suspense – Page 3 – Rosepoint Publishing

The Angels’ Share: A Wine Country Mystery Book 10 by Ellen Crosby – a #BookReview #historymystery

Rosepoint Publishing: Five of Five Stars

“The angels’ share was the amount of alcohol or spirits lost to evaporation…anything that aged in barrels or casks.”

Book Blurb:

Ellen Crosby pours up another corking mystery with The Angels’ Share, an intriguing blend of secret societies, Prohibition bootleg wine, and potentially scandalous documents hidden by the Founding Fathers, all of which yield a vintage murder.

When Lucie Montgomery attends a Thanksgiving weekend party for friends and neighbors at Hawthorne Castle, an honest-to-goodness castle owned by the Avery family, the last great newspaper dynasty in America and owner of the Washington Tribune, she doesn’t expect the festive occasion to end in death.

During the party, Prescott Avery, the 95-year old family patriarch, invites Lucie to his fabulous wine cellar where he offers to pay any price for a cache of 200-year-old Madeira that her great-great-uncle, a Prohibition bootlegger, discovered hidden in the US Capitol in the 1920s. Lucie knows nothing about the valuable wine, believing her late father, a notorious gambler and spendthrift, probably sold or drank it. By the end of the party Lucie and her fiancé, winemaker Quinn Santori, discover Prescott’s body lying in his wine cellar. Is one of the guests a murderer?

As Lucie searches for the lost Madeira, which she believes links Prescott’s death to a cryptic letter her father owned, she learns about Prescott’s affiliation with the Freemasons. More investigating hints at a mysterious vault supposedly containing documents hidden by the Founding Fathers and a possible tie to William Shakespeare. If Lucie finds the long-lost documents, the explosive revelations could change history. But will she uncover a three hundred-year-old secret before a determined killer finds her?

My Review:

Yes, thrilled that I was given a download for The Angels’ s Share as I’d come late to the party (again) getting in at Book 9, Harvest of Secrets last November. (See that review here.) It was my first introduction to the wine country of Virginia. I still have a soft spot in my heart for the wine country of Napa, California, but this series has given me a burning desire to beat a hasty exit from Indiana to experience that special area around Jamestown. Mercy, the history!

Interest was hooked immediately and, although a series, can work well as a standalone. So easy to become engaged with the characters, the locale, and the description of the wine. Protagonist Lucie Montgomery and fiancé Quinn Santori go back to the plush wine cellar to retrieve the cell phone left after a private discussion with Prescott Avery. There they discover the 95-year old patriarch and owner of Hawthorne Castle dead. His death is not the result of age or a fall, however, and the discussion she and Prescott held in private quickly sends her on a quest for three-hundred-year-old Madeira, possibly hidden in her own winery.

The Madeira though is only the top layer of the complex well-drawn plot, delving into the history of the area and the local Freemasons including their connection with the Founding Fathers. Lucie begins to notice the subtle hints of Shakespearean phrase referenced to centuries old documents and artifacts. In order to find the precious wine, she’ll have to correctly interpret the materials left in her father’s secret safety deposit box.

Concentrating on the mystery of the documents, the reader is immersed in fascinating and detailed early American history of the Jamestown triangle. I love the way the author ties ancient mythology to her stories, and indeed, this entry to the series had a great deal more to do with the history mystery than that of the winery getting ready for Christmas.

So much intriguing information, aways a lot going on, the storyline never slows and keeps the reader flipping pages, each one leaving another lesson or plot point in one of the layers. It is an immersive book you don’t want to put down and delivers the implied promise of the cover. Perhaps Shakespeare didn’t write his own plays? There is so much you don’t know that you don’t know.

I‘m looking forward to visiting again soon and heartily recommend this entry in the well-developed series to anyone who enjoys a high-speed romp into one of our country’s most beautiful and history-laden areas. I received this uncorrected digital galley from the publisher (thank you, Minotaur!!) and NetGalley and appreciate the opportunity to read and review.

Book Details:

Genre: Cozy Culinary Mystery, Amateur Sleuths
Publisher: Minotaur Books

ISBN-10:1250164850
ISBN-13:978-1250164858
ASIN: B07PBP8BVX

Print Length: 362 pages
Publication Date: Happy Publication Day November 5, 2019
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Title Link: The Angels’ Share

The Author: Ellen Crosby is the author of the Virginia wine country mysteries and two mysteries featuring international photojournalist Sophie Medina. In 2019, Minotaur Books will publish THE ANGELS’ SHARE, the 10th wine country mystery. Before writing fiction, Crosby worked as a freelance reporter for The Washington Post, an economist at the US Senate, and Moscow reporter for ABC Radio News. Visit her website at http://www.ellencrosby.com and follow her on Facebook at EllenCrosbyBooks, Twitter at @ellencrosby & Instagram at ellencrosbyauthor.

Cover Reveal – Storm of Secrets by Loretta Marion – @RABTBookTours #coverreveal #mystery

Today I am providing a cover reveal for Storm of Secrets (Book Two in the Haunted Bluffs Mystery Series) by Loretta Marion for RABT Book Tours. I will be very busy with this book in November! Watch for further details.

First, just a few pertinent details:

Book Two in the Haunted Bluffs Mystery Series
MYSTERY (with elements of the paranormal and whispers of romance)
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books, distributed by Penguin Random House
Date to be Released: November 12, 2019

Shall we tell you what it is about first?

Book Blurb

A deadly storm, a missing three-year-old child, a suspicious death, and the eerie presence of the spirits of the dead set the stage for the second mesmerizing installment of Loretta Marion’s paranormal suspense series.

A powerful storm descends upon Cape Cod’s Whale Rock at the peak of tourist season–and the weekend Cassandra Mitchell’s and Daniel Benjamin’s wedding is set to take place at The Bluffs, the magnificent Victorian mansion Cassie inherited from her family. In the wake of the storm’s destruction, three-year-old Lucas Kleister goes missing–and the body of small-time drug dealer Lee Chambers is found in a restaurant dumpster. Now, the WRPD are faced with a murder to solve, a missing child to find, and the aftermath of one of the worst storms in recent memory.

While aiding with the clean-up and helping the displaced, Cassie has been receiving cryptic messages from the spirits of her great-grandparents, Percy and Celeste Mitchell, the original residents of The Bluffs. At first, the messages are benign, but soon, they begin to point to something more sinister. As Cassie works to decipher their meaning, the specter of a mysterious local legend surfaces. The tale of Barnacle Boy–and what happened to him during another destructive storm decades earlier–will weave through the desperate search to find Lucas and the identity of a killer.

And now…

⇓

Storm of Secrets by Loretta Marion

Nice, huh?!

About the Author

Loretta Marion - author Though born and raised in the Midwest, Loretta Marion fell in love with New England and has made it the setting for much of her writing. Her newest series, The Haunted Bluffs Mysteries published by Crooked Lane Books, take place in the fictional town of Whale Rock on Cape Cod. HOUSE OF ASHES was the first book in the series and will be followed in November by STORM OF SECRETS.

She is a true bibliophile, and her affection for the written word has followed her like a shadow throughout her life. A passion for writing fiction evolved from the unlikely world of hospice. As a volunteer, she set out to establish a Legacy Story program to honor and preserve the rich heritage of the fascinating people who were soon to leave this world. The meaningful experience inspired her to create her own interesting characters and stories.

Loretta’s writing bridges the genres of mystery and suspense and women’s fiction, always with hints of romance and humor, sometimes delving into the psychological and paranormal. She creates strong but flawed and struggling characters as appealing as the rich atmospheric settings in which the stories take place.

Her debut novel, THE FOOL’S TRUTH, was selected as a Finalist in both the Mystery & Suspense categories of the IAN 2017 Book of the Year Awards. It also received an Honorable Mention in the Fiction Category from the New England Book Festival and the Gold Book Award from Literary Titan.

When not whipping out words on her laptop, she is traveling, enjoying outdoor pursuits, or is curled up with a delicious new book. Loretta lives in Rhode Island with her husband, Geoffrey, and their beloved Mr. Peabody, a sweet, devoted and amusing “Corgador”.

Look for this Book at the following Locations:

Amazon Kindle Edition

Amazon Hardcover Edition

Amazon Author Page

Goodreads

More information about Loretta at http://www.lorettamarion.com/

Cover reveal brought to you by RABT Book Tours.

Bad Memory (Jessica Shaw Book 2) by Lisa Gray – a #BookReview #suspense #thriller #badmemory

This series is classic #crimenoir PI fiction. Dark suspense, damaged protagonist prone to booze, electric.

Book Blurb:

Quiet towns keep big secrets.

Private investigator Jessica Shaw is leading a quiet life in a Californian desert community, where she spends her days working low-level cases. But when a former resident asks Jessica to help her sister, Rue Hunter—a convicted murderer whose execution is days away—Jessica can’t resist the offer.

Rue doesn’t remember what happened the night two high school students were killed thirty years ago, but everybody in town is certain she’s guilty. As Jessica looks for answers, she finds that local rumors point one way and evidence points another. And nobody wants to face the truth. Meanwhile, Jessica can’t shake the feeling that someone is stalking her—now more than ever, she knows she can’t trust anyone.

As Jessica digs deeper, she encounters local secrets in unlikely places—including the police department itself. But the clock is ticking, and Jessica must find the truth fast—or Rue’s bad memory may be the death of them both.

My Review:

My first in the series of two and I can see why Book 1 (Thin Air) has garnered over 2K reviews on Amazon. Yes, perhaps it would be good to start with Book 1 but I had no problem understanding where this woman might have come from. Of course, the name Jessica Shaw kept hauling me back to the Jessica Jones (TV) series, so regardless of any kind of description, all I could envision was young, pretty, dark and seriously bent, Jessica.

The storyline revolves around a death row inmate due for execution, the sudden questioning of her own confession, and her sister’s desire to get at the truth–either way. I loved the way the author built a slow-burn, gleaning a small clue that somehow festers into an actual useable gem–something to build on.

Each chapter names either the main character or one of the many support characters and captures their view of the circumstances, whether currently, or back the thirty years that the murders happened. You get details filled in without being mired in minutia between solidly leading chapters. The hook from the beginning doesn’t let up and you’re in for the count. The reader might be guessing, jumping ahead knowing what’s coming, and then thwarted again by yet another twist or red herring.

But these are old secrets. Deadly secrets. And Jessica is racing again time to either stall an execution or supply those missing pieces of the memory that just doesn’t seem to form a whole picture. It’s complex. Far more than you might have thought. Realistic dialogue, engaging characters, and thoroughly well-plotted mystery, suspense, thriller.

Jessica might be just a bit difficult to invest in; perhaps you’d have to have walked somewhat in her shoes (and I hope you haven’t). She hasn’t been taught the latest defensive moves, barely owns a gun, and isn’t the deadly female whiz-bang of Dean Koontz variety. Jessica is vulnerable but savvy, smart, independent. The question is–can she save this woman due for execution?

I received this digital download from the publisher and NetGalley and greatly appreciated the opportunity to read and review. Definitely up for Book 3! My problems were a few edit misses and a couple contradictions a beta reader should have caught. Other than that, this one is totally recommended and predicted to do very well. Get in on (almost) the ground floor, or go back and start with Book 1. Either way, you can’t miss.

Book Details:

Genre: Private Investigator, Crime Thrillers
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

ISBN-10:1542092329
ISBN-13:978-1542092326
ASIN: B07Q8FD47T

Print Length: 311 pages
Publication Date: October 24, 2019
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Title Link: Bad Memory

Rosepoint Publishing: 4.5 of Five Stars

The Author: (Amazon) Lisa Gray has been writing professionally for years, serving as the chief Scottish soccer writer at the Press Association and the books editor at the Daily Record Saturday Magazine. Lisa currently works as a journalist for the Daily Record and Sunday Mail. This is her first crime novel. Learn more at http://www.lisagraywriter.com.

(Goodreads) Lisa Gray is a writer and journalist, and the author of the PI Jessica Shaw thriller series.

She decided at a young age that she wanted to write features for magazines and somehow ended up working as a football journalist for 14 years instead.

After too many winters spent freezing at matches and worrying about dodgy wi-fi connections, Lisa gave up football to work as a content writer at a national newspaper, where she had a spell as their books columnist.

An avid reader, she was hooked on Sweet Valley High and Point Horror books as a youngster, before turning to crime. Her favorite authors include Michael Connelly, Lee Child and Karin Slaughter.

THIN AIR is her debut crime novel and the first in a series about private investigator Jessica Shaw.

Portal to Murder by Alison Lingwood – a #BookReview

Yahoo! I won this Print Book in an International Giveaway

Book Blurb:

This is a story of the use and misuse of the internet.
Angela is a bored, middle-aged spinster approached on the internet by an ex schoolfriend Kevin.
Concerned that her boring existence will not hold his interest, she weaves a fabric of lies, becoming more and more obsessed with her fantasy life.
But Kevin too is not who he claims to be, and the relationship between the two of them leads to death and destruction.

My Review:

A debut by this author and certainly a heroic effort penning a fully engaging novel that grips from the first page.

Mercy! How easy is it to unintentionally involve persons in a web of deceit using the internet. The interaction is arms length–shielded by the internet wall of protection. So easy to hide behind that shelter. From one small fantasy turned twisted to another whose life was already irrevocably warped. Of these myriad characters, a few innocents caught in this perverse tale turned sinister and eventually deadly.

I’m not sure. Is the main character the antagonist? Perhaps. There would appear no protagonist. There are empathetic characters in Giles (I felt so bad for him), his daughter, Harriet. The good support characters unintentionally involved by their network of friends. Then there are the others. You can’t think like them. (I hope not anyway!) Can’t figure them out. Angela–just–yuck. Yuck, yuck, and phtooey! She is so well fleshed you can smell her.

I enjoyed the journey through to discovery with the Detective Inspector Timothy and DS Talbot. Gleaning one tiny piece at a time until all the rest came together. And it was not a pretty picture.

Yes, I’m American and the dialogue purely British, but the dialogue is quite natural and believable. Antagonists are well developed as my suspicion is you are supposed to dislike them. They are egregious. And you do.

“Oh, what a tangled web we weave…”

The conclusion is folded out patiently, so if at some point you got mildly lost, you could catch up at this point. Since the antagonists were intentionally set early, you knew who. But it was that last little zinger that got me and I hadn’t expected that one. No, quite the opposite, in fact.

My only problem with this very complex tale was the edit misses and a few missing words. Could have benefitted by an additional editor. Otherwise, this is one spell-binding drama that I would have no problem recommending.

Book Details:

Genre: Suspense, Crime Thriller, Mystery

ISBN-10:1480225320
ISBN-13:978-1480225329
ASIN: B00B5ULJZY

Print Length: 314 pages
Publication Date: January 24, 2013
Source: International Giveway by Kerry @ https://chataboutbooks.blog
Thank you, Kerry!
Title Link: Portal to Murder

Rosepoint Publishing: Four of Five Stars

The Author: Alison Lingwood was born in Cheshire in 1952 and this is her first novel. She is an ex-lecturer and retired businesswoman who lives in Staffordshire with her husband. [This author now has six published novels, the last, Immersed in Murder in August, 2018.]

The Assignments by PT Dawkins – #Book Blitz – #Excerpt – #thriller

I am so excited to provide a Book Blitz for you on my stop for #RABTBookTours

Thriller, Financial Thriller

Published: June 2019

Publisher: Booklocker

photo add-to-goodreads-button_zpsc7b3c634.png

Jonathan Black, the notorious Wall Street equity trader, runs his desk with an iron fist. Without warning, unpredictable events turn his world upside down. Following a “friendly” corporate merger, Blackie learns the desk he used to run is gone forever. The job he cherishes has yielded to computerized, algorithmic formulas. Adding salt to the wound, he must defend himself against charges of felony insider-trading, having made $2.5 million using non-public information. He is on the street, without a job and under the gun.

Agent Margaret Stark of the FBI’s white-collar crimes unit, known for her “take no prisoners” approach, investigates Blackie. Maggie is certain that, after many frustrating months trying to unlock an insider-trading ring, she has found the key. Blackie had the means, motive and opportunity to commit the crime. The reader learns of deep personal reasons fueling her desire to take him, and all like him, down.

A direct attempt, forcing him to come clean is a complete failure. Maggie must accept that Blackie is no ordinary felon. She adopts a more subtle approach. On the surface, she will offer him a chance to clear his name by working several stings, including insider trading, mortgage fraud, jury tampering and a Ponzi scheme, where Blackie is the bait. She calls them Assignments. In reality, she designs her projects to give her adversary the maximum opportunity to trip up. When Blackie initially resists the deal, Maggie uses a carrot and stick. She argues a court would look kindly on his cooperation. On the other hand, if he refuses, she vows to continue to use all her resources to take him down.

As the assignments progress, Maggie learns there is far more to this man than his hostile trading-desk persona. While searching for clues about the illegal trade, she discovers that he is hiding his past and leading a secret, second life, including an insatiable and unexplained need for money. The mystery of the man only intensifies her desire to uncover the truth. Concurrently, the target criminals behind each assignment grow progressively ruthless. The stings are thus, increasingly dangerous. Lives, including Blackie’s are at risk.

photo The Assignments with store buttons_zpsl84uvjz4.jpg

Excerpt

Chapter 1

I grimace when I see her anywhere near my trading desk.

“Good morning Blackie, how was your weekend?”

Deidra’s voice is pure as if she’s never screamed-out a single word in her life. She sashays across the room in

a blue business-like skirt with a white blouse and a scarf, as if ready to pose for one of those model magazines. Her

dark red nails match her lipstick. She must use a tanning machine. I can’t imagine how much time she spends on that

big jet-black hair. Most female traders I know put their hair in a ponytail at work.

That’s my point, she glams-up every day. It’s all wrong. Why spruce yourself to mud-wrestle? The traders sit

at identical, adjacent workstations. There is little space and no walls. Soon after the market opens at 9:30 a.m., it’s a

scene of messy hair, rolled-up sleeves and undone collars. No one gives a shit how you look. They all understand,

once they put their headset on and their butt in a chair they are to produce trades. When an order comes in, they

shout out the name and the size. By the end of a busy day, half of them are hoarse. There’s the constant hum and

heat from the equipment and the smell of too many bodies close together. After a while, they stand up to stretch; the

chairs kill your back. Don’t you dare miss a trade while you’re in the can. Somebody comes by with coffee and the

lunch cart.

I’m studying the three large LED monitors, each flashing arrows, symbols and headlines in white, red, green

and yellow, giving me valuable market insight.

That’s the only reason any of us are here.

She’s waiting for my response. I don’t acknowledge her. I’ll never understand why some people can’t figure

out what’s important. If this woman replaced her hair dryer with a computer screen and studied the overnight news

instead of filing her nails, she could get a jump on the competition. I wonder how many times I’ve told her that–

enough so I won’t again. That she’s standing next to me wasting time is a clear sign she’s out of touch.

I suspect Deidra and I are close to the same age. I’m thirty-two. Over the years, I’ve picked up wrinkles and

extra belly roll, because I sit all day. Yes, there are things called gyms. Once the market closes, I’ve no energy for

that; I am done like dinner, put a fork in me.

“Blackie?”

Does she think I didn’t hear her? She should know better than to come between my screens and me as I

prepare for the market opening.

I scowl at her.

“Deidra, one of us is working. See if you can figure out which one.”

My voice sounds like sandpaper compared to hers. She makes a feeble gasping noise and shuffles over to her

workstation, where she should have gone. Now, just because she’s a woman, don’t jump to conclusions. I will work

with anybody: female, male, white, black, if you’re green and from Mars, it’s the same. But, if you want to talk

when I’m on the desk it better be about a trade. Besides, I’m not a person you can just walk up to and flap your

gums for no reason. Don’t bother me with the weather, politics or what an over-paid professional athlete did or

didn’t do. I couldn’t care less how your night was or whether you got laid.

Understand this. We sit on a trading desk not at a birthday party. We’re here to help our clients buy and sell

stocks. What we do is cutthroat; the rest of Wall Street does the same thing. We fight for every single transaction.

When you miss one, that commission goes into someone else’s pocket. You can never get it back.

My former boss hired and trained me. Then, without warning, at forty-four years old he keeled over. This

business can take its toll. It sucked, but it got me promoted. He was a weak manager anyway and didn’t run the ship

as tight as he could. Soon after I was in charge, I fired two deadbeats and with Deidra, I’d have had a hat trick, but I

can’t touch the beauty queen. Every time I try, the Human Resources department–HR–says I have to train her and

give her a fair chance. I keep saying, “Impossible. You can’t teach a sense of urgency. We’d be doing her and us a

favor.” They keep saying, “Do it.”

The job requires you to read people, listen between the lines. When I speak with a customer, my view on the

market’s direction, a news flash, or the president’s latest tweet isn’t important. Only the client’s opinion is. I hear

their tone of voice. Do they sound unsure? I try to figure out which way they are leaning, never forgetting they are

all, always motivated by greed or fear. You can’t believe everything they say, because there’s more bullshit on Wall

Street than on a farm. Sometimes the customer is trying to screw you into doing a losing trade at the wrong price,

maybe to cover a mistake he made. If he has paid us lots of commissions, you let him.

Trading takes backbone. When the shit hits the fan, it’s more-often-than-not pointing at you.

My team doesn’t like me. Ask out of my earshot, and stand back. They will call me every name in the book,

which is fine. We aren’t here to make friends. They should thank me; I trained them. They’re now in a league with

the best traders on Wall Street.

My phone bank contains sixty clear plastic buttons, all direct lines. One lights; it’s our biggest client. It’s only

9:15 a.m., which is odd since trading hasn’t started yet. I punch it.

“Blackie here.”

“Blackie, it’s Rocky. We have a huge stock holding for sale. I wanted to show it to you first.”

About the Author

While P.T. Dawkins writes about “crimes of deception,” his primary goal is to create characters the reader will remember long after the book is finished. He studied English at Dartmouth College, and is an active post-graduate learner including MBA and CFA degrees and creative writing training from acclaimed authors.

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#TBR September #suspense #cozy #christmasbooks #literary My Short Stack for Fall and Holiday Reading!

#TBR Sept - Short Stack

Good Morning Thursday People! I’m pretty excited about the review line up I have for the rest of the month and thought I’d share. If we’re looking at Fall and being inside more, that generally gives us the opportunity for more reading. Titles are links to Amazon. Covers are links to Goodreads. Here are a few lovely suggestions:

Good Morning, Bellingham by Marina Raydun

Book Blurb:

When Peta goes missing, a two-decade-old secret threatens to rip at the seams and come out in the open. Relationships are tested as one dysfunctional family comes together in search of their daughter, sister, and wife. What they find instead will change each one of them forever.

My stop on the book tour with Sage’s Blog Tours.

Beyond a Reasonable Stout by Ellie Alexander

I’ve read both book 9 from A Bakeshop Mystery and A Pint of No Return from the Sloan Krause Mystery Series #2, and I must say I thoroughly enjoyed the latter. This one from the same series. I’m so there.

Book Blurb:

Amateur sleuth Sloan Krause delves into the murderous political world in another delightful mystery from popular cozy writer Ellie Alexander.

It’s the dead season in Leavenworth, Washington. The throngs of Oktoberfest crowds have headed home, and the charming Bavarian streets are quiet and calm—momentarily. Villagers use the reprieve to drink in the crisp fall mountain air and prepare for the upcoming winter light festival. Soon the German-inspired shops and restaurants will be aglow with thousands of twinkling lights. Visitors will return to the northern Cascades to drink warm mulled cider and peruse the holiday markets. Brewer, Sloan Krause and her partner in crime Garrett Strong are using the slowdown to stock up on a new line of their signature craft beers at Nitro. They’re experimenting with a hoppy holiday pine and a chocolate hazelnut stout. The small brewery is alive with delicious scents and bubbling batches of brew.

Sloan is in her element. She loves the creativity and lowkey atmosphere at Nitro. Only that is soon threatened by the incumbent city councilmember Kristopher Cooper. Kristopher is running for re-election on a platform of making Leavenworth dry. Everyone in beertopia is fuming. Leavenworth’s economy relies on keeping the kegs flowing. Kristopher wants to banish beer, a policy that might just bankrupt the entire village. However, Kristopher turns up dead days before election night. Sloan quickly realizes that his murder isn’t the work of a stranger. Friends, family, and every other business owner had a motive to kill him, including none other than April Ablin, Leavenworth’s self-described ambassador of all things German. Sloan finds herself defending April and trying to sleuth out a killer amongst a group of familiar faces.

From NetGalley

The Garden Club Murder by Amy Patricia Meade

Okay, I confess: I requested this book solely on the picture of the Bichon Frise on the cover. (Looks so like my Frosty girl.)

Book Blurb:

Literary caterer Letitia ‘Tish’ Tarragon is preparing her English Secret Garden-themed luncheon for Coleton Creek’s annual garden club awards, but when she is taken on a tour of some of the top contenders with the garden club’s president, Jim Ainsley, Tish is surprised at how seriously the residents take the awards – and how desperate they are to win.

My stop on the book tour with Escape with Dolly Cas.

Christmas Cow Bells by Mollie Cox Bryan

I’m a sucker for an adorable book cover–this qualifies.

Book Blurb:

The first novel in Mollie Cox Bryan’s brand new mystery series, set in the Blue Ridge Mountains, will keep you guessing until the cows come home . . .

Christmas is a time for new beginnings, so after her big breakup, Brynn MacAlister takes the gouda with the bad. With her three Red Devon cows, she settles in bucolic Shenandoah Springs, eager for a new life as an organic micro-dairy farmer and cheese-maker. Then her dear cow Petunia’s bellows set the whole town on edge. But it isn’t until Brynn’s neighbor, Nancy, dies in a mysterious fire that her feelings about small town life begin to curdle . . .

It seems some folks were not happy with Nancy’s plan to renovate the Old Glebe Church. But is a fear of change a motivation for murder? As a newcomer, Brynn can’t ignore the strange events happening just on the other side of her frosty pasture—and soon on her very own farm. Suddenly Christmas doesn’t feel so festive as everyone demands she muzzle sweet Petunia, and Brynn is wondering if someone wants to silence her—for good . . .

From NetGalley

Portal to Murder by Alison Lingwood

Book Blurb:

YAY! I won this beautiful print copy in an international Giveaway from Kerry at Chat About Books (thank you again!). Review scheduled Friday, October 3.

See one here you’d like to add to your TBR as well? This will start my Short Stack series, as I’ll have another for October. In the meantime, if you can resist these covers I’d be surprised! Let me know if you’ve read one of these and what you thought. I always appreciate collaboration and corroboration!

Never Ever by Willow Rose – a #BookReview

A new review from my Associate reviewer. The CE discovers author Willow Rose.

Never Ever (Eva Rae Thomas Mystery Book 3) by Willow Rose

Book Blurb:

Former FBI profiler Eva Rae Thomas returns in Willow Rose’s most nail-biting thriller yet.

Ex-agent Eva Rae Thomas is on the run. The past month she has done things she never knew she was capable of while hunting for her kidnapped daughter.

Eva Rae has risked everything,

-her career,

-her newfound love,

-her freedom.

She’s looking for the man they call the Iron Fist. The trail has led her to Miami.

Meanwhile, Miami is under attack. Hundreds of passengers in the Metrorail are exposed to a deathly nerve gas on a peaceful Monday morning. When Eva Rae Thomas sees her daughter on the surveillance footage from the attack, she knows it is no coincidence. But by the time she uncovers the chilling truth of how it is all connected, it might be too late.

NEVER EVER is the third book in the Eva Rae Thomas Mystery Series and can be read as a standalone.

My first experience with this author and series, but I feel it works well as a standalone. The characters are well-developed and believable.

Human trafficking in young girls is big business in South Florida. When Olivia, the teenage daughter of former (protagonist) FBI profiler Eva Rae Thomas is abducted, a frantic hunt begins. Meanwhile, a Seren gas attack on a subway causes panic in the Miami area and hinders the search. Unidentified young girls are among the victims on the train.

A second attack occurs at a Roman Catholic Church and surveillance footage shows Olivia!

This book is fast-moving and at times aggravating in the near misses in finding and recovering Olivia. Dialogue is intelligent and the well-plotted mystery moves at a fast pace but I did not fully understand how her daughter came to be vulnerable to kidnap, only that she had.

A twist at the conclusion dispels illusions and preconceptions of the actual organization. A roller-coaster read with many tosses and turns. The ending is totally unexpected.

This ebook was downloaded free from BookBub with no expectation of a review and this is my honest opinion. 4.5/5 Stars CE Williams

Book Details:

Genre: Romantic Suspense, Police Procedurals, Mystery Romance

Publisher: BUOY MEDIA

ISBN-10:1071411705
ISBN-13:978-1071411704
ASIN: B07SNQNGQH

Print Length: 357 pages

Publication Date: August 25, 2019

Source: Publisher and BookBub

Title Link: Never Ever

Rosepoint Publishing: Four Point Five of Five Stars

The Author: *NEW RELEASES*:
☞ – Don’t Lie To Me (Eva Rae Thomas Mystery-series #1) Just released!
☞ – What You Did (Eva Rae Thomas Mystery-series #2) – Just released!
☞ – Never Ever (Eva Rae Thomas #3) – Just released!
☞ – Say You Love Me (Eva Rae Thomas #4) – preorder today!

Willow Rose is a multi-million-copy best-selling Author and an Amazon ALL-star Author of more than 70 novels. Her books are sold all over the world.

She writes Mystery, Thriller, Paranormal, Romance, Suspense, Horror, Supernatural thrillers, and Fantasy.

Willow’s books are fast-paced, nail-biting page-turners with twists you won’t see coming. That’s why her fans call her The Queen of Scream.

Several of her books have reached the Kindle top 10 of ALL books in the US, UK, and Canada. She has sold more than three million books all over the world.

Willow lives on Florida’s Space Coast with her husband and two daughters. When she is not writing or reading, you will find her surfing and watch the dolphins play in the waves of the Atlantic Ocean.

Connect with Willow online:

http://www.facebook.com/willowredrose

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http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4804769.Willow_Rose
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Sign up for Willow’s VIP email list, and you’ll automatically be notified as soon as her next book is released: http://www.willow-rose.net

Inbox already stuffed? Send the word: “ebooks” to 31996 to get a text alert with news about new releases, giveaways, and bargains from Willow.

Books by WILLOW ROSE:

Eva Rae Thomas Mystery Series:
– Don’t Lie To Me (Eva Rae Thomas Mystery Book 1)
– What You Did (Eva Rae Thomas Mystery Book 2)
– Never Ever (Eva Rae Thomas Mystery Book 3)
– Say You Love Me (Eva Rae Thomas Mystery Book 4 will be released Sept 30, 2019)

She also wrote 4 in the Mary Mills Mystery Series, 7 in the Jack Ryder series, 10 in the Rebekka Franck Mystery Series (of which I read two), and 12 in the Emma Frost Mystery Series.

Desolate Shores by Daryl Wood Gerber – a #BookReview

Title: Desolate Shores (An Aspen Adams Novel of Suspense Book 1) by Daryl Wood Gerber

Book Blurb:

Daryl Wood Gerber, the national bestselling and Agatha Award–winning author of the Cookbook Nook Mysteries, returns with a novel of gripping suspense . . .

A chilling murder, an elusive killer, and a family mystery that hits too close to home . . .

After finding the body of her best friend on the icy shores of Lake Tahoe, Aspen Adams refuses to stand by and watch as the local sheriff’s department begins their search for the killer. Launching her own investigation, she’s soon confronted with a growing array of secrets—both about the friend she thought she knew and about many of the people in her own life. As fragmentary clues and escalating dangers threaten to derail her, she must also cope with the disturbing behavior of her deadbeat sister and troubled teenage niece.

Determined to overcome her personal demons over past failures, Aspen is driven to unravel the conflicting evidence and a shifting range of suspects to bring the killer to justice, even as a family trauma unfolds that threatens to upend her life. And as her investigation inexorably leads her to a shocking discovery and taunts her with a solution that is just out of reach, Aspen realizes that the killer wants nothing more than to see her and her niece dead . . .

Book Details:

Genre: Suspense, Women Sleuths
Publisher: Beyond the Page

ISBN-10:1950461203
ISBN-13:978-1950461202
ASIN: B07V9PP2R4

Print Length: 239 pages
Publication Date: August 13, 2019
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Title Link: Desolate Shores

My Review:

Aspen Adams fled to the beautiful mountains of Lake Tahoe when her therapy practice crashed in on her. (And I must say, the author had me at Lake Tahoe–love that area, those mountains, the memories, and the cabin we shared a couple blocks from the shore.) Aspen was invited to work with her aunt Max in her detective agency and was hoping to elevate to private investigator. She is thrust into the position when her best friend, Vikki Carmichael, is murdered and she lacks trust in the local sheriff’s department to find and bring her killer to justice.

The author weaves a well-plotted mystery while she extols the beauty, the activities, and the unique location of the premier ski resorts at the California/Nevada border, favoring Alpine Meadows (not my favorite). Her descriptions of the scenes with the protagonist and her aunt, contacts, and Detective Sergeant Nick Shaper put you in the area and bloomed so real, you could smell the pine trees.

Aspen’s sister, unfortunately, has a drug habit that has driven a wedge between them, but she is unable to deny her niece, Candace, a safe haven when her sister unceremoniously dumps her there for the week. It’s not long before a sub-plot develops with juggling the care of her niece with her investigation which moves at a good pace.

The author has infused a wide cadre of characters, including Karen Brandon, a seasoned detective who appears to have an alcohol problem, favorite haunts around the lake, and the bitter cold of winter in the Sierras. Aspen is floored to realize she really didn’t know Vikki as well as she thought. In the meantime, she begins to get flutters when she is in the presence of sexy Detective Shaper.

There is sufficient backstory of Aspen to get a grasp of who and why she is, though is a bit difficult to fully invest. Her niece is woven sympathetically. I liked Gwen at the bar and her aunt and they will prove to be strong support characters in the future but have reservations on the possible romance aspect with Shaper. Ummm, nah.

The author draws a careful and believable conclusion, possibly confirming who you thought was the culprit all along; just not the how or why. If so, you may have missed in the twists the subtle clues to how it would all interlink.

I received this ebook digital download from the publisher and NetGalley and greatly appreciated the opportunity to read and review. Either as a standalone or as book 1 in a new series, the narrative is off to a terrific start keeping the suspense throughout. Recommended to fans of Ms. Gerber (of cozy fame) and anyone who enjoys a clean, well-paced mystery with sufficient suspense that piques your interest for a second.

The Author: SIGN UP FOR MY NEWSLETTER, which comes out once a month and with a new release
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Tasty, zesty, dangerous!

Agatha Award-winning author Daryl Wood Gerber writes the bestselling COOKBOOK NOOK MYSTERIES and FRENCH BISTRO MYSTERIES. As Avery Aames, she pens the bestselling CHEESE SHOP MYSTERIES. In addition, she writes stand-alone suspense thrillers, including GIRL ON THE RUN and DAY OF SECRETS and DESOLATE SHORES. Fun tidbits: Daryl jumped out of a perfectly good airplane, and she hitchhiked around Ireland by herself. Also, as an actress, Daryl appeared in “Murder, She Wrote.” She loves to read, cook, and golf. She has a frisky Goldendoodle named Sparky who keeps her in line!

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