More Harm Than Good: The Kilteegan Bridge Story-Book 3 by Jean Grainger – #BookReview – #TuesdayBookBlog

Rosepoint Rating: Five Stars

“He always joked that in other cultures, there was a lot of talk and very little action, whereas in Ireland the reverse was true.”

Book Blurb:

Kilteegan Bridge, Ireland 1974

For each member of the O’Sullivan family there are turbulent times ahead.

Eli’s need to do his best for his patients is a cause for a bitter divide in the community. Emmet seems hell bent on going down a path in life his parents dread but they’re unable to stop him. Jack’s life and liberty are in grave peril as his secret faces exposure, while Emily’s troubles are, it seems only just beginning with the return of someone she would much rather had disappeared forever. And Maria must decide, is blood really thicker than water, and should family always come first, no matter the cost?

In More Harm than Good, the Kilteegan Bridge Series continues, as the modernity of the 1970’s challenges Irish traditional ways, and generations clash, sometimes with deadly consequences.

My Review:

Master Irish storyteller Jean Grainger adds Book 3 to the emotional family drama Kilteegan Bridge series. Book 3 has progressed to the mid-70s (from the 50s in Book 1) to a strong climate of changing Irish attitudes. It’s hard to change and change doesn’t come easy.

Eli and Lena have seen their little ones become teens and the teens are exploring and rebelling as teens are wont to do. Some of the rebellion is serious and will spell major upheaval for both Lena and Eli as well as the extended family, all of whom face desperate problems of their own.

What secrets are Jack and Skipper keeping? Emmet and Nellie? Too young to know what they don’t know, too young and naïve to be aware they are being played. Too inexperienced to know what to do or where to turn. But they are family. And family sticks together always and takes care of one their own—in one way or another.

Don’t they?

I love the way the author builds her characters into flesh and blood. The village of Kilteegan so real, atmospheric, the people under the heavy hand of the Catholic Church that governs with an iron fist and manipulates their lives.

I love that daft sense of humor she brings to her tales. The analogies often break the tension just when it’s needed and never fail to bring a smile or chuckle.

“…sometimes you’re as useful as an ashtray on a motorbike.”

The narrative needs an occasional break from the serious turn into themes of religious control, homosexuality, unwed pregnancy, and mental illness. A couple issues are dealt with strongly and sympathetically, possibly revealing a more lenient attitude than the issues provided at the time.

I love it when Jean Grainger releases another novel in one of her series. I read both Book 1 The Trouble with Secrets and Book 2 What Divides Us and loved this addition, although it could be read as a standalone. The author can weave a historical chronicle into an Irish family drama that clutches at the heart and leaves ripples of familiarity. Few have not confronted a similar situation and easily understand the impact.

I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author that in no way influenced this review. These are my honest thoughts and I’m looking forward to Book 4. Recommended!

Book Details:

Genre: Historical Irish Fiction, Historical British Fiction, Historical Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Fiction
ASIN: B0BFXLYXJK
Print Length: 280 pages
Publication Date: November 15, 2022 – Happy Release Day!
Source: Author contact

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Author: JEAN GRAINGER is a USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR

SELECTED BY BOOKBUB READERS IN TOP 19 OF HISTORICAL FICTION BOOKS.

WINNER OF THE 2016 AUTHOR’S CIRCLE HISTORICAL NOVEL OF EXCELLENCE

Hello and thanks for taking time out to check out my page. If you’re wondering what you’re getting with my books then think of the late great Maeve Binchy but sometimes with a historical twist. I was born in Cork, Ireland in 1971 and I come from a large family of storytellers, so much so that we had to have ‘The Talking Spoon’, only the person holding the spoon could talk!

I have worked as a history lecturer at University, a teacher of English, History and Drama in secondary school, a playwright, and a tour guide of my beloved Ireland. I am married to the lovely Diarmuid and we have four children. We live in a 200 year old stone cottage in Mid-Cork with my family and the world’s smallest dogs, called Scrappy and Scoobi..

My experiences leading groups, mainly from the United States, led me to write my first novel, ‘The Tour’. My observances of the often funny, sometimes sad but always interesting events on tours fascinated me. People really did confide the most extraordinary things, the safety of strangers I suppose. It’s a fictional story set on a tour bus but many of the characters are based on people I met over the years.

[truncated—please see author’s page for full bio]

Many of the people who have reviewed my books have said that you get to know the characters and really become attached to them, that’s wonderful for me to hear because that’s how I feel about them too. I grew up on Maeve Binchy and Deirdre Purcell and I aspired to being like them. If you buy one of my books I’m very grateful and I really hope you enjoy it. If you do, or even if you don’t, please take the time to post a review. Writing is a source of constant contentment to me and I am so fortunate to have the time and the inclination to do it, but to read a review written by a reader really does make my day.

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The Trouble With Secrets: The Kilteegan Bridge Story by Jean Grainger – #BookReview – #TuesdayBookBlog

The Trouble with Secrets by Jean Grainger

Happy Release Day!

in contemporary British & Irish Literature

Book Blurb:

Kilteegan Bridge, County Cork 1958

For eighteen year old Lena O’Sullivan, life is predictable and dull. A future of hard work, marriage to a local boy, and a family of her own one day is all she has to look forward to. People from her background know not to expect too much, but Lena yearns for something different.

Malachy Berger was different, for him, the world is at his feet. An only child of a wealthy, if peculiar father, a large inheritance, a beautiful house and a fine education are his due.

Nobody is in favour of Lena and Malachy’s friendship, but why not? What harm are they doing? Why is everyone so dead set against it?

Then fate takes a hand, and Lena realises that secrets and lies have bound her and Malachy in an impossible situation. And their future seems determined by events that happened long before they were born.

From rural Ireland to post-war Cardiff, Lena and Malachy’s story winds its way back to wartime Germany and occupied France in a web of deceit that threatens to destroy them both.

My Review:

It’s a given that if Jean Grainger comes out with a new book, I’m going to be reading it—having done so for most of her books, series or standalones. Of course, I have my favorites.

This one tells the story of Lena O’Sullivan and her family in the Irish countryside of Kilteegan Bridge and is one of the reasons I love the author’s books so much—the authentic atmosphere she brings to her storytelling. It’s palpable. It’s the late 1950’s and apparently as in America during that time, a young lady finding herself in a family way, unmarried, was dealt with in one of several (often severe and) shameful ways.

Lena was luckier than most, however, having a loving father, Paudie, who took good care of his wife who would probably now be diagnosed as bi-polar. She tended to have manic episodes and when Paudie dies in a tragic accident, Lena is left with her fragile mother and siblings.

The baby’s daddy comes from a well-to-do family who has familial problems of their own and resides in Kilteegan House. Malachy Berger’s father carries a vendetta against the O’Sullivan’s and makes sure Malachy won’t be involved further with Lena.

I loved most of the support characters, railed against the Berger father who made a despicable antagonist and loved the character of Doc, Lena’s godfather. Eli made a great character, but almost too good to be true, and it was fun to watch Lena’s maturation process.

The trouble with secrets is that they almost always are exposed (sooner or later). The journey through the process of devising a credible story to satisfy the people of the village is an interesting one—but one I fear hangs like a loose tooth. And I have a feeling we haven’t truly gotten the whole story yet.

I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author that in no way influenced this review. These are my honest thoughts.

Rosepoint Rating: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Contemporary British & Irish Literature, Historical Irish Fiction, British & Irish Literary Fiction
ASIN: B09V5MWCP5
Print Length: 313 pages
Publication Date: May 2, 2022
Source: Author
Title Link: The Trouble with Secrets [Amazon]

The Author: JEAN GRAINGER

USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR

SELECTED BY BOOKBUB READERS IN TOP 19 OF HISTORICAL FICTION BOOKS.

WINNER OF THE 2016 AUTHOR’S CIRCLE HISTORICAL NOVEL OF EXCELLENCE

[Truncated. Please read her full bio on her Amazon book pages.]

My current series, The Queenstown Series, centres on twelve year old Harp Devereaux and her mother Rose and the first book opens on the day Titanic sails from Queenstown, Co Cork on her last fateful journey. It is a bestselling series and people really seem to connect to the precocious Harp and her hard-working mother as they battle to survive in a society where conforming and playing by the rules was paramount. It is so far a three book series, The West’s Awake, and The Harp and the Rose being the next two books but I’m currently writing book four.

The Unveiling of Polly Forrest: A Mystery by Charlotte Whitney – #BookReview – #TuesdayBookBlog

Book Blurb:

Rural Michigan, 1934.

When her new husband Sam perishes in a bizarre farm accident, would-be milliner Polly soon becomes the prime suspect in his murder. As she digs for evidence to clear her name, Polly falls into a sinister web implicating her in a nefarious crime ring being investigated by White House Police. Polly’s life and those of her family are at stake.

Narrated by Polly, her self-righteous older sister, Sarah, and Sarah’s well-meaning, but flawed husband Wesley, a Methodist minister, the story follows several twists through the landscape of the rural Midwest. During the throes of the Great Depression Polly marries for money. After her husband Sam dies in a freak farm accident, new bride Polly assumes she is financially set to pursue her dream of opening a hat-making business. Instead, she becomes the prime suspect in Sam’s murder. Secrets abound and even Polly’s family can’t figure out the truth. [BookBub]

My Review:

Told in the POVs of three persons, Polly Forrest, her sister Sarah, and her brother-in-law, the Reverend Wesley Johnson, the tale is woven through the perilous, deprived times of the depression in 1934, Michigan.

Polly’s husband Sam is killed in a farm accident and it isn’t long before she becomes a suspect. Her sister, who lives up the hill on the adjacent property with the reverend is also implicated. Sarah is the typical depression era housewife and mother of two young boys and a baby daughter. The oldest of the two sisters, she was fundamentally responsible for raising her much young sister, Polly, who had been spoiled before their mother passed.

Polly remains immature, making bad decisions and one was her marriage to Sam who appeared to have money but turns out to be abusive. Polly tries to hide injuries and she denies any problem, but Sarah suspects the truth, so she quietly wonders if Polly had had enough and “helped” her husband to his death by bull.

Living on boiled potatoes and bean soup, thoroughly patched and repatched clothing, most are living hungry with the threat of losing their farms and a roof over their heads. The reverend is losing his congregation. Polly, now desperate, is beginning to discover secrets around Sam’s farm she hadn’t known about which might make a small difference in her financial recovery. But there are others who might also have interest in those as well.

I wasn’t able to really engage in either sister or the reverend. Polly feels more like Petulant Polly and Sarah as an overworked and underappreciated workmate who had put up with her sister until she could no longer—no love lost. There were themes of domestic abuse, friendship, secrets, and felonious crimes. All characters are flawed.

Chapters alternate on each perspective while events begin to occur that gradually change the demeanor of Polly. This is often illustrated by naming Polly as Patient Polly, Impetuous Polly, or Pretty Polly allowing for a slight bit of humor in a dark theme. There is a gradual softening of Sarah as she begins to see the strength and maturing in Polly.

A rather slow start, the plot picks up speed as it hurdles into an interesting conclusion. In the meantime, however, I noted a few contradictions and slightly awkward descriptions.

I received a complimentary review ARC 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: Historical Fiction, Historical Mysteries, Mystery, Domestic Thriller
Publisher: Lake William Press
ISBN: 979-8-9851601-0-9
Publication Date: March 15, 2020
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Google Books | BookBub

The Author: Charlotte Whitney‘s latest book, THE UNVEILING OF POLLY FORREST is a historical mystery set on a Midwestern farm in 1934. It follows her successful novel, THREADS A DEPRESSION-ERA TALE. The author grew up on a Michigan farm and heard her aunts and grandmother tell stories of “hard times,” and was surprised to hear that even farmers went to bed hungry. That served as the impetus for the settings for her most recent novels. She worked at the University of Michigan as the associate director of Lloyd Scholars for Writing and the Arts before leaving to write full-time. Currently, she lives in Arizona with her husband and two Labrador Retrievers. She loves hiking, bicycling, and yoga.

To learn more about the author’s upcoming books and subscribe to her free newsletter go to: http://www.charlottewhitney.com

©V Williams –

Have a great week!

Moment in Time: A Novel by Suzanne Redfearn – #BookReview – #TuesdayBookblog

“I believe in a better world where chickens can cross the road without their motives being questioned.”

Book Blurb:

From the bestselling author of In an Instant comes a heartrending story about the power of friendship during the most challenging moments in life.

It’s been eight years since a tragic accident changed Mo Kaminski’s and Chloe Miller’s lives forever. Now in their midtwenties, they’re sharing an apartment in San Francisco and navigating the normal challenges of early adulthood. Along with their roommate, Hazel, they are making their marks on the world—Mo revolutionizing the news with her media start-up, Hazel using her big brain to anticipate the future, and Chloe rescuing abandoned strays in the city.

But when Hazel disappears after being sexually assaulted, Mo’s and Chloe’s lives are again suddenly ripped apart. And when the perpetrator turns up drugged and beaten, the mystery of where Hazel is deepens. Intensely worried and desperate to discover the truth, they set out to find Hazel and bring her home.

Mo and Chloe are no strangers to tragedy, but this journey will test them in ways they never imagined. The stakes are high; the future uncertain; the need for justice essential.

Will their commitment to their friend bring them closer together—or ultimately drive them apart?

My Review:

I was really thrilled to get this book as I’ve read the author’s previous works, including In An Instant, and discovered this book is somewhat of a sequel. Searching for that designation, however, could not find it.

This one explores two survivors, Mo and Chloe, of a horrendous accident that changed their lives as well as their families, eight years ago. Neither are really over that accident and now in their twenties, rooming with Hazel, establishing themselves. Chloe is now a veterinarian. They are dealing with their issues when Mo decides to go out with Hazel, a wallflower, who needs a push into the social scene.

Unfortunately, Hazel is drugged and sexually assaulted and then goes missing. Introducing Hazel to a sketchy friend from school wasn’t Mo’s best decision nor was taking a phone call away to privacy, leaving Hazel to fend for herself.

The two pull together to find Hazel and in the background are a couple rather vague sub-plots. I’m not quite sure what happened with this novel and was a bit disappointed it didn’t have the driving emotional, compelling plot of the previous, forcing always the next page read. While there was some thoughtful prose, quotables, I kept questioning the decisions these two were making. “Most people think that in the face of terror, the choice is fight or flight, but Mo knows a third, far more likely choice exists: freeze.” (And don’t I know that feeling and was sorry to discover of myself!) An insta-love addition to the plot was distracting, annoying, and over the top and twists didn’t feel authentic.

This one didn’t leave me breathless, exhausted, wanting more. It used the two characters from In An Instant, as well as others, recapping scenes from the previous book, so this time they were a little flat (assumed familiar) and I couldn’t engage. I’m not sure I’d recommend this as a standalone. Still, I’m a fan of the author and look forward to her next novel.

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: Three-point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Friendship Fiction, Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Literary Fiction
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
ISBN: 1542037212
ASIN: B09DYDQCCK
Print Length: 287 pages
Publication Date: March 8, 2022
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Author: Suzanne Redfearn is the bestselling author of four novels: Hadley & Grace, In an Instant, No Ordinary Life, and Hush Little Baby.

Born and raised on the east coast, Suzanne moved to California when she was fifteen. She currently lives in Laguna Beach with her husband where they own two restaurants: Lumberyard and Slice Pizza & Beer. In addition to being an author, Suzanne is an architect specializing in residential and commercial design.

Talk: A woman’s search for purpose, treasure, and her Ojibwe heritage by Greg W Peterson – #BookReview – #TuesdayBookBlog

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

Talk is the story of Addie Young, a single woman with no known relatives. Her father dies leaving a letter of apology for his failures along with a second letter, cryptic and nonsensical—written by a civil war-era outlaw. The letter may provide directions for finding buried gold. Addie sets out to the small town of Talk, Minnesota, where she meets Jack Larson; together they start out to decode the ‘letter’. In the process, they discover Addie’s intriguing connection to an assortment of early American outlaws and a surprising ancestral relationship with the Ojibwe Nation of American Indians.

His Review:

Minnesota was a very wild area at the end of the 19^th and early 20^th century. Jesse James and Cole Younger terrorized the area with train and bank robberies. Talk is a story of a young woman whose ancestors came from this area and is descended from the Ojibwe people. Greg Peterson has woven an endearing tale of honesty and family heritage wrapped around a treasure hunt.

A classic love story starts with a car skidding off the roadway on a sharp turn. People watch out for each other and their properties in small rural America. The chance meeting of the two is well engineered and the caution in developing the romance is a welcome change from the normal fall in bed on the first date tryst.

The hints to find the treasure are hidden in an overgrown hundred acres not cultivated in nearly eighty years. Also, the discovery of the heroine, Addie’s, roots are engaging and endearing. Not all of the Younger offspring follow the path of their parental examples. Generations later there is much to be discovered.

An old family bible gives some of the information on the roots and family history. I recall wondering about some of my own families’ history as I read Addies’ quest. People often wonder about their ancestors and it was easy to identify with the young lady and her journey.

CE Williams, first review of the year — First book of the year for CE Williams, **Talk** by Greg Peterson

I’ve previously read both the author’s debut novel, Newgate’s Knocker as well as his sophomore release, Lie If You Can, and can recommend both. I recommend this novel to anyone who can identify with family mysteries, the heritage and history they would like to find. 5 stars – CE Williams

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

Book Details:

Genre: Native American Literature, Cultural Heritage Fiction
Publisher: Independently published
ISBN13: ‎979-8785975835
ASIN: B09NRBTPDD
Print Length: 259 pages
Publication Date: December 16, 2021
Source: Author request
Title Link: Talk [Amazon]

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, USA.

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.

Mr. Peterson recently completed his second novel, Lie If You Can. A medical mystery that follows a young college professor on her search to find the person who brutally attacked her. She awakes in a hospital with little memory of the event and soon she begins to experience an unusual brain related anomaly—one which manifests in a new ability to determine a person’s truthfulness. Her condition is believably explained by an actual scientific condition known as Dual Processing. Julie develops a romantic relationship with her doctor and together they search for her attacker.

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

Rohm Around the Dial (A Max Harmon Mystery Book 2) by Micheal Maxwell – #BookReview – #TuesdayBookBlog

Book Blurb:

“You’re listening to the heart of Classic Rock here on KRHM…”

These are the last words Jeff Davis would ever speak before he gets strangled on air.

When a second disk jockey meets the same suffocating end, it gives dead air a whole new meaning.

A serial killer is on the loose in Rohm.

The rules have changed suddenly, and Max Harmon is on a high-stakes race against time to solve a spine-chilling mystery—one that might break him.

If you love fast-paced, clean detective mysteries, then you would love Micheal Maxwell’s latest addition to the nail-biting Max Harmon Mystery series.

His Review:

Riding the airways can be a lonesome gig. Radio transmission stations are usually located in remote areas because of the large array of equipment and antennas. A really accomplished broadcaster should be a shoo-in for a job when a slot comes open. Carson has the late shift, a job he can only face when he has enjoyed a sufficient number of libations. Tonight, would be no exception. He pulled into the parking dreading the beginning of his 2:00 a.m. shift.

A number of DJ’s were winding up being murdered with no explanation. There was no physical evidence and no way of finding a way to track the killer. Male or female made no difference. They were being choked while at the board in the night. Max Harmon, an experienced detective, is assigned to the case. Without a clue or any trace evidence to go on, where would he start the investigation?

Another murder occurs and still no evidence or clues to follow. The police chief is getting very aggravated at Max and is demanding results. He adds an assistant to Max’s team, Paige Weaver. She is a rookie just out of school and anxious to start her new career. Max will be the perfect mentor.

Everyone is expecting a quick resolution to the case. Hard to accomplish without any trace evidence or leads! Max and Paige doggedly pursue every angle and possible lead.

The author has constructed an entertaining case with a satisfactorily evolving body of evidence and resultant resolution. Book 2 can be read as a standalone. Read and enjoy. 5 stars – C. E. 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: Action & Adventure Literary Fiction, Serial Killers, Mystery Series

ASIN: B09K7Y4ZYV

Print Length: 189 pages

Publication Date: November 29, 2021

Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link: Rohm Around the Dial [Amazon]

The Author: Bestselling Amazon author Micheal Maxwell has traveled the globe on the lookout for strange sights, sounds, and people. Having visited over fifty countries, he’s always looking for a story to tell and interesting people to meet.

Mr. Maxwell has dined with politicians, rock stars, and beggars. He has rubbed shoulders with priests and murderers, surgeons and drug dealers, each one giving him a part of themselves that will live again in the pages of his books.

Micheal Maxwell has found a niche in the Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Steampunk, Alternative History, and Time Travel genres. All of Maxwell’s books give readers clean, character-driven stories, with twists, turns, and page-turning plot lines.

Micheal Maxwell along with his lovely wife and travel partner, Janet, divide their time between a home Sierra Nevada Mountains of California, and their lake house in Washington State.

Follow Micheal on Facebook: https://www.amazon.com/Micheal-Maxwell/e/B00F20MDCG/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1378671759&sr=1-1

Always be informed of new releases follow Micheal on Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/micheal-maxwell

Currently Available:

The Cole Sage Mystery Series 1-10
The Adam Dupress Mystery Quadrilogy
The Time Pedaler Series 1-8
The Logan Connor Thriller Trilogy
Max Harmon Mysteries 1-2
The Simon Barlow Steampunk Alternative History 1-(2-coming soon)
The Flynt & Steel Mystery Series 1-5
Three Nails (A Tale of Tragedy, Testing and Triumph)
The First Chapter: The Collected Short Stories and First Novel: The Whistler 1964 -2017

Holiday Reads

Elinor: A Riveting Story (Daughters of the Lost Colony) by Shannon McNear – #BookReview – #TuesdayBookBlog

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

A Journey Full of Hope…
Escape into a riveting story based on the mystery of the Lost Colony of Roanoke.

Author Shannon McNear portrays history with vivid authenticity.

In 1587, Elinor White Dare sailed from England heavy with her first child but full of hopes. Her father, a renowned artist and experienced traveler, has convinced her and her bricklayer husband Ananias to make the journey to the New World. Land, they are promised, more goodly and beautiful than they can ever imagine. But nothing goes as planned from landing at the wrong location, to facing starvation, to the endless wait for help to arrive. And, beyond her comprehension, Elinor finds herself utterly alone. . . .
The colony at Roanoke disappeared into the shadows of history. But, what if one survived to leave a lasting legacy?

His Review:

Freedom of religion is one reason to come to “the New World.” Elinor and her husband braved the wild Atlantic Ocean to start a new life across the sea. England has been at war with both Spain and France and has learned to take what they want by force. However, the New World is already populated with indigenous people. How does one make a new country? The usual European way was by the force of arms.

The population of the New World has struggled for centuries with war between themselves. The primary problem with the newcomers were the radical new weapons they possessed. Therefore, it was easier to try to befriend the colonists and assimilate them into the native culture. The pilgrims thought that the natives were “heathens” and had no real god. Knowing the “True God,” they needed to indoctrinate the natives.

Planting, growing livestock, and building housing were the initial goals of the young colonists. The natives already had long houses that were shared by the entire tribe. The colonists set about making bricks and building stockades as well as individual houses for the inhabitants. They depended upon the generosity of the natives to help them get through the first winter. There was simply too much work and too little time to accumulate enough stores for the long winter.

Soon the natives realize that the interlopers would not contribute but rather attempt to take everything they needed by force. Another problem was the diseases that the colonists had brought to the new land, which ran rampant through the tribes and killed as many as 40% of the population. It soon became apparent that the interlopers needed to go. People who were hunting and gathering when caught alone were quickly dispatched.

Shannon McNear has written a very charming story of the “lost” first colonists to the new world. The moral dilemma faced by the principals in the story is very thought provoking. Every population throughout the history of humanity has faced such questions. This saga illuminates the struggles then and the continuing struggles that are going on today around the world. I highly recommend this story to anyone who is a student of history. 5 stars – C.E. 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.

Book Details:

Genre: Christian Historical Fiction, Religious Historical Fiction, Historical Christian Romance
Publisher: Barbour Fiction
ISBN: ‎ 1643529544
ASIN: B09GJVTKTD
Print Length: 323 pages
Publication Date: December 1, 2021
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Title Link(s): Elinor [Amazon]
Barnes and Noble

The Author: Shannon McNear loves losing herself in local history. A Midwestern farm girl who lived in Charleston, South Carolina, for more than two decades before being transplanted to North Dakota, she’s a military wife, mother of 8, and a member of ACFW and FHL. When not cooking, researching, or leaking story from her fingertips, she enjoys being outdoors, basking in the beauty of the northern prairies.

Deadly Little Lies: An utterly addictive psychological thriller by Stephanie DeCarolis –#BookReview – #TuesdayBookBlog

Book Blurb:

THE PERFECT LIFE

Juliana Daniels finally has the life she’s always dreamed of. A loving husband, a career as an attorney, and a cozy apartment in Manhattan to call home.

But when she gets a message from an old college friend, her blood runs cold. Remember me?

ONE DEADLY LIE

Juliana drops her phone as though she’s been scalded. The name Jenny Teller shines out from the screen… but Jenny can’t have sent that message.

Because Jenny is dead.

Juliana’s other college friends have all received the same message. The four of them are the only ones who know the truth about the night Jenny died. It’s a secret they have kept buried for thirteen years.

WHO DO YOU TRUST?

With ‘Jenny’ now blackmailing them and threatening to expose their secret, only one thing is certain. Someone else knows the truth about that night… or one of them is lying.

My Review:

Juliana Daniels (Jules) has managed to secure for herself a scholarship to a pretty exclusive university where she feels the deep divide between her middle class upbringing and that of her new monied classmates. It might have been a serious struggle had not Tori (her new roommate), Nessa, and Emily included her into their little clique.

Emily is the obvious alpha, taking Jules on quietly as a “project” and grooms her to be as narcissistic as herself. With her new status, she feels important, looked up to, and just as quietly abandons old friends, counting the minutes when the holidays with her parents are over and she can return to campus life where she’s learned to party hardy.

“It wasn’t enough to just be desired; if I was going to keep up, I had to learn to desire nothing in return.”

The narrative settles into chapters alternating between “Now” and “Then.” The Now describes her inclusion as a successful attorney, a Manhattan apartment, and a loving, attentive, supportive husband, Jason.

Then swings us back to her university years where she experiences something that will haunt her during the intervening ten years until she gets the same taunting message as her so-called snobbish, titled friends, “Remember me?” But it can’t be her—they all know that—because she’s dead.

UGH! I liked Jason. But Jules, Tori, and Nessa not so much. Emily was meant to be disliked and she was truly nasty, raising the blood pressure every time she had the focus. Their shared horrific event brought them together again, trying to discern who could possibly have sent the first and then additional messages, as well as intrusions into Jules home. And none of it shared with Jules’ husband. Oh, these deep, dark secrets!

As they are all summoned together for a tenth year reunion, matters come to a head, the pace escalates into the conclusion. There were twists and turns, some expected, some not, though I had not anticipated the final reveal.

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 point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Women’s Detective Fiction, Noir Crime, Domestic Thrillers
Publisher: HQ Digital
ASIN: B09HMNK836
Print Length: 378 pages
Publication Date: November 26, 2021
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Stephanie is the USA Today best-selling author of The Guilty Husband and Deadly Little Lies. She is a graduate of Binghamton University and St. John’s University School of Law, and she currently lives in New York with her husband, their two daughters, and their very spoiled cat.