Night Shift (A Helping Hands Mystery Book 2) by Annelise Ryan – a #BookReview

“The awesome and mighty power of dog love at work.”

Book Blurb:

When social worker Hildy Schneider commits to an after-hours side job, she finds herself drawn into the darker side of small-town Sorenson, Wisconsin—and the twisted mind of an unnamed killer . . . Strange things have been happening since Hildy started moonlighting with local police, but a desperate late-night call involving a former patient from Sorenson General Hospital tops the list. Although Danny Hildebrand has been tormented by hallucinations for years, he swears he’s being haunted for real by the victim of a grisly murder . . . The rambling ghost story seems like another delusion. But after a body turns up in a neglected farmhouse crawling with secrets, Hildy and the magnetic Detective Bob Richmond rush to explain Danny’s knowledge of the incident. As the crime-solving partners unwittingly grow closer while examining a series of eerie leads, they realize that surviving past sunrise means shedding light on a criminal willing to do whatever it takes to stay in the shadows . . .

My Review:

I do appreciate humor included in a novel, especially a cozy, where no one should take too seriously the serious stuff. It’s not meant to be dark and this narrative stays rather on the light side due in part to MC Hildy Schneider. She’s a social worker newly committing to a second job (maybe I missed why, but the usual is m o n e y) with the Sorenson Police Department. At any rate, there were several details missed in her job description when she signed on, one of which is that as a trial program with the police called Helping Hands, she’ll ride along with the night shift cop.

This could be a good thing using golden retriever Roscoe, a trained therapy dog, and her general experience with the hospital where she’s based as the social worker.

Her first night sees a homicide victim that manages to tie into one of her patients with schizophrenia who is obviously off his meds. Something is really wrong here–she knows he wouldn’t have done the deed–meds or no.

The author has peppered in a variety of damaged and unusual support characters along with the usual–one of my favs is PJ, the (autistic) teen who walks Roscoe. I’m still trying to make heads or tails of Detective Bob Richmond, but that’s a thread that will be further explored in the next series entry. The sense of humor manifests with some weirdly funny analogies producing a soft chuckle or two.

“…his room has all the ambience of a medieval dungeon and one neon yellow pillow isn’t going to fix that. That pillow is like a random piece of corn in the middle of a giant turd.”

WHOA!

“He might be a cam bolt shy of being fully assembled.”

The mystery is not that difficult and the perp is rather obvious early on with the motive by mid-book. Some twists meant to throw the reader off-track, don’t. The storyline is easy to follow and the characters add depth and a little fun to the narrative.

However, another damaged protagonist, while quite engaging is getting tiresome. There are repeats of conversations (wait…didn’t I just read that?) and commonly repeated descriptions.

The very real problem of a possible conflict of interest pops up that might lead to an in-depth discussion of which job comes first, takes precedent, and where should her allegiance lie? A situation that will surely force a resolution.

I’ve read this author before in one of her other series (Dead Ringer review here), thought I’d try this one. I tripped over a few quibbles, but basically enjoyed a well-plotted and easy-paced cozy read with characters I grew to invest in. Recommended.

Receiving this digital download free from the publisher and NetGalley did not affect my opinion of the book or the content and this is my honest opinion.

Book Details:

Genre: Amateur Sleuth Mysteries, Medical Thrillers
Publisher: Kensington Books
ASIN: B07ZPLB14V
Print Length: 266 pages
Publication Date: July 28, 2020
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Rosepoint Publishing: Four of Five Stars

The Author: Annelise Ryan is the USA Today bestselling author of the popular Mattie Winston mystery series and a pseudonym for Beth Amos, who also writes the Mack’s Bar Mystery series under the pseudonym Allyson K. Abbott. Beth is a real life emergency room RN living in Wisconsin. She believes laughter is the best medicine, and with the Mattie Winston series she is hoping to “medicate” the masses.

For more Mattie Winston fun and to keep up with the latest news, visit http://www.mattiewinston.com

Playing Nice by JP Delaney – a #BookReview – Psychological Thriller

“People said it took a village to raise a child, but I didn’t even have a cul-de-sac.”

Book Blurb:

Pete Riley answers the door one morning and lets in a parent’s worst nightmare. On his doorstep is Miles Lambert, a stranger who breaks the devastating news that Pete’s son, Theo, isn’t actually his son—he is the Lamberts’, switched at birth by an understaffed hospital while their real son was sent home with Miles and his wife, Lucy. For Pete, his partner Maddie, and the little boy they’ve been raising for the past two years, life will never be the same again.

The two families, reeling from the shock, take comfort in shared good intentions, eagerly entwining their very different lives in the hope of becoming one unconventional modern family. But a plan to sue the hospital triggers an official investigation that unearths some disturbing questions about the night their children were switched. How much can they trust the other parents—or even each other? What secrets are hidden behind the Lamberts’ glossy front door? Stretched to the breaking point, Pete and Maddie discover they will each stop at nothing to keep their family safe.

They are done playing nice.

My Review:

Dang but I do pick a douzy when I try a new (to me) author and this book had me spinning. The premise is that two babies are swapped at birth, both preemies, both showing up at a time when the hospital is short-staffed. It could happen…haven’t we heard of that happening?

Journalist Pete Riley and his partner Maddie get that rude awakening one morning when Miles Lambert and his wife Lucy show up at their door to explain the situation and seek an amicable solution. But swap them back? It’s been two years. How could they?

Talk about a shock! It takes a toll, has them both reeling. Theo is not their son?

Pete is Theo’s stay-at-home dad, his major caregiver. Maddie has the better paying position. The Lamberts on the other hand appear very well off. Have provided extremely well for their son David, who has been determined to be “slow.” Maddie and Pete had been cautioned that under the circumstances of their son’s birth, he may have sustained some brain damage. And Theo is not the easiest child–now a terrible two–gave it the name and is having problems adjusting to his nursery care situation exhibiting some aggression towards another child who wants to take his toy.

The Lambert’s boy is painfully slow, quiet, and fortunately, Lucy has help with him in the form of a nanny while Miles goes off to his high paying position. While their initial meetings appear to be successful and the couples have made what seem a mutual agreement, Miles begins to push boundaries and there are times when that harmonious ambiance begins to slip, the environment turns icy, and they are soon embroiled in a lawsuit that goes from contentious to a living hell.

This is one of those books that hooks you at the outset, sets you on a crash course with two POVs (Pete’s and Maddies) and Court Case Numbers and Exhibits. Just when you don’t think it could get any worse, it does. The high-powered legal team hired by Miles, the attorney procured by Pete and Maddie by taking out a second mortgage each interpreting the law until the reader is so bewildered the situation looks impossible.

“…the psychopathic spectrum–that is, they score low on tests for remorse, conscience, and moral judgment, and high for fearlessness, quick thinking, and cold-bloodedness.”

Interesting little tidbits of tidy information laid so quietly and carefully, perhaps you didn’t notice in the avalanche of emotions of the DNA finding–perhaps you skipped right over it, huh! No, not the part about proving the parents…and then there were the arguments of nature vs nurture.

All the characters exhibit some flaws, Peter being almost dangerously easy and naive; Miles just dangerous. Nor is Lucy or Maddie particularly devoid of their little secrets, one of which I’d suspected but clouded for me just a tad following the conclusion. The climax has the reader holding their breath and reading faster, dripping with sweat. There is tension, wildly crazy legal ramifications, twists, turns, and the exhausting parental turmoil caused in dealing with “special” children.

Receiving this digital download free from the publisher and NetGalley did not affect my opinion of the book or the content and I fully appreciated the opportunity to read and review this novel. Totally recommended.

Book Details:

Genre: Psychological Thriller, Psychological Fiction
Publisher: Ballantine Books

ISBN-10:0593213335
ISBN-13:978-0593213339
ASIN: B0818Q3JWK

Print Length: 418 pages
Publication Date: To be released July 28, 2020
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Pre-Order Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five of Five Stars

The Author: JP Delaney is a pseudonym for a British writer of psychological suspense who has previously written best-selling fiction under other names. THE GIRL BEFORE was an instant New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller and was published in over 40 countries. The follow-up, BELIEVE ME, was also an international bestseller. THE PERFECT WIFE will be published summer 2019. For more information, go to http://www.jpdelaney.co.uk or follow @jpdelaneywriter on Facebook.

Lineage Most Lethal: An Ancestry Detective Mystery Book 2 by S C Perkins – a #BookReview #mystery

Book Blurb:

In S. C. Perkins’s Lineage Most Lethal, the captivating second mystery in the Ancestry Detective series, Texas genealogist Lucy Lancaster grapples with a mystery rooted in World War II and espionage.

It’s the week before New Year’s Eve and genealogist Lucy Lancaster is ready to mix work and play at the beautiful Hotel Sutton, enjoying herself while finalizing the presentation for her latest client, hotel heiress Pippa Sutton.

Freshly arrived at the hotel—and determined not to think about Special Agent Ben Turner, who went radio silent on her after one date—Lucy is stopped in her tracks when a strange man comes staggering toward her. She barely has time to notice his weak, sweaty appearance before he presses a classic Montblanc pen onto her hand, gasps, “Keep them safe,” and collapses at her feet, dead.

When Lucy shows the fountain pen to her grandfather, an avid collector and World War II veteran, she’s in for another shock. Not only does Grandpa recognize the Montblanc, he also reveals a secret: he was an Allied spy during the war and the pen is both a message regarding one of his wartime missions and the key to reading a microdot left by the dead man.

On the microdot is a series of ciphers, some decrypted to form names. Could they be the descendants of Grandpa’s fellow spies? When two from the list end up murdered—including the chef at the Hotel Sutton—and Grandpa’s life is put in jeopardy, Lucy’s sure she’s right. And with Lucy’s and Pippa’s names possibly on the list, too, she’s got to uncover the past to protect those in the present.

With a secret Allied mission, old grievances, and traitors hiding behind every corner, Lucy must use her research skills to trace the list’s World War II ancestors and connect the dots to find a killer in their midst—a killer who’s determined to make sure some lineages end once and for all.

My Review:

How unique is a genealogist in a cozy mystery? And it works! Certainly a unique concept with an apparently strong female protagonist, no skeletons in her family closet!

Lucy Lancaster has been hired by Pippa Sutton, a young woman assuming leadership of her flagship cozy hotel business. Lucy will bring together the extended family to present the genealogical history of the Sutton family concluding with a detailed video presentation including interviews with family members and their memories.

Upon her arrival, however, a man hands her an object as he collapses at her feet with a plea to “keep them safe.” When she recovers the object from the hotel’s dog, a pen, she recognizes it as a very special and valuable antique and notifies her grandfather to have a look at it. Almost immediately, he makes a trip to her location to work with her regarding a highly classified and long buried World War II mission.

Well, nothing is simple and this just got very complex, very quickly.

The location in Austin and the restored hotel itself is very picturesque. There are multiple characters, each with their own agenda and sometimes it seems that only Pippa is genuine. Lucy’s grandfather, George Lancaster, with whom she’s always had a special bond, sits her down to tell her about a spy ring he worked with. First, the two must decipher a code called “pigpen cipher” (apparently a well-known code easily searched on the WWW). There is information on search registries, who can request, how long certain searches remain private, as well as hints on search services.

It is a well-plotted narrative with puzzle pieces gradually being drawn into the picture as they find another name, additional murders (off page), with a pleasing pace. Lucy has a pseudo-romance who disappears in a mini-sub-plot and Lucy’s two best friends (and office colleagues) are introduced.

Most of us have that innate curiosity to figure out how we got here. I’ve worked at it, hitting a wall with my own grandfather (yes–that one, Stanley McShane–quite the enigma), so this is all fascinating stuff to me. I found Lucy just a tad annoying, but loved how she so quickly caught on to nuances and I gradually warmed up to her. The conclusion wrapped up all the ends, though seemed just a bit verbose, the antagonist being apparent fairly early. This was easily read as a standalone and was quite engaging and entertaining.

Receiving this digital download free from the publisher and NetGalley did not affect my opinion of the book or the content and this is my honest opinion. As a cozy, I expected a recipe or two for those luscious Tex-Mex dishes described. Alas, not to be. Recommended for any who enjoys a good mystery on the lighter side.

Book Details:

Genre: Cozy Mystery, Amateur Sleuth
Publisher: Minotaur Books
ISBN: 1250750075
ASIN: B0818PMLHF
Print Length: 344 pages
Publication Date: To be released July 21, 2020
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five of Five Stars

The Author: S.C. Perkins is a fifth-generation Texan who grew up hearing fascinating stories of her ancestry and eating lots of great Tex-Mex, both of which inspired the plot of her debut mystery novel. Murder Once Removed was the winner of the 2017 Malice Domestic Best First Traditional Mystery competition. She resides in Houston and, when she’s not writing or working at her day job, she’s likely outside in the sun, on the beach, or riding horses.

Find S.C. at http://www.scperkins.com or on social media at @SCPerkinsWriter

The Finders: A Mystery (Mace Reid K-9 Mystery Book 1) by Jeffrey B Burton – a #BookReview – #TuesdayBookBlog

Check off all your mystery boxes with this doggy treat.

Book Blurb:

Jeffrey B. Burton’s The Finders marks the beginning of a fast-paced new mystery series featuring a heroic golden retriever cadaver dog named Vira and her handler, Mason Reid.

Mason “Mace” Reid lives on the outskirts of Chicago and specializes in human remains detection. He trains dogs to hunt for the dead. Reid’s coming off a taxing year—mourning the death of a beloved springer spaniel as well as the dissolution of his marriage. He adopts a rescue dog with a mysterious past—a golden retriever named Vira. And when Reid begins training Vira as a cadaver dog, he comes to realize just how special the newest addition to his family truly is…

Suddenly, Reid and his prize pupil find themselves hurled into a taxing murder case, which will push them to their very limits. Paired with determined Chicago Police Officer Kippy Gimm, Mace must put all his trust in Vira’s abilities to thwart a serial killer who has now set his sights on Mace himself.

My Review:

Yes, okay…okay. It had a dog on the cover. And aren’t I lucky that the cover delivered!

My first experience with the author and this his first in a new series, the Mace Reid K-9 Mysteries, I can’t help it. I’m a new solid fan. The protagonist Mason “Mace” Reid is adorable–not as cute as his dogs, mind you, but there is a vulnerability about him that makes him massively approachable. (Unhappily divorced, he’s still going through the awkward stage. “And, just for the record, Heartache never flushes.”) He does love dogs. He trains them–it’s a side job–obedience, search, and HRD (human remains detection). It’s that latter niché that has him on the local police payroll, called from time to time to search for cadavers. Well, that’s gross but necessary, after all, he lives in Lansing but is frequently called to Chicago.

He keeps two canine sisters that have that twin thing going for them, Delta Dawn and Maggie May and a boy named Sue (are you getting it yet?). So when Elvira (Vira) is rescued from a near-death experience, the golden retriever quickly assumes family alpha. That might NOT have gone over so well with the GSD Sue, but he’s aloof and still in recovery from having saved Mace’s life.

There is something special about Vira. Officer Kippy Gimm, who found Vira at a crime scene thought so too. Kippy is partnered with Dave “Wabs” Wabiszewski (see why they call him Wabs?) and she soon seeks out Mace to see about possibly joining forces on a missing persons file she and her partner are working. It doesn’t take long, however, before Mace and his sensitive nose-sniffing dog catches the villain’s attention and ooh is he bad.

The author has given as much personality to Mace’s dogs as to Mace and Kippy comes in a very close second. She and Mace seem to click and it doesn’t take long before the cheerleading squad is chanting romance…okay…not romance. Interest? The usual fast-pace slacks just a tad when they get their heads together to bounce off perp and profiling ideas, but otherwise, this storyline just drives the well-plotted novel with humor, human interest, snappy dialogue, and canine info (feeds my endless fascination with their abilities), along with some nasty side-stuff from the bad guy. Who doesn’t enjoy the perfect mix of K-9 antics with engaging MC (human and canine) personalities, mystery, and Chicago area location details you can visualize?

You’ve seen my interest and appreciation in the David Rosenfelt books and this might be most closely compared to his humor with the serious plot points of the Andy Carpenter books. This is a wonderful start to what promises to be a wholly entertaining series. I read a lot of doggy stories. I may be an expert on dog stories. And I happily recommend this novel and new series. Must Love Dogs? Nah, this is fun whether you do or don’t.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five of Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Amateur Sleuth, Cozy Animal Mystery, Cozy Animal Mysteries
Publisher: Minotaur Books
ASIN: B0818NVFT7
Print Length: 288 pages
Publication Date: Released June 30, 2020 – Happy Publication Day!
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Kobo

The Author: Jeffrey B. Burton was born in Long Beach, California, grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota, and received his BA in Journalism at the University of Minnesota. THE FINDERS, the first in Burton’s K-9 mystery series, will be coming out in June of 2020 (St. Martin’s Publishing Group). Novels in his Agent Drew Cady mystery series include THE CHESSMAN (MacAdam/Cage, 2012; paperback Harlequin Suspense, 2015), THE LYNCHPIN (MP Publishing, 2015), and THE EULOGIST (The Permanent Press, 2017). His short stories have appeared in dozens of magazines. Jeff is a member of the Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, and the Horror Writers Association. Jeff lives in St. Paul with his wife, daughter, an irate Pomeranian named Lucy, and a goofball/sweetheart of a Beagle named Milo.

This roller coaster of a thriller has some luscious ingredients: moneyed surroundings, including billion-dollar mansions and the boardroom of a bloodsucking pharmaceutical company; some lengthy and artfully described fights and chases; and a killer-for-hire who, intentionally or not, runs off with the whole show. – Booklist on THE EULOGIST

An action-packed thriller with a high body count . . . The plot grabs readers from the start, twists abound, and good triumphs–mostly. – Library Journal on THE EULOGIST

Burton delivers an outstanding serial killer thriller that will impress even seasoned practitioners of this subgenre.
–Publishers Weekly (A Starred Review) on THE CHESSMAN

Jeffrey Burton’s terrific mystery, ‘The Chessman,’ is made up of a lot of moving parts the author brings together masterfully.
–St. Paul Pioneer Press on THE CHESSMAN

Visit http://www.jeffreybburton.com to see more about Jeff’s novels and short stories.

Release Blitz – The Incredible Key West-Caribbean Race by Michael Reisig

Today I am excited to present a Release Blitz for The Incredible Key West-Caribbean Race – (The Road To Key West Book 11) The Ultimate Scavenger Hunt by Michael Reisig – Happy Publication Day!

Historical Caribbean & Latin American Fiction

Publish Date: June 28, 2020
Publisher: Clear Creek Press
eBook ISBN: 978-0-9863801-9-8
Paperback ISBN: 978-0-578-70207-0
ASIN: B08BZV1SXN
Print Length: 204 pages

Book Blurb:

Kansas stamps and Will Bell are back in an absolutely roaring Caribbean adventure that may be the most unique of Reisig’s tales to date.

After a night of Key West carousing, the boys find themselves entangled in a contest of sorts – a race, or perhaps more correctly, a series of challenges that carry them across the Caribbean and into Central and South America. (We’re talking about villainous villains, wild Texan promoters, hit men, biker gangs, beautiful crazy women, mad Columbian dons, moonlit Voodoo ceremonies, sailing races and hurricanes, and an island with creatures that would keep your nightmares awake).

(THIS IS A GREAT “STAND-ALONE BOOK” — You don’t have to have read the series to enjoy it!)

My Thoughts:

YES! Michael Reisig has released Book 11 of his Key West series and here is the perfect escape when you need it the most!

The Incredible Key West-Caribbean Race! Your freshly minted get out of Dodge card.

Actually, get way out of Dodge on this incredibly adventurous journey from Key West to Mexico, Columbia, Venezuela, and then island hop north back home.

This VERY exclusive Scavenger Hunt includes five countries/islands and each location brings a new and unique challenge. (Some are more deadly than others!) Only six entries allowed–teams of two each.

This in no way is your usual scavenger hunt! Each team is unique as well, from one team of two women to a VERY well to do (and apparently bored) mob boss. Oh wait! The rules? There are rules? Well, for one, knocking off other race contestants is frowned upon. Each scramble to the next location is described in hair-raising detail, treating the reader to the sights and smells of the land, the people, the food, and the desperation.

The mode of transportation? Oh that changes plenty too! From prop-driven aircraft, rain forest plowing ATV, to sailing craft. Forget those wussy challenges you’ve seen on TV–this goes way beyond what your imagination can devise! Kansas Stamps and Will Bell have proven themselves before–but can they really claim victory against the teams assembled for these riotously treacherous, frantic, and at times hilarious predicaments? How DO they get themselves into these messes? Still, it was a challenge they just couldn’t ignore…or was it that they thought they should “chaperone” their (recently discovered) offspring? How soon does it become a case of every man (or woman) for themselves?

I don’t know what I enjoyed most. The amazing travelogue, the exceptionally inimitable characters, the situations, the prize at each location, or the tension Reisig builds in each succeeding heart-pounding leg of the race. I couldn’t WAIT to see what the next challenge would be and where they were going! A free-for-all circus where sometimes the prize is just staying alive.

My buddies in extraordinary adventures, Will and Kansas, may have met their match. I must say this is the absolute most unusual entry to the series to date. And best of all–can be read and totally enjoyed as a standalone. The climax comes screaming to conclusion leaving the reader gasping with relief and glad to be home safe again. But in the meantime?

What a ride!

It’s my privilege to be a beta reader for the author and you know he is one of my favorite authors. His fiction books range from travel adventures, sea adventures, American humorous fiction, to Historical Caribbean and Latin American fiction. They do not disappoint and this may be his best one yet. Grab your copy now!

Amazon

About 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.

Contact Links

Website
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads

Photo background attribution: Desktop Nexus

Newgate’s Knocker: An Aviation Thriller by Greg Peterson – a #BookReview – #crimethriller

Review of an Aviation-Crime Thriller by the CE.

The expression ‘As black as Newgate’s knocker‘ is generally believed to refer to the heavy iron knocker on the gate of Newgate Prison, London.

Rosepoint Publishing: Five of Five Stars

Book Blurb:

FBI special agent Bob Capone’s hand-picked team of experts work feverishly through the night to connect a curious electronic box, the Bennetti crime family, and Empire Airline captain Mike Nicholson. As the sun sneaks the first light into the nation’s capitol, Capone is finally able to make sense of the myriad of bizarre events brought to his desk during the long night. Flight 855 will depart Chicago in only minutes, and the horrific nightmare will begin to unfold. Capone knows that he’ll need more than a miracle to prevent the crazed airline captain from fulfilling his diabolic quest. Newgate’s Knocker is a fictional story, however, the highly sophisticated wave pulse generator described in the book is, in fact, based on tested technology. Should such a device become viable and available to terrorist organizations, then Newgate’s Knocker could prove prophetic.

His Review:

A spine-tingling mystery/suspense of terrifying prophecy. Greg Peterson has put years of experience into this tale of potential aviation sabotage. A brilliant aviator robbed by a greedy company plans revenge. Can the FBI unravel the events before a catastrophe develops? Greed motivates some and international espionage motivates others.

Peterson’s understanding of the workings of large jets coupled with understanding the electrical engineering that goes into today’s sophisticated aircraft is apparent. Electrical systems as well as computer systems have long been susceptible to strong electrical storms and magnetic disruption.

A missing pilot noted by a small-town Texas sheriff begins the saga. A crack FBI task force starts to unravel the plot. The timeline is very short from start to finish. The payout is large for some mobsters who imagine their future opulently rosy as they work with the perpetrator. Life means nothing to them as they plot the destruction of many lives for their own financial gain.

Federal agent Bob Capone is alerted regarding the missing pilot and airline concerns. He puts together a small task force to figure out why the pilot is missing. The group explores all options and the methods used to develop the search are intriguing. Why would a pilot nearing retirement suddenly disappear?

Suspense builds as you read this novel and becomes a driving force in the reader’s day. Oh no, you won’t want to put this book down! An unlikely romance is sprinkled in between an air force vet and a twenty-three-year-old flight attendant. This human-interest enhancer does not diminish the tale.

My final impression is the terrifying potential of this plot actually working in real life. Our entire country and economy are based on electricity and electronic devices. Should a major disruption happen to these devices our entire economy would collapse. Peterson is exploring the aircraft industry. But what about every day computing and e-mails. The results are mind-boggling.

Enjoy the book and the characters! I hope it generates as much excitement in other Peterson readers as it did in me. Bravo! Thank you to the author for my review copy and these are my unbiased opinions.

5 stars – C.E. Williams

Book Details:

Genre: Crime Thrillers
ASIN: B0864QFJKV
Print Length: 397 pages
Publication Date: March 18, 2020
Source: Direct Author Request
Title Purchase Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Greg Peterson is a prior naval aviator, commercial airline pilot, and air traffic control specialist. He holds nearly every fixed wing flight certificate available and is a certified ground and instrument instructor. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Technology from St. Cloud State University in Minnesota.

Although Mr. Peterson has been published in a number of professional magazines. “Newgate’s Knocker” is his first full-length novel. The story is fictional, however, you may find it interesting that the historical background of the main character, Mac Macintyre is based on Mr. Peterson’s real life, and most of the aviation sequences are also taken from his flying experiences.

Greg Peterson is certified in seven different categories by the International Code Council and has owned and operated a professional residential home inspection company since 1999. His home inspection report supplement provides a comprehensive explanation of many common concerns reported in most home inspections. His home inspection supplement, “Your Home Inspected-An Addendum For Residential Home Inspection Reports” can be purchased in Kindle, paperback or CD form. He can be contacted by email at: gregpeterson@comcast.net

Photo attribution: Newgate’s Knocker

Legacy of Lies: A Legal Thriller (Bocephus Haynes Book 1) by Robert Bailey – a #BookReview

“To be respected was wonderful, but to be feared was divine.”

Book Blurb:

A small-town attorney takes on prejudice and corruption in this powerful legal thriller.

Small-town lawyer Bocephus Haynes comes home late one night to find District Attorney General Helen Lewis waiting for him. Her ex-husband has just been killed. She’s about to be arrested for his murder. And she wants Bo to represent her.

There’s a lot working against them. Just before his death, Helen’s ex-husband threatened to reveal a dark secret from her past. Bo has been in a tailspin since his wife’s death. What’s more, his whole life has been defined by a crime committed against his family, and he continues to face prejudice as the only African American litigator in Pulaski, Tennessee.

Bo’s back is against the wall, and Helen resigns herself to a dismal fate—but a stunning discovery throws everything into chaos. There’s a chance for justice, but to achieve it, the cost might be too much for Bo to bear.

My Review:

HooBoy! I blindly stepped into this one with no warning!. A new author, new series for me, and although perhaps the series for you as well, apparently a spin-off of a previously successful series.

Main character Helen Evangeline Lewis is the General (district attorney general of the Twenty-Second Judicial Circuit), Tennessee. Helen loves that designation, revels in it, and she does her utmost to maintain that level of fear and respect. But now she finds herself on the other side and begs protagonist Bocephus Hayes to represent her in the alleged murder of her ex-husband. Bo has been through a triple whammy, the loss of his wife, his children, his practice as one of Pulaski’s premier defensive attorneys. He’s been slumming it–at a total loss–devastated and can’t seem to pull himself back from the brink…until something Helen says stirs him to action.

There are references to characters from a previous series and this series continues with a few of those support characters, family of Bo, the General’s office, persons of the court, and baddies everywhere, generally in positions of power. Having been an extremely successful prosecutor, the General keeps secrets from Bo and sends him out for discovery.

You have to give it to author Bailey for putting together a suspenseful, emotional well-plotted and fast-paced legal thriller. Short chapters keep you flipping pages as Bo continues to recreate his team and wrest tidbits. Helen, after all, has as many detractors as fans. It won’t be easy.

It’s apparent there are layers to the plot lending Helen’s secrets potent causes of PTSD, conspiracies with a separate case with which she was working, and Bo’s racially charged background. Bo, a big African American who might have gone pro NFL had he not blown out his knee, is a force to be reckoned with in the courtroom as well. The reader almost gets a three-dimensional character here though I assume there will be more to come after this set up of a new series. I liked the characters of Chief Deputy Sheriff Frances Storm and Sheriff Hank Springfield.

But there is a triple-whammy in store for the reader as well as the courtroom revs up for the defense and Helen, herself, is called to testify. You’ve heard that old adage, “never ask a question to which you don’t know the answer?” (Or something close to that.) Boy does the prosecutor make that mistake! And then the author isn’t through as there are several more twists, one designed to knock the breath out of you. The conclusion has surprises, one on top of the other until the great reveal that turns into one big shock. Still, how is this all this possible? Hmmm…It’s complex, entertaining, and immensely engaging. And that ending? Surely that’ll produce a HUH! And you can’t say it wasn’t a fun ride.

I received this digital download from the publisher and NetGalley and greatly appreciated the opportunity to read and review. Looks like I have a new legal thriller author I’ll be following and I’m looking forward to Book 2 in this series. Recommended.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five of Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Conspiracy Thrillers, Legal Thrillers
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
ASIN: B07YKTYZJ6
Print Length: 329 pages
Publication Date: June 1, 2020
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Title Link(s): Legacy of Lies [Amazon]

The Author: Robert Bailey is the bestselling author of the McMurtrie and Drake Legal Thrillers series, which includes The Final Reckoning, The Last Trial, Between Black and White, and The Professor. The first two novels in the series were Beverly Hills Book Awards legal thriller of the year winners, and Between Black and White was a finalist for the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year.

For the past nineteen years, Bailey has been a civil defense trial lawyer in his hometown of Huntsville, Alabama, where he lives with his wife and three children. For more information, please visit http://www.robertbaileybooks.com.

Sucker Punch: Getting Killed Can Be the Least of Your Problems by Jim Carroll – a #BookReview

Rosepoint Publishing: Five of Five Stars

A Vicarious Blogger review of a military thriller

Book Blurb:

Johnny Mack wanted to be an airline pilot who flew all over the world, made great money and met lots of girls. At 18 that seemed like a fair trade for a few years in the Army.

Johnny found out too late that in 1971 the Army only needed helicopter pilots. And they only needed them in Vietnam.

After an unfortunate incident involving a General’s daughter, Johnny ‘volunteers’ to go undercover on a Medevac crew suspected of selling Army medicines to the enemy.

Johnny’s control officer’s incompetence is deadlier than any enemy. Johnny’s crew are psychopathic pirates.

Then there is the regular job. Coming into hot landing zones. Loading the dead and wounded. Ignoring the screaming and thrashing about in the back. Holding the helicopter steady as bullets rip through the bird. Cleaning out the blood and gore as part of the regular post flight.

There is no one to trust. Death is coming from every direction.

As life spirals out of his control, Johnny realizes that getting killed may be the least of his problems. His sanity, his soul and everything that he believes himself to be, are in as much danger as his life.

His Review:

Anyone who has seen a Cobra helicopter in action is amazed at the nimbleness of the machine and the awesome firepower. Many young men during the Vietnam War aspired to be a pilot and fly one of those beauties. Our hero, John Mack, is just such a fellow. Training is arduous and upon the completion of his training, he and his buddy “Face” set out for final liberty before deployment.

Young ladies can get Warrant Officers into real trouble and Mack is no exception. A general’s daughter who looks much older spends some time with him giving him a painful medical condition and a trail directly to the general.

Rather than flying the Cobra Mack is sent to Vietnam to be a co-pilot on a Huey. His primary mission is to uncover someone who is selling medical supplies to the enemy. He is the third WO sent to unravel this mystery. The other two were missing and killed in action.

Cobra attack helicopter The flying sequences and characters in this tale are very entertaining and remind me of standard military people in times of war. Very few people get particularly attached to teammates because they could die on any given mission. This coupled with undercover work makes our hero particularly vulnerable.

This book is very fast-moving and hard to put down. Danger is a daily event for the helicopter crews in a war zone. As a reader, you will immediately become engrossed in the survival aspect of this fast-moving drama and nail-biting scenes. Some of the descriptions of the war are downright hair raising. Therefore, I warn you to set aside a block of time because you will not want to put this book down.CE Williams

We received this book from the publisher and NetGalley and appreciated the opportunity to read and review and these are my honest opinions. This novel is scheduled to be published on Friday, May 15, 2020.

Book Details:

Genre: Military Thrillers, War and Military Action Fiction
Publisher: Zeljim Publishing
ASIN: B084S6HR1Q
Print Length: 271 pages
Publication Date: To be released May 15, 2020
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Title Link: Sucker Punch

The Author: [from Goodreads bio] James Dennis “Jim” Carroll was an author, poet, autobiographer, and punk musician. Carroll was best known for his 1978 autobiographical work The Basketball Diaries, which was made into the 1995 film of the same name with Leonardo DiCaprio as Carroll.