#TuesdayBookBlog – Page 16 – Rosepoint Publishing

Trotting into Trouble by Amber Camp – #BookReview – #TuesdayBookBlog

Horse Rescue Mystery Book 2

Book Blurb:

An investigation goes from an easy trot to a full-on gallop into danger in the second Horse Rescue mystery, perfect for fans of Amanda Flower and Mollie Cox Bryan.

It’s business as usual when horse rescue owner Mallory Martin gets a call from Sheriff Grady Sullivan that a loose horse has been found in a popular hunting area. While trying to catch the horse, Mallory stumbles upon the body of his unfortunate rider, Hillspring’s star basketball coach, Douglas Griggs. All signs point to a tragic hunting accident.

Despite her better instincts, Mallory finds herself in the middle of another murder investigation when the coach’s widow begs her to look into the case. Mrs. Griggs believes the sheriff is ignoring any evidence that doesn’t point to an accident.

But Mallory’s troubles are only beginning. As she juggles a blossoming romance, tensions with her best friend Lanie, and responsibilities at the rescue, she discovers that Coach Griggs’s enemies had ample motive to murder him. And now, Mallory may be in the killer’s sights.

My Review:

A new author to me and a new cozy mystery as well as I did not get in on the first book in the series. Still, much as I enjoy dog stories, thought I’d appreciate a horse story as they have always provided a fascination for me (witness how many episodes of Heartland we’ve watched!).

In the second of the series, protagonist Mallory Martin gets a call about a riderless horse running in a park and they need her expertise with the Hillspring Horse Rescue to corral the animal. Sure enough, he’s spooked, and in the effort to calm him, Mallory finds the rider—dead. It just doesn’t feel like an accident to her, however, and she is compelled to look deeper into the situation as she knew the man. Coach Griggs was a good influence in her life. This has become personal.

Hey, it’s a cozy mystery. Of course, the sheriff has warned her to stay out of it, but he wants to declare a hunting accident. Not gonna happen. She finds a piece of evidence overlooked by law enforcement. She has a recent nursing history and forensic experience. She can’t let this go.

Mallory is a smart character, feels real, and has great support characters who come alive in the pages, including Biscuit, the donkey and Banjo, the “goofy blue heeler.” I enjoy the knowledge imparted about the horses—there is always so much to learn about our domestic animals, particularly these magnificent creatures.

Well written, well paced (no let down in the middle of the storyline), and an atmospheric, descriptive rural setting keep the pages turning.

The evidence and her investigation lead to a satisfying conclusion, along the way side-tracked with a few twists and turns. Not a huge surprise, but certainly one that lends itself to reality.

Fun new cozy animal mystery (loved the cover—totally caught my eye) and I look forward to the next in the series. 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: Amateur Sleuth Mysteries, Cozy Animal Mystery
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
ASIN: B0BVTH36MG
Print Length: 304 pages
Publication Date: November 14, 2023
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Amber has lived in Northwest Arkansas for twenty+ years, working as an RN at a rural hospital in the area. She has a menagerie of animals that includes dogs, cats, horses, and what has been described as the Mule from Hell, which may or may not be a slight exaggeration. Writing has always been a focus in Amber’s life, something she describes as “food for my soul.” An avid reader since grade school, she enjoys multiple genres and is always looking for new authors to add to her favorites. You can visit her on social media or at https://www.ambercampauthor.com

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The Night We Burned by S F Kosa – #BookReview – #bookclubs

Book Blurb:

A new psychological thriller from suspense powerhouse S.F. Kosa featuring a decades-old secret, a mysterious cult fire, and a woman looking to outrun the ashes of her past…until they come roaring back once more.

Dora is always aware of the line between fact and fiction. As a fact checker at an online magazine, her job depends on it. And as a woman outrunning her secrets, so does her life. But when a colleague decides to pursue a story about a murder in her hometown, one linked to a deadly fire at a cult compound twenty years prior, suddenly all of Dora’s carefully spun deceptions are at risk.

And if she can’t stop the story, her entire life is on the line.

As Dora works with her colleague, altering facts to hide her past along the way, she’s thrown back into a world she tried desperately to leave behind. One of ritual and belonging, of danger and darkness. A world where two girls promised to help each other through…until it all went up in flames.

As her lies pile up, so do the murders. Until Dora realizes she won’t be lucky enough to escape twice.

My Review:

You never know what you’ll be exposed to in a book club. Books you probably wouldn’t choose on your own—this being one.

It didn’t take long, however, before the hook was set. It has been twenty years since Dora Rodriguez left the life. It’s taken her twenty years to do a makeover, now working at an online magazine out of Seattle. She’s a fact checker and co-worker, Miles, is hot on the story of the anniversary of a fire that killed members of the infamous Oracles of Innocence religious cult.

One of the few survivors was recently found murdered—left with a mysterious but telling stone in his mouth. Miles wants to drive to Bend to research the cult and he wants Dora to return to her hometown with him to help with his investigation.

Now splits the timeline and even the POV, as Dora relives the time between 2000 when she was lost, alone, and hungry and 2020. Dora is scared her involvement in the cult will be discovered and prosecutable following the devastation of that night.

The description of her rescue by a cult member sounds like a familiar sound track, one we’ve heard more than once, regarding the reports of the cults that arose out of the 60s and 70s resulting in the shocking death of numerous followers.

Back then, Christy, feels she has finally found the “family” she has always longed for. Love, support, and shelter, the young woman Eszter now her best friend who discovered her sitting on the curb.

It evolves simply enough, the clothes, the structure, the work assignment, and finally the name change from Christy to Parvenah—her cult name. She does not know anyone else’s given names, only those assigned by Darius, their leader.

“…right now, your words say to me ‘gimme, gimme, gimme,’ but I hear you offering nothing.”

Is this really brainwashing? Sexual manipulation, indoctrination, psychological exploitation of the friendless population hungry for love, respect, inclusion. Eszter is her best friend until jealousy comes between them for the favors of Darius. Then violence begins to happen, dark secrets manifest.

As the reader is fed the heartbreaking evolution of the cult, Dora makes ever-increasing ill-conceived decisions, stupid choices that leave you scratching your head and wondering if she has completely run off the rails. It’s easy to invest in several scenarios, predict what will happen as it turns ever more intense.

The characters are well developed. You might begin with some sympathy toward Christy, Parvenah, Dora, but eventually you want to strangle her neck. No WONDER she ended up in a brutal cult!

Think you know where it’s going?

You don’t.

The reader can discern some small quibbles in the storyline—and there are a number of them. Noah? Don’t we know who Noah really is all along? What happens to Miles? Is he leading this research or isn’t he?

Thinking you know where this is fun depending on your view of successful predictions—only to be caught in that one last—MAJOR—twist in conclusion.

A Gotcha.

I was stunned. That’s twice this year(?). I love when that happens. Have you read this one? Did you love it?

I received a review copy of this book from my library with the recommendation of the book club that in no way influenced this review. These are my honest thoughts.

Rosepoint Rating: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Women’s Crime Fiction, Women’s Psychological Fiction, Crime Thrillers
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
ASIN: B08QX23BKD
Print Length: 370 pages
Publication Date: August 10, 2021
Source: Local Library – through book club

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: S F Kosa also writes as Sarah Fine. No bio is listed on her website (or Amazon or Goodreads author’s pages).

The Caretaker by Ron Rash – #BookReview – #TuesdayBookBlog

Rosepoint Rating: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

Told against the backdrop of the Korean War as a small Appalachian town sends its sons to battle, The Caretaker by award-winning author Ron Rash (“One of the great American authors at work today” —The New York Times) is a breathtaking love story and a searing examination of the acts we seek to justify in the name of duty, family, honor, and love.

It’s 1951 in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. Blackburn Gant, his life irrevocably altered by a childhood case of polio, seems condemned to spend his life among the dead as the sole caretaker of a hilltop cemetery. It suits his withdrawn personality, and the inexplicable occurrences that happen from time to time rattle him less than interaction with the living. But when his best and only friend, the kind but impulsive Jacob Hampton, is conscripted to serve overseas, Blackburn is charged with caring for Jacob’s wife, Naomi, as well.

Sixteen-year-old Naomi Clarke is an outcast in Blowing Rock, an outsider, poor and uneducated, who works as a seasonal maid in the town’s most elegant hotel. When Naomi eloped with Jacob a few months after her arrival, the marriage scandalized the community, most of all his wealthy parents who disinherited him. Shunned by the townsfolk for their differences and equally fearful that Jacob may never come home, Blackburn and Naomi grow closer and closer until a shattering development derails numerous lives.

A tender examination of male friendship and rivalry as well as a riveting, page-turning novel of familial devotion, The Caretaker brilliantly depicts the human capacity for delusion and destruction all too often justified as acts of love.

My Review:

Blackburn is not your average protagonist. His mind is fine. It’s his body that isn’t, so he’s found solace in the relative peace of the cemetery that he oversees. He does have one good friend. Jacob Hampton doesn’t notice his physical differences. They are simpatico. Understand and trust each other. So much so that when Jacob is drafted, he leaves the care of his young wife to Blackburn, who takes that care very seriously.

The problem is the townspeople, who have likewise shunned the child, now wife, of the prominent son of wealthy parents who promptly thought Jacob lost his mind. Their efforts to separate the two are solidly rebuked. She’s an outcast, poor, uneducated, and ignorant. But she, too, has no problem with Blackburn.

I have to admit, I was slow in engaging with the teenager who captures Jacob’s heart. Jacob is expected to take over the business his parents have painstakingly nurtured until the success has made them very comfortable. He is bored stiff with that notion and has other ideas which serve to alienate him and his parents anyway–and marrying Naomi only widens the rift.

Jacob is an empathetic character. He is not as well developed as Blackburn, but still your heart goes out to him. It is with some trepidation then that Blackburn and Naomi form a bond–one that Naomi stupidly flaunts–further alienating the townspeople. The characters, including most support characters, are vivid, fleshed, and so easy to visualize.

It is beginning to look like Jacob may not return from overseas. Blackburn begins to relax a bit with his charge, a sensitive change that Naomi, pregnant with Jacob’s child welcomes. My heart is breaking for the road this plot is apparently taking and I begin urging the writer to say it isn’t so.

Jacob’s parents love him so much, they are willing to do anything to gain their son back if only he returns safely. It’s almost despicable. I kept thinking they’d soften. But what happens in conclusion is crushing, realistic. It leaves the reader stunned into acquiescence. And silence.

The prose is handled delicately, beautifully, and often in this literary narrative. The writing style is haunting and thought-provoking.

“Learning people were so much more than you thought, wasn’t that also part of no longer being a child?”

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: Small Town & Rural Fiction, US Historical Fiction, Historical Literary Fiction
Publisher: Doubleday
ASIN: B0BR4YJ97Q
Print Length: 272 pages
Publication Date: September 26, 2023
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Ron Rash is the author of the 2009 PEN/Faulkner Finalist and New York Times bestselling novel, Serena, in addition to three other prizewinning novels, One Foot in Eden, Saints at the River, and The World Made Straight; three collections of poems; and four collections of stories, among them Burning Bright, which won the 2010 Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award, and Chrmistry and Other Stories, which was a finalist for the 2007 PEN/Faulkner Award. Twice the recipient of the O.Henry Prize, he teaches at Western Carolina University.

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Before It’s Too Late by Sara Driscoll – #BookReview – #TuesdayBookBlog

An FBI K-9 Novel Book 2

Book Blurb:

As a serial killer plays games with the FBI, a special agent and her K-9 partner refuse to follow the rules in this Washington, D.C., thriller.

Somewhere in the Washington, D.C. area, a woman lies helpless in a box—barely breathing and buried alive. In Quantico, the FBI receives a coded message from the woman’s abductor. He wants to play a game: decipher the clues, save the girl. But when FBI cryptanalysts crack the code, Special Agent Meg Jennings and her K-9 partner, Hawk, are too late. An innocent life is lost…and the killer’s game is far from over.

With more coded messages, the deadly pattern is repeated—again and again. As the body count rises, Meg decides to break protocol and consult her brilliant sister, Cara, to decipher the kidnapper’s twisted clues. Putting her job on the line, Meg is determined not to let one more person die under her and Hawk’s watch. If the plan fails, it could bite them in the end. And if it leads to the killer, it could bury them forever . . .

My Review:

I can’t seem to resist getting back to a Sara Driscoll FBI K-9 novel, one of my favorite doggy series. This one, only the second in the series, but amazing with the amount of research into Civil War info and the little ditties at the beginning of each chapter. Designed to whet the interest and give a heads up to the next chapter, they are also a great learning tool of many little known military facts and those specifically gleaned from the Civil War experience.

Meg discovers she is the target of a perp who loves to play deadly games—his clues are usually left on the canine companion of an abducted woman. It’s up to the FBI cryptanalysts and then Special Agent Meg Jennings to decipher the code in time to find and save the woman. Eerily, the woman invariably looks much like Meg.

Meg’s dog is Hawk, a war canine she was able to obtain following the death of her then fiancé. A Belgian Malinois, he’s smart, alert, effective and trained extremely well. Meg is not without residual problems from her own military experience but she is smart and physical and can hold up with the best of them.

Her team includes an agent with another dog, but in this case, she quickly discovers she must carefully include two outside of the team for the help their intel can supply, one of whom is Clay McCord, a reporter who knows Civil War history. She does stretch credulity a bit this time with what a body (particularly a female body) is capable.

I appreciate the intelligence that Meg brings to the pages, but even more so the relationship she shares with Hawk and with the canine mystique in general. I always learn something new and discover it’s appalling I knew so little about my own beloved canine companions to whom we so often attributed anthropomorphic behaviors.

But as my buddy Michael Reisig says, “If you think it’s just a dog, then that’s all you’ll ever have.”

About this time last year, I read and reviewed Still Waters and love getting back to Meg, Hawk, and her amazing FBI page-turning thrillers and am always looking for another I might have missed or a new one coming out.

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

Rosepoint Rating: Four point Five Stars

Add to Goodreads

Book Details:

Genre: Animal Fiction, Dog Care, Kidnapping Thrillers
Publisher: Pinnacle Books
ASIN: B07HLYR1R4
Print Length: 309 pages
Publication Date: September 25, 2018
Source: Local Library
Title Link(s): Before It’s Too Late [Amazon]

The Authors: Sara Driscoll is the pen name of Jen J. Danna and Ann Vanderlaan,

Ann Vanderlaan - author — Ann Vanderlaan

authors of the Abbott and Lowell Forensic Mysteries. Jen is an infectious disease researcher at a cutting-edge Canadian university near Toronto, but loves to spend her free time writing the thrilling and mysterious. Ann lives in western North Carolina with five rescued pit bulls, including Kane, now a certified therapy dog. She also trains with Kane for competitive nose work. You can follow the latest news on the F.B.I. K-9 Mysteries at SaraDriscollAuthor.com.

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Need You by Blake Pierce – #BookReview – #TuesdayBookBlog

A Daisy Fortune Private Investigator Mystery

Book Blurb:

When private investigator Daisy Fortune is approached by an uber-wealthy, mysterious woman to discover who murdered her fiancé on a yacht in the Mediterranean, Daisy is skeptical. Her client seems guilty, yet Daisy, a brilliant but floundering P.I., needs this case. As Daisy immerses herself in the opaque world of the mega-rich, she comes to learn, after a series of shocking twists, that the beautiful people hide the darkest secrets of all.

Daisy Fortune never wanted to be a private investigator, but when her father had a stroke, she felt obliged to carry on the family business. Her P.I. business is on the brink of bankruptcy when an uber-wealthy client offers an extraordinary fee to clear her name. To do so, Daisy will have to immerse herself in the world of the mega-rich—a world Daisy knows nothing of.

Red flags abound as Daisy finds herself pulled deeper into the web of lies and dark secrets of the world’s wealthiest.

Secrets they will do anything to protect.

Daisy, though, is brilliant and tenacious, and as she steps into the role, she begins to realize she has her father’s gift. Unearthing the truth becomes a passion for her and she learns she will stop at nothing to do it—even if it means risking her own life.

A page-turning private investigator thriller, the DAISY FORTUNE series is a riveting mystery, featuring a brilliant detective and packed with non-stop action, suspense, twists and turns, revelations, and driven by a breakneck pace that will keep you flipping pages late into the night. Fans of Michael Connelly, Harlan Coben and L.T. Ryan are sure to fall in love.

My Review:

Daisy Fortune is getting very nervous about her ability to continue with the PI agency left to her by her father, who had achieved some notoriety during his heyday.

Worried she’ll lose the business and wondering what she’ll do next, she is unexpectedly engaged by a wealthy woman who appears to be lost until she confirms she is looking for her agency to discover what happened to her recently departed fiancé. Well, yeah, doesn’t she need the money? Daisy starts packing but doesn’t realize she’ll end up on an island in Greece.

The young Jacob Vandiveer was a spoiled, uber rich male used to getting what he wanted, when he wanted. The holdings of the super rich, including the palatial estate, were beyond anything Daisy could imagine though she almost doesn’t succeed in even gaining entry. Once in, with fits and starts, she begins her investigation mostly contained within the grounds, the employees, friends, and any relatives that might have attended the party on the yacht at which he was found deceased.

My first experience with this author and this being Book 1, I thought I got in on the ground floor of a new series! The writing style is fairly simple and the installment can be an easy, fast read. Not a particularly complex plot, there are twists, but it’s easy to guess who is going to be the perp.

Daisy is not fully developed and few of the support characters are either. I’m sure Daisy will evolve with further installments. The other characters won’t be reoccurring sidekicks although there is a possible introduction to a love interest. There is, however, the suggestion of a thread that her father was not able to solve—that of her missing brother that I suspect will factor into further installments.

The conclusion wrapped up most of the loose threads, no problem there, but I was astounded that with the hefty check she received from the patriarch for solving his son’s murder, it only allowed her to pay past due and current bills—cover the next few months. My God, how much does it cost to keep a low-rent PI office open? I’ll bite on Book 2 (and I see it was published in February, Books #3 and 4 May and June respectively), see where this is going, but hope it gets a little more complex and creates interesting reoccurring characters besides Daisy. Right now I can’t decide if she’s milk toast or a self-assured and competent PI.

I received a complimentary review 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: Private Investigator Mysteries, Women Sleuths
ASIN: B0BPJVVQD4
Print Length: 203 pages
Publication Date: January 6, 2023
Source: Local Library

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Blake Pierce is the USA Today bestselling author of the RILEY PAGE mystery series, which includes seventeen books. Blake Pierce is also the author of the MACKENZIE WHITE mystery series, comprising fourteen books; of the AVERY BLACK mystery series, comprising six books; of the KERI LOCKE mystery series, comprising five books; of the MAKING OF RILEY PAIGE mystery series, comprising six books; of the KATE WISE mystery series, comprising seven books; of the CHLOE FINE psychological suspense mystery, comprising six books; of the JESSIE HUNT psychological suspense thriller series, comprising twenty-eight books; of the AU PAIR psychological suspense thriller series, comprising three books; of the ZOE PRIME mystery series, comprising six books; of the ADELE SHARP mystery series, comprising sixteen books, of the EUROPEAN VOYAGE cozy mystery series, comprising six books; of the LAURA FROST FBI suspense thriller, comprising eleven books; of the ELLA DARK FBI suspense thriller, comprising fourteen books (and counting); of the A YEAR IN EUROPE cozy mystery series, comprising nine books, of the AVA GOLD mystery series, comprising six books; of the RACHEL GIFT mystery series, comprising ten books (and counting); of the VALERIE LAW mystery series, comprising nine books (and counting); of the PAIGE KING mystery series, comprising eight books (and counting); of the MAY MOORE mystery series, comprising eleven books; of the CORA SHIELDS mystery series, comprising eight books (and counting); of the NICKY LYONS mystery series, comprising eight books (and counting), of the CAMI LARK mystery series, comprising eight books (and counting), of the AMBER YOUNG mystery series, comprising five books (and counting), of the DAISY FORTUNE mystery series, comprising five books (and counting), of the FIONA RED mystery series, comprising five books (and counting), of the FAITH BOLD mystery series, comprising five books (and counting), of the JULIETTE HART mystery series, comprising five books (and counting), and of the new MORGAN CROSS mystery series, comprising five books (and counting).

ONCE GONE (a Riley Paige Mystery–Book #1), BEFORE HE KILLS (A Mackenzie White Mystery—Book 1), CAUSE TO KILL (An Avery Black Mystery—Book 1), A TRACE OF DEATH (A Keri Locke Mystery—Book 1), WATCHING (The Making of Riley Paige—Book 1), NEXT DOOR (A Chloe Fine Psychological Suspense Mystery—Book 1), THE PERFECT WIFE (A Jessie Hunt Psychological Suspense Thriller—Book One), IF SHE KNEW (A Kate Wise Mystery—Book 1), MURDER (AND BAKLAVA) (A European Voyage Cozy Mystery—Book 1), LEFT TO DIE (An Adele Sharp Mystery—Book One), A MURDER IN PARIS (A Year in Europe—Book 1), CITY OF PREY (An Ava Gold Mystery—Book One), and HER LAST WISH (A Rachel Gift FBI Suspense Thriller—Book One) are each available as a free download on Amazon!

An avid reader and lifelong fan of the mystery and thriller genres, Blake loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit http://www.blakepierceauthor.com to learn more and stay in touch.

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Iwo, 26 Charlie by P T Deutermann – #BookReview – #TuesdayBookBlog

World War II Navy #10

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

T. Deutermann is a contemporary master of World War II military fiction: writing about the lives, deaths, dreams, fears, and combat experiences of sailors and soldiers, generals and grunts, captains and snipers, pilots and submariners, who served in the Pacific theatre war against Japan.

The island of Iwo Jima was the epic land and sea battle that produced one of the iconic images of WWII: the Marines raising the American flag on Mount Surabachi, an active volcano that was the site of intense hand-to-hand combat. In this gripping novel, Deutermann follows a young gunnery liaison officer, Lee Bishop, who during the ferocious battle for the island is pulled from his station aboard the USS Nevada to serve on-shore as a spotter, calling in coordinates for the ship to target with missiles.

But Bishop is completely unready for what he will witness and experience: a literal hell, during which 26,000 Americans are killed in a fight to the very last man, which culminates in the blistering, sulphurous tunnels of Surabachi itself, where an entire platoon of Marines is held captive. Iwo, 26 Charlie is a dramatic, utterly authentic novel by an award-winning writer.

His Review:

One of the most iconic images of the battle of Iwo Jima and World War II is the raising of our flag on Mount Suribachi. This is one of our country’s proudest moments during the war in the Pacific. This achievement took a lot longer than the citizens of our country knew. Most battles the U.S. Marines fight are in concert with the U.S. Navy. This is one of those stories.

There is a rivalry between these two branches of the U.S. military and also a bond of brotherhood. Lieutenant Lee Bishop goes onto the island with the intention to assist in firepower from the naval bombardment to “soften up” the island prior to the marine’s landing effort. The Japanese had prepared the island for the war with a myriad of caves and fortifications to thwart any attempt to occupy the island.

Lieutenant Bishop goes in to assist in fire control and direction to destroy the Japanese fortifications. His call name is IWO, 26 Charlie. The Japanese are extremely adept at killing any spotter who comes onto the island. The life expectancy of a spotter is estimated at 24 hours. The Japanese come out at night and kill anyone who is not fully awake or vigilant.

The USS Nevada has a myriad of weapons systems including 14-inch guns. Their fire control includes a rudimentary analog computer. Grids are utilized to give accurate coordinates for the placement of the ordinance. Most shells fired at the island were the 5-inch and 8-inch explosive types. The effect on the Japanese emplacements was generally minimal due to the excellent design and construction of the emplacements.

Anyone interested in the history of the Second World War will find this novel both interesting and amazing. I could not put the book down and I am sure most history buffs will have the same problem, which is a very one to have when reading! 5 stars – CE Williams

Last year I read The Last Palatine and found it absolutely riveting. I’ll be looking for anything released by this author going forward. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.

Book Details:

Genre: Historical World War II Fiction, WWII Historical Fiction, War Fiction
Publisher: St Martin’s Press
ASIN: B0BQGFM2HK
Print Length: 288 pages
Publication Date: November 28, 2023
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Peter Deutermann was born in Boston in 1941. His father was in the Navy, so he subsequently lived all over the United States and also in Argentina. He graduated from the naval academy in 1963 and served in the navy for 26 years, rising to the rank of Captain. While in the navy, he published one textbook on naval operations and several professional articles in navy-oriented journals. He held three commands: a Swiftboat in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam, a guided missile destroyer in the Atlantic Fleet, and a destroyer squadron based in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. His last tour of duty was as the division director for chemical, biological, and radiological weapons arms control negotiations on the staff of the Joint Chiefs in Washington, DC.

He retired from active duty in 1989 and began his fiction-writing career. He has published twenty novels since 1992, all with St. Martins Press, including the just-released World War II navy novel, entitled The Commodore, and the Washington thriller, The Red Swan. He has completed his 21st novel, entitled The Iceman, a World War II navy submarine story, scheduled for publication in August, 2018. See all the books on his website at http://www.ptdeutermann.com

In addition to a BS in naval engineering, Mr. Deutermann holds an MA in public administration from the University of Washington in Seattle, WA. He is also a Member of the Royal College of Defence Studies in London. He is married and has two children. Mr. Deutermann and his wife of 50 years live in Rockingham County, in the Piedmont of North Carolina, on their family pony farm.

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Lock ‘N’ Load by Tee O’Fannon – #BookReview – #TuesdayBookBlog

Federal K-9 Book 1

Book Blurb:

Crack CIA analyst Trista Gold is a whiz with the computer, but not so much with people. She hides behind her job, analyzing top-secret code and making recommendations on national security. She doesn’t need a man in her life. But she will, very soon….

CIA K-9 officer Sgt. Matt Connors suspects that beneath Trista’s uptight appearance, there’s a sexy woman itching to cut loose. But he doesn’t dare act on his attraction. He’s a loner and always will be. Keeping away from Trista is a must-do directive. Until he doesn’t have a choice….

During a routine assignment, Trista stumbles across a cryptic exchange. She doesn’t think much of it…until someone tries to murder her – twice. Both times, Matt had been there to save her. But now she has to hide. And her new bodyguard, Matt, and his K-9 are the only hope she has against the powerful forces that want her dead.

My Review:

Well, yucky! Eck. Obviously a sucker for a cover with a dog and the promise of a working K-9 in the story and I’m hooked again, despite the initial trepidation of the glossy guy with an obvious six-pack under that sweaty t-shirt. I knew better but signed up anyway. That’s on me.

Of course, the blurb sounded interesting as well. A CIA analyst, Trista Gold knows a computer inside and out. She can surf with the best, analyzing top-secret code, but apparently as brilliant as she is, didn’t understand her hacking was being hacked. Until that is, there are repeated attempts on her life. Oops.

Enter super sexy, way over-the-top CIA K-9 officer Sgt. Matt Connors in all his glorious 6’ and hyper-studly knighthood with the dog. He’s so HOT. Trista is panting. But tiny, mousey Trista knows he couldn’t possibly be interested in a mouse like herself, so she’ll pant in silence. Might be a good thing cause he has issues. BIG issues.

Oh, good grief. How did I get myself into this?

Let’s see: She’s terrified of dogs, but he has one. No prob. He’ll introduce the dog to her and she’ll come to love it. He has six buddies, all studly and super HOT, and ALL have dogs. No prob. She has come to love dogs.

The cop is breast obsessed (and she has a couple) which turns him into a HOT beast who has to fight himself to stay away from her. Not. The reader gets a graphic description of his bodily reaction to her. Gross. But he sees the inner beauty in her that he’ll bring out and she’ll become everyone’s tiny but blond curvy darling (no doubt unpinning her bun and removing her glasses).

Did they ever stick to business and figure out who is trying to kill her? Could it possibly have been in connection to her job? Nah. Gotta be something else, huh? Does the dog get to do his thing and rescue the damsel in distress? Oh yeah. And what of the other HOT guys—all 6’ and gorgeous examples of manhood. Will this thirty-something mouse lose her virginity and turn into an accomplished vixen between the sheets?

UGH. Who cares?

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

Rosepoint Rating: Two point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Espionage Thrillers, Romantic Suspense
Publisher: CreateSpace
ASIN: B07CWRYKPV
Print Length: 372 pages
Publication Date: May 28, 2018
Source: Local library selection
Title Link(s): Lock ‘N’ Load [Amazon]

The Author: Tee O’Fallon is the author of the Federal K-9, K-9 Special Ops, and the NYPD Blue & Gold Series. Tee served as a federal agent and police investigator for a 28-year law enforcement career, giving her hands-on experience that she combines with her love of romantic suspense and action-packed thrillers. When not writing, Tee enjoys cooking, gardening, chocolate, lychee martinis, and kicking back with her Belgian Sheepdogs, Loki and Kyrie. In the summer, Tee can be found anywhere there’s a boat and calm water. Tee loves hearing from readers and can be contacted via her website https://teeofallon.com where you can also sign up for Tee’s newsletters at https://teeofallon.com/subscribe/.

#TuesdayBookBlog

Flop Dead Gorgeous by David Rosenfelt – #BookReview – #TuesdayBookBlog

An Andy Carpenter Mystery Book 27

in Animal Fiction

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

Lights, camera, action in bestselling author David Rosenfelt’s Flop Dead Gorgeous, as Andy Carpenter goes bicoastal to prove an old friend’s innocence.

Retired lawyer Andy Carpenter remembers every dog that’s come through the Tara Foundation’s doors, but the most well-known alum of the dog rescue organization that Andy founded in Paterson, New Jersey, may be Mamie. Adopted by famous actress Jenny Nichols—Andy’s high school girlfriend—the miniature French poodle is now practically a starlet in her own right.

Andy doesn’t hold it against his friend. In fact, he and his wife, Laurie, have dinner with Jenny while she’s in town filming her next big hit. But after an eventful meal, there’s a plot twist the next morning that none of them see coming: Jenny’s costar is found dead, a knife in his back. It’s not long before Jenny is arrested for the murder and finds herself in need of Andy’s legal services.

While Mamie becomes reacquainted with Tara, Andy’s golden retriever, Andy digs into the lives of the rich and famous.

A Macmillan Audio production from Minotaur Books.

My Review:

Attorney Andy Carpenter is very wealthy and retired. Or at least he’s worked very hard at retiring, but it seems something always comes up that touches him personally and he has to, absolutely must, be involved in their defense.

This time, though, it really is personal, as the accused is an old high school flame, now a well-known movie star, Jenny Nichols. When back in Paterson, she adopted a mini-poodle from Andy’s Tara Foundation. So don’t you know he has an investment in seeing her found not guilty.

Andy has an amazing team, including his wife, an ex-cop and her K-Team which includes Corey and his retired police dog Simon Garfunkel. There are others, of course, including Marcus Clark, who is far more vocal this time than in previous installments. All work beautifully to round out an all-star cast of characters you come to know and love.

Now comes all the grunt work, meetings, assignments, and investigation. If Jenny didn’t do it, who did? Each well-developed character gets to shine, including the dogs—and we do love the dogs!

Andy is full of his snarky sense of humor as they weave through threads, twists, and misdirections.

These stories aren’t simple, they develop layers not always initially satisfied. I was surprised at the courtroom outcome this time. I don’t ever remember such a development before but remind you that these stories are all different. Author Rosenfelt always presents a new wrinkle.

Remarkable this is Book #27 and can still be fresh and unique. I’ve read or listened to most of this series and often fall back on an audiobook I might have missed, including my last Holy Chow. I love the banter, the investigation, and the courtroom footwork. This is one of my favorite series and I must assume yours as well. If not—check it out!

I received a complimentary review copy of this uncorrected digital galley from the publisher and NetGalley. Thank you, thank you! These are my honest thoughts and, as usual, looking for the next installment.

Book Details:

Genre: Animal Fiction, Traditional Detective Mysteries
Publisher: Minotaur Books
ASIN: B0B9KV1T2L
Print Length: 272 pages
Publication Date: July 4, 2023
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Title Link: Flop Dead Gorgeous [Amazon]
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

The Author: David Rosenfelt, a native of Paterson, New Jersey, is a graduate of NYU. He was the former marketing president for Tri-Star Pictures before becoming a writer of novels and screenplays. “Open And Shut” was his first novel; “First Degree,” his second novel, was named a best book of 2003 by Publishers Weekly. He currently lives in Southern California with his wife and 35 dogs.