#recommendedreading – Page 16 – Rosepoint Publishing

The Sideways Life of Denny Voss: A Novel by Holly Kennedy #BookReview #TuesdayBookBlog

“You’re about as useful as a screen door on a submarine, aren’t you?”

Book Blurb:

In this poignant and funny novel, a man who is defined by his limitations sets out to fight a murder charge—and discovers unexpected truths about himself, his family, and the world at large.

On the surface, Denny Voss’s life in rural Minnesota is a quiet one. At thirty years old, he lives at home with his elderly mother and his beloved blind and deaf Saint Bernard, George. He cleans up roadkill to help pay the bills. Though his prospects are limited by a developmental delay—the result of an accident at birth—Denny has always felt that he has “a good life.”

So how did he wind up being charged with the murder of a mayoral candidate—after crashing a sled full of guns into a tree?

As Denny awaits trial, his court-appointed therapist walks him through the events of the past year. Denny’s had other scuffles with the law, the first for kidnapping a neighbor’s cantankerous goose. And then there was the time he accidentally assisted in a bank robbery. It seems like whenever Denny tries to do the right thing, chaos ensues.

Untangling the events around the murder reveals even more painful truths about his family’s past. He’s always been surrounded by people who love him, but now it’s up to Denny to set his life on a new course.

My Review:

OMG y’all, I’ve done it again! Perhaps it wasn’t the blurb. Maybe I didn’t pay enough attention to it? No, it might have been the average five stars from eighteen members posting reviews on NetGalley did me in.

Denny Voss is neurodiverse. That is, he is developmentally challenged, has an IQ of 72 as a result of problems with his premature birth, and has been raised by his Nana-Jo (grandmother). At thirty he finds himself in the slammer on a murder charge.

How did this happen?

Although he will adamantly maintain he is NOT developmentally disabled (he “has 72”), it takes him (his POV) over 330 pages to explain what happened. Of course, there are some things he’d rather not divulge, so that takes a while.

If you’ve ever wondered what it was like to be in the mind of a challenged person, this novel might be of interest to you.

If you’ve ever had a challenged relative and wondered what that person thought, this novel might be of interest to you.

If you’ve ever had to work, be associated with, or are in some way friends with a challenged person, this novel might be of interest to you.

If you just plain enjoy good literary fiction, (friendship fiction), this novel will be of interest to you.

I am in absolute awe of Argus, Denny’s cousin, who lives in 8A opposite the 8B side of the duplex where Denny and Nana-Jo live. Argus can make me ashamed of the lack of patience I might exhibit, and especially as I get older, the need to hurry things along with slower or confused thinking—I don’t have all day! But Argus took lessons from Job. And he always has the perfect comeback for Denny, with kindness, patience, and love.

His grandmother has to be a saint in waiting. She is also kind, patient, returning endless discourse by Denny with thoughtful and loving answers.

Denny, on the whole, is one very lucky man. Because of those strong kind and loving relationships, he is also kind, thoughtful to others. He works with Argus at DOT picking up roadkill. He and Argus have a system worked out. There are well developed support characters, too, most gleaned from little thoughtful and compassionate gestures he’s made to others.

The frustration of getting inside Denny’s head is that as he has so carefully worked out the problem, the solution almost makes sense until he gets to the execution of his plan. I got as annoyed with him as I do my sister—sometimes you just can’t get through—or when you do it’s become unrecognizable.

It’s the repeats that might get a reader—but is unfortunately so often part of a challenged person. Sad how often I saw my sister in so many ways as Denny, though she is clearly not as developmentally disabled as Denny. (But she has a lot more trouble with dexterity than Denny.)

It’s an emotional story that lands a solid punch to the gut. Softening the pathos are the short bursts of humor, twists you won’t see coming, and an eye opening view of the baffling world in which they live.

Tesky, as with some cozy mysteries is despicable. Lydia, another character on the antagonist side of the story, sometimes dropped my jaw at her blatant raw reactions to Denny.

Argus had a T-shirt for every day of the week—for months it seems—each with appropriate sayings:

“Honk if you love Jesus, text while driving if you want to meet him.

Running late is my cardio.”

But, if Denny didn’t kill Tesky, who did? That’s the fun of the book isn’t it?

His new to lawyering lady is sweet, caring, and persistent. She has taken on Dr. Harland to assist in the process of securing Denny’s story, which is teasingly slow. I also enjoyed George the St. Bernard. What a great group of characters!

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 Humorous Fiction, Friendship Fiction, Coming of Age Fiction
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
ASIN: B0D9PBRHMG
Print Length: 335 pages
Publication Date: April 8, 2025
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble

The Author: Born and raised in Canada, Holly Kennedy currently lives near the Rocky Mountains in Alberta with her family and their Newfoundland dog, Wallace. She is the author of four novels and her books have been translated into multiple languages. When she’s not writing, you’ll typically find her reading, spending time with family, or (her not-so-secret obsession) watching true crime TV shows like Dateline. To find out more visit her website at http://www.hollykennedy.com or follow her on Facebook and Instagram.

Have a merry Tuesday!

Nothing Left of Me by Alex Walters #BookReview #NoirCrime

Book Blurb:

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

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

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

His Review:

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

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

Although a rather slow burn start, the plot line turns complex with fully-developed characters. This well-written story reveals that even Northern Scotland is not immune to greed and the violence rampant throughout our planet. Enjoy! 4.5 stars – CE Williams

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

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

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

Title Link(s):

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

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

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

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

He can be contacted at: mike@whitmuir.com

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

Twitter: @mikewalters60

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

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

Happy Holidays--Have a great Sunday!

Crime Scene by Jonathan Kellerman #AudiobookReview #ThrowbackThursday

Book 1 of 5: Clay Edison

Book Blurb:

Natural causes or foul play? That’s the question Clay Edison must answer each time he examines a body. Figuring out motives and chasing down suspects aren’t part of his beat – not until a seemingly open-and-shut case proves to be more than meets his highly trained eye.

Eccentric, reclusive Walter Rennert lies cold at the bottom of his stairs. At first glance the scene looks straightforward: a once-respected psychology professor done in by booze and a bad heart. But his daughter, Tatiana, insists that her father has been murdered, and she persuades Clay to take a closer look at the grim facts of Rennert’s life.

What emerges is a history of scandal and violence and an experiment gone horribly wrong that ended in the brutal murder of a coed. Walter Rennert, it appears, was a broken man – and maybe a marked one. And when Clay learns that a colleague of Rennert’s died in a nearly identical manner, he begins to question everything in the official record.

All the while, his relationship with Tatiana is evolving into something forbidden. The closer they grow, the more determined he becomes to catch her father’s killer – even if he has to overstep his bounds to do it.

The twisting trail Clay follows will lead him into the darkest corners of the human soul. It’s his job to listen to the tales the dead tell. But this time he’s part of a story that makes his blood run cold.

My Review:

Always late to the party, I discovered this novel by Kellerman and thought I’d try one of his new series. But it’s not so new. I’ve read a number of his Alex Delaware novels, so I’m familiar with Jonathan. This is the first I’ve read in a collaboration with his son. I thought since it is the first in the series, I’d go for it.

I liked the debut effort with Clay Edison, MC, who is a deputy sheriff with the county coroner’s office. It’s his job to access the situation and determine which of the five causes of death left the victim deceased. In the first death of the book, he meets Tatiana, the daughter of Walter Rennert. It appears to be an accidental fall, but she is sure it is not.

Clay Edison is developed well, providing an interesting and thoughtful character in the role although it appears to me that he quickly oversteps his job description. He has to remind himself not to jump to conclusions. But the concept of coming from this direction into the mystery sets up some suspense and the tension ratchets from there. Gather the facts…(and he has the hots for Tatiana, of course, who also quickly proves an enigma).

Yes, there are other little ventures out, usually in the dead of night or crack of dawn when a body is discovered and he’s called in. Some will prove natural causes, a few won’t. The storyline settles on a wave line with interesting material and filler.

I hung in there because I really liked, from the beginning, the narration by Dennis Boutsikaris. He doesn’t just read it—he becomes the character, very dynamic—the dialogue is complete with changes in pitch, pace, tone, and pauses. These characters are actually talking to each other! He’s an accomplished actor. He’s acting the part of Clay and does it exceedingly well. Thinking I’d jump into installment 5, I went back to my library, but no. It’s on a wait list. So is episode 2, 3, and 4. Wow. This thing is good and you might want to check it out.

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

Rosepoint Publishing: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Crime Fiction, Suspense, Mysteries
Publisher: Random House Audio
ASIN: B072BMCYK7
Listening Length: 9 hrs 38 mins
Narrator: Dennis Boutsikaris
Publication Date: August 1, 2017
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Link: Crime Scene – Amazon-US
Amazon-UK
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

The Authors:

Jonathan Kellerman

Jonathan Kellerman is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than three dozen bestselling crime novels, including the Alex Delaware series, The Butcher’s Theater, Billy Straight, The Conspiracy Club, Twisted, True Detectives, and The Murderer’s Daughter. With his wife, bestselling novelist Faye Kellerman, he co-authored Double Homicide and Capital Crimes. With his son, bestselling novelist Jesse Kellerman, he co-authored The Golem of Hollywood and The Golem of Paris. He is also the author of two children’s books and numerous nonfiction works, including Savage Spawn: Reflections on Violent Children and With Strings Attached: The Art and Beauty of Vintage Guitars. He has won the Goldwyn, Edgar, and Anthony awards and has been nominated for a Shamus Award. Jonathan and Faye Kellerman live in California, New Mexico, and New York.

Read more at:
http://www.jonathankellerman.com/

Jesse Kellerman

Jesse Kellerman has written dozens of plays and published seven novels, two of them cowritten with his father, Jonathan Kellerman. He has won numerous awards, including the Princess Grace Award for Playwriting (“Things Beyond Our Control”) and the Grand Prix des Lectrices de Elle (“The Genius”/”Les Visages”). His novel “Potboiler” was nominated for the Edgar Award for Best Novel. An essay, “Let My People Go to the Buffet,” was included in Penguin’s Best American Spiritual Writing (2011). His next book, Crime Scene, was also cowritten with Jonathan Kellerman and will be published in fall 2017. He lives in Berkeley, California, with his wife and children.

The Narrator: Dennis Boutsikaris was born December 21, 1952 in Newark, New Jersey, to a Greek American father and Jewish mother,^[1] and grew up in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey.^[2] He took up acting while a student at Governor Livingston High School, because he felt he was too small to succeed in athletics.^[3] A graduate of Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts, Boutsikaris toured the country with John Houseman’s The Acting Company doing classical theatre. Boutsikaris was married to actress Deborah Hedwall; they divorced in 2002.

He can be heard in over 160 audiobooks and has received eight Audie Awards and two Best Voices of the Year Awards from AudioFile Magazine.^[14] He was voted Best Narrator of the Year by Amazon for The Gene.

Find him at:
http://www.dennisboutsikaris.com *

*Thanks to Wikipedia for this info.

#throwbackthursday

The Phoenix Crown: A Novel by Kate Quinn and Janie Chang #AudiobookReview #TuesdayBookBlog

Best Literature & Fiction

Nominee for Readers’ Favorite Historical Fiction (2024)

Book Blurb:

From bestselling authors Janie Chang and Kate Quinn, a thrilling and unforgettable narrative about the intertwined lives of two wronged women, spanning from the chaos of the San Francisco earthquake to the glittering palaces of Versailles.

San Francisco, 1906. In a city bustling with newly minted millionaires and scheming upstarts, two very different women hope to change their fortunes: Gemma, a golden-haired, silver-voiced soprano whose career desperately needs rekindling, and Suling, a petite and resolute Chinatown embroideress who is determined to escape an arranged marriage. Their paths cross when they are drawn into the orbit of Henry Thornton, a charming railroad magnate whose extraordinary collection of Chinese antiques includes the fabled Phoenix Crown, a legendary relic of Beijing’s fallen Summer Palace.

His patronage offers Gemma and Suling the chance of a lifetime, but their lives are thrown into turmoil when a devastating earthquake rips San Francisco apart and Thornton disappears, leaving behind a mystery reaching further than anyone could have imagined . . . until the Phoenix Crown reappears five years later at a sumptuous Paris costume ball, drawing Gemma and Suling together in one last desperate quest for justice.

My Review:

While I’m totally mystified by the genre this title falls under, I’m a solid Kate Quinn fan and waited my turn for the library audiobook. This time around, Quinn collaborates with Janie Chang and between the two have seamlessly taken a number of different period stories and created The Phoenix Crown. Actually, that artifact only came up a few times in the story and it was near the end of the book.

My grandfather was caught in this earthquake. I wish I had gotten more stories from him but I do know he sustained a broken hip in the massive earthquake that wrought so much damage that the fire it started burned for three days.* The storyline counts down to the event in April 1906. On the San Andreas fault, the earthquake was felt as far north as the Oregon border, to the east as far as the Nevada border, and to the south in Las Angeles. Chinatown was burned to the ground as was Nob Hill and most SF landmarks.

There are several POVs including Gemma, Suling, and Alice. Their stories are linked by antagonist Henry Thornton. Not the first book I’ve read of the plight of the Chinese immigrants of the time given their role in the construction of the railroads. Suling becomes my favorite character as she relates her circumstances, a strong woman who doggedly plugs along on her quest for freedom when she is orphaned and third uncle is prepared to marry her off. She works for the family’s laundry but is a talented embroideress and it is that talent that helps to catapult her into independence.

Gemma has a gorgeous voice but is relegated to the backup voices or choir as she confronts debilitating migraines if faced with solos. She meets Thornton who sweet-talks her into believing he’ll make her a star. Uh huh. Of the three, she is weakest.

Alice Eastwood is a botanist and based on a real person of the time who still has her work displayed in the de Young Museum (read the epilogue and author’s notes at the end for how this all came together and that’s a fascinating account in itself).

The tension builds in the countdown to the earthquake. The three women unite in an effort to survive Thornton and the quake but five years later as realization hits that the Phoenix Crown survived, they know they must find Thornton once and for all.

“It wasn’t enough for a woman to be talented, clever, or good. That wouldn’t save her.”

It’s a story of the strength of women, particularly when they work together, the hardships faced at the time, the lively and burgeoning city, and the arts. More than just the name of the Crown, there is a little play with the words Suling and Phoenix, both rising from the ashes.

I had a little problem keeping up with Suling, alternately called Susie and Gemma’s friend (who is the reason for her moving to San Francisco). I first thought a man, Reggie, but that name changed as the plot progressed into a sub-plot.

I downloaded a copy of this audiobook from my local well-stocked library. Narrated in part by Saskia Maarleveld–also a big fan–she always does a super job. These are my honest thoughts.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: World War I Historical Fiction, Historical World War I Fiction
Publisher: HarperAudio
ASIN: B0BSP718CY
Listening Length: 11 hrs 35 mins
Narrator: Saskia Maarleveld, Katharine Chin
Publication Date: February 13, 2024
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Links: The Phoenix Crown – Amazon-US
Amazon-UK
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

The Authors:

Kate Quinn is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of historical fiction. A native of southern California, she attended Boston University where she earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Classical Voice. She has written four novels in the Empress of Rome Saga, and two books in the Italian Renaissance, before turning to the 20th century with “The Alice Network”, “The Huntress,” “The Rose Code,” “The Diamond Eye,” and “The Briar Club.” She is also a co-author in several collaborative novels including “The Phoenix Crown” with Janie Chang and “Ribbons of Scarlet” with Stephanie Dray, Laura Kamoie, Eliza Knight, Sophie Perinot, and Heather Webb. All have been translated into multiple languages. Kate and her husband now live in Maryland with three rescue dogs.

Janie Chang‘s historical novels have been critically-acclaimed Canadian national bestsellers. Her novels THREE SOULS and DRAGON SPRINGS ROAD were long listed for the International Dublin Literary Award. Her third novel THE LIBRARY OF LEGENDS was a Book of the Month Club pick. Her fourth novel, THE PORCELAIN MOON, was named one of the 5 Top Historical Novels of 2023 by the Toronto Star. THE PHOENIX CROWN, a novel co-authored with Kate Quinn, released in February 2024.

Her stories often feature a family connection, drawing from a family history with 36 generations of recorded genealogy and stories about life in a small Chinese town in the years before the Second World War, including tales of ancestors who encountered dragons, ghosts, and immortals.

Born in Taiwan, Janie has lived in the Philippines, Iran, Thailand, and New Zealand. She now lives on the beautiful Sunshine Coast of British Columbia, Canada with her husband.

Have a merry Tuesday!

*SF pic by Travel Channel

Still Me: A Novel by Jojo Moyes #BookReview

Me Before You Trilogy Book 3

Best Literature & Fiction

Winner for Readers’ Favorite Fiction 2018

Book Blurb:

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Giver of Stars, discover the love story that captured over 20 million hearts in Me Before You, After You, and Still Me.

Louisa Clark arrives in New York ready to start a new life, confident that she can embrace this new adventure and keep her relationship with Ambulance Sam alive across several thousand miles. She steps into the world of the superrich, working for Leonard Gopnik and his much younger second wife, Agnes. Lou is determined to get the most out of the experience and throws herself into her new job and New York life.

As she begins to mix in New York high society, Lou meets Joshua Ryan, a man who brings with him a whisper of her past. Before long, Lou finds herself torn between Fifth Avenue where she works and the treasure-filled vintage clothing store where she actually feels at home. And when matters come to a head, she has to ask herself: Who is Louisa Clark? And how do you find the courage to follow your heart—wherever that may lead?

Funny, romantic, and poignant, Still Me follows Lou as she discovers who she is and who she was always meant to be—and learns to live boldly in her brave new world.

My Review:

I had to eat some crow in February when I read Someone Else’s Shoes having formed an opinion of the author when she immediately followed The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson with her own version of the same story she called The Giver of Stars. (Someone Else’s Shoes is just plain fun and if you missed it, I’d definitely recommend.)

This book, the third in the Me Before You trilogy, is an interesting final installment. I can’t comment regarding the episode I preferred as I neither read Book 1 nor Book 2 and it might have worked better if I had.

This novel finds the MC, Louisa Clark, in New York following Nathan, her line into the home of ridiculously wealthy Leonard Gopnik. She is to be Gopnik’s wife’s assistant. His much younger wife Agnes, an immigrant, is finding it very hard to settle into the role of supportive eye candy on the arm of a rich and powerful man where she is expected to accompany him to an endless schedule of society gimmies. The ladies have tuned her out and not accepted her into their hierarchy.

She does manage to find some locals who are happy to accept her at face value, which is good when she suddenly finds herself out of a job and shelter. Where I groaned just a bit was with the local society-climbing boyfriend thing balancing act with the London-based hot paramedic guy.

While some (most?) may find the conclusion satisfying, I was less than impressed. Didn’t we all see that coming? (Including being busted for something she didn’t do?) Predictable.

What I did enjoy was the description of Manhattan, her first person view of New York, her short but unhappy reunions with Sam both here and abroad. Dialogue (including self-talk) is so believable, relationships so palpable, support characters well developed, and enjoyed the writing style. I sputtered a few times with the caustic old woman, but it certainly added spicy interest to the storyline.

Not a new one, but a favorite author of many and I’m sure fans of Jojo enjoyed this one. Yes, and I’ll continue to look for another by her as well.

I received a digital copy of this book from my local library that in no way influenced this review. These are my honest thoughts.

Rosepoint Rating: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Mothers & Children Fiction, Contemporary Women’s Fiction, Women’s Domestic Life Fiction
Publisher: Penguin Books
ASIN: B073YTMMQS
Print Length: 400 pages
Publication Date: January 30, 2018
Source: Local Library

Title Link(s):

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

The Author: Jojo Moyes is a novelist and journalist. Her books include the bestsellers Me Before You, After You and Still Me, The Girl You Left Behind, The One Plus One and her short story collection Paris for One and Other Stories. The Giver of Stars is her most recent bestseller and Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick. Her novels have been translated into forty-six languages, have hit the number one spot in twelve countries and have sold over thirty-eight million copies worldwide.

Me Before You has now sold over fourteen million copies worldwide and was adapted into a major film starring Sam Claflin and Emilia Clarke. Jojo lives in Essex with her family.

Happy Holidays--Have a great Sunday!

Random in Death by J D Robb #BookReview #policeprocedurals

In Death, 58 (of 60)

Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Book Blurb:

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

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

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

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

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

His Review:

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

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

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

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

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

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

Title Link(s):

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

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

Good day for a good book!

Deep Freeze: A Novel by Michael C Grumley #AudiobookReview #TuesdayBookBlog

Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Book Blurb:

From the bestselling author of the Breakthrough series: In his next near-future thriller, Michael C. Grumley explores humanity’s thirst for immortality—at any cost…

The accident came quickly. With no warning. In the dead of night, a precipitous plunge into a freezing river trapped everyone inside the bus. It was then that Army veteran John Reiff’s life came to an end. Extinguished in the sudden rush of frigid water.

There was no expectation of survival. None. Let alone waking up beneath blinding hospital lights. Struggling to move, or see, or even breathe. But the doctors assure him that everything is normal. That things will improve. And yet, he has a strange feeling that there’s something they’re not telling him.

As Reiff’s mind and body gradually recover, he becomes certain that the doctors are lying to him. One by one, puzzle pieces are slowly falling into place, and he soon realizes that things are not at all what they seem. Critical information is being kept from him. Secrets. Supposedly for his own good. But who is doing this? Why? And the most important question: can he keep himself alive long enough to uncover the truth?

At the Publisher’s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

My Review:

Sci-fi? Well, sorta, maybe. But cryogenics may be the next big thing. It’s long been an idea and evolving—how rapidly? Perhaps the near future?

It takes awhile for Army veteran John Reiff to wake, his eyes blinded by the strong overhead lights. It hurts to breathe and he is, taking internal inventory, unable to move. Where is he? How did he get here?

It is a great hook—the bus plunging into the freezing water below and John’s heroic efforts to save those abroad. Did he get out too or succumb to the temperature of the water closing in around him?

So, yes, the development holds the interest and begs additional information. John is enormously empathetic. A true miracle, brought back to life. But as he gradually gains control of his thoughts, memories, body, he begins to suspect this might not be a normal hospital. What are all those animals doing here?

I invest in the animals quickly, who wouldn’t? The circumstances are suspect, the atmosphere irregular. The main character is easy to like—but appears to be a pawn? As the reader becomes more suspicious and John discovers little secrets, gleans more clues, he begins to realize he is being lied to. Who to trust?

And by the way—what year is it?

We good so far?

I was, too, but somewhere near the middle or two-thirds of the book it veers into more dastardly purposes for the experimentation and that’s where it begins to lessen my interest. There is growing tension, but appears to revert to a trite but successful trope. I might have tripped over this idea before—what I haven’t is the engagement of the MC as he battles remnants of recovery, his body having sustained long-term damage only latently becoming obvious.

Certainly lots of ideas to ponder, twists and turns, interesting support characters, but it can’t be resolved in this new serial debut and must be continued. Rats. The narrator does a good job and if you enjoy technothrillers might be a great one to get in on at the beginning.

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

Rosepoint Publishing: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Technothrillers, Psychological Thrillers
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
ASIN: B0C3NRZ3XM
Listening Length:
Narrator: Scott Brick
Publication Date: January 9, 2024
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Link: Deep Freeze – Amazon-US
Amazon-UK
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

The Author: For years, Michael Grumley dreamed of writing thrillers the way he thought they should be written; unique and complex stories with plots that ‘move’. Enter BREAKTHROUGH, AMID THE SHADOWS, and THE LAST MONUMENT: all deeply human stories with endings you will never see coming.

Michael C. Grumley lives in Northern California with his two young daughters. He’s an avid reader, runner and most of all father. He dotes on his girls every chance he gets. His website is http://www.michaelgrumley.com and his email address michael@michaelgrumley.com. He loves hearing from readers.

He is currently working on the next Monument story.

Have a merry Tuesday!

Hold Strong: A Novel by Robert Dugoni, Jeff Langholz, Christ Crabtree #BookReview #HistoricalBiographicalFiction

Rosepoint Rating: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

From Robert Dugoni, Jeff Langholz, and Chris Crabtree comes an epic and inspiring novel—based on true events—about love, heroism, and resilience during the darkest chapters of World War II.

Sam Carlson is a projectionist in small-town Minnesota, where fantasies unspool in glorious black and white—for him and for his sweetheart, college-bound math whiz Sarah Haber. When the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor, Sam is sent to the Philippines and captured as a POW. Brutalized but unbroken by the Bataan Death March and POW camps, Sam is one of eighteen hundred starved and weakened prisoners herded into the cargo hold of a barbaric hell ship called the Arisan Maru, his survival doubtful.

Determined to use her math skills on the home front, Sarah is recruited to Washington, DC, into the covert field of code breaking. When Sarah intercepts a message about a Japanese convoy, the US Navy’s mission is clear: sink the Arisan Maru and send it to the bottom of the South China Sea. Now, the lives of the two young lovers are about to inadvertently collide in one of the most shocking acts of World War II.

Anchored in an extraordinary true story and breathlessly re-created, Hold Strong is a one-of-a-kind novel that explores faith, courage, survival, and coming home against insurmountable odds.

His Review:

The United States was neutral before the WW II. Our military was at peace and the port of Pearl Harbor was enjoying leave for the majority of its sailors and soldiers. The Philippines had a large contingent of U.S. military stationed near Clark Air Force Base and the island of Corregidor. After the attack at Pearl Harbor, the Japanese immediately attacked the bases in the Pacific and in the Philippines.

The bases were quickly overtaken because the military lacked shells and bullets. The entire contingent of men was forced to march nearly 3,000 miles in extremely hot and humid weather. Many of the men collapsed from the lack of food and water and were shot or bayonetted where they lay. Also, the prisoners were beaten and stabbed on the march. The Japanese were cruel and ruthless.

This story chronicles the terrible conditions they faced both during the “Battan Death March,” and the trip aboard the Arisan Maru. Eight thousand troops were forced into the ships’ hold with no place to sit or lay down. No fresh air was piped into the hold and many died of starvation or thirst. The Japanese commander was educated in the United States and loathed the Americans from Bataan and Corregidor.

Many perished aboard this terrible Japanese freighter and were simply thrown overboard without ceremony. Burial at sea duties were carried on by the prisoners without any coverings for the bodies. The Japanese allowed the prisoners half a cup of watery rice per day as food. All of the prisoners lost weight until they looked like walking skeletons. Many tried to help their fellow prisoners of war until they were so emaciated they could hardly walk themselves.

This novel highlights the plight of these 8,000 troops and the brutality that was inflicted by their Japanese captors. The Japanese felt the Americans were not good soldiers and sailors and would cave under the pressure. The average walk per day was around 30 miles. Food supplied by the Red Cross was enjoyed by the Japanese and never shared with the captives.

This novel would be enjoyed by anyone who appreciates historical biographical fiction or biographical fiction of WWII. There are times you can feel the heat and the desperate attempt at life, knowing the odds are against you. The descriptions bringing the scene to life are all too real. It’s crushing. Look for the release of this one in late January or pre-order now to enjoy massive savings. 5 stars – CE Williams

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.

Book Details:

Genre: Historical Biographical Fiction, Biographical Fiction, Historical World War II Fiction
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
ISBN:1662516304
ASIN: B0CW1FVMPG
Print Length: 503 pages
Publication Date: January 28, 2025
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble

The Authors:

Robert Dugoni is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and Amazon Charts bestselling author of the Tracy Crosswhite series; the Charles Jenkins series; the David Sloane series; several standalone novels, including A Killing on the Hill, The World Played Chess, and The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell; and coauthor of the nonfiction exposé The Cyanide Canary, a Washington Post Best Book of the Year. Dugoni is the recipient of the Nancy Pearl Book Award for fiction, a multi-time winner of the Friends of Mystery Spotted Owl Award for best novel set in the Pacific Northwest, and a finalist for many other awards [including the International Thriller Award, the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction, the Silver Falchion Award for mystery, and the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award.

Robert Dugoni’s books are sold in more than forty countries and have been translated into more than thirty languages and have reached millions of readers worldwide.

Visit his website and follow him on Amazon, Goodreads, twitter, Facebook, Tik Tok and other social media sites]. For more information, visit robertdugonibooks.com.

Dr. Jeff Langholz is an award-winning teacher, researcher, entrepreneur, and writer whose work has appeared in more than 250 media outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, National Geographic, and the Economist. His adventures span five continents and include stints as a rice farmer in West Africa with the Peace Corps, a Fulbright Scholar in South Africa, a salmon fisherman in Alaska, a tree farmer in Central America, and a mediator in New York. He lives along Monterey Bay in California [with his wife, dog, and two semiferal cats].

Chris Crabtree teaches middle and high school English language arts and literature at Costa Rica International Academy in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Chris and his wife, Vera, live in a rustic, rural town on the outskirts of Santa Cruz, Costa Rica, with their dogs Bety and Bruno.

From Indiana, Chris Crabtree attended the Indianapolis high school named after one of Hold Strong’s most heroic characters. His personal connection to the story also includes time spent in The Philippines, where the story starts. Chris served as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Sierra Leone, West Africa, where he and Jeff forged their decades-long friendship. He is an award-winning high school History and Literature teacher at Costa Rica International Academy in Guanacaste, Costa Rica.

Enjoy Your Sunday with a good book!