Girl Watching You by J. A. Schneider -a review

Girl Watching You by J. A. Schneider -a review

 

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ABOUT THE BOOK: RELEASE DATE JUNE 27, 2019

A young woman, obsessed by a man she considers a predator, climbs a fire escape and thinks she sees a murder.

Out of work actress Ava Beck, reduced to working in a West Village flower shop, starts to watch womanizing hedge funder Peter Greer, who lives near. He likes to romance his girlfriends with flowers.

Ava notices bruises on his troubled-looking date named Chloe. Concerned, she follows them after work to Chloe’s studio, second floor in the rear of a brownstone. She hears them arguing, climbs up the fire escape just as Greer angrily sees her…and plunges into a world of stunning twists, murder and madness worse than any she could have imagined.

••••••••••

REVIEW: Girl Watching You begins with Ava Beck, an out of work actress, working in a flower shop. Since her sister’s death two years ago, she still finds herself going over the series of events that led up to her death. Ava knows down to her toes that it wasn’t an accident, and is doing everything she can to bring charges (that will stick) against her sister’s abusive boyfriend. Ava knew from the moment that her sister was killed who did it. Just so happens that the boyfriend was also a successful actor and had Ava blacklisted. Hence, she’s working in a flower shop, and has become a bit of a people watcher.

One person that has caught her eye is Peter Greer, who seems to change girlfriends often, and who also stops at the shop often to purchase flowers for his current flame. She notices one particular woman, whom she has seen a couple of times with Greer, has bruises and seems a bit disheveled. Although Ava’s boss has warned Ava about her “people watching” that has almost turned into stalkerish behavior, she takes it upon herself to find out exactly what is going on. While Ava is spying on Peter and the woman, she sees that things starting to get out of hand, only to have Peter see her. Or did he?

The next day, Ava discovers that the woman has been murdered. Once again, she thinks she knows who did it and sets out to “look” in on Peter. Little does Ava realize how much that decision will change the rest of her life.

Girl Watching You is a nicely written story, even though it comes across almost as a screenplay in parts of it. Ava seems a little naïve in the way she handles several issues in her life, but ended up getting her stuff together towards the last half of the book. The secondary characters are well written and it is the interactions between all of them that pulls you in. Just when you think you know who did it, Schneider twists it masterfully and leaves you guessing until almost the very end. If you’re a fan of suspense thrillers, you’ll enjoy this latest story from J.A. Schneider.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Vickie K

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Shoeless Child (Detective Kerri Blasco) by JA Schneider-a review

SHOELESS CHILD (Detective Kerri Blasco #4) by J.A. Schneider-a review

 

ebook only 99¢ Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 24, 2018

A little boy has seen a horrific murder but is too traumatized to speak. Detective Kerri Blasco struggles to connect with him…

Charlie Sparkes peeks out to see his mother and another young woman brutally shot. Hysterical, the brave child bolts into the cold November night for help. He screams and cries, only to fall into more trauma.

Homicide Detective Kerri Blasco is called to the murder scene. One woman lies dead next to the blood soaked rug where Rachel Sparkes was seriously wounded. With little memory of the attack, she has been taken to the hospital – but where is her child? He too, Kerri discovers, now lies in a hospital bed, mute and traumatized in a fetal position, refusing even food and water.

Charlie must have seen what happened. Kerri’s heart aches for this piteous little boy and she struggles to help him; struggles, too to find the monster who did this horrible crime. “It’s your kind of case,” Sergeant Alex Brand, Kerri’s boss and partner tells her, stepping up police urgency when another innocent is shot, and then another.

Kerri Blasco finds herself more emotionally obsessed with this case than with any other, despite clear and onrushing danger to herself…

•••••••••

REVIEW: Shoeless Child begins with an unprovoked attack on two young women, leaving one dead and one in the hospital. The only witness is a little boy, Charlie, who was able to get away from the attacker and find help.

Detective Kerri Blasco, along with her partner, Alex, make the scene and it doesn’t take her long to surmise that the little boy must have seen the attacker. When they head to the hospital, they find the surviving victim, along with her very traumatized little boy. Kerri finds herself getting emotionally involved in helping little Charlie come out of his shell and vows to figure out exactly what happened. What follows is a suspenseful read that will keep you turning the pages until the final twist is revealed and leaves you floored……..

Shoeless Child is another nicely written story by J.A. Schneider. I love Kerri Blasco and her partner, Alex. Kerri’s character is very relatable. She has a bit of a horrific past herself, which humanizes her and makes her a three dimensional character. Alex, who is also her boyfriend, is the perfect partner for her. The secondary characters are well written and play off of each other beautifully. In typical Schneider style, there are lots of twists and turns, and just when you think you’ve got it figured out, you realize you don’t. I have to be honest though. I’m really funny about how children are handled in the stories I read. What happened to Charlie when he ran for help left my jaw on the floor. The last two paragraphs of the first chapter made me close my iPad and walk away. It wasn’t anything horribly graphic, but, in my humble opinion, was just too much and didn’t add anything to the story, other than more unnecessary trauma to a little boy. I thought about it for a day or two, picked my iPad back up and gave it another go. I’m glad I did. I really liked the story overall. I like Schneider’s style, and as I said before, I love Kerri’s character. If you’re a fan of suspense filled whodunits, you will never go wrong with one of Schneider’s tales. Well done, J.A. Schneider.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Fear Dreams
Her Last Breath
Watching You

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Vickie M

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Razor Sharp (Raney and Levine #6) by J.A.Schneider-a review

Razor Sharp (Raney And Levine #6) by J.A.Schneider-a review

Razor Sharp

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk /

About the book: Release Date October 25, 2015

A young woman is found brutally attacked with a straight razor, her cruel facial mutilation the only link to three other horrific murders: a transgender woman, a transvestite, and a 17-year-old hustler. So nasty are those three born-male kills that the psychopath seems to be saying, they’re all males…

FROM HELL he scrawls, taunting the NYPD with the original Jack the Ripper’s 1888 letter to the police. This killer is cunning: wears gloves, disguises, and leaves no physical evidence. At a loss, the police ask “one small favor” from physicians Jill Raney and David Levine, friends and – until now, detectives on their own. “No warrant? No problem!” had been their mantra…until their relationship with the cops led to exhaustion and conflict.

But they share the horror that grips the country and agree to help, thus plunging into an unimaginable and terrifying maze of psycho-sexual obsession and madness.

Review:

Razor Sharp begins with the horrific murder of a young woman by an unknown assailant. The attack was as brutal as it was horrific. When the cops needed help, they once again called Drs. Jill Raney and David Levine. The couple has become friends with the cops and have a knack for getting unattainable information out of certain individuals. Even though Jill and David were taking a week off, they agreed to help once they saw the crime scene. Things happen pretty quickly from that point on.

Jill and David talk to a therapist who had treated the young woman and were able to obtain some crucial information about the victim as well as a couple of others who were associated with her. Even though the therapist was leery of giving names, he knew he had to help out to keep others safe. Unfortunately for everyone, the killings escalated and everyone was doing their best to track down the murder, who was touting himself as another Jack the Ripper.

Eventually, persons of interest are brought in to be questioned which almost leaves more questions than answers. But, as the cops, and namely Jill and David, delve into the secret lives of people connected to the victims, what they find will shock them to their very core.

Razor Sharp is another well written story by J.A. Schneider that grabs your attention from the very beginning. There was a surprise in this one that has to do with their miracle baby, Jesse, which has left me wondering just what direction this series is going. And, if I’m being honest, I can’t wait to find out. Jill and David, as well as the cast of supporting characters, are very relatable and I enjoy the banter. Once again, if you’re looking for a fast paced and suspenseful medical mystery, this is the series for you. Well done, J.A. Schneider!

Copy supplied by the author

Reviewed by Vickie M

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Embryo 5: Silver Girl by J.A. Schneider-a review

Embryo 5: Silver Girl by J.A. Schneider-a review

Embryo 5 Silver Girl

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/

About the book: Release Date February 26, 2015

A beautiful young TV star, Jody Merrill, dies mysteriously and police are stumped. They are even more at a loss when the grisly remains of yet another actress, Jody’s co-star, are found.

Detectives request the help of doctors Jill Raney and David Levine, police friends and detectives on their own. For Jill and David this is personal; they are heartbroken since both murdered young women were their friends. Furiously they resolve to find the killer: to skirt the law as they always do in cases of sex crimes, child abuse and murder; helping where cops’ hands are tied (“No warrant? No problem!”), or in ways that police forensics never imagined.

The killer, capable of unspeakable savagery, must commit more murders in order to hide…possibly behind the glitzy cover of Show Biz Hell. As Jody Merrill called it, “That gorgeous, sparkly bubble that closes you in, bloats your ego in some weird, alternate universe where you lose all bearings, lose yourself. Fame is unhealthy.”

Review:

To say that Jill and David can’t catch a break is a huge understatement……. Silver Girl begins with the very suspicious death of Jody Merrill. She was a close friend to Jill, as well as others at the hospital. When they head to the ER as Jody is being brought in and treated, they know almost immediately that this was no accident. Jody died a grisly death that hits Jill and David hard. Once the police request their help, they race to Jody’s apartment to see what they can find. Upon their arrival, they know something’s off. As they are looking around the crime scene, they hear something and David tries to catch whomever was in the apartment to no avail. But, once things get rolling, another dead body is found and they know there is a murderer on the loose. One who seems to be targeting characters from Jody’s popular television show and they pull out all the stops to find who’s responsible.

They are pulled into the world of Hollywood agents, attorneys and wouldn’t you know it? Seems there was a torrid affair between Jody and a certain someone who wielded a lot of power and influence over her. When Jill and David delve farther into the goings on in Jody’s inner work circle, they discover that there were several who had motive, but figuring out who had the ultimate motive becomes a game of cat and mouse. Revelations are made and secrets are discovered, but will Jill and David be able to stop the murderer before someone else pays with their life? And, when Jill is caught in the middle of a twisted person’s endgame, will David get to her in time to prevent her from being a victim as well? Well, my friends, you’ll just have to read to find out.

J.A. Schneider has once again written a story that grabs hold and doesn’t let go. The story is shrouded in suspense and mystery, which I’ve come to expect from the Embryo stories. Jill and David are wonderful characters as are all of the supporting players. We get to see them all and we get to see how their miracle baby is faring as well. I did like the fact that we had a different kind of bad guy in this one, even though I was pretty sure who it was going to be before the big reveal. If you’re a fan of fast paced, suspenseful medical crime dramas, this series is definitely for you! Well done, J.A. Schneider! Very well done!

Copy supplied by the author.

Reviewed by Vickie M.

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Embryo 2-Crosshairs by J.A. Schneider-A Review and Interview with the Author

Embryo 2-Crosshairs by J.A. Schneider-A Review and Interview with the Author

Embryo 2

Embryo 2: Crosshairs by J.A. Schneider

ORDER links:
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Amazon.ca
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About the Book: Release April 2013

They thought the nightmare was over. Intern Jill Raney and the man she loves, obstetrical resident David Levine, barely escaped death at the hands of a madman on the steep roof of an old part of the hospital. The awful scene, captured by overhead news choppers, became a media obsession, run horrifyingly over and over. Jill and David are now reluctant “celebrities” – and the targets of every wacko who wants to share in the attention.

Including a killer. Someone who begins venting his fury at their “fame” by his hideous assaults on women – assaults which Jill and David discover are also death threats to them, and to a 6-month-old baby who has yet to be born.

Their predator is clever. Haughty. Leaves cryptic “clues” to taunt them and the police, who are at a loss. He knows how to leave no physical evidence behind. No prints, no fibers, no eyewitnesses.

Jill and David must still return to their exhausting hospital duties, knowing that any psycho can just walk into a hospital. Friends beg David, who is a crack shot, to carry a gun, but he doesn’t. “What’s the use?” he asks. “A doctor’s back is always turned.”

Instead, Jill and David join forces to become detectives on their own, helping the police in ways that even forensics experts never imagined; working frantically to uncover an unspeakable secret that dooms their fate and that of a sweet-faced, unborn child…unless they can put an end to an obsessed killer’s twisted quest.

Review:

What to say…..what to say…………I am as a rule, normally, a romance reader. So, when I was approached about reading and reviewing this book, I was a bit skeptical when I realized that it is a suspense-thriller. Well, a lot, actually. But, I had already agreed to read it, so off to read I went…………. And, holy hell, what a read it was. Both this book, and the first, start from the first page and DOES.NOT.STOP……….. The suspense is continuous, to the point where I had to walk away for a bit. The subject matter is pretty brutal and, in my humble opinion, not for the faint of heart. Some may find it hard to read, due to said subject matter, BUT, if you can convince yourself (as I did) that this is FICTION, you will fly through the story.

Schneider has written her characters so well, that I felt that I actually knew them. Jill and David make a great team. The supporting characters are great as well, but to be honest, I did find myself getting a little confused as to who was whom and what they had contributed earlier, or if they had at all. I think that in itself may be a testament to how realistic this story seems. Having lots of friends and family that are doctors, nurses, etc., the scenes at the clinic and hospital played out before my eyes as I read the story.

As I said, some of the book is tough to read. But, I for one am glad that I did. I look forward to the next installment!!

ORDER links:
Amazon.com
Amazon.ca
Barnes and Noble

Copy supplied by the author

Reviewed by Vickie M.

Interview beige

TRC: Hi J.A. and welcome to The Reading Café. We would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us something about yourself?

FOLLOW J.A: Website / Goodreads/ Twitter/ Facebook

J.A.SchneiderJ.A.: I’m a former staffer at Newsweek. Words and story ideas are always teeming in my head – a crazy colorful place! I’m a wife, mother of two adult children, and I love thrillers and mysteries. Once a Liberal Arts major (French and Spanish Literature), I’ve become increasingly fascinated with medicine and forensic science. Been married for decades to a physician who loves explaining medical concepts which I interweave as I write. EMBRYO is my first ebook. Its sequel, EMBRYO 2: CROSSHAIRS, was released in early April 2013. We live in southern Connecticut.

TRC: Your bio states that you were a exchange student in Russia. Have you ever been back for a visit? If so, how have things changed since your days as a student?

J.A: Haven’t been back, but I know things have changed a lot. Actually I was part of a student exchange between the U.S. and Russia. It was fascinating, but the desire for return visits was stronger to France and Spain. I love both, the people of Spain especially. So warm!

TRC: How did a French Literature major with a minor in Spanish and Russian develop a love for writing medical mystery novels?

J.A.: Life evolves. French I started in the fifth grade, so, being lazy, I opted for a French major because it was familiar and I’d taken all those AP courses. THEN marriage, and decades of hearing medical talk, and the fact that amazing advances in medicine are made constantly… I became fascinated. Have always, always peppered my husband Bob with questions, getting increasingly fascinated. Have also done much volunteering in hospitals.

embryoThe idea for the first EMBRYO came like a lightening bolt when hearing a conversation between Bob (who did OB before switching to Cardiology), and an Ob/Gyn friend who was excited about IVF and its advances in curing diseases in utero. As an author who had already published fiction and non-fiction, I thought about all human discoveries – from fire to atomic energy – and the fact that they can be either good or very bad if they fall into the wrong hands. It was a thought that wouldn’t let go.

ORDER links for EMBRYO: Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Barnes and Noble /

Speaking foreign languages is nice, but static. It doesn’t involve the always-new-discoveries excitement and fascination of something like medicine and forensic science.

Embryo 2TRC: Embryo 2 is your April 2013 release. Would you please tell us something about the premise of the story (series)?

ORDER links for Embryo 2:
Amazon.com
Amazon.ca
Barnes and Noble

J.A: I realized that the ending of Embryo created a new crisis…

In Crosshairs, that new crisis was “fame.” Embryo’s heart-stopping final scene has turned Jill and David into reluctant “celebrities” – and the targets of every nut job who wants to share in the attention. Awful, especially since any psycho can just walk into a hospital…

Including a killer. Someone who begins venting his fury at their “fame” by his hideous assaults on women – assaults which Jill and David discover are also death threats to them, and to a 6-month-old baby who has yet to be born.

Their predator is clever. Haughty. Leaves cryptic “clues” to taunt them and the police, who are at a loss. He knows how to leave no physical evidence behind. No prints, no fibers, no eyewitnesses.

Jill and David must still return to their exhausting hospital duties. Friends beg David, who is a crack shot, to carry a gun, but he doesn’t. “What’s the use?” he asks. “A doctor’s back is always turned.”

Instead, Jill and David join forces to become detectives on their own, helping the police in ways that even forensics experts never imagined; working frantically to uncover an unspeakable secret that dooms their fate and that of a sweet-faced, unborn child…unless they can put an end to an obsessed killer’s twisted quest.

TRC: How many books do you have planned for the series?

J.A.: Three. A trilogy. Then I’ll begin a Raney and Levine series which will continue with the same wonderful characters. Jill Raney and David Levine become physician-detectives (they already are in Embryo 2), like an updated Holmes and Watson. How so? In this post-CSI era, bad guys again have the advantage. They know how to leave no physical evidence behind. No prints, no fibers, no eyewitnesses. But Jill and David find ways to help police in ways that even forensics experts never imagined.

TRC: How much research (logistical, historical, medical etc) was involved in the writing of this series?

J.A.: Two previous trad pubbed novels involved a lot of research. They never felt “native, organic” to me, so they came out showing the strain. With the two Embryo books, however, it was easy and a joy. Bob is always near to ask questions as they arise. We both enjoy the process. Every conversation gives rise to another idea or exciting plot point (google Pseudomonas aeruginosa…yeeow). So the research was detailed, and often I’d hit the med books and research more deeply, but it basically was easy and helped the stories flow. I’m also very familiar with hospitals and the life, having accompanied Bob on his rounds, and volunteered.

TRC: Do your storyline characters speak to you and tell you the direction of the story or do you direct the characters?

J.A.: Oh, the characters lead! Especially Jill. She’s reckless and determined in addition to being smart and deeply caring. Her dangerous, against-orders ideas sometimes surprise even me, which is why I don’t use an outline. David and Jill bounce off each other, actually. There are places in Embryo 2 where David gets an idea and it terrifies Jill. So they bicker, but the interplay between them fuels the story – and is sometimes even funny.

TRC: I guess this question would be for your husband – what is his overall interpretation of the medical drama television series currently on the prime time line-up? Reality or closer to fiction?

J.A.: Closer to fiction, sometimes ridiculous and wrong. Actors mispronounce, hold their stethoscopes and X-rays backwards, their EKGs upside down, on and on. Similar to cop shows. Ask any cop how he feels about cop shows… “It’s not like that, I can’t watch that stuff!” they’ll say. Doctors don’t watch doctor shows, and cops don’t watch cop shows.

TRC: If you could virtually cast the major characters in this particular storyline, which actors or models would represent your ideal image?

J.A.: Hmm, someone gorgeous and sexy for David. Jill, I don’t know…

TRC: Many authors face challenges in writing or getting their books to publication. What are some of the difficulties your have faced in your writing career?

J.A.: In the past, with traditional publishers, I had a non-fiction book orphaned by first one editor and then her replacement getting laid off. The economy has decimated publishing houses, including their publicity people. I love the freedom of indie publishing. The one challenge remaining is promotion, but that now applies to trad pubbed authors too. The big houses just don’t promote any more. Except I see them on Twitter too; what a hoot.

TRC: How do you handle (the combination of) the pressure and stress of a deadline and, family life at home?

J.A.: It used to be very, very hard when my children were small. Now that they’re grown and adults out in the world, life and writing are easier. (See? All you have to do is wait twenty years.) Other things still intervene, interrupt, but it’s still hugely easier. And with indie publishing there really aren’t any deadlines, except self-imposed, right?

TRC: What five things would you like to accomplish in the next ten years?

J.A.: Just keep writing, faster and better than ever. I’d love to see a “Raney and Levine” TV series.

TRC: On what are you currently working?

J.A.: Embryo 3

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

J.A.: One of my favorite quotes from the book: A surgical resident friend tells David, “Take the gun! Even cops can’t depend on cops!” That surgical resident is from Houston, where a resident was shot and killed in the E. R. He’s obsessed, correctly, that no cop or hospital security guy can shoot until after violence happens.

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food :Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate!

Favorite Dessert: Anything chocolate

Favorite TV: Show Dexter

Last Movies You Saw: “The Fugitive,” “Air Force One,” and “What Lies Beneath.” ← Oooh, scary! Love that one.

Dark or Milk Chocolate: Dark

Favorite Flower:
Roses. I grow climbers and ramblers which the deer can’t reach, yay. Favorite one is called Laguna rose. Some climbers (they’re shorter, 6-10 feet) bloom June to November. The ramblers are thugs, climb 30 feet up to our house’s second floor. Gorgeous in June-July, but I spend too much time on a ladder. Their thorns are the size of bird-of-prey talons and tear right through my shirtsleeves. People see my scratches and ask if we keep big cats.

TRC: Thank you J.A. for taking the time to answer our questions. Congratulations on the release of Embryo 2. We wish you all the best.

J.A.: Thank you so much!! Love to all!!

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