#NewBooks – Page 21 – Rosepoint Publishing

Look Twice (Ingrid Skyberg Book 8) by Eva Hudson – #BookReview – Women’s Detective Fiction

Book Blurb:

A double agent. A double cross. This time, Ingrid is in double trouble.

When Special Agent Ingrid Skyberg discovers an undeveloped roll of film left behind by her predecessor in the FBI, she isn’t sure what to make of the strange photos he took. A map of Scotland, an out-of-print book, a rare bird, a cluster of Post-It notes, an office party… do these images have something to do with crimes he committed as a Russian double agent known as ‘Skylark’?

Ingrid starts digging and becomes convinced that – far from being a traitor – her predecessor was just another victim of the mysterious Skylark who has killed many times to protect his identity. When a case file she has been using is suddenly deleted from the system, Ingrid knows that Skylark is now watching her… and the race is on to find him before she becomes his next victim.

Look Twice is a high-octane spy thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat, flipping the pages to find out if Ingrid can survive her most ruthless opponent yet.

His Review:

Running for your life with a friend is brutal. Outrunning you best friend is survival. Ingrid had only been a teenager when she and her best friend were running from a killer. She had outrun her friend Megan and now Megan is dead. Guilt still lingers after twenty years. She had only seen a face in the dark and couldn’t identify the killer.

Andy Scott is on trial for killing a number of young women. Could he be the killer? Her mother, Svetlana, is convinced she should know the killer’s face, even after twenty years! He was the potential candidate for Prime Minister and now is on trial for twelve murders. Svetlana calls at the most inopportune times during investigations. An ignored call is a personal affront from a bad daughter.

Being a successful and efficient FBI agent requires a strong support team. The team goes up and down from your position. Ingrid is very well organized but keeps having her effective assistants transferred from her. Administering her position requires her to keep a constant eye on her support staff. Zeke, her newest assistant, is enduring yet another epileptic seizure. Triggers for epileptic seizure can be something as simple as a faulty electrical connection.

An envelope of old photographs found in the ceiling is a clue to the killer. They refer to a person named Skylark! Who is this unidentified Skylark? The hunt for the identity of Skylark takes many twists and turns. Meanwhile, Svetlana gets more irritated by her daughter’s lack of attention to her phone calls. Can the case against Andy Scott be fully investigated in spite of Ingrid’s distractions?

An entertaining novel that will keep you guessing at every turn. 4.5 stars – CE Williams

We received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author and publisher through NetGalley that in no way influenced this review. These are his honest opinions.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Women’s Detective Fiction, International Mystery & Crime, Espionage Thrillers
ASIN: B099NXP3NQ
Print Length: 375 pages
Publication Date: September 6, 2021
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Title Link: Look Twice [Amazon]

The Author: Eva Hudson was born and grew up on a south London council estate. Before she started writing full time, she worked as a local government officer, singer, dotcom entrepreneur, portrait artist, project manager, graphic designer, web designer and content editor.

In 2011, her first novel – The Loyal Servant – won the inaugural Lucy Cavendish fiction prize from Cambridge University. She published the first of her chart-topping Ingrid Skyberg Thrillers in 2013 and never looked back.

ABOUT INGRID SKYBERG

One of the toughest Special Agents ever to come out of Quantico Ingrid Skyberg is tenacious, resourceful, virtually indestructible and just a tiny bit out of control. Assigned to the US embassy in London, Ingrid is on the case when an American citizen gets into trouble… or winds up dead… or is accused of a crime they didn’t commit. Whether she needs to wear combat fatigues or a cocktail dress, Ingrid Skyberg always gets the job done.

She’s a strong female protagonist, perfect for fans of action-packed thrillers with a twist.

[NOTE: Eva Hudson died in 2015 of cancer. Her books, this protagonist, this series is being continued by Jo Monroe. Please see her sweet, emotional testimonial at EVA HUDSON.]

Traveller Probo: Traveller Book 2 (Traveller Series) by Rob Shackleford–#BookReview – #TimeTravelScienceFiction

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Sunday, Sept 12, I introduced Traveller Probo, Book 2, of the Traveller series and included a quick review of Book 1, Traveller Inceptio along with my first installment of a multi-part review of Book 2. Please join me as I review the third (and final) installment of this master journey.

Book Blurb:

Would you survive if sent one-thousand years into the past?
Development of the Transporter saw highly trained researchers, called Travellers, successfully sent one-thousand years back in time to early medieval Saxon England.
Traveller Missions now mean enormous national prestige and the recovery of priceless lost artefacts and knowledge, so nations vie for the use of the Transporter and more daring Traveller missions are planned. Politics and power soon come into play.
To study lost peoples and civilisations, Special Forces researchers have to be even better trained, equipped and prepared to put their lives on the line.
While Michael Hunter continues to build a life in Saxon England, the tragically injured Tony Osborne finds his resurgence in a mission to ancient Byzantine Turkey, a mission Professor Adrian Taylor joins to better outmanoeuvre his calculating academic colleagues.
From the misty shores of New Zealand to the shining splendour of the ancient Byzantine Empire, it is proved how sending modern researchers into the past carries enormous rewards and tragedies.

Book 2 – Part 2 – (Redux my review)

Following the explosion of interest from many nations with the bucks to pay for a mission with the Transporter, decisions are made for a mission to be made to the Byzantinium Empire, with back-up missions to the Ukraine/Russia and the Mississippi (near St. Louis, Missouri) in the US.

Still keenly aware of the disastrous mission to New Zealand, new cautions, men, and equipment are set to monitor the safety of the Travellers. Unfortunately, the Ukranians that were fully vetted have managed to steal the Transporter assigned to them along with the kidnap of several of the Travellers amid the outcry of the Russians.

The main characters again shift slightly to those who will be sent to the new locations and periodically reverts to the continuing story of Michael Hunter of the original Traveller mission to Saxon Aengland. He is chafing over the continued invasion of the original purpose of the mission to the shift of military and political goals.

Book 2 – Part 3 (my review)

Hunter is deeply settled in Giolgrave with his pregnant native wife, Tatae. The traditions and superstitions of her people regarding the process of childbirth is examined in detail, culminating in the birth of their daughter. Separately, it is requested that he lead a training mission in the woods surrounding the village that he deeply opposes.

There is a strong rift of subterfuge in the background with most of the teams’ participants being the unwiser, the professor delighted in the wealth of history and storied leaders seeing little beyond his academic interest. The latter third of the novel discloses the ugly inhumane treatment of persons with stomach-turning descriptions of torture.

As many of the Traveller teams appear to become pawns in a game of monstrous profits, maneuvering, and power, the narrative continues to examine the moral rightness of invading peoples of a millennia in the past. The original goal of no interference, contact, or involvement is thrown out of the window in the rush to gain new objectives.

The conclusion ends with shocking developments in the Byzantium Traveller mission as well as the revelation of an introduction to 1^st Century Judaea. It is an obvious cliff-hanger to the next installment. The research and writing style as well as the characters, both loathsome and pleasant, make this a totally immersive novel, one that obviously has more roads to travel. The storyline is engaging, non-stop action, fascinating historical detail combined with hapless but sincere characters. Who is real antagonist? The reader is just beginning to get a glimpse—and it’s not pretty.

I would suggest your starting with Book 1, but if this grabs you (and it should), it could actually work as an immersive standalone.

I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author and these are my honest opinions. This is an extended adventure into time-travel you won’t want to miss. Highly Recommended.

Book Details:

Genre: Time Travel Science Fiction, Time Travel Fiction, Science Fiction Adventure
ASIN: B0938K6MKP
Print Length: 506 pages
Publication Date: April 22, 2021
Source: Direct author request

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: An English-born Australian, Rob Shackleford has lived in New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, with a varied career that has included Customs Officer, Scuba Instructor, College Teacher and management roles in too many places.

With degrees in the Arts and Business, he is mad keen on travel, Scuba diving, Family History, martial arts, astronomy, and playing Djembe and Congas. Despite that, he is actually not that boring.

Rob is father of two and has made his green escape with his lovely lady into Australia’s Gold Coast hinterland.

Happy Thursday!

Traveller Probo: Traveller Book 2 (Traveller Series) by Rob Shackleford–#BookReview – #TimeTravelScienceFiction

Book Blurb:

Book 2 – Part 1 – (Redux my review)

New Zealand won the rights to receive the second team but is quickly discovered by the local Maori natives and the New Zealand Traveller mission ends on a tragic note resulting in litigation, public media, and private scrutiny.

After the initial (Saxon) mission, the public became avid voyeurs of historical life through the reality TV show (“Hunter in Saxon England) which spun off an entire industry including licensed merchandise. There are stringent new rules and regs designed to avoid the catastrophic New Zealand mission also sparking new moral arguments of invading the peoples of a millennium ago.

The decision is made that the team of researchers should next go to the Byzantine Empire where it was possible to discover art and architecture, music, and food.

Book 2 – Part 2 (my review)

The demand for the original Transporter explodes as knowledge of the equipment and possibilities spread and the ability to duplicate the original Transporter proceeds. Debate continues regarding the fair use of the machine as well as the extent of the contact with indigenous peoples.

The machine is jointly owned and funded by Helguard Security, Woomera Technologies, Transporter Corp., and the British Military. The decision had been made that the third mission was to be to Byzantinium Empire. However, there are multiple nations now vying for a Traveller slot and the political shift moves strongly to the US with a Mississippi Traveller mission (to the ancient city of Cahokia—near St Louis, Missouri), as well as to the Ukraine/Russia. A duplicate Traveller machine is apparently successful and already in contention.

The POV shifts from main characters and locations to background subterfuge and skips back again to the original Saxon Aengland location and succeeding Traveller mission locations. In addition, separate humanitarian as well as military missions, such as the Project Healthy Giolgrave mission are forming and taking place, the latter against the wishes of the original Saxon Traveller, Michael Hunter, wherein they are bringing modern day medicine to the citizens of 11th Century England. (A huge no-no!)

I would suggest your starting with Book 1, Traveller Inceptio, but if this grabs you (and it should), it could actually work as an immersive standalone.

Tune in for Part 3 for the wrap up review and my rating on Thursday, Sept 23 as I journey one thousand years into history with the Travellers.

I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author and these are my honest opinions. There is more to come.

Book Details:

Genre: Time Travel Science Fiction, Time Travel Fiction, Science Fiction Adventure
ASIN: B0938K6MKP
Print Length: 506 pages
Publication Date: April 22, 2021
Source: Author request

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

With degrees in the Arts and Business, he is mad keen on travel, Scuba diving, Family History, martial arts, astronomy, and playing Djembe and Congas. Despite that, he is actually not that boring.

Rob is father of two and has made his green escape with his lovely lady into Australia’s Gold Coast hinterland.

Gamblers, Fools, and Fate On the Road to Key West by Michael Reisig – a #BookReview – #traveladventures – #TuesdayBookBlog

Rosepoint Rating: Five stars

Book Blurb:

Once again, The Hole In The Coral Wall Gang is up to their eyeballs in wild misadventure and incredible circumstance!

The hundred-year-old Coiba Penal Colony off the coast of Panama is an island swarming with convicts, inside and outside the prison walls, and yet, by the strangest of fates, this extraordinary tropical isle possesses an ancient, incredibly valuable secret that could change the world.

Kansas and Will along with their team, find themselves challenging this strange island while trying to dodge wild desperadatos, prison soldiers, and a crazed island commandant.

If that weren’t enough, there’s the South Florida mafia, who also want what the team has discovered. Then there are the two hired crazies from the bizarre “Last Resort” chasing Will and Kansas because they failed to die in a timely fashion, and didn’t pay their bill.

Startling! Clever! And very funny in places.

THIS IS ALSO A GREAT STAND ALONE READ

My Review:

I love it when author Michael Reisig comes out with another novel in his On the Road to Key West series! I know I’ll always get an exciting journey along with the Hole in the Coral Wall Gang to some exotic location for an unusual treasure, this time involving terraformation. And who doesn’t enjoy treasure hunting?

All the favorites are included beside Will and Kansas, the main characters. Crazy Eddie, Cody and Travis are back (I love these guys). Their offspring Tax and Jing along with Jing’s amazing hawk Cielo is included. In this narrative we are introduced to Diego Tarras and the singularly torturous Coiba Island Penitentiary off the western coast of Panama. (And btw, this was a real facility, built in 1919.)

“It was like de Garden of Eden run by the devil.”

Then the wild and fertile imagination of the author takes over and another richly drawn tale is borne of tangible components, the island prison, and the flora and fauna.

“Diego stared at him. ‘Because this is Central America, amigo, not Texas. I would be dead two days after they confirmed what I have.’”

Of course the Gang is going to want to be part of this adventure and together they plan an…extraction. In your heart, however, you know there will be the bad guys and these guys are not just bad, they are heinous bad. Atrociously bad—and seems they will stop at nothing. Sheesh!

It may be the “magic juice” that’ll keeps you reading, the amazing characters, or the outrageously descriptive jungle, but I’ve always found Reisig’s writing style to be immensely poignant, his sense of humor lively, and his obvious love of man and animals endearing.

I’ve read most of Reisig’s novels and enjoyed each and every one, including the last Gods, Guns, and Money and thought each was better than the former. The characters are richly drawn, infused with charm and wit while the dialogue is fresh and natural in the wild adventures you’ve come to expect in a Reisig novel.

As always, a delightful escapade, one that fills my head with sights and sounds, heart-pounding exploits, the intelligence of animals, and the themes of love and life. Thoroughly enjoyed and recommended. Just Released, get your copy and escape into adventure!

Book Details:

Genre: Historical Caribbean & Latin American Fiction, Sea Adventures Fiction, Travel Adventure Fiction
Publisher: Clear Creek Press

ASIN : B09FN8L8ZD

Print Length: 235 pages
Publication Date: September 8, 2021
Source: Author’s ARC
Title Link: Amazon

The Author: Michael Reisig has been writing professionally for 20 years. He is a former Caribbean adventurer turned newspaper editor, award-winning columnist, and best-selling novelist.

After high school and college in Florida, he relocated to the Florida Keys. He established a commercial diving business, got his pilot’s license, and traveled extensively throughout the southern hemisphere, diving, treasure hunting, and adventuring.

Reisig claims he has been thrown out of more countries in the Caribbean Basin that most people ever visit, and he admits that a great many of the situations and the characters in his novels are authentic – but nothing makes a great read like experience…

He now lives in the mountains of Arkansas, where he hunts and fishes, and writes, but he still escapes to the Caribbean for an occasional adventure.

False Witness: A Novel by Karin Slaughter – #Audiobook Review – #legalthriller

Book Blurb:

AN ORDINARY LIFE…

Leigh Collier has worked hard to build what looks like a normal life. She’s an up-and-coming defense attorney at a prestigious law firm in Atlanta, would do anything for her sixteen-year-old daughter Maddy, and is managing to successfully coparent through a pandemic after an amicable separation from her husband Walter.

HIDES A DEVASTATING PAST…

But Leigh’s ordinary life masks a childhood no one should have to endure … a childhood tarnished by secrets, broken by betrayal, and ultimately destroyed by a brutal act of violence.

BUT NOW THE PAST IS CATCHING UP…

On a Sunday night at her daughter’s school play, she gets a call from one of the firm’s partners who wants Leigh to come on board to defend a wealthy man accused of multiple counts of rape. Though wary of the case, it becomes apparent she doesn’t have much choice if she wants to keep her job. They’re scheduled to go to trial in one week. When she meets the accused face-to-face, she realizes that it’s no coincidence that he’s specifically asked for her to represent him. She knows him. And he knows her. More to the point, he may know what happened over twenty years ago, and why Leigh has spent two decades avoiding her past.

AND TIME IS RUNNING OUT.

Suddenly she has a lot more to lose than this case. The only person who can help is her younger, estranged sister Callie—the last person Leigh would ever want to drag into this after all they’ve been through. But with the life-shattering truth in danger of being revealed, she has no choice…

My Review:

Another author for whom I’ve seen tons of books, reviews, and accolades, I bit when I saw the massive selection of books, both ebooks and audiobooks listed at my favorite local library. I’ll never understand why an author would pack what might otherwise be viewed as a well plotted, fast-paced five star contender with language that would make even a sailor blush. And this one was so blatantly graphic, violent, and brutal, I almost gave up on it several times.

The narrative crawled like a centipede up the back of my neck, raising hairs, and would not be swatted away.

The main character, Leigh, a defense attorney, may not be the most sympathetic character over that of her younger sister, Callie. Callie becomes a heroin addict following a catastrophic accident. A child gymnast and cheerleader, the resulting broken neck left her with unrelenting pain. Further, she was babysitting a boy whose father began abusing her. Callie finds herself in a life and death struggle with the father and ends up killing him. She calls her older sister and together they deal with it—the body, the scene, and the money which pays for Leigh’s college.

Neither of the two can escape the lingering trauma and Leigh is left with crushing guilt over the resulting spiral of her sister. It’s all her fault. All her fault! She’d given the babysitting job to her sister burying her experience with the boy’s father.

Now 20 years later, Leigh finds herself defending Andrew in a horrific rape case. Turns out, Andrew is Trevor, the son of the man they disposed of. He is now a very wealthy sexual predator, a vicious psychopath, a 33 year old following the path of dear ole dad.

The author has developed her characters so well, a reader might very well feel the skin crawl at the connection between he and Leigh. His delight in manipulating the trial, his hold over Leigh’s sixteen year old daughter. He drips with power, impunity, entitlement. He’s cold, calculating.

The novel also includes the contemporary atmosphere of the impact of the Covid pandemic while examining each piece of the puzzle, the exploitation, the cold disengagement of the accused. Juxtaposed against the court drama is the struggle of Callie, the desperation of Leigh, and the limitations of normal public function due to the virus.

The book examines some horrifically disturbing issues: drug addiction, rape, sexual deviation, domestic violence, and murder.

There are few emotional connections here, the two sisters kept at arm’s length by an extremely abusive background. One likeable character in the vet where Callie routinely returns to care for animals. One sister damaged psychologically and physically for life, one going the other way into intellectually unemotional detachment, driven together again for a shared solution. A story that does not, can not have, a happy ending.

I can honestly admit my old-fashioned mind was grossed out on more than one occasion and the language was abominable. While the story might be engrossing, the level of mayhem coupled with the language was over the top for me. This is probably my first and last book by this author. Have you the same experience or dulled by the constant hammering of the theme and language?

Book Details:

Genre: Legal Thrillers, Psychological Thrillers, Suspense
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
ASIN: B09239CX27
Listening Length: 18 hrs 39 mins
Narrator: Kathleen Early
Publication Date: July 20, 2021
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Link: False Witness [Amazon]

Rosepoint Publishing: Three point Five of Five Stars

The Author: Karin Slaughter is one of the world’s most popular and acclaimed storytellers. Published in 120 countries with more than 35 million copies sold across the globe, her 21 novels include the Grant County and Will Trent books, as well as the Edgar-nominated COP TOWN and the instant NYT bestselling stand-alone novels PRETTY GIRLS, THE GOOD DAUGHTER, and PIECES OF HER. Slaughter is the founder of the Save the Libraries project—a nonprofit organization established to support libraries and library programming. A native of Georgia, she lives in Atlanta. Her stand-alone novel PIECES OF HER is in development with Netflix, starring Toni Collette, and the Grant County and Will Trent series are in development for television.

http://www.karinslaughter.com

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

Instagram http://www.instagram.com/karinslaughterauthor/

Twitter @SlaughterKarin

The Narrator: Kathleen Early was born on October 31, 1973 in Irving, Texas, USA. She is an actress, known for Across the Universe (2007), Trip in a Summer Dress (2004) and Grey’s Anatomy (2005).

Murder on Honky-Tonk Row: A Ghost & Camper Kooky Mystery by Rita Moreau #BlogTour #BookReview #Giveaway

I am so delighted today to provide a review for you at my blog stop for Murder on Honky-Tonk Row by Rita Moreau on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour.

Scroll down to enter your chance to win the Giveaway!

Book Details:

Murder on Honky-Tonk Row: A Ghost & Camper Kooky Mystery
Paranormal Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Independently Published (August 1, 2021)
Number of Pages 244
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08YP6Z2DP

Book Blurb:

Will camping in the country music capital have Mabel kicking up some saw dust… or line-dancing to her doom?

Despite their good deed in Savannah, Mabel Gold’s ghostly friend Irma remains stuck in Purgatory. So when the plucky sixty-something divorcée pulls her haunted vintage camper into a Nashville campground, she’s expecting Irma to accompany her on the tour of the Grand Ole Opry. But as they two-step into a honky-tonk for some live tunes, they’re shocked to encounter two lost spirits stranded there for the past twenty years after their double homicide.

Though St. Peter hints that solving the long-closed case could get Irma through the Pearly Gates, Mabel has little time to uncover the culprit before she’s due to boot-scoot off to the Badlands. But when shady financials surface and threaten to ruin the honky-tonk owner’s run for governor, trying to help the poor souls pass on could land the fearless sleuth in a whole heap o’ trouble.

Can Mabel collar the killer before she’s singing country-western with choirs of angels?

Murder on Honky-Tonk Row is the second book in the lighthearted Ghost & the Camper kooky mystery series. If you like wacky characters, quick-witted banter, and crooners with a twang, then you’ll love Rita Moreau’s clever caper.

My Review:

While I didn’t catch Book 1 in this series, I found Book 2 no problem to jump right into. Mabel Gold is pulling her own Airstream and traveling with fellow Airstreamers Bob and his wife Lili, retired schoolteachers. and an aspiring country singer named Joe.

There is enough backstory to bring you up to date along with the skinny on the resident ghost, Irma, and how she came to be haunting the travel trailer. She is busy earning her way into heaven and has a few good deeds yet to do, but her specialty seems to be that of seeing other ghosts in limbo, trapped between worlds, and helping them to cross over. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Mabel has the ability to see not only her, but other ghosts as well and Lili is all in on the situation.

Mabel and her buddies have camped in Nashville for some sightseeing on their summer journey west and Irma quickly notes two specters. They set to work to discover what happened and must do it quickly before they are due to move on.

The writer’s style has a delightfully mischievous twist, both in developing her characters as well as designing the dialogue, making for a very entertaining narrative. The mystery is a good one, progresses well, and pulls the reader back into another time with a common crime then, one possibly forgotten but easily remembered.

There is dirty politics, dirty cops, secrets well hidden and slowly exposed. I enjoyed the friendship between Mabel and Lili, Bob with his Harley, and the scenes conjured in the campground with early morning coffee smells and cinnamon buns. (Fun to relive those camping memories.)

Well-paced, great characters, and a good mystery make this a quick and fun cozy. I’m looking forward to Book 3.

Add to Goodreads

Giveaway

Sign up for your chance to win one Prize Package that includes a set of ebooks: Book 1, 2, and 3 … PLUS a coffee mug & plush kitty on the
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About The Author: Rita Moreau is the author of the Mary Catherine Mahoney Mystery series and the Ghost & Camper Kooky Mystery series.

A workaholic by nature, upon retirement, Rita Moreau began work on her bucket list, writing a book. Traveling the national parks with her husband George in a vintage Bluebird motor home, (on George’s list), Rita completed her first novel Bribing Saint Anthony. Back home she completed Nuns! Psychics! & Gypsies! OH! NO, Feisty Nuns and The Russian & Aunt Sophia and The House on Xenia. Last year when we entered the Twilight Zone Rita wrote the first two new novels in the Ghost & the Camper series. Rita and her husband live in a postcard called Florida where he has fun telling everyone he is the author’s husband. When not writing she joins PatZi Gil on the Joy on Paper radio program with Book Buzz Mysteries, or you can find her teaching SilverSneakers fitness classes and doing her best to keep busy. She loves connecting with readers. Visit her at http://www.RitaMoreau.com or find her on Facebook at facebook.com/RitaMoreauAuthor. She would love to hear from you.

Author Links

Website – Facebook – Twitter – Instagram – Radio – GoodReads –

Purchase Link – Amazon

Thank you for visiting my stop on the tour and please visit the other stops listed below!

Tour Participants:

August 2 – Literary Gold – CHARACTER GUEST POST

August 3 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST

August 3 – Cassidy’s Bookshelves – SPOTLIGHT

August 4 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – CHARACTER GUEST POST

August 4 – Thoughts in Progress – SPOTLIGHT

August 5 – Mysteries with Character – GUEST POST

August 5 – Angel’s Guilty Pleasures – SPOTLIGHT

August 5 – Novels Alive – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

August 6 – Books to the Ceiling – REVIEW

August 6 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW

August 7 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

August 7 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT

August 8 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

August 8 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

August 9 – Christa Reads and Writes – REVIEW

August 10 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW

August 11 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

August 12 – I Read What You Write – REVIEW

August 13 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

August 14 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

August 15 – Rosepoint Publishing – REVIEW

August 15 – BookishKelly2020 – SPOTLIGHT

Thanks to Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours for the opportunity to read and review this cozy mystery!

Love in a Time of Hate by Matthew Langdon Cost – #BookReview – American Historical Romance

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

“A Voodoo ritual?” Emmett stared dumbly at her.
A young man from Maine fights for social equality in New Orleans after the Civil War while pursuing a murderer of prostitutes, becoming enmeshed in voodoo, and falling in love.

“Education is the tool that makes us all equal, whether we are Black, white, Indian, woman, or man,” Manon said.
Much like Louisiana’s famous gumbo, Love in A Time of Hate, is a spicy dish of varied ingredients. The main theme is the struggle for social equality between the whites, Blacks, and Creoles, but flavor is added with the subplots of politics, voodoo, murder, love, and hate.

And then came the Rebel scream, a sound Emmett had not heard since near the end of the Great War.
New Orleans becomes a literal battleground as carpetbaggers, scalawags, Creoles, and recently freed slaves fight against the entrenched southern plantation notion of white superiority.

His Review:

After the Civil War, New Orleans was a city rife with dissent. Young attractive women of color had very few opportunities for advancement other than a brothel or marriage. Inter-racial marriages were particularly disdained and frowned upon. Both of the participants in this union were subject to ridicule, potential hanging, or mutilation.

The Battle of New Orleans in 1812 gave African Americans the opportunity to earn their liberty or enhance their free status. Marriage with a white man was another way to gain a tenuous free status. The consequence was discrimination from both the white community and the African American community.

Emmett Collins has come down to New Orleans from Maine. He is there to enforce the Special Convention at the Mechanic’s Institute for Black Suffrage bylaws and establish order and acceptance of the currently emancipated black population. He is dismayed to see the power groups in the city spurn the law and continue the pre-war racist environment.

Emmett falls in love with and marries a lady of color. His standing in the community erodes as the rampant discrimination continues. At times in this tale he is literally taking his life in his hands as he walks these streets. Trying to uphold the rule of law is a very dangerous undertaking indeed.

Matt Cost has put together a very enlightening historical novel of the problems facing all people in New Orleans during that time. Marauding whites fired into crowds without regard to ethnic heritage. The contrast between the struggles of all citizens of the city are heart rending. The end result of this read is a greater understanding of the struggles of the colored community despite the war. 5 stars – CE Williams

Currently on pre-order. We’ve read a number of books by this author. He continues to grow into his writing and explore more serious genres. Our last read, Wolf Trap, received five stars from me as well. He also wrote several in his Goff Langdon Mystery series. We received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author and publisher that in no way influenced this review and these are the CE’s honest opinions.

Book Details:

Genre: American Historical Romance, Native American Literature, Serial Killer Thrillers
Publisher: Encircle Publications, LLC

ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1645992349
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1645992349

ASIN: B093DPBJHZ
Print Length: 253 pages
Publication Date: August 25, 2021
Source: Author request
Title Links: Love in a Time of Hate [Amazon]
Barnes and Noble

The Author: Over the years, Cost has owned a video store, a mystery bookstore, and a gym. He has also taught history and coached just about every sport imaginable.

During those years, since age eight actually, the true passion has been writing. I Am Cuba: Fidel Castro and the Cuban Revolution (Encircle Publications, March, 2020) was his first traditionally published novel.

Mainely Power is the first of the Mainely Mystery trilogy featuring private detective Goff Langdon. This will be followed by Mainely Fear (coming in December, 2020), and Mainely Money (to be released in May, 2021).

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

Bad Medicine (The Medical Students Book 2) by James B Cohoon–#BookReview – #medicalthrillers

“Another nocebo effect in Room 12.”

Book Blurb:

From busy hospitals in San Diego to the barren deserts of Arizona, this tension-filled thriller, the second installment of The Medical Students series, follows the life and death challenges, the surprising twists and turns, and the ethical dilemmas of two young doctors in their quest to rid the profession of bad doctors who practice bad medicine resulting in bad outcomes.

Book One, Do No Harm, introduced Torrey Jamison and Matthew Preston. Torrey, with her genius IQ, gained acceptance to Stanford Medical School to pursue her dream of becoming a pediatric neurosurgeon in honor of her little sister, Leia, who died of brain cancer. At Stanford, she met her future husband, Matthew, who pursued medical school for the sole purpose of becoming a prison doctor in order to gain access to—and kill—his father’s murderer who was incarcerated in San Quentin. As their relationship deepened, Torrey was forced to confront the potential value and moral ambiguity of vigilantism.

In this page-turning, stand-alone suspense sequel, Bad Medicine, newlyweds Torrey and Matthew have graduated from medical school and are now new doctors at Kaiser hospital in San Diego. While there, they learn of a friend’s young niece who has fallen victim to a doctor who is running a phony cancer treatment center. Putting their careers and marriage in jeopardy, Dr. Jamison and Dr. Preston agree to help their friend’s family seek the ultimate revenge.

My Review:

While I greatly enjoy medical thrillers, particularly those that impart tidbits of knowledge of the medical field, I must admit to more than once scoffing at scenes in this narrative.

Torrey Jamison and Matthew Preston are newlyweds who have taken positions at Kaiser Hospital in San Diego. So far, so good (as my assumption with Kaiser doctors is that they are not particularly well seasoned). Torrey appears to be the brilliant pediatric neurosurgeon in the making, while Matthew is the hard-working nose to the grindstone GP. Matthew measures his responses while Torrey is the brilliant knee-jerk fireball and they both have issues, specifically Matthew who goes totally against his persona to work at San Quentin for the sole purpose of revenge.

However, having fulfilled that act of personal justice, now the wheels have flipped for Torrey and she is head and shoulders into stopping (forever) a doctor who is pulling in major bucks on a phony cancer treatment for children with terminal brain tumors.

I just wasn’t able to swallow that these two medical residents would risk everything to devote any “extra” time they had to investigating the doctor and his phony practice. The author went for dramatic effect but pushed too unrealistic. The “nocebo effect” wasn’t something I was familiar with and the lack of medical attention afforded the casualty was callous. I couldn’t understand the flip in their moral codes or the choices made as persons of the profession to “do no harm” and found the writing style a bit awkward.

I didn’t read Book 1, but found this standalone a little too improbable. The pacing was a bit slow for me. There will be those who enjoy medical thrillers with twists and they will enjoy but perhaps it just wasn’t the book for me.

I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley and these are my honest thoughts.

Rosepoint Rating: Three point Five Stars

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Book Details:

Genre: Medical Thrillers, Vigilante Justice
Publisher: TouchPoint Press
ASIN: B097S4ZFK2
Print Length: 248 pages
Publication Date: June 30, 2021
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Author: James Cohoon was the president of a Los Angeles based law firm until his early retirement in 2014. As a civil litigation lawyer for over 30 years, he frequently lectured and published legal articles. His daily work included writing legal briefs for judges and other lawyers which were, in essence, ‘stories’ to fit the facts of his hundreds of legal cases. He resides in California with his high-school sweetheart, Rozanne, with whom he has two children–Kristin, a lawyer who is presently a stay-at-home mother, and Travis, a doctor who is just starting a cardiology fellowship.

Besides playing with his grandsons–Everett and Beckett–James enjoys sighting Orca whales from the San Juan Islands shoreline, playing bridge, and mowing the lawn.

Do No Harm (The Medical Students, Book 1) is his debut novel. Book 2 in the series is in the works.