X8GDPV
Print Length: 362 pages
Publication Date: January 23, 2024
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

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

The Author: J.D. ROBB is the pseudonym for #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts. She is the author of over 200 novels, including the futuristic suspense In Death series. There are more than 500 million copies of her books in print.

Good day for a good book!

The Waiting by Michael Connelly #AudiobookReview #HeistThrillers

Editors’ pick Best Books of the Year 2024

A Renée Ballard and Harry Bosch Novel Book 6

Book Blurb:

LAPD Detective Renée Ballard tracks a serial rapist whose trail has gone cold, and enlists a new volunteer to the Open-Unsolved Unit: patrol officer Maddie Bosch, Harry’s daughter.

Renée Ballard and the LAPD’s Open-Unsolved Unit get a hot shot DNA connection between a recently arrested man and a serial rapist and murderer who went quiet two decades ago. The arrested man is only twenty-four, so the genetic link must be familial: His father was the Pillowcase Rapist, responsible for a five-year reign of terror in the City of Angels. But when Ballard and her team move in on their suspect, they encounter a baffling web of secrets and legal hurdles.

Meanwhile, Ballard’s badge, gun, and ID are stolen—a theft she can’t report without giving her enemies in the department ammunition to end her career as a detective. She works the burglary alone, but her mission draws her into unexpected danger. With no choice but to go outside the department for help, she knocks on the door of Harry Bosch.

My Review:

I really enjoy the Ballard and Bosch series and don’t fail to try and snag a copy if available—and it was—at my local library.

My fav, of course, hands down is Bosch, made so real by Titus Welliver in the TV series and his voice never fails to conjure his image from these audiobooks. Ballard is a smart, tough, and seasoned detective and for the most part I appreciate her main character. In this installment, however, Maddie Bosch comes calling and wants to work with Renée in the Open-Unsolved Unit (while she is still a patrol officer). She is bringing what she believes is the solution to a very old Cold Case.

Yes, Maddie is Bosch’s daughter, but as a patrol officer has no real detective experience and her becoming hero of the day is a bit annoying. At the same time, Ballard had her badge, ID, and gun stolen while she was catching the last of the good surfing waves before work. Rather than reporting it (a case of her being on thin ice, I guess), she chooses to chase down and recover her property, stumbling in the process on a bigger and critical sub-plot.

Then there’s the case her team has stumbled upon, that of the matching DNA of an old, cold case they called the Pillowcase Rapist. But, oops, that would have to be the father, not the kid arrested and the father is a present-day judge. They’ll have to tread lightly.

Never a dull moment in Connelly’s books and this is no exception—it moves along pretty good. Bosch comes late to the party and though his voice appears to fit in a bit better this episode, it still sounds somewhat “phoned in” to me and my only real problem with the novels. I love the use of his wisdom and experience, but wish it sounded more like a live discussion happening between them, rather than the lapse of response time (and volume) currently detected at times. I’ve mentioned this before including my review of Book 5, Desert Star last year. Obviously does not affect the other formats of the novel, the smart and suspenseful plots are intelligent, hook in the reader, and keep them with great characters. My slight irritation with Welliver’s responses are a technical audio thing but still whittles my rating to 4.5 stars. Perhaps I’m the only one that picky and you’ll enjoy another great Connelly novel regardless.

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

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Heist Thrillers, Serial Killer Thrillers, Mystery Thriller & Suspense Literary Fiction
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
ASIN: B0CTKSPQZX
Listening Length: 10 hrs 50 mins
Narrators: Christine Lakin, Titus Welliver, Madison Lintz
Publication Date: October 15, 2024
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Links: The Waiting – Amazon-US
Amazon-UK
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

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

Happy Thursday!

Lost Souls by Theo Baxter #BookReview #TuesdayBookBlog

Detective Marcy Kendrick Book 6

Book Blurb:

A killer on a sacred mission. A detective determined to stop him.

When LAPD Homicide detective Marcy Kendrick and her partner Angel Reyes investigate the bizarre death of a drug dealer in an abandoned warehouse, they discover he was waterboarded – with baptismal water.

It isn’t long before the killer strikes again. This time the victim is a young woman. Her hands and feet were bound, she was decapitated, and her heart was cut out. Traces of baptismal water are found in her wounds.

As the death toll continues to rise, it becomes clear the killer is on a religious mission. It’s the kind of sensational case the press loves, and they make the most of it, stirring up a frenzy, dubbing the killer the Templar.

With the investigation under intense public scrutiny, Marcy’s boss demands a quick resolution. But that’s easier said than done because there doesn’t seem to be any connection between the victims.

Marcy finds herself hunting a killer who thinks he’s on the side of the angels, with no idea where he’ll strike next. Can she stop the Templar before he kills again?

Lost Souls – book 6 in the thrilling series featuring Detective Marcy Kendrick.

My Review:

Book 6 of a series and my first with the author and the series. The main character is a strong female detective who has been around the corner a few times and knows the ropes. Marcy Kendrick seems to be pretty intuitive and often sparks off of her partner Angel Reyes, digging in and getting the next clue to follow.

There are three points of view; one is the perp, one is Marcy, and one is Angel. It’s obvious Marcy really likes Frank, but does she love him? This is a subplot meandering throughout the novel until Angel makes a change that throws Marcy.

The antagonist has multiple problems, including PTSD from a stint in Afghanistan. When it’s his POV, his thought processes run a chill up the spine and might include parts that you’d rather skip than read. He is truly whacked.

Both Marcy and Reyes are in relationships, though Reyes harbors a secret love attachment to Marcy of which she appears to be unaware. She is in a relationship with Frank who had been shot recently and is coming off medical leave but is balking on going back to work. He decides what he needs is a dog—a malamute puppy—which will be a large powerful dog when fully grown. While the dog might throw a monkey wrench in the relationship between Marcy and Frank, Marcy seems to willfully accept Timber, but he’ll need a lot of training. In the meantime, Frank makes another critical decision.

Despite personal conflicts, Marcy seems to thrive on the job and is a strong leader in the charge to track down the perp and when it’s his turn for the POV, dread takes over, like watching an inevitable train wreck. You can’t not watch (or read).

While not fast paced, it’s an interesting storyline that stumbles on the romance angle of the MCs rather often. I wished they’d make up their minds, but liked both Jill and Frank. Invested in support characters and didn’t wish to see them hurt.

The conclusion came barreling in although I had to wonder about the climax scene and was not sure I bought that Marcy could drive 85 mph and follow the location texts from Anna to Angel or that Anna (given previous descriptions of the victims) could even have done that.

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: Police Procedurals, Serial Killer Thrillers
Publisher: Inkubator Books
ASIN: B0DMTPLNF5
Print Length: 299 pages
Publication Date: December 1, 2024 Just Released!
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK

The Author: Theo Baxter has followed in the footsteps of his brother, best-selling suspense author Cole Baxter. He enjoys the twists and turns that readers encounter in his stories.

Sign up for Theo’s Special Reader List and find out about his latest releases, giveaways, and more here: https://sendfox.com/lp/m82og8

#TuesdayBookBlog

Rosepoint Reviews – November Recap – Look Out, Here Comes the Snow and Ice

Rosepoint Reviews - November Recap

UGH! Not a fan of this time of year, the temps already plunging to the low teens with a “feels like” of 3 degrees. (Yeah, the Chicago wind.)

As I mentioned last month, in quick succession, we celebrated our daughter’s birthday, Halloween, and Thanksgiving, and if you celebrate Thanksgiving hope it was a good one and everyone is back home safe. All the cooking is getting to me and I’m beginning to check out the TV dinners in the grocery store. Problem with so many of those, of course, is all the stuff they put in the food, including Carrageenan (especially in pumpkin pie) and it really messes up my system. Of course, the CE loves his pumpkin pie and even homemade with evaporated milk contains the miserable stuff.

So, for me, Thanksgiving also kicks off the beginning of the Christmas holiday decorations. Usually have much of it done within a few days of Thanksgiving, but as our son is still here, I’m waiting a bit. It appears he’s got a house and will be moving out next week (it’s been a real struggle in a seller’s market). Of course, it’s also so cold I have no incentive to get the lights up outside either.

We celebrated Punkin’s first year with us. She’s beginning to blossom into a real dog, showing some personality. She’s doing better with potty time, adores her walks now with the CE and he is gradually allowing her more latitude, allowing her off-leash when they return to our yard. She takes in all the “messages” and then winds up to whiz into the house through the open door coming to a screeching stop and sliding on the laminate floor into her portable kennel.

Love those audiobooks at my local library, so many opportunities to listen to the books, otherwise, I’m busy morning to evening and don’t get that much reading time on my cell phone. Must admit they appear to be overtaking reading. Still, sources include NetGalley, as well as author and publisher requests and I’ve been mining Goodreads recommendations and blog reviews to find interesting books.

November reflected the blow to either reading or listening with only eleven titles. As always, links on titles are to our reviews that include purchase or source information.

Rosepoint Publishing - November Recap

Summit’s Edge by Sara Driscoll
Waking Up in Vegas by J E Rowney
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein (audiobook)
A Slay Ride Together With You by Vicki Delany (audiobook)
Yesterday’s Paper: The Knocknashee Story by Jean Grainger
Ruthless Tide by Al Roker (audiobook)
Dead Men Wag No Tails by Sarah Fox (CE review)
The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave (audiobook)
Omens by Kelley Armstrong (audiobook)
Sea of Death by Mark Nolan (buddy review with the CE)
The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny (audiobook)

Did you vote in the Goodreads Choice Awards for 2024? I wrote regarding the Choice Awards back in November. December 1 (that’s today!) is the last day to vote for your choice of the final round nominees. I see several of my reviewed novels made the final cut: Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty for Readers’ Favorite Fiction, The Women by Kristin Hannah for Favorite Historical Fiction and Favorite Audiobook, First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston for Favorite Mystery and Thriller, and Murder Road by Simone St James for Favorite Horror. Let me know if you found one of your favorites among the finalists.

Favorite Book of the Month

We posted three five-star reviews in November: Summit’s Edge, Yesterday’s Paper, and Sea of Death. Of course, each of these novels has radically different genres and Mark Nolan’s books are always a favorite. But then so are Jean Grainger’s and Sara Driscoll’s. The CE loves that Nolan’s books are fast-paced and action packed. I love that Grainger is pushing her boundaries with her historical novels and Driscoll’s books have my favorite dogs. Yeah, you’re right…it has to be:

Favorite for November – Summit’s Edge by Sara Driscoll

My Reading Challenges page…Reading Challenges page—always something that keeps me from catching up that page. My Goodreads Challenge is at 122 towards a goal of 130 for 94%. If we can manage our usual monthly number, should just make it.

Welcome to my new subscribers! And I always appreciate those of you who continue to monitor, read, and comment on my posts. Hope this recap finds you well and looking forward to the holidays!

Happy Autumn Sunday!